
With over one-third of the country’s population, Ulanbaatar is by far Mongolia’s largest city. It is also the transport, political, economic and industrial center of the country. Built along with river Tuul and surrounded by picturesque mountains, the center of Ulaanbaatar is dominated by soviet style high-rise apartment blocks. About 1200000 inhabitants living in sprawling suburbs on the outskirts of the city, opting to live in traditional ger houses.
The ‘Dark Blue Pearl of Mongolia’ is one of the deepest lakes in the world and makes up over one percent of the world’s fresh water. It is also one of the most spectacular places in Mongolia, with high mountains peaks, lush lakeside meadows, taiga and forest steppe in the northernmost region of the country.
Bayanzag is located in Bulgan sum, and archaeological finds of the Paleolithic Era, which are displayed in Natural History Museum in Ulaanbaatar, were found here. In the west the site is better known as the Flaming Cliffs, so named by explorer Roy Chapman Andrews. In the same area he discovered petrified forests, remains of mammals and in particular the skeleton of a hornless rhinoceros, the largest known mammal in the world.
Yol (Yol-Lammergeir)Valley is the narrow canyon of a river that flows through Zuun Saikhan Mountain (2,816m above sea level).
One of the most famous and exotic areas in the world, the Gobi Desert region has a history of adventures and explorers.
Horgo Mountain is a dormant volcano located on the east shore of Lake Terkhiin Tsagaan (2,100m above sea level). Horgiin Togoo is the highest volcano crater in the Orkhon River Valley
Manzushir Monastery is located in the southern entrance of Bogd Khaan National Park. This 18th century monastic complex was left in ruins after the communist purges of the 1930s.
Mongolian ancient capital, Kharkhorin, Chinggis Khaan’s fabled city, was founded in 1220 in the Orkhon valley, at the crossroads of the Silk Road. It was from here that the Mongol Empire governed, until Khubilai Khaan moved to Beijing.
The Amarbayasgalant Monastery is considered the second most important in Mongolia after Erdene Zuu Khiid in Kharkhorin and the most intact architectural complex in Mongolia located in a valley 360 km from Ulaanbaatar.
Terelj is the most popular destination in the third biggest protected area in Mongolia, the Khan Khentii Protected Area.