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What to book before you travel to Mongolia?

Most visits can be booked on the spot. A few sell out days ahead. Here they are, stop by stop, with what you can do without booking underneath. Keep the rest of your time free.

Trip length
WeekendOne weekTwo weeks

6 activities to book · about €222 per person

Ulaanbaatar

Days 1-2
Days 1-2Gandan monastery and the National Museum, guidedHalf dayMorning chanting and the 26-metre statue of Migjid Janraisig, then the museum's account of the country from the Huns to the present.€15Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-2Folk showEveningAn evening of throat singing, horse-head fiddle and contortion.€12Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Sükhbaatar Square, the central square · Naran Tuul market · Zaisan hill and its memorial

All activities in Ulaanbaatar on GetYourGuide

The steppe and Kharkhorin

Days 3-4
Days 3-4A night in a herding family's ger1 nightDinner, the evening milking and a bed in the family's felt tent. Hospitality comes with its own rules, so ask your guide.€40Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 3-4Riding and ancient KarakorumFull dayA morning in the saddle on the small, tough Mongolian horses, then the site of the old imperial capital.€45Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The open steppe · Erdene Zuu monastery · Herds and horses · Sunset over the plains

All activities in The steppe on GetYourGuide

The Gobi desert

Days 5-7
Days 5-74x4 to the Khongoryn Els dunesFull dayA day's drive to the singing sands, a wall of dunes around 100 km long that hums when the sand slides.€70Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 5-7The Flaming Cliffs of BayanzagHalf dayRed sandstone cliffs where the American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews found dinosaur eggs in 1923. Best at sunset.€40Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The singing dunes · Yolyn Am canyon and its ice · Bactrian camels · The night sky

All activities in The Gobi desert on GetYourGuide

Indicative prices per person, checked when written. The button opens the GetYourGuide search for the activity and the town, on the days of the stop once your dates are known. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the activities to book in Mongolia cost?

€222 per person if you do them all, across 6 bookings. The most expensive is "4x4 to the Khongoryn Els dunes" at €70, the cheapest "Folk show" at €12. Prices checked when written: confirm them when you book.

What can you do in Mongolia without booking anything?

11 visits on this itinerary need no ticket or time slot, starting with Sükhbaatar Square, the central square, Naran Tuul market, Zaisan hill and its memorial, The open steppe. They make up most of your days: booking ahead only concerns a handful of sites with limited places.

At which stop should you book earliest?

Ulaanbaatar, with 2 activities to book, against 2 at the quietest stop. That is where slots go first.

How long do these activities take?

From Half day for the shortest to Full day for the longest. Fit them into your days before filling the rest: a guided visit often takes half a day.

The rest of the trip

📒 The free printable Mongolia guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Mongolia, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book: all our destinations→