Mongolia Tours: Explore Nomadic Culture, the Gobi Desert & Beyond

Mongolia remains one of earth’s last true frontiers for adventure travel - a land where nomadic herders move with the seasons across endless steppe, where towering sand dunes rise from the Gobi, and where wild horses still roam protected grasslands. Penguin Travel offers carefully crafted small group tours and tailor-made journeys that bring you face-to-face with this remarkable country and its people.

Quick Overview of Our Mongolia Tours

Penguin Travel specializes in small-group and tailor-made Mongolia tours designed around nature, nomadic culture, and soft adventure. Our departures run primarily from May to October, with guaranteed small-group dates and fully customizable private itineraries for those seeking flexibility.

Core experiences include crossing the Gobi Desert, exploring the Orkhon Valley, witnessing the Naadam Festival, horse riding across open steppe, staying in traditional ger camps, and sharing meals with nomadic families. These tours suit active, culture-minded travellers from Western and Northern Europe who value authenticity over luxury.

• Authentic immersion: Stay with local families, learn about Mongolian culture firsthand, and explore landscapes untouched by mass tourism

• Flexible options: Choose fixed small-group departures or customize a private trip around your interests and schedule

• Soft adventure focus: Activities like hiking, camel trekking, and horseback riding suit moderate fitness levels

• Expert local guides: English-speaking Mongolian guides provide cultural context throughout your journey

• All-inclusive pricing: Transfers, accommodation, most meals, and entrance fees included with no hidden costs

Essential Facts for Travelling to Mongolia

Mongolia stands as the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign country, offering dramatic contrasts from the urban energy of Ulaanbaatar to the silence of the Gobi Desert and the forested wilderness of northern taiga.

• Capital: Ulaanbaatar (population approximately 1.6 million as of mid-2020s)

• Total population: About 3.4 million across 1.564 million square kilometers

• Currency: Mongolian Tögrög (MNT)

• Official language: Mongolian (Khalkha dialect, Cyrillic script)

• Time zone: GMT+8 for Ulaanbaatar and most tour routes

• International dialling code: +976

• Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz; Type C and Type E/F (European two-pin) plugs

• Main airport: Chinggis Khaan International Airport (ULN) in Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar serves as the starting and ending point for all Mongolia tours. While English is spoken in hotels and by professional guides, language skills remain limited in rural areas - making a knowledgeable tour guide essential for meaningful cultural immersion and practical navigation.

Why Choose Mongolia for Your Next Adventure

Mongolia offers something increasingly rare in modern travel: a world genuinely apart from mass tourism. With just 3.4 million people spread across a territory larger than Western Europe, this country delivers open spaces, authentic encounters, and a pace of life connected to the rhythms of nature rather than schedules.

About one-third of many Mongolians still follow a semi-nomadic herding lifestyle, moving their gers across the countryside with the seasons. This living nomadic culture isn’t a museum exhibit - it’s daily reality that travellers can experience directly through homestays and family visits on our itineraries.

• Landscapes of extremes: From the Gobi Desert’s Khongoryn Els dunes rising 300 meters to Lake Khovsgol’s pristine “Blue Pearl” waters spanning 2,760 square kilometers

• Living history: Buddhist monasteries like Erdene Zuu Monastery at Kharkhorin, shamanic traditions in northern Mongolia, and the legacy of Genghis Khan (Chinggis Khan) visible throughout

• Wildlife encounters: Over 2,000 Przewalski wild horses (Takhi) roam Khustai National Park, reintroduced since 1992

• Active possibilities: Horse riding, camel trekking, day hikes through volcanic valleys, jeep journeys across roadless steppe, and photography under 260+ sunny days annually

• Central Asia gateway: Experience a distinct corner of the world that bridges East Asian and Central Asian cultures

Our Style of Mongolia Tours (Small Groups & Tailor-Made)

Penguin Travel specializes in two approaches: small groups of 6 - 14 travellers and custom private tours. Both combine cultural immersion with easy-to-moderate activity levels, guided by English-speaking Mongolian professionals contracted through our long-established local partners.

