Mongolia Travel Guide

Historically, Mongolia had a reputation for being a very difficult country to visit. Until the mid-1990s, you had to solicit an invitation letter from someone living in Mongolia to visit Mongolia. Lately, the visa rules have been relaxed and most people can enter the country without a visa. The Mongolian government declared the 2023-2024 tourist season the "Year of Mongolia", relaxing visa requirements for many countries, including all major Western nations. Whether this will become a permanent change is yet to be seen.

The Mongolian currency is the tögrög (also spelled "tugrik", "tugrug" etc.; Mongol: төгрөг), denoted by the sign "₮" (ISO international currency code: MNT). You may also see the notations "tg" and "T".

There are many places with the same name in Mongolia, so finding your way can be tricky. It is much easier to refer to a place with for aimag names, then soum names, then only city/village name. For example, Ulaangom is the capital of Uvs, so buses will indicate the latter. Once in an aimag you may refer to a soum, and only then to the city name.

The official language of Mongolia is Mongolian. Mongolian in Mongolia is written using the Cyrillic alphabet, which was introduced around the 1940s. Mongolian Cyrillic uses all the letters used in the Russian alphabet and has two extra letters: Ө and Ү. Very few people know how to read and write Mongolian using the traditional Mongolian script (written from top to bottom, and still widely used by ethnic Mongols in China), although since the 1990s, it has been gradually regaining popularity. Mong…

Mongolia is mostly a safe country to visit, but take care in nights and when alcohol is involved, and if venturing out away from shelter with risks of harsh weather. Women should be aware of problems common in conservative regions.

Pollution

Ulaanbaatar has polluted air, largely due to pervasive coal-burning for domestic heating. If you suffer from a respiratory disease and plan to visit Mongolia in winter, consult a medical professional for advice.

All larger population centers in Mongolia have mobile phone coverage, but don't expect signal out on the endless steppes. Mobicom is generally reckoned to have the best coverage, although it is more complex to set up than Unitel. Mobicom has a storefront at Chinggis Khaan International Airport, but it is only open during normal business hours (and its automated kiosk rarely works). Fortunately, there are many stores for either carrier in Ulaanbaatar. Bring your passport.

Compared to other countries in Asia, Mongolians are generally straightforward. Expect someone to tell you exactly what they think and feel. Anti-China sentiment is high in Mongolia due to historiographical and cultural disputes, and because China is seen by Mongolians as a colonial oppressor. As such, refrain from wearing anything associated with China, and refrain from talking about China. The Chinese province of Inner Mongolia is referred to as "southern Mongolia" by most Mongolians. Many Mongolians consider it to be Mongolian territory under Chinese occupation.