MONGOLIA TRAVEL ADVICE

A privacy and cookies policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information and how cookies help us improve your experience on our website.

This travel information has been supplied by Goyo Travel to support your preparations for travelling with The Journey Beyond to Mongolia. Drawing on their local expertise and first-hand experience, it provides helpful context, practical tips, and a sense of what to expect.

We invite you to travel with an open heart, a curious spirit, a sense of adventure, and a willingness to embrace the extraordinary landscapes and cultures that await.

Getting to Mongolia

Mongolia can be reached via international flights into Ulaanbaatar, typically transiting through cities such as Istanbul, Seoul, Beijing or Tokyo. Overland options also exist, including the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. We recommend booking a through-ticket when possible to ensure easier rebooking in case of delays.

Transport Within Mongolia

Travel across Mongolia is as much a part of the experience as the destinations themselves. Our journeys will balance comfort and adventure. We will be using UAZ Purgon vans (a kind of military-style VW camper, Russian-style) for overland journeys as they are suited to the terrain. Expect some bumpy rides, scenic stops, and spontaneous detours.

Bags - 100-150 litre duffle bags or predominantly soft-shelled suitcases, perhaps with a rigid spine and/or pull-out handle are all fine. Over-sized hard suitcases are not suitable as they are difficult to pack into the vans we will be travelling in. Weight is a consideration on the internal flights (see below).

Domestic flights will cover the Ulaanbaatar/Ulgii return journey. There is an allowance of 10kg for hold luggage and 5kg for hand luggage; excess baggage charges are between $2-4 per kilo. You will be responsible for any such charges incurred.

Accommodation

We’ll stay in a variety of lodgings: traditional gers in rural areas, locally owned hotels in Ulaanbaatar and Ulgii, and homestays depending on the itinerary. Each offers a window into local life, with warmth and hospitality at their heart.

Ger Camps: Each ger typically has 2-4 beds and a traditional wood-burning stove. Separate male and female bathroom blocks with Western-style facilities are located a short distance away, as well as a communal larger dining ger or lodge where meals are served. Facilities can vary from civilised to basic.

Homestays are not as well-equipped as ger camps, with facilities limited to long drop toilets and no showers. However, some extra provisions are provided to make your stay a little more comfortable without detracting from the nomadic lifestyle. Items such as towels, bowls of hot water for you to wash with, and toilet seat frames to make the visit to the loo a little bit easier. All bedding is provided at homestays.

Food and Drink

Meals range from homestyle Mongolian cooking to fusion dishes and Western comforts. All dietary requirements are catered for—please let us know in advance. In remote areas, food is simple but hearty, often featuring soups, stews, dumplings, and fresh dairy.

All meals, soft drinks and tea/coffee are included in the tour price, with the exception of arrival day in Ulaanbaatar. Alcoholic drinks are not included. There will be an opportunity to purchase supplies while we are out and about, or you can a bottle of your favourite tipple as you pass through Duty Free on arrival at the airport.

You will probably have a chance to try Mongolian tea, airag (fermented mare’s milk), and Mongolian beer, and there will always be vodka being offered.

Activities and Fitness

Our itinerary includes opportunities for walking, riding, and cultural engagement. You don’t need to be an athlete, just reasonably fit and open to a spirit of adventure. All activities are optional, and there’s space for rest too.

Our Team

We’ll be accompanied by experienced English-speaking guides and skilled drivers, many of whom are local to the regions we visit. Their insight, humour, and warmth are central to the experience. Behind the scenes, Goyo Travel and partners will provide logistical support and assistance.

Responsible Travel

Goyo Travel is committed to respectful, low-impact travel that supports local livelihoods and honours Mongolian traditions. They prioritise local sourcing, cultural sensitivity, and environmental care, from water use to waste reduction.

Pickups from the airport will be timed to make as few journeys as possible, which may involve some of us having to wait a little while before being transferred to the hotel.

In Ulaanbaatar, we will walk, where possible, between locations due to the traffic density.

Goyo staff will pick up litter in rural areas; we would encourage you to do the same.

To help reduce plastic waste, 20-litre containers of water will be carried in the vehicles to refill small bottles. Please take a refillable water bottle with you.

Money

The local currency is the tögrög or tugrik (MNT). We’ll exchange money in Mongolia, usually in Ulaanbaatar, where rates are better. There are banks, ATMs and exchange bureaux at the airport and in Ulaanbaatar. Most hotels will also exchange money.

USD, GBP, Euro and other major international currencies (particularly Asian ones) are all fine to bring to exchange. However, the best is USD as it can also be used to pay for certain things. Crisp, clean notes issued after 2011 are required.

Your tour includes most expenses, but you might want extra cash for personal items, alcoholic drinks, crafts, or donations.