Small-group tours offer:

• Fixed departures concentrated in June - September each year

• Maximum 14 participants, typically aged 30 - 70, with an international mix including many solo travellers

• Cost-effective shared pricing while maintaining intimate group dynamics

• Guaranteed departures once minimum numbers are reached

• Social atmosphere for travellers who enjoy meeting like-minded adventurers

Tailor-made private tours provide:

• Fully custom itineraries adjustable from 7 to 21+ days

• Focus options including culture, hiking, horse or camel riding, photography, festivals, or comprehensive “classic Mongolia” highlights

• Flexible comfort levels from standard tourist ger camps to upgraded lodges where available

• Ideal for couples, families, and friend groups wanting exclusive access to their own vehicle and guide

All tours operate through insured partners and include transfers, accommodation, most meals, and entrance fees with transparent pricing. Although Penguin Travel operates from Bulgaria and Denmark, our Mongolia journeys run through vetted Mongolian partners we’ve collaborated with for years, ensuring local expertise and reliable logistics.

Signature Mongolia Itineraries

These sample tours represent our most popular routes. Actual dates and pricing update yearly - contact us for current availability.

Classic Mongolia & Gobi Desert

Running June - September 2026 and 2027, this journey covers southern Mongolia’s most striking landscapes.

• Route: Ulaanbaatar - Baga Gazriin Chuluu granite formations - Yol Valley in Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park - Khongoryn Els towering sand dunes - Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs - Ongi Monastery ruins - Kharkhorin & Erdene Zuu Monastery - Hustai National Park - Ulaanbaatar

• Key activities: Short hikes through narrow gorges, camel ride across 40km of dunes at Khongoryn Els, visit to nomad families, watching Przewalski wild horses at sunset in Hustai

• Accommodation: Tourist ger camps throughout with one family ger stay

Mongolia from Gobi to the Heartland

This extended trip adds central Mongolia’s volcanic landscapes and hot springs to the Gobi experience.

• Route: Includes Tsagaan Suvarga’s 200-meter white cliffs, Orkhon Valley with its 20-meter Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall and 10,000-year-old lava fields, Tsenkher hot springs (86°C natural pools), Khogno Khan “Mini Gobi” with Elsen Tasarkhai dunes, and Terelj National Park

• Immersion focus: Tourist ger camps nightly, plus 1 - 2 nights as guests with local families for deeper connection to nomadic life

• Activities: Hiking, optional mountain bike excursions, horseback exploration of valleys

Mongolia Grand Tour with Khuvsgul Lake

Our most comprehensive journey links southern Mongolia, central heartland, and the northern wilderness.

• Highlights: Complete Gobi circuit, Kharkhorin’s cultural sites, then 800km north to Khovsgol Lake for boat trips along alpine shores and treks into Khoridol Saridag mountains

• Pace: Slower rhythm with more walking and optional multi-day horse treks for active travellers

• Best for: Those with time to explore the full contrast from desert to taiga

Festival Adaptations

Itineraries can be adapted for specific events on a private basis:

• Naadam Festival (mid-July): Combine the national celebration with Gobi or central Mongolia circuits

• Golden Eagle Festival (late September - early October): Add western Mongolia extensions to witness Kazakh eagle hunters

Special Experiences: Festivals, Nomadic Life & Active Adventures

Mongolia tours can be themed around specific festivals, deeper nomadic culture immersion, or active adventures like multi-day horse treks. These elements transform a journey from sightseeing into genuine participation.

Naadam Festival Departures

• Held nationwide each year around 11 - 13 July, centered in Ulaanbaatar’s 35,000-capacity stadium

• Features the “three manly games”: traditional wrestling, long-distance horse racing (20 - 30km courses), and archery

• We secure stadium tickets, arrange local guides, and combine Naadam with Gobi or central Mongolia circuits for complete experiences

Golden Eagle Festival

• Held in western Mongolia near Ölgii and Tolbo Lake, typically around 30 September - 5 October

• Watch Kazakh eagle hunters compete with their trained golden eagles, alongside horse races and cultural performances

• Private add-on trips to the Altai Mountains available for those wanting to visit remote shamanic sites or explore further

Nomadic Homestays and Local Culture

• Overnight or day visits with herding families in the Orkhon Valley, Khogno Khan area, or Gobi outskirts

• Hands-on activities: learning to milk mares and goats, tasting airag (fermented mare’s milk at 3 - 6% alcohol), helping with herding, and learning traditional felt-making or dairy processing

• Direct income to nomad families supports the continuation of traditional nomadic lifestyle

Active Adventures

• Half-day to full-day horse riding suitable for beginners and intermediates on sturdy Mongolian horses (averaging 13 hands, bred for endurance)

• Optional multi-day horse treks in Khangai or Khuvsgul regions for experienced riders

• Short camel trekking excursions at Khongoryn Els or Elsen Tasarkhai dunes

• Day hikes in Yol Valley (with summer ice fields in microclimate gorges), Terelj pine forests, and Khuvsgul lakeshores - good for moderately fit travellers

Best Time to Visit Mongolia

Most Penguin tours operate from May to October, when roads become passable and ger camps open for the season. Each period offers distinct advantages depending on your interests.

