Planning guides
Plan your Mongolia trip
Direct answers to the questions that shape a Mongolia trip — with sources and dates where facts change.
Costs
How Much Does a Mongolia Trip Cost?
What a Mongolia trip costs in 2026: budget vs mid-range vs private, the cost of drivers, guides, fuel, camps and flights, with sourced published prices and what drives the total.
Mongolia Private Tour Cost: What You're Paying For
How private Mongolia tour prices are built — vehicle, driver, guide, fuel, camps, margin — with published 2026 reference prices and a checklist for comparing quotes.
How Much Does a Driver Cost in Mongolia?
What a driver with vehicle costs in Mongolia in 2026: published day rates by vehicle, fuel per tank, driver's food and lodging, guide add-on, and how to estimate.
How Much Does a Private Gobi Tour Cost?
What a private Gobi trip costs: days, vehicle, driver and guide, fuel for a long desert loop, camps, camels and flights — with published 2026 reference prices.
When and how long
Best Time to Visit Mongolia (Month by Month)
When to go to Mongolia: a month-by-month guide to weather, festivals (Naadam, eagle festival, ice festival), crowds, prices and which regions are best in each season.
How Many Days Do You Need in Mongolia?
How long to spend in Mongolia: what realistically fits in 5, 7, 10, 14 and 21 days, how many regions per trip, and why distances matter more than the number of sights.
Internet, SIM Cards and eSIMs in Mongolia
Staying connected in Mongolia: local SIM cards (Mobicom, Unitel and others), eSIMs, coverage in the countryside, Wi-Fi at ger camps, and how to stay reachable on a road trip.
What to Pack for Mongolia
A practical Mongolia packing list: layers for cold nights, sun and dust protection, ger-camp essentials, power, toiletries, riding gear, and what changes for winter.
Food in Mongolia: What You'll Eat (and Vegetarian Reality)
What travelers eat in Mongolia: classic dishes, dairy and airag, ger-camp meals, Ulaanbaatar restaurants, and honest advice for vegetarians and special diets.
Mongolian Etiquette: Visiting Gers, Families and Sacred Places
Practical etiquette for visiting Mongolia: arriving at a ger, dogs, what to do inside, accepting food and drink, gifts, photographing people, monasteries and ovoo cairns.
Guides, drivers and getting around
Do You Need a Guide in Mongolia?
Do you need a guide in Mongolia? When a driver alone is enough, when a guide earns their fee, and when you can travel fully independently. An honest answer.
Self-Driving in Mongolia: Is It Realistic?
Can you self-drive Mongolia? Licence rules (IDP + home licence), rental costs, tracks, navigation, fuel, breakdowns, insurance, and where self-driving works.
Can You Travel Mongolia Independently (Without a Tour)?
How to see Mongolia without a packaged tour: public buses, domestic flights, hiring drivers locally, shared trips, self-drive — and the trade-offs of each.
Arriving at Chinggis Khaan International Airport (Ulaanbaatar)
Arriving in Mongolia at Chinggis Khaan International Airport: distance to Ulaanbaatar, taxis, transfers, shuttle/bus status, SIM and cash at the airport, and timing tips.
Driving Distances and Times in Mongolia
Typical driving distances and times between Mongolia's main destinations, paved vs unpaved roads, and why maps underestimate journey times. Planning table included.
How to Choose a Guide, Driver or Operator in Mongolia
A practical checklist for choosing a guide, driver or tour operator in Mongolia: what to ask, how to read reviews, red flags, payment safety and what 'verified' should actually mean.
Domestic Flights in Mongolia: When Flying Saves Your Trip
Domestic flights in Mongolia: airlines, routes to the Gobi, Khövsgöl and the west, seasonal schedules, baggage, delays — and when flying is worth it.
Arriving by Train: The Trans-Mongolian Railway in 2026
Reaching Mongolia by train in 2026: Beijing–Ulaanbaatar (resumed June 2025), Irkutsk–Ulaanbaatar, the status of Moscow–Beijing trains, timings and booking.
Entry, money and safety
Is Mongolia Safe for Travelers?
An honest look at safety in Mongolia: petty crime in Ulaanbaatar, road safety, horse riding, dogs, weather, medical care in remote areas, and the precautions that actually matter.
Money in Mongolia: Cash, Cards and ATMs
How money works for travelers in Mongolia: the tögrög (MNT), where cards work, ATM limits, why the countryside runs on cash, exchanging money and practical tips.
Mongolia Visa and Entry Requirements
Do you need a visa for Mongolia? The 30-day visa-free programme for 34 countries (to 1 January 2027), other agreements, the e-visa and the registration rule.
Tipping in Mongolia: Guides, Drivers, Camps and Restaurants
Tipping customs in Mongolia for travelers: what's commonly suggested for guides and drivers, horsemen and cooks, ger camps and restaurants, and how to hand it over.
Health, Medical Care and Travel Insurance for Mongolia
Health planning for Mongolia: medical care in Ulaanbaatar vs the countryside, evacuation cover, activities insurance must cover, first-aid kit and key precautions.
Where you stay
Ger Camps in Mongolia: What to Expect
A practical guide to tourist ger camps in Mongolia: what a ger is like inside, bathrooms and showers, food, electricity, heating, opening seasons and how to choose the right camps.
Toilets, Showers and Comfort on a Mongolia Trip
The practical reality of toilets, showers, electricity and sleep on a Mongolia countryside trip — what to expect at camps, homestays and on the road, and how to plan for comfort.
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.