Only larger shops, restaurants and hotels in Ulaanbaatar are likely to accept credit or debit cards.

Photography and Drones

Mongolia is deeply photogenic, from vast steppes to expressive faces. Always ask before photographing people, and be sensitive to context. Drones are welcome but must be flown with care and consideration.

If you have a Polaroid camera (or similar) or a small, portable printer, everyone we visit will be appreciative of being given a photo or two. You will be very popular with the children!

Connectivity and Electricity

In Ulaanbaatar, we’ll have mobile signal and Wi-Fi. In rural areas, expect limited or no signal. SIM cards can be purchased at the airport. The best option is Unitel as it works better or more often than others when in the countryside.

Electricity is 220V, 50Hz. Standard sockets throughout the country accommodate European-style 2-pin plugs with round pins, but many of the extension leads available in ger camp restaurants, for example, will have multi-plug sockets.

On all trips with vehicle support, we provide a car charger with a multi-plug and USB socket for use in your vehicle's cigarette lighter socket.

There will be electricity at most ger camps. At worst it will be generator-fed at certain times of the day, with plug sockets in the main restaurant ger. At best it will be 24hr electricity with plug sockets in your ger.

Climate and Packing Tips

Mongolia’s weather can shift dramatically, even within a single day. In September, you can expect dry, sunny, calm and chilly; day 0 to 20°C; night -5 to +5°C.

Pack for layers, sun, dust, and the possibility of cold nights. Our suggested packing list at the end of the document includes essentials and helpful extras.

Cultural Etiquette

Mongolian hospitality is heartfelt, and visitors are welcomed warmly. A few gestures—like receiving items with both hands or walking to the left inside a ger—are appreciated. Don’t worry if you don’t know the customs; your guide will help.

Language

Mongolian is the national language, written in Cyrillic script. English is spoken in hotels and by guides, but less so in rural areas.

When we get to the Bayan-Ölgii Province in western Mongolia, the primary language spoken is Kazakh, a Turkic language distinct from Mongolian. Most Kazakh families in the Altai region are bilingual, using Kazakh in daily life and Mongolian for school, administration, and trade. Kazakh may be the only language spoken in more remote areas, especially among older generations.

Our guide will teach us some useful phrases and help us connect across language barriers.

Visas and Entry Requirements

Many nationalities, including UK and EU citizens, can enter Mongolia visa-free for up to 30 days. Others require an e-visa or embassy-issued visa.

Please check your visa status in advance of travelling. Goyo Travel will provide all the supporting documents needed to help you apply, if required.

Border Crossings and Customs

If arriving overland, be prepared for delays at the borders with Russia or China. Crossing by air is usually smoother.

Foreigners on a tourist visa are legally required to carry their passports at all times. Failure to carry your passport may lead to a fine, and officially, a photocopy is not sufficient; however, in Goyo’s experience, checks are very seldom, and in reality, passport copies are fine. We recommend that you keep separately, and somewhere safe, a copy of both the biodata page in your passport and your Mongolian border immigration stamp. This will help you both to obtain a new travel document and to demonstrate that you entered Mongolia legally should you lose your passport.

Health, Safety and Insurance

Travel insurance is mandatory and must include cover for emergency evacuation. Mongolia is generally safe, but healthcare facilities outside Ulaanbaatar are basic. We will need your policy number and your insurance company’s repatriation service contact numbers prior to the trip commencing.

Goyo’s guides are first-aid trained and have emergency protocols in place.

Mongolia is relatively safe, especially in the countryside, but petty crime is common in Ulaanbaatar, particularly in markets or other crowded places. Watch out for pickpockets. Keep your passports, money and other valuables well secured.

Gifts

Mongolians are renowned for their hospitality and generosity, particularly in the countryside. The local families we visit during our trip will not expect anything in return for their hospitality. It is a natural, cultural tradition to welcome passing travellers into their homes and offer tea, food, snuff, vodka, etc. However, offering gifts as a small token of appreciation is perfectly appropriate.

Gifts that nomadic families appreciate include both small tokens of friendship and also practical presents. Nomads in the remote areas of Mongolia rarely have stores nearby, are often on a tight budget, and they appreciate useful gifts. It is not necessary to bring large quantities - just a few items. Examples of suitable presents include:

• Pens, pencils, notebooks, and notepads

• Something specific to where you come from - postcards, decorated tea towels, coasters, keyrings, caps and T-Shirts, postcards

• Fabric, scarves, warm socks, and gloves

• Small flashlights with batteries or wind-up torches

• Small pocket knives

• Sewing kits

• Picture books, colouring books, stickers and pencils for children

• Hair bands and hairclips

We ask that you do not bring tobacco and alcohol for adults, nor sweets for children, for obvious reasons.