Motorcycle Travel Guides
MONGOLIA

Budget

Cheap: £10-£30 per day
Mid: £30-£50 per day

Money: Both tughrik and USD widely used. Card is rarely accepted outside of the capital. ATMs can be found in main cities and towns.

Currency: Mongolian Tughrik  ₮

Food: Street snacks 50p. Cafe £2-£4. Restaurant £5-£12

Accommodation:
You can wild camp for free anywhere other than in the national parks. Dorms and home stays £5-£11. Mid-range hotel £20-£50

Petrol: £0.59 – £0.70 litre 

When to go

High: June - Aug
Low: Oct -April

High: June-Aug.  
June-July is the warm and dry season, although you may get treated to the odd thunderstorm. 
The weather is cooler at the end of August, but there’s more rain. 

High season is a great time to ride in Mongolia, but just keep in mind that Mongolian weather is unpredictable. It can be 35C+ in the morning and torrential rain and river crossings in the evening. 

Mid: May and Sep. Yurt camps tend to close in these months and it can get pretty cold.  

Low: Oct-April.
Plenty of snowfall and very difficult riding conditions. It is the perfect time to visit for eagle hunting expeditions, dog sledding and skiing.  

Paperwork

Visa: Required in advance
Carnet required: No

Visa: Visa is required in advance, lasts 30 days and is valid for use within 90 days of issue. You can get a visa from an embassy abroad or from your home country and it costs around £55.

Carnet: Not needed. 

Temporary Import: Sorted at the border when you enter.

International Driver’s Permit:  Not required but good to have.

Insurance: Officially required. Can be purchased after you cross the border for around £20 for 30 days. 

For more information on visas, borders and paperwork check out the Motorcycle Travel Guide: Mongolia

 

Facts

Capital: Ulaanbaatar
Country code: +976

Emergency: 102 Police, 103 ambulance

Language: Mongolian

Time: Ulaanbaatar is UTC/GMT plus eight hours. Western Mongolia is one hour behind Ulaanbaatar 

Land Mass: 1.564 million km²

Don't miss

Eagle Hunting
The Gobi Desert

Eagle Hunting: It’s a must for anyone visiting Mongolia. You don’t need a guide and can find a traditional hunter yourself. Check out our guide How to Find an Eagle Hunter By Yourself

Gobi Desert: No trip to Mongolia is complete without seeing the Gobi Desert. It’s not as hard you might think getting there and is worth the ride. Here’s our dedicated  Gobi Desert Guide.

Getting in/out

Russia
China

Mongolia borders Russia and China. As China is a nightmare for motorcycle travellers, it’s more likely you’ll be entering and exiting to Russia. We have a guides on the Russian transit visa and how to get the ferry from Russia to Japan on the Russia page. 

Mongolia is a vast, raw and rugged wonderland. Travelling on a motorcycle here is phenomenal because it’s one of the last places on earth where it feels like you’re discovering unexplored lands. The insane Gobi Desert, Eagle Hunters, nomads and thousands of miles of dirt tracks leading to the Mongol Steppe makes Mongolia an adventure bike rider’s dream.   

Adventure motorcycle travel mongolia (4)

Mad in Mongolia

Mongolia is madness, a vast emptiness filled with the world’s most lonesome, mind numbing and incredible riding. It’s an adventurer’s playground.