Private & tailor-made travel
Private Tours in Mongolia: How They Work and What You're Paying For
Short answer
A private Mongolia tour means your own vehicle, driver and (usually) guide, travelling on your dates and at your pace, with ger camps or homestays booked along the way. You pay for the vehicle and crew whether you're two or six people, so it costs more per person than a group tour but gives you full flexibility. The quality depends almost entirely on the specific driver, guide and vehicle — not the brochure.
Key facts
- Who's in the vehicle
- You, your driver and usually a guide (or a driver-guide)
- Typical vehicle
- Toyota Land Cruiser–type 4x4, Delica/Starex van or UAZ furgon
- Accommodation
- Tourist ger camps, herder homestays, occasional hotels, camping
- Indicative crew costs
- Driver + vehicle ≈ US$85–120/day plus fuel; guide ≈ US$65–100/day (published 2026 figures)
Most of Mongolia’s best experiences sit at the end of long dirt tracks, so almost every trip outside Ulaanbaatar involves a vehicle and a driver. A “private tour” simply means that vehicle and crew are yours alone.
What a private trip includes (and what to check)
A typical private trip has:
- A driver and vehicle for the whole trip. The driver navigates, maintains the vehicle and often helps with camp logistics.
- A guide — interpreter, cultural explainer, organiser. On some trips the driver also guides (a driver-guide). See driver vs guide.
- Accommodation each night: ger camps, homestays or tents.
- Meals — at camps, from a cook on camping trips, or in roadside canteens.
- Activities — horse riding, camel rides, park entries, performances.
Items that are often excluded or ambiguous: fuel, the crew’s meals and beds, park fees, alcohol, Ulaanbaatar hotels, airport transfers, domestic flights, tips. Always ask for an itemised inclusion list.
Private vs group
| Private | Group | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Yours | Fixed departures |
| Pace and stops | Flexible | Set |
| Vehicle | Only your party | Shared |
| Cost per person | Higher for 1–2, falls with group size | Lower |
| Who you travel with | Your own people | Strangers (can be great or not) |
More detail: private vs group tours.
What a private trip costs
Private trips are priced around a few building blocks: days × (driver + vehicle + guide), plus fuel, accommodation, meals and activities. Published 2026 figures put driver with vehicle at roughly US$85–120 per day (plus fuel and crew costs on the road) and an English-speaking guide at roughly US$65–100 per day. Tailor-made private trips listed on international marketplaces commonly start around US$350–430 per person per day for two travelers. Full breakdown: Mongolia private tour cost.
These are third-party published figures, checked in October 2026 — not Mongolia Relay quotes. Prices vary based on itinerary and supplier.
What makes a private trip good
In our view, these matter more than the itinerary on paper:
- The driver’s experience on your specific route — tracks, river crossings, where to find fuel, which camps are good this year.
- The guide’s English and temperament. You’ll spend 10+ hours a day together.
- The vehicle’s condition and comfort for the number of people. Four adults plus luggage in a small 4x4 is cramped.
- Realistic daily distances. Itineraries that look efficient on a map often mean 8–10 hour days.
- Clear terms — what’s included, payment schedule, what happens if a vehicle breaks down.
See how to choose a Mongolia guide or operator.
How Mongolia Relay fits in
We help you work out what kind of trip you need (sometimes it’s not a full tour at all), then introduce local people who fit — a driver, a driver-guide, or a full-service operator. You get a written quote showing exactly who operates your trip and what’s included. How it works.
Questions travelers ask
Is a private tour in Mongolia worth it for two people?
Often yes, because group tours in Mongolia also spend long hours in a vehicle — and a private trip lets you choose who you spend them with, when to stop and how long to stay. The trade-off is cost: two people carry the full vehicle and crew cost. With four travelers the per-person cost drops considerably.
Do private tours include everything?
Not always. Check whether fuel, the crew's meals and lodging, park fees, activities (riding, camels), all meals and Ulaanbaatar hotels are included. Comparing quotes without the same inclusions is the most common mistake.
Can I book a private tour directly with a local operator?
Yes, and many travelers do. The challenge is choosing: quality varies a lot and it's hard to judge from abroad. That's the problem Mongolia Relay exists to help with — but if you find an operator you trust, booking direct is perfectly reasonable.
Sources and further reading
We link sources for facts that matter (prices, entry rules, dates, distances). Third-party prices are what those sources published, not quotes from us.
Mongolia Relay
Planning a Mongolia trip?
Tell us what you have in mind — dates, who is traveling, what matters to you. A real person reads every message and replies within 48 hours. No obligation, and if you don’t need our help we’ll tell you.