Mongolia is a country of three million people and something like twenty times as many animals, where the sky goes on forever, the nearest neighbour might be a day’s drive away and a “traffic jam” means a herd of horses crossing the track. You’ll sleep in gers, the round felt tents of the nomads, drink salty milk tea with herding families, and spend long, bumpy days crossing landscapes so empty they feel like another planet. It is one of the last truly wild travel experiences on earth.
It’s also a country that runs on seasons, and the biggest decision is when to go. In July there’s Naadam, the great summer festival of wrestling, archery and horse racing. In early autumn, in the far west, Kazakh hunters gather with their golden eagles. And all summer long the Gobi, the lakes and the steppe are at their best. This guide explains the timing and compares every Mongolia tour we offer.
The quick answer
- July: Naadam Festival & the Gobi, for wrestling, archery and horse racing.
- Early autumn: Golden Eagle Festival & the Gobi, for Kazakh eagle hunters in the far west.
- Any summer month: Mongolia Explorer for the Orkhon Valley and the Gobi, or Wild Mongolia for the lakes of the north.
- Late summer: Living with the Reindeer Herders in the northern taiga.
- Spring: the Trans-Mongolian Railway from Beijing.
Every Mongolia tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Festivals | ||||||
| Mongolia’s Naadam Festival & the Gobi Desert – 15 Days | 15 | £3,565 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Naadam in July |
| Mongolia Golden Eagle Festival & the Gobi – 17 Days | 17 | £5,355 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Golden Eagle Festival, early autumn |
| The Gobi and the steppe | ||||||
| Mongolia Explorer: the Orkhon Valley & the Gobi Desert – 14 Days | 14 | £3,095 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Orkhon Valley and the Gobi |
| Discover Mongolia: Gobi Desert & Ger Camps – 13 Days | 13 | £3,379 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Gobi ger camps, all meals included |
| Wild Mongolia: Lake Khovsgol, Great White Lake & Karakorum – 15 Days | 15 | £2,920 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | The northern lakes |
| Cycling in Mongolia: Steppe & Khangai Mountains – 15 Days | 15 | £3,847 pp | Medium | Max 14 | No | By mountain bike |
| Expeditions and railways | ||||||
| Mongolia Expedition: Living with the Reindeer Herders – 14 Days | 14 | £2,945 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Living with reindeer herders |
| Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure: Beijing to Ulaanbaatar – 11 Days | 11 | £2,695 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Beijing to Ulaanbaatar by train |
| China & Mongolia Railway Adventure: Shanghai to Ulaanbaatar – 18 Days | 18 | £3,870 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Shanghai to Ulaanbaatar by train |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
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Naadam: the summer festival
Naadam is Mongolia’s biggest celebration, held in mid-July. Its “three manly games” are wrestling, archery and horse racing, though these days women compete in the archery and children, often very young ones, ride the horses in races across the steppe. The opening ceremony in Ulaanbaatar’s stadium is a riot of costume, music and horsemen.
Mongolia's Naadam Festival & the Gobi Desert
Mongolia’s Naadam Festival & the Gobi Desert – 15 Days
- 15 days
- From £3,565 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in June
Fifteen days with a group leader and up to 16: visits to the training camps where wrestlers, archers and young jockeys prepare, a night with a nomadic family, the granite formations of Baga Gazriin Chuluu and the White Stupa cliffs, the Yol Valley, the singing dunes of Khongor and a camel ride, sunset at the Flaming Cliffs, Ongii and Erdene Zuu monasteries, then back to Ulaanbaatar for the opening ceremony and two days of Naadam events, with tickets included.
Suits: travellers who want Mongolia at its most festive. The honest drawback: crowds in the capital and long travel days, with a single departure a year.
The Golden Eagle Festival: autumn in the far west
In the far western province of Bayan-Ölgii, Kazakh eagle hunters have trained golden eagles to hunt for centuries. Each autumn they gather to compete, in costume and on horseback, in contests of speed, skill and the bond between hunter and bird. It’s one of the most extraordinary sights in Asia.
Mongolia Golden Eagle Festival & the Gobi
Mongolia Golden Eagle Festival & the Gobi – 17 Days
- 17 days
- From £5,355 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in September
Seventeen days with a tour leader and four to 16, by 4×4, bus and three internal flights: Terelj National Park, the Gobi Gurvansaikhan with the Flaming Cliffs and the singing dunes of Khongor, a camel-breeding family and petroglyphs, Karakorum and Erdene Zuu, Khustai’s wild horses, then a flight west to Ölgii for stays with Kazakh families and two full days at the Eagle Festival, with horse races, archery and eagle demonstrations.
