Mongolia has only one international airport, Genghis Khan Airport, located in Ulaanbaatar. Remote from major aviation hubs, Mongolia does not yet benefit from significant air service.

Today, only five airlines serve the country, which explains the scarcity and high prices of flights. Since the summer season is relatively short, it's not uncommon to encounter difficulties finding last-minute flight tickets, especially for trips planned in July/August. To avoid regrets, save money, and make the most of your stay, it's best to plan ahead.

Here's a practical guide that will, we hope, help you save some money on purchasing your flight tickets to Mongolia.

Book Your Flight to Mongolia in Advance

You often hear it said: the sooner the better! Yet this truth isn't always proven. It's true that for a trip to Mongolia, it's strongly recommended to book your flight tickets in advance, nevertheless, you don't need to purchase them more than a year before departure.

In fact, when you wish to book your flight too early, the choice of airlines can be limited and those that have scheduled planes in advance (generally only Air China flights) tend to inflate prices due to lack of competition. So if you're planning a stay in Mongolia for July or August 2019, and you're already checking airlines in July 2018, very few options will display at exorbitant prices. With a little patience, the same flights will appear a few months later with significantly more reasonable prices.

When Should You Book Your Flight to Mongolia?

It's generally during September that the airlines serving Ulaanbaatar display their availability and rates.

The months of October and December are ideal for finding the best prices, particularly with Air China, which offers very competitive flights for May, June, and September periods (first price noted in autumn 2017 for a Paris/Ulaanbaatar flight - €469). Aeroflot flights are more expensive but also more direct, with fares starting from around €750.

MIAT, the Mongolian national carrier that offers flights with a stopover in Frankfurt (3 flights per week on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday), is generally the last to publish its schedule for the following summer. It's not uncommon to have to wait until September for MIAT flights to go on sale.

Book Your Flight During the Holidays

Contrary to what one might think, it's generally more advantageous to book your flight to Mongolia during the end-of-year holidays rather than wait until January. We observe at each start of the year a price increase that can vary by more than €100. This increase can be explained by the fact that Christmas holidays being conducive to family reunions, the decision to travel to Mongolia is often made during this period. Travel plans are discussed around the table and often materialize after the holidays. Our advice: if you've decided to treat yourself to a family trip to Mongolia, don't wait until after the holidays to book. You won't be the only ones, and airlines take advantage of this to inflate their prices.

Although fares can sometimes remain reasonable for trips planned in May, June, and September, they skyrocket for the two busiest periods: the start of Naadam (around July 9, 10, and 11) and the first week of August.

With this first price increase, you'll find flights around €900 to €1100 for a stay in the heart of summer, and this continues until March.

What to Expect When Booking Last-Minute?

The months of March and April are often the two most important booking months. Fares increase from week to week, so it's important not to delay in purchasing your flight ticket. We recommend booking before Easter holidays at the latest to still find attractive prices; beyond that, it will already be too late and you'll be forced to pay full price.

From mid-April to May, the price of flights to Ulaanbaatar becomes expensive, exceeding €1,300 per person. In this case, it's advisable to search for weekday departures rather than weekends, or shift your trip by a week or two. After August 15, flights will be more economical, for example.

From June onwards, you'll no longer find attractive flights for the Naadam festival or for the first half of August. The flights offered to you will either be very long and expensive (averaging €1,350), extending over 2 days (35/40 hours of travel), or very expensive, with fares exceeding €1,700.

As you can see, it's preferable to book your international flight to Mongolia in advance, ideally between October and late December, even though in practice you'll find good fares for a festival trip until the end of February, and decent fares until mid-April. If you weren't able to book your flight tickets that early, don't despair—some lucky and flexible travelers occasionally find at the last moment a ticket that's become available at an advantageous price. By being flexible with dates, departing mid-week, or shifting your trip to late August or early September, you'll have a great chance of getting a ticket at a competitive price.