10 Fascinating Places You Must See in Mongolia

Mongolia, one of the most untouched countries in the world, the country with the lowest number of people per square meter in the world. It is among the travel plans of very few people, even when there are few people, the geography is large, and transportation is difficult. However, Mongolia is the most idyllic, fascinating, and unforgettable one of the nearly 60 countries I have ever seen. 

Mongolia was at the top of my list of countries I wanted to go to for a long time. Therefore, at the first opportunity I found, I traveled for 2 weeks in Mongolia. This trip, where I had the opportunity to see the north, middle and south of Mongolia, was one of the most beautiful trips of my life. Mongolia is among my top 60 favorite countries among nearly 3 countries I have been to.

The things you see in the photo above, made of stone, wood chips and cloth, are called Ovoo. These things, which emerged from the combination of shaman and Buddhist traditions, are located on the hills and crossroads on the roads. It is believed to protect travelers from evil spirits. It is also possible to reach these Ovoos in places where shamanic rituals are held.

10 Fascinating Places You Must See in Mongolia

I wanted to share my recommendations for must-sees for those planning to go to Mongolia.

Khövsgol

The northernmost part of the country is Khövsgöl. Located in Tunka National Park, Khövsgöl is also the center of Shamanism. This lake is known as the twin sister of Lake Baikal, located within the borders of Russia. You can drink the water of Khövsgöl, one of the cleanest lakes in the world, with peace of mind, local people drink it. The importance of this lake for us is that it is the region where Dukha Turks still speak Turkish and live as nomads. Since Dukha Turks live as nomads in the mountains, you need a guide who knows the region to travel on horseback for a few days and find their place. In Khövsgöl, it is also very convenient to see a wild breed of cows and deer called Yak up close, and to ride a horse.

Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake

When you go south from Khövsgöl, you reach a lake as beautiful as Khövsgöl, but smaller and swimmable in summer. Although the distances on the map are very close, I could only reach this lake by driving a jeep for 10-12 hours, past midnight, due to the lack of a straight road. When I woke up in the morning, I was speechless at the beauty of the scenery. I forgot about the worries I had on the roads the previous day. In the following days, I have clearly understood that there is no straight road anywhere except for Ulanbaatar and the main cities.

Taikhar Chulu Monument

A lone rock mass in the middle of the plain is the Taikhar Chulu Monument. There are various symbols and animal figures thought to have been made between 6000 and 3000 BC on the rock. He thinks that these figures were created by different cultures such as Tibetan, Mongolian, Uyghur, Chinese and in different languages. According to legend, a giant snake haunted this area. Local people asked for help from a brave and strong man named Bukhbilegt to get rid of this snake. This brave person stuffed the snake into his hole and closed the entrance of the hole with this huge rock so that the snake could not come out again...

Tsenker Hot Springs

Almost in the middle of Mongolia, very close to the Orkhon Valley, there is a spa area. This oasis, unknown even to many Mongolians, used to be a volcanic region. Although there is no active volcano at the moment, warm waters are flowing everywhere. Normally, I am not very good with hot and hot water. However, in the facilities here, you can stay in the famous Mongolian yurt tents and enjoy the hot water in the open-air pools. There are many large and small, inexpensive and expensive facilities in the region, you can stay in one of these facilities and enjoy the hot waters.

Karakoram and Orhun Valley

Karakoram is one of the cities whose name we know from the history books because this is the center of the Orkhon Valley and the historical center of the Mongol Empire. It is not only the center of the Mongol Empire, but also one of the most important stops on the Silk Road. As such, there are many places to see in the city. In addition, Orhun Waterfall, one of the touristic stops of Orhun Valley, is the largest waterfall in Mongolia.

Orkhon inscriptions

It is unthinkable to go to Mongolia and return without seeing the Orkhon Inscriptions. Between the Orkhon Inscriptions and Karakorum, there is the Bilge Kağan Highway built by the Republic of Turkey. There is a museum built by Turkey at the place where the inscriptions are found. While the originals of the inscriptions are kept in the museum, there are replicas of them in their real places.

Gobi Desert & Khongor Dunes

Southern Mongolia is home to one of the largest deserts in the world. However, when you say desert, don't think of a sand dune like Sahara. A desert covered with a short vegetation welcomes you, I was quite surprised by this. One of the most dune areas is the Khongor Dunes. It is also called the singing dunes. However, when I went and got caught in the rain in the desert, we couldn't hear the songs of our dunes. Because the dunes sing as the wind blows.

Bazanzag Flaming Rocks

One of the places that impressed me the most in Mongolia was Flaming Cliffs. The rocks, which were made of red and orange earth colors, contained fossils of dinosaurs. Mongolia is one of the places with the most dinosaur fossils in the world. That's why the dinosaur museum in Ulanbaatar is worth seeing. Besides the riot of colors, it is amazing to think that dinosaurs were once running around in the same land while walking around. The colors will be even more impressive if you can be there at sunset.

Gorkhi Terelj National Park

If you have traveled in Mongolia for a short time and you do not have a vehicle to travel long distances, Terelj National Park is a place you can choose, close to Ulanbataar, with a smooth road and public transportation. You can spend time with nature, take long walks, ride a horse or camel, visit the old buddhist monastery.

Ulanbaatar & Ataturk Street

In Mongolia, where 3 million people live, 1,5 million of the population live in the capital city of Ulanbaatar. Ulanbaatar is as boring as any capital, but Turkey is one of the three countries that Mongolia, along with China and Russia, has determined as allies. For this reason, while the Turkish Embassy and consulate are located in the most central places of the city, the name of one of the most beautiful streets of the city is Atatürk Caddesi and there is an Atatürk statue at the entrance of the street. It is proud to see our Ancestor in a country at the other end of the world.

There are many more beauties to see in Mongolia that I have seen. I wanted to share the ones I liked the most among them. My trip to Mongolia, which I made with a 2×4 jeep by changing places every day for 4 weeks, took its place among the most important trips in my life. Endless steppes, long journeys without seeing a single vehicle for hours, panics because there is no road, people living in touch with nature and with respect, glaciers on horseback just before leaving the desert, gigantic Genghis Khan statue, dozens of national parks, Tonyukuk Inscriptions and many more Turkish Mongolians, whose artworks embrace you with their warm hearts under their tough looks, are waiting for you in Mongolia.

My Other Mongolia Travel Articles

• How Mongolia Adventure Began 
• Route of my Mongolia trip
• My Mongolia Backpack 
• What Was The Cost Of The 15-Day Mongolia Travel?
• 10 Reasons to Visit Mongolia