10 Most Beautiful Places in Mongolia

1. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, about 80km north-east of Ulaanbaatar in the region of Tov Aimag, is a deservedly popular destination. At 1600m, the area is cool and the alpine scenery is magnificent. Terelj was first developed for tourism in 1964 and 30 years later it became part of the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. One of the most visited sights within the National Park is the Turtle Rock, (Melkhii Khad in Mongolian) which is one of many rock formations, that is shaped like a turtle.

2. Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve

Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve, 130km east-southeast of Ulaanbaatar, is the state combined from diversity of ecosystem although it owns comparatively small area. The harmonized complex of high mountains, steppes, rivers, lakes and wetlands as well are kept enough as its original condition. Whoever visiting enjoys to see Gun-Galuut vast steppe seems to meet the sky, the imposing mountains Baits and Berkh, a home land of rare creatures, Ikh-Gun and Ayaga lakes, a paradise of birds, Kherlen, the longest river of Mongolia and Tsengiin Burd wetland, in where water and wetland birds lay their eggs.

3. Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park

Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National park was established to protect the spectacular mountain scenery and endangered species of fauna and flora since 1965. The park covers 773km² territory, which has Khorgiin Togoo (the extinct volcano), beautiful Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur lakes, a great number of animals and birds, and is definitely one of the best natural tourist attractions.

4. Chuluut River

The Chuluut (stony river) is a river flowing down through the valleys of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia, and a tributary of the Ideriin gol. It is 415km long, the width at the mouth into the Ider river is 80m, the maximum depth is 3m. It is usually frozen from November to April. This river locates at 30km from Tariat soum of Arkhangai province. Chuluut canyon stretches 25km in long, above 20m in high.

5. Lake Huvsgul

Known as the “Dark blue pearl” of Mongolia, lake Huvsgul is one of the country’s largest lakes and it features one of the most spectacular areas of the country. Bordered to the north by Sayan Mountain and to the west by the Horidol Saridag Range, the lake is 136km long and 36km wide stretching from north to south. Huvsgul is the 14th largest freshwater lake in the world by volume and its 380 cubic km of water make up over 1% of the world’s fresh water. The lake is elevated at 1,645m above sea level and, its deepest, the lake is 262m from its surface to bottom. Huvsgul shares many similarities in origin, flora and fauna with Russia’s Baikal Lake, which lies 200km to the east and is connected to Huvsgul by Egiin River. About a hundred rivers and streams pour into Huvsgul lake, but only the Egiin River exits the lake.

6. Altai Tavan Bogd National Park

In Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, snow capped mountains, glacial valleys, forests and beautiful lakes and rivers create a majestic setting. In the north of the park, Khuiten peak (4374m, the highest point of Mongolia) of the Altai Tavan Bogd Mountains and the Potuninii Glacier (23km²) draw alpine enthusiasts from around the world. This park extends over 6,300km² of land, including Altai, Sagsai, Ulaanhus and Tsengel soums. There are about 35 glaciers in the Altai Tavan Bogd including Potaninii Glacier. Throughout the park fishing, hiking canoeing, camping and horseback and camel riding are possible. In addition to recreational activities, the park is rich in archaeological sites including petroglyphs, Turkic men stone and burial mounds.

7. Bayanzag

One of the famous places is Bayanzag, bottom of Ancient Sea which excited 60-70 million years ago where a lot of Paleontological findings have been discovered. The place is known as Flaming Cliffs so named by Roy Andrew Chapman American explorer, who had visited Mongolia in 1920. During the two years of searching through the Mongolian Gobi Desert, the dinosaur fossils have been found from Bayanzag, Nemekht Mountain. He brought his paleontological findings on 70 camels. Chapman presented Mongolia one large skeleton on show in the Ulaanbaatar Natural History Museum. He found 10 kinds of dinosaurs 8 were found from Mongolia.

8. Khongor Sand Dunes

Lying around 180km from Dalanzadgad, the sand dunes of Khongor is known as the ''singing sands'' and when the wind blows over the dunes it makes strange sound like the high-pitched tone of an aeroplane engine about to take off or land. These dunes are largest accumulation of sand in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, covering 965km². They rise abruptly from the plain reaching a height of 800m and extend over 6-12km wide by extending for 150km long. The spectacular dunes are bordered by lush green vegetation supported by a small river Khongoriin gol, which is fed by underground sources from surrounding mountains. Swept into constantly varying shapes by the wind, parts of their attraction is the impressive colors that the yellow-white sands take on with the changing light of day.

9. Yoliin Am Valley

Yoliin am valley is located in east Beauty Mountain of the “Gobi three beauty” and has a particular beauty with narrow paths broadening in places between rocks, while buzzards and eagles wheel and glide in the blue skies above and preserved area of east Beauty Mountain is 64km². The cliffs of the canyon block the sunlight from the rivers below, so that they remain frozen throughout the year. Even summer time there is a more than meter high ice between canyons and standing over the ice cover you can hear streams of water rushing under your feet. Yoliin am valley is named by Yol bird.

10. Dornod Mongolia Steppe

Thankfully, authorities have been convinced that the area's fragile environment and endangered fauna and flora need to be conserved. Dornod is currently the base of a multi-million dollar environmental protection project, which is researching everything from fires to field mice in an attempt to protect one of the world's last undisturbed grasslands. Three large Strictly Protected Areas (SPA) were established in the aimag in 1992:-

• Dornod Mongol (5,704km²). Holds one of the last great plain ecosystems on earth, protecting seas of feather grass steppe and 70% of Mongolia's white-tailed gazelle, which roam in herds of up to 20,000.
• Degee Nomrog (3,112km²). An unpopulated area, which contains rare species of moose, cranes, otter and bears. Ecologically distinct from the rest of Mongolia, the area takes in the transition zone from the Eastern Mongolian steppe to the mountains and forest of Manchuria. It is proposed that the park expand eastwards.
• Mongol Daguur (1,030km²). The reserve is divided into two parts; the northern half is hill steppe and wetland bordering on Russia's Tarij Nuur and Daurski Reserve, protecting endemic species like the Daurian hedgehog; the southern area along the Uuiz Gol protects white-naped crane (tsen togoruu) and other endangered birds. The area is part of a one-million hectare international reserve, linking the Siberian taiga with the Inner Asian steppe.