The harsh, unforgiving climes of the endless Gobi Desert certainly aren’t for the faint-hearted; that’s what makes them so exhilarating to explore. With infinite dunes, ancient rock formations, and desolate desert stretching out before you, venturing into the Gobi Desert is the adventure of a lifetime.

Tucked away among this bleak yet strangely alluring landscape are a wealth of amazing natural sights, with rugged cliffs, plunging canyons, and cavernous caves all on show alongside picturesque desert oases and saltwater rivers.

While the main attractions are the incredible singing sand dunes of Khongor and the marvelous scenery of Yolyn Am and Dungeneegyn, you really can’t go wrong in the Gobi Desert (providing you stick to the path) as everything is just so majestic.

Gobi Dessert

Located 1000 km from Ulaanbaatar by paved road, 102 km from Murun, a central town of Khovsgol province.

Khovsgol Lake lies sticking into the southern fringe of the Siberian Taiga on the northern frontier of Mongolia, at an altitude of 1645 m above sea level. The lake's name is also spelled Hovsgol, Hövsgöl, or Khuvsgul in English texts.

The lake is the largest freshwater lake in the country but the second largest in surface area of 2760sq km with a coastline of 414 km after Uvs Lake in western Mongolia. This volcanic lake reaches 262 m at its deepest, 136 km (85 miles) long, and 36 km (22 miles) wide. Over 90 rivers feed the Khovsgol Lake, while one flows out from its southern tip, the Egiin Gol River, the tributary of the Selenge River, flows into Lake Baikal in Siberia.

The lake contains 70% of Mongolian freshwater sources and 1-2% of the world's freshwater. How amazing it will be when you spend your holiday at one of the world’s freshest water lakes with a transparency of 24.5 m, which looks as blue as the Caribbean Lakes.

Khuvsgul Lake

The Erdene Zuu Monastery is probably the earliest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. Located in Övörkhangai Province, approximately 2 km north-east from the center of Kharkhorin and adjacent to the ancient city of Karakorum, it is part of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site. 

, ruler of the Khalkha Mongols and grandfather of Zanabazar, the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, ordered construction of the Erdene Zuu monastery in 1585 after his meeting with the 3rd Dalai Lama and the declaration of Tibetan Buddhism as the state religion of Mongolia.

Erdene-Zuu Monastery

Built between 1893 and 1903, the complex is one of the few Mongolian historical attractions which have neither been destroyed by the 

. With the Winter Palace, the Gate of Peace and Happiness, the Cooling Pavilion as well as 6 temples, each containing Buddhist artwork, scripture and thangka, such as Naidan Temple and Makhranz Temple, the palace complex consists of a total of about 20 structures. The museum has about 8,600 exhibits and receives over 40,000 visitors annually. On display are many of the Bogd Khan's possessions, such as his throne and bed, his collection of art and stuffed animals, his ornate ceremonial 

, a pair of ceremonial boots given to the Khan by Russian 

, and also a jewelled regalia worn by the Bogd Khan's pet elephant. It currently runs its operations under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports of Mongolia.

Bogd Khaan Palace Museum

Altai Tavan Bogd National Park sits in remote western Mongolia, bordering China and Russia. Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is an impressive natural reserve and is 

famous for its 5 highest peaks and largest Potanin glacier

, lying on more than 4,000m above the sea level, the highest and westernmost region of Mongolia.It's home to the towering, jagged Tavan Bogd mountains, the highest of which is Khüiten Peak. Nearby is the massive Potanin Glacier. In the center, the vast Khoton and Khurgan lakes are connected by a channel and home to many fish and bird species. The ancient rock carvings of Tsagaan Salaa lie on the park’s northeast fringe.

Altai Tavan Bogd

Gorkhi Terelj National Park is located 65 km northeast of Ulaanbaatar by paved road. High granite stone mountains with forest-covered northern slopes, multitudes of wildflower meadows along with the spectacular shape rocks formed by wind is a favorite scenery for the visitors. Fast-flowing rivers and streams make the national park more beautiful.

An average altitude of the 293.168 ha national park is 1600 m above sea level and the highest point is 2664 m Avkhan mountain. The national park is one of the most visited national parks due to its close location. There are numerous ger camps and resorts in the tourist zone before the Terelj River. The rest of the protection zones start after the Terelj River and become less touristy, less inhabited with pristine nature. The depths of the mountain forest are rich in wild animals, including boar, red deer, roe deer, fox, wolves, etc while birds of prey fly everywhere. Except for the natural beauty, Terelj was a mining area of smokestone, amethyst, and pure crystal till 1960.

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Simply breathtaking, the gigantic statue of Genghis Khan atop his horse glimmers in the light as he imperiously looks out over all the steppe and mountains surrounding the complex. Towering to a height of 40 meters, the statue was built in 2008 to honor the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Mongol Empire. Its sheer size and scale are certainly fitting of the man who rose to rule such a huge swathe of territory and is a national hero in the country.

The Genghis Khan Statue Complex lies around 50 kilometers outside of Ulaanbaatar. Once you arrive, you’ll find souvenir shops, a restaurant, and an archaeological museum for you to check out. From the top of the horse’s head, you can enjoy some awesome views out over the surrounding countryside, and a close-up view of Genghis Khan gazing out towards the horizon.

Genghis Khan Statue

Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia. It’s in the Tuul River valley, bordering the Bogd Khan Uul National Park. Originally a nomadic Buddhist center, it became a permanent site in the 18th century. Soviet control in the 20th century led to a religious purge. Soviet-era buildings, museums within surviving monasteries, and a vibrant conjunction of traditional and 21st-century lifestyles typify the modern city.

Ulaanbaatar (Capital city of Mongolia)

, meaning 'home' in Mongolia, and more commonly referred to as a 'yurt' in English, has grown popular in many places worldwide. But its origin lies in central Asia, particularly across the steppes of Mongolia. Set up to be a portable home, the ger has been a traditional part of the life of nomadic herders here for millennia.

Building a Mongolian ger begins with a circular wooden frame: an assembly of lattice wall sections, a door frame, straight roof poles, and a crown held together with rope. This timber skeleton is then weighed down and draped with a thick felt cover hung from the center of the roof, typically made from the wool of the sheep or other animals that the herders graze.

This robust, warm home can be constructed in under three hours—with a finishing touch of Mongolian motifs painted on—ready to be furnished as a bedroom, living room, and kitchen for up to 15 people, depending on the yurt’s size. Once the time comes for the family to move, the ger can be dismantled into flat packs within an hour or so and carried away to be rebuilt on another site. Where home is next set up depends on the grass, wind, and water.

In the Gobi Desert—one of the harshest climates in the world, where temperatures can range between 113°F and -40°F—the ger serves as a highly functional shelter that can keep its residents warm during frigid winters and cool under the scorching summer sun, while also allowing strong spring winds to flow around it. Through generations of passed-down wisdom about their natural environment, the herders have learned to tell when, where, and how quickly to move their home and animals through such drastic seasonal changes.

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