Jan 23, 2019

Everyone who has been there will tell you: Mongolia is an enchantment for anyone interested in Nature, History, and above all, Adventure with a capital A. Yet it remains among the least visited countries in the world according to recent studies in the tourism industry. It is therefore a true blessing for any traveler wishing to venture somewhat off the beaten path, but it can prove somewhat daunting to plan at first when you don't know the country.

A specialist in Mongolia for over 14 years, Horseback Mongolia has compiled 5 things you should know before heading to the land of the blue sky. Follow the guide!

1/ Book Your Flight in Advance

Traveling to Mongolia can be costly, as the number of airlines serving Ulaanbaatar is rather limited. Among them you'll find MIAT, Air China, Korean Air, Turkish Airlines, and Aeroflot. Generally you'll need to make a stopover in capitals such as Beijing, Seoul, or Moscow, or even smaller cities in China, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan.

Also good to know: even during high season (June to August), departures from Monday to Thursday are generally less expensive than weekend flights, so favor weekday departures when possible!

To benefit from competitive fares throughout the year, we can't recommend enough that you book well in advance and use flight comparison tools like Skyscanner, which compares different airlines and allows you to purchase your ticket at the best price.

2/ List the Experiences Not to Miss

Your flight is booked? Perfect! Now it's time to figure out roughly what you'll want to experience.

Mongolia is unique in every way—culturally, historically, and geographically. To ensure you make the most of what this country has to offer, we strongly advise travelers to research and plan ahead to get a broad sense of the must-see experiences. Here are a few starting points:

• Taste fermented mare's milk
• Discover some of the last truly wild horses in the world in the Khustai National Park
• Attend the Eagle Festival, or the Naadam Festival, Mongolia's greatest traditional event
• Immerse yourself with the last reindeer herders, the Tsaatans
• Visit and savor the unique history of ancient Buddhist temples
• Stumble upon dinosaur fossils in the Gobi Desert
• Travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway, the world's longest train journey
• Discover throat singing (see #3 below)

3/ Witness a Throat Singing Performance

For centuries, diphonic singing (or khoomii) has been a distinctive element of Mongolian music and culture. Throat singers often practice this ancestral art alongside a bowed string instrument called the horsehead fiddle (morin khuur). The vocal tone is achieved by manipulating the lips, throat, mouth, tongue, and jaw. This unique music is found nowhere else in the world except in this region of Asia (Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Tuva, and Siberia). So many travelers are unaware of its existence and leave Mongolia without attending a performance... Don't be like them and absolutely don't miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity!

4/ Prepare to Adapt Your Diet

With a harsh climate poorly suited to agriculture, Mongolia imports much of its food and relies heavily on the consumption of preserves, grains, and products such as mutton, beef, goat, horse, and camel. We understand that this type of diet may not suit everyone, so if you're somewhat particular or have dietary requirements, don't hesitate to communicate your preferences clearly to guides and cooks when possible, or even bring your own provisions—though you'll likely find plenty of options in Ulaanbaatar!

5/ Say Goodbye to Five-Star Comfort

If you're accustomed to a minimum of comfort and luxurious showers, you'll likely have to make some concessions in Mongolia. Indeed, except for the capital Ulaanbaatar, you won't commonly find the bathrooms or sewage systems we're used to back home, though on some tours this tends to improve with the installation of portable showers. This requires some mental adjustments that not everyone is willing to make, but it makes the experience so much more authentic and memorable!

Charlène Nomadays

SEO copywriter from the very beginning at Nomadays, Charlène has evolved into a content manager and head of communications, accompanying the adventure with passion and loyalty since its inception. After living seven years across Asia—from China to Thailand, passing through Mongolia and South Korea—she has made travel a way of being in the world. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she strives to convey in her writing a sensitive, engaged, and responsible vision of tourism. For her, each article is a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.