Central Mongolia

Central Mongolia is a region in Mongolia that contains the capital of modern Mongolia, the ruins of capital of the Mongol Empire, and the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape.

Cities

Ulaanbaatar - the nation's capital and center of everything.
Arvayheer - the capital of Övörhangai province
Tsetserleg - the capital of Arkhangai province.
Zuunmod - the capital of Tuv province

Other destinations

Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape

The Orkhon Valley, west of Ulaanbaatar, along the Orkhon River in the Övörkhangai and Arkhangai Provinces, was the center of the Mongol Empire, the center of the Uighur Empire, and the birthplace of Mongolian Buddhism. Today, the cultural heritage of the valley constitutes a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Karakorum the ruins of capital city of the Mongol Empire, built by Genghis Khan's son, Ogedei.
Ordu-Baliq archaeological site on the remains of the capital city of the first Uighur Empire
Erdene Zuu Monastery the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia
Tuvkhun Monastery
Khustain Nuruu National Park

Other attractions

Hujirt - Hot springs 50km south of Karakorum, There is a hotel and sanatorium. Bus service from Ulaanbaatar or Avraiheer.
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is a popular weekend getaway just east of Ulaanbaatar.
Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve
Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur (Great White Lake)
Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape. This is where Gengis Khan allegedly both was born and died, and the most sacred mountain in Mongolia. Located northeast of the capital near the border to Russia, the area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Understand

Get in

Central Mongolia and specifically Ulaanbaatar is the first place that most visitors see upon entering Mongolia, so see 'Get into' Mongolia section to see all you need to know about flying or taking the train to Ulaanbaatar. If you entered through another part of Mongolia or plan to get off the train before reaching UB, getting here is very simple. All domestic travel (by plane, train, bus, van, etc) is usually headed to or from Ulaanbaatar. In fact it can be more difficult to find transport 100 km to a neighboring provincial capital than 1,500 km to UB.

Get around

There are no domestic flights from Ulaanbaatar to anywhere within the central region, even though some places can take several hours to reach by bus or car. Luckily, most of the larger towns and cities in this region are connected by paved roads and have daily or even hourly bus service from either the Dragon Center Bus Station (serving western and northern parts of Mongolia) or the Bayanzurkh Bus Station (serving eastern and some southern parts of Mongolia). The stations are both located on Peace Avenue on either side of the city. Look on the specific city's page for exact travel times and bus stations. Many smaller towns in the central region are also served by the Trans-Mongolian Railway.

See

Itineraries

Blue lake trekking route 8 days, 7 nights. Trek to the beautiful Khukh Nuur (Blue Lake) in Arkhangai Province, located at the top of the Arkhangai Mountains. This is a challenging route and you will be trekking up to 20 km a day yet amazingly picturesque, as Arkhangai is known to Mongolians as the “Horse Breeders Paradise” for its beauty.