Itinerary
10 Days in Mongolia: Three Ways to Spend It
Short answer
With 10 days you can combine two regions. The three best options: (1) Central Mongolia + Lake Khövsgöl overland, flying back from Mörön — green, lakes and horses; (2) Gobi + Central Mongolia by road — desert and steppe, more driving; (3) Western Mongolia by air — mountains and Kazakh culture. Option 1 is detailed below.
Key facts
- Length
- 10 days
- Route
- Ulaanbaatar → Elsen Tasarkhai → Kharkhorin → Orkhon Waterfall → Tsenkher → Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake → Khatgal (Khövsgöl) → Mörön
- Driving load
- Heavy
- Pace
- Mixed — long transfer days balanced by two nights at the Orkhon Valley and Khövsgöl
- Good for
- Couples, Horse riders, Hikers, Second-time visitors
Ten days is where Mongolia opens up: enough to combine two regions or do one remote region properly.
Option 1: Central Mongolia + Khövsgöl (detailed above)
Green Mongolia end to end: dunes, Kharkhorin, the Orkhon Valley, hot springs, a volcanic lake and finally Khövsgöl, with a flight back from Mörön. Best for couples, riders and hikers. The trade-off is the long transfer from Terkhiin Tsagaan to the lake.
Option 2: Gobi + Central Mongolia
Desert, then steppe. More driving, the classic first-trip combination. See 10 days: Gobi + Central Mongolia.
Option 3: Western Mongolia
Fly to Ölgii and spend 7–8 days in the Altai and with Kazakh families, perhaps timed for the eagle festival in early October. See Western Mongolia.
What doesn’t fit in 10 days
Gobi + Khövsgöl + Central by road. It can be drawn on a map, but you’d spend 7–9 hours driving most days. See 14 days in Mongolia for a version with flights and more time.
Day by day
Day 1
Ulaanbaatar
Arrival and city day.
Day 2
→ Elsen Tasarkhai
West across the steppe to the dunes; camel ride.
Day 3
→ Kharkhorin
Erdene Zuu and the museum, unhurried.
Day 4
→ Orkhon Valley
Into the upper valley; waterfall in the afternoon.
Day 5
→ Tsenkher Hot Springs
Through Arkhangai; evening soak.
Day 6
→ Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake
Via Tsetserleg. Walk up the Khorgo volcano crater.
Day 7
→ towards Khövsgöl
The big transfer north; your crew chooses the overnight based on road conditions.
Day 8
→ Lake Khövsgöl
Through Mörön to Khatgal and up the western shore.
Day 9
Lake Khövsgöl
Horse ride along the shore, hike or boat trip.
Day 10
→ Mörön → fly to Ulaanbaatar
Flight back to the capital. Fly home on day 11.
Ask about this itinerary We'll adapt it to your dates, group and pace.
Questions travelers ask
What's the best 10-day Mongolia itinerary?
It depends on what you want most. Desert: Gobi + Central. Lakes, forests and riding: Central + Khövsgöl. Mountains and Kazakh culture: Western Mongolia by air. All three are realistic in 10 days; combining all of them isn't.
Why fly back from Mörön?
Driving back from Khövsgöl to Ulaanbaatar takes two long days. Flying saves them for time at the lake. Your crew drives the vehicle back.
How much driving is there on this route?
Days 7 and 8 are long; the rest are 1–5 hours. The transfer between Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake and Khövsgöl is the hardest part — roads and timings vary by season.
Mongolia Relay
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