The Ultimate Self-Launched Adventure Through Mongolia

Take a public taxi or shared shuttle (~£5–8) from Chinggis Khaan International Airport to a centrally located guesthouse or hostel in Ulaanbaatar. Lічних Guesthouse and Ulaanbaatar Guesthouse are popular, well-reviewed budget options. If you arrive in the morning, head independently to Gandantegchinlen Monastery (entrance ~£1) — the spiritual heart of Mongolian Buddhism — and explore the Megjid Janraisag Temple with its towering 26m gilded statue. In the evening, meet fellow travellers at your hostel and head out for a classic Mongolian meal of buuz (steamed dumplings) or tsuivan (noodle stew) at a local guanz (canteen) for around £3–5.

🚌Public taxi or airport shuttle from Chinggis Khaan International Airport (~£5–8)

🛏Ulaanbaatar Guesthouse or similar central hostel/guesthouse (~£12–15/night)

• →Self-guided visit to Gandantegchinlen Monastery (~£1 entry)
• →Explore Megjid Janraisag Temple
• →Welcome dinner at a local guanz canteen

Arrange a shared minivan with other guesthouse travellers heading west — your hostel front desk can help coordinate this for around £15–20/person. Stop at Hustai National Park (entry ~£5) to track the rare takhi wild horses and spot marmots, red deer and birds of prey. After lunch at the park, continue ~3 hours to Elsen Tasarkhai, Mongolia's 'Mini Gobi', where golden dunes rise from rolling steppe. Book a bed in a local ger camp directly on arrival — several family-run camps operate in the area for around £12–18/night including dinner and breakfast. Take an evening stroll into the dunes as the sun sets over the grasslands.

🚌Shared minivan hire west from Ulaanbaatar (~£15–20/person, arranged via guesthouse)

🛏Local family ger camp near Elsen Tasarkhai (~£15/night, dinner & breakfast included)

• →Takhi wild horse tracking at Hustai National Park (~£5 entry)
• →Wildlife spotting: marmots, steppe gazelles, raptors
• →Sunset dune hike at Elsen Tasarkhai

After breakfast at your ger camp, ask your driver to stop at the Khugnu Khan Mountains for a 2–3 hour hike along dramatic rocky ridgelines rising to 1,967m above the steppe. Your local minivan driver will typically wait — negotiate this into the day's hire. Opt for a camel ride across the nearby dunes from local herders (~£8–12 for 30–45 mins). Continue west ~150km to the UNESCO-listed Orkhon Valley — the birthplace of nomadic civilisation. Check into a family-run ger camp in the river valley for two nights. These are plentiful and bookable on arrival or via Mongolian travel forums (Gandan Travel, Nomadic Journeys local contacts). Settle in with a short riverside walk.

🚌Shared minivan hire continues west (~£10–15/person contribution for the day)

🛏Family ger camp, Orkhon Valley (~£15/night, meals included)

• →Hike along Khugnu Khan rocky ridgelines (2–3hrs, 7km)
• →Optional camel ride across dunes (~£8–12)
• →Scenic drive through Orkhon Valley steppe
• →Riverside walk at ger camp

Arrange with your ger camp host or minivan driver to be dropped at the trailhead in the forested foothills of the Khangai Mountains (~1.5hrs drive). The hike to Tuvkhun Monastery is well-trodden: 10km return, 400m ascent through larch woodland to a sacred site perched at 2,300m on Shireet Mountain. Founded in 1651, the monastery's meditation caves and wooden temples are extraordinary. Entry is around £2. Bring a packed lunch from camp (ask your host the night before). Return to camp in the afternoon and spend the evening stargazing — the Orkhon Valley is one of the darkest regions in Mongolia, ideal for naked-eye astronomy.

🚌Minivan drop-off/pick-up at trailhead (~£5–8 contribution)

🛏Family ger camp, Orkhon Valley (~£15/night, meals included)

• →Hike to Tuvkhun Monastery (10km return, 400m ascent, ~5hrs)
• →Explore monastery temples and meditation caves (~£2 entry)
• →Picnic lunch overlooking the Khangai Mountains
• →Stargazing from ger camp

Travel deeper into the Orkhon Valley with your hired driver, stopping at Uurtiin Tokhoi for panoramic views over the meandering river, then at Temeen Chuluut Bronze Age burial mounds and stone carvings (free entry, your driver can provide basic context or hire a local guide for ~£10). Continue to the spectacular Ulaan Tsutgalan Waterfall, where the Orkhon River plunges into a volcanic basalt gorge — a short 1–2hr walk explores the falls and surrounding terrain. Move on to a new ger camp further up the valley for two nights, where you'll pack an overnight bag for the wilderness camping ahead. These camps are locally run and cost around £12–16/night.

