20 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Mongolia - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Mongolia

Khustain Nuruu National Park

The grassy landscape is home to the world's last truly wild horses.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Genghis Khan Statue Complex

Enormous statue of the Emperor of the Mongols.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The Zaisan Memorial

A huge communist-era propaganda monument and mural that offers stunning views of the Mongolian capital.

Kharkhorin, Mongolia

Erdene Zuu

The oldest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia has survived centuries of invasions, political shifts, and religious purges.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

International Intellectual and Puzzle Museum

An institution dedicated to curiosity, logic, riddles, and Mongolia's long history of puzzles.

Urgun, Mongolia

Khamriin Khiid

Mongolian Buddhists believe this monastery in the Gobi desert to be the center of the world's spiritual energy.

Shammar, Mongolia

The Mother Tree

This spiritual landmark for practicers of Shamanism is drenched in milk and vodka and covered in blue scarves.

Tariat, Mongolia

Ovoos at Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake

A jagged silhouette of shamanistic stone heaps rises from the shore of this dazzling mile-high lake.

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Unique Food & Drink in Mongolia

Kumis

Infants and Genghis Khan enjoyed this fermented mare's milk.

Khorkhog

The true Mongolian barbecue.

Ul Boov

Mongolia's "shoe sole cake" has the ritual significance of a Christmas tree or family shrine.

Boodog

To travel light, Mongolian warriors used animal carcasses as crockery.

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Stories About Mongolia

Kenny stumbled upon dreamy, desolate scenes, like this playground in Peru.

How an Agoraphobic Traveler Wanders the Earth

When anxiety set boundaries on her life, this adventurer found solace and excitement in Google Street View.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

This intrepid individual was the first khulan to set foot on the eastern steppe since 1955.

After 65 Years, a Wild Ass Is Back in Eastern Mongolia

Khulan have been on the wrong side of the tracks for far too long.

by Isaac Schultz

The ruin sits on a spit of land in Lake Tere-Khol, in Tuva, Russia.

In Mongolia, a Mysterious Island Ruin Is Finally Giving Up Its Secrets

Solar radiation and dead trees tell us when Por-Bajin was built—and why it was neither palace nor fortress.

by Isaac Schultz

Mongolia's perennial ice patches are receding and disappearing.

Mongolia’s Disappearing Ice Patches Threaten Both the Past and the Present

Reindeer herders and archaeologists must adapt to the new normal.

by Isaac Schultz

November 20, 2019

Otgontsetseg milking one of the reindeer in her herd.

The Key Ingredient in This Bread Is Reindeer Milk

Mongolia's last reindeer riders don’t rely on their herd just for transportation.

by Breanna Wilson

August 20, 2019

Silk scroll painting of Kublai Khan on a hunting expedition.

What Life Was Like for Ancient Mongolians

Researchers studied the remains of 25 individuals for clues.

by Jonathan Carey

January 14, 2019

Caymans the horse, Floki the eagle, and me toward the end of my lesson at Dartmoor Hawking.

Learning the Ancient Art of Horseback Falconry

I spent a day with one of the few people on the planet still teaching the sport.

December 20, 2018

A reconstruction of <em>Halszkaraptor escuilliei</em>, an amphibious dinosaur discovered in Mongolia.

Found: A Dinosaur With Features Borrowed From Swans, Penguins, and Crocs

It's so unique that paleontologists initially doubted its authenticity.

by Vittoria Traverso

December 7, 2017