Suits: photographers and anyone fascinated by living traditions. The honest drawback: cold nights in the west and one departure a year.
The Gobi, the steppe and the lakes
Mongolia Explorer: the Orkhon Valley & the Gobi
Mongolia Explorer: the Orkhon Valley & the Gobi Desert – 14 Days
- 14 days
- From £3,095 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, July, August, September
Fourteen days by 4WD, every passenger with a window seat, with a tour leader and four to 16: Hustai’s Przewalski’s horses, a herding family in the mini-Gobi, Erdene Zuu, the mountaintop Tovkhon Monastery, two nights in the Orkhon Valley to ride or walk, Ongii Temple, the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag, famous for dinosaur finds, the Khongor dunes, the Yol Valley and the White Stupa cliffs. Nearly all meals are included.
Suits: first-timers who want the full sweep of landscapes. The honest drawback: long drives and simple ger camps with shared bathrooms.
Wild Mongolia: the northern lakes
Wild Mongolia: Lake Khovsgol, Great White Lake & Karakorum – 15 Days
- 15 days
- From £2,920 per person
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, July, August, September
Fifteen days in sturdy Russian vans with a local leader and up to 12: Amarbayasgalant Monastery, two nights with nomad families, two nights at the vast, clear Lake Khovsgol, a free day at the Great White Lake among volcanic craters, the Tsenkher Hot Springs, Karakorum, a camel ride at Khogno Khan and the wild horses of Khustai. Almost all meals are included.
Suits: adventurous travellers who’d rather see lakes and forests than desert. The honest drawback: long days on dirt roads, and no Gobi.
Also on the steppe: Discover Mongolia (13 days) crosses the steppe and the Gobi with nine nights in ger camps and all meals included, finishing with a flight back from the desert; and Cycling in Mongolia (15 days) rides the steppe and the Khangai Mountains on dirt tracks, with nine nights wild camping and a camp chef.
Expeditions and railways
Mongolia Expedition: Living with the Reindeer Herders
Mongolia Expedition: Living with the Reindeer Herders – 14 Days
- 14 days
- From £2,945 per person
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in August, September
Fourteen days with a local leader and up to 12: the night train to Erdenet, the Bronze Age deer stones of Uushig, a night with a Darkhad family, then a hike with packhorses into the taiga for three nights with the Tsaatan reindeer herders, helping with milking, herding and gathering wood, before two nights at Lake Khovsgol.
Suits: adventurous travellers seeking a rare cultural encounter. The honest drawback: basic, multi-share accommodation in tents and gers.
Rail fans can arrive the slow way. The Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure (11 days) runs from Beijing through Inner Mongolia’s forests and grasslands to the Gobi town of Sainshand and an overnight train to Ulaanbaatar, with two nights at a ger camp. The China & Mongolia Railway Adventure (18 days) starts in Shanghai, with Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors and a hike on the Great Wall.
How to choose
By date. Naadam: mid-July. The Golden Eagle Festival: early autumn. The reindeer herders: August and September. The Gobi and the lakes: roughly late May to September. The railways: spring and summer.
By comfort. Every Mongolia trip involves ger camps with shared facilities and long drives. The reindeer expedition and the cycling trip are the most basic.
By budget. Wild Mongolia, the Explorer and the Trans-Mongolian are the best value; the Eagle Festival and the China railway cost the most. Live prices are in the table above.
When to go
The main season is late May to September, when the steppe is green and the weather warm, though nights can be cool and the Gobi hot by day. Autumn is cold in the west, and winter is ferocious. Festival tours run once a year, so book early. The months for each tour are in its fact panel above.
Check the FCDO travel advice for Mongolia, and for China if you’re travelling by rail.
Frequently asked questions
When is Naadam?
Mongolia’s Naadam festival is held in mid-July. The Naadam Festival & the Gobi tour includes the opening ceremony and two days of events.
When is the Golden Eagle Festival?
In early autumn in Bayan-Ölgii in western Mongolia. The Golden Eagle Festival tour spends two full days there.
What is a ger camp like?
Traditional felt tents with beds and a stove, usually with shared bathroom blocks. They’re simple, cosy and very Mongolian.
Can I see wild horses in Mongolia?
Yes, Przewalski’s horses live in Khustai National Park, which most of our Mongolia tours visit.
Can I travel to Mongolia by train?
Yes, the Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure from Beijing and the China & Mongolia Railway Adventure from Shanghai.
Are flights included?
International flights aren’t included, and we can arrange them. Some tours include internal flights.
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Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