🚌Minivan hire continues up the valley (~£10–15/person)

🛏Local ger camp, upper Orkhon Valley (~£14/night, meals included)

• →Panoramic viewpoint stop at Uurtiin Tokhoi
• →Bronze Age archaeological site at Temeen Chuluut (free)
• →Ulaan Tsutgalan Waterfall walk (1–2hrs, 5km)
• →Pack overnight bag for wilderness camping

Arrange horse trekking into the Eight Lakes through your ger camp host or a local outfitter in the Bat-Ulzii area — expect to pay £25–35/person for a full-day horse trek including a horseman guide. Alternatively, hike the same route on foot (free beyond a small reserve entry fee of ~£2). Ascend gradually from ~2,100m to 2,400m through alpine meadows, larch forest and wildflower clearings into the Khuisiin Naiman Nuur Nature Reserve. Arrive at Khuis Lake by lunchtime. Set up a wilderness camp — bring your own lightweight tent (rentable in Ulaanbaatar for ~£5–8/night) or arrange a fully outfitted camping package through a local operator (~£20–25/person including meals, tent, guide). Evening campfire under extraordinary star-filled skies.

🚌Horse trek with local horseman guide (~£25–35/person) or hike

🛏Wilderness camping at Khuis Lake (self-arranged tent rental ~£8, or local outfitter package ~£20–25 including meals)

• →Horse trek or hike into Eight Lakes Reserve (3hrs riding or 2hrs walking)
• →Entry to Khuisiin Naiman Nuur Nature Reserve (~£2)
• →Guided hike to panoramic viewpoint over Khuis Lake basin
• →Wilderness campfire dinner

Set out on today's highlight: a full-day hike to Lake Shireet, the largest of the Eight Lakes volcanic lakes, covering ~15km return across forest, alpine meadow and open marshland at 2,400–2,500m altitude. This is one of Mongolia's most pristine wilderness areas, accessible only on foot or horseback, with ibex, red deer and occasional grey wolves. If you arranged a local guide for the horse trek yesterday, negotiate to retain them as a walking guide today (~£15–20/day). Pack a picnic lunch to eat at the lake's shoreline. Return to Khuis Lake camp in the afternoon. Enjoy your final wilderness night around the campfire before descending tomorrow.

🚌On foot (self-navigated with map/local guide)

🛏Wilderness camping at Khuis Lake (second night)

• →Full-day hike to Lake Shireet and back (15km, 400m ascent, 5–6hrs)
• →Wildlife spotting: ibex, red deer, possible grey wolves
• →Picnic lunch at Lake Shireet shoreline
• →Final wilderness campfire evening

Saddle up (or hike) for the final descent from the alpine basin back towards the valley floor, crossing a mountain pass and following the Bituut River down from 2,400m to 2,100m through forested slopes. Ask your local horseman or driver to arrange a visit to a nomadic herder family in the Bat-Ulzii region — this can be organised informally through your camp host, with a small gift or contribution (~£5–10) as a gesture of thanks. Learn how airag (fermented mare's milk) is made, and help prepare buuz dumplings before sharing lunch together. Continue ~4 hours by minivan to Kharkhorin, once the capital of the Mongol Empire. Check into a local ger camp or guesthouse for your final steppe night.

🚌Minivan hire Bat-Ulzii to Kharkhorin (~£10–15/person)

🛏Ger camp or local guesthouse, Kharkhorin (~£14/night, meals included)

• →Horse trek or hike descent from Eight Lakes (2hrs)
• →Nomadic family home visit — airag tasting and dumpling making (~£5–10 gift)
• →Drive to Kharkhorin, ancient Mongol Empire capital

After a relaxed breakfast, visit Erdene Zuu, Mongolia's oldest surviving Buddhist monastery — founded in 1585 on the ruins of the ancient Mongol capital and enclosed by 108 white stupas (entry ~£3). Walk the courtyards, explore the temples and, if timing is right, witness morning prayers and monk chanting. Then begin the long drive (~5–6hrs) back to Ulaanbaatar with your hired minivan, watching the vast steppe gradually give way to the capital. Book one final night at your Ulaanbaatar guesthouse. Head out for a farewell dinner — try Modern Nomads or BD's Mongolian BBQ for a celebratory meal with any fellow travellers (~£8–12).

🚌Shared minivan hire back to Ulaanbaatar (~£15–20/person)

🛏Ulaanbaatar Guesthouse or similar (~£12–15/night)

• →Erdene Zuu Monastery visit (~£3 entry)
• →Witness morning monk prayers (if timing allows)
• →Scenic long drive back across the steppe to Ulaanbaatar
• →Farewell dinner in Ulaanbaatar (~£8–12)

After breakfast, if you have time before your flight, browse the Narantuul Market or Galleria Ulaanbaatar for locally made souvenirs — Mongolia is famous for its high-quality cashmere, yak and camel wool products. Take a public taxi to Chinggis Khaan International Airport (~£5–8). Depart with memories of vast steppe, remote volcanic lakes and Mongolia's extraordinary nomadic culture.

🚌Public taxi to Chinggis Khaan International Airport (~£5–8)

• →Last-minute souvenir shopping at Narantuul Market or Galleria Ulaanbaatar
• →Browse locally made cashmere and wool products