• Late May - June: Temperatures range 10 - 25°C with verdant steppe, wildflowers, and young foals. Excellent for hiking in Yol Valley and photography. Fewer tourists mean better availability and often lower prices.

• July - August: Warmest period at 20 - 30°C, ideal for the Naadam Festival (mid-July), extended horse riding, lake trips to Khovsgol Lake, and long summer evenings. This is peak season with occasional afternoon storms in some regions.

• September - early October: Golden grasses and larch forests create prime photography conditions. Crisp air (5 - 20°C) and the Golden Eagle Festival draw autumn visitors. Expect frosty nights in the Gobi and northern Mongolia.

• November - April: Harsh winter with temperatures dropping to - 20°C or below. Only specialist winter and ice festival tours operate; we arrange limited custom trips during this period for adventurous travellers.

Shoulder months - June and September - typically offer the best balance of pleasant weather, manageable crowds, and good availability. Note that temperatures can swing 20°C in a single day across Mongolia. Pack layers, a windproof jacket, and warm sleepwear even in August.

Practical Travel Information & Preparation

Mongolia welcomes visitors with genuine hospitality and remains remarkably safe, but its remoteness means preparation improves comfort significantly.

• Visas and formalities: Entry rules vary by nationality. Many EU citizens can enter visa-free for short stays in the mid-2020s, but regulations evolve. Verify current requirements with your country’s Mongolian embassy or consulate before booking flights.

• Health and vaccinations: No mandatory vaccinations currently required for most travellers. Doctors typically recommend being current with Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, and routine immunizations. Rabies vaccination may be advised for those planning extended horse riding. Consult a travel clinic 4 - 6 weeks before departure.

• Money and payments: Most tour expenses are included in our pricing. Bring cash in Tögrög for drinks, souvenirs, and personal spending. ATMs and card payments work easily in Ulaanbaatar but are limited or absent in the countryside - plan accordingly.

• Food and dietary needs: Expect meat-heavy Mongolian cuisine featuring mutton and beef in various forms: buuz dumplings, khorkhog stews, and dairy products. Ger camp meals are simple but hearty. Vegetarian and other dietary requirements can be accommodated with advance notice, though options narrow in remote areas.

• What to pack: Sturdy walking shoes, comfortable travel clothes, warm fleece, waterproof jacket, sun hat, sunglasses, high-SPF sunscreen (UV is intense at plateau elevations), and a headlamp for ger camps without running water or reliable electricity.

• Recommended extras: Personal medicine kit, reusable water bottle (boiled water provided), power bank for charging devices, and a lightweight sleeping bag liner for colder nights when ger interiors drop to 5 - 10°C even in summer.

Why Book Your Mongolia Tour with Penguin Travel

With over 35 years organizing adventure and cultural travel across more than 100 countries, we brings tested expertise to every Mongolia journey. Our carefully curated itineraries balance authentic experience with practical comfort.

• Small-group and tailor-made specialists: We design trips for individuals, couples, families, and small clubs who prefer genuine encounters over mass-tourism experiences. Tours balance comfort with meaningful contact with the Mongolian people.

• Trust and security: As a licensed tour operator with insolvency insurance in the EU, we provide financial protection for your booking. Our transparent pricing includes no hidden local taxes or surprise payments.

• Proven Mongolia partnerships: Long-term collaboration with reliable Mongolian partners ensures professional English-speaking guides and carefully selected ger camps. Our itineraries have been tested and refined over years for realistic driving times and meaningful stops.

• Personalized guidance: We advise on the best route and season based on your interests, fitness level, and travel style.

Book early for Naadam Festival and Golden Eagle Festival dates - ger camp capacity fills quickly during these popular periods. Whether you’re drawn to the silence of the Gobi, the energy of wrestling matches, or quiet mornings with nomadic herders, we’re ready to help you visit Mongolia on your terms.