1 Day in Mongolia: A Perfect Day Trip Itinerary

 

How to Spend 1 Day in Mongolia: A Perfect Day Trip Itinerary

Mongolia is a land of vast open skies, ancient traditions, and untamed landscapes. With its nomadic culture and epic history as the heart of the Mongol Empire, it’s the kind of place that feels like stepping into another world. But what if you only have one day?

Whether you're passing through on a Trans-Siberian Railway stopover, on a short layover in Ulaanbaatar, or just tight on time — it’s absolutely possible to experience the best of Mongolia in a day. You just need the right plan.

8:00 AM – Depart Ulaanbaatar for Terelj National Park

Start your day early and leave the capital behind. A 1.5-hour drive will take you to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, one of Mongolia’s most accessible and beautiful natural areas. You’ll see yaks grazing, endless green meadows, and the iconic rolling hills that define the Mongolian steppe.

This is the country’s most famous landmark, and it’s also the biggest equestrian (horse riding) statue in the world.

The stainless steel statue was finished in 2008, and it’s 40 meters tall (130+ feet). It sits on top of a visitor center that has a small museum, cafe, and gift shop.

First we went to the basement, where our guide talked about the history of the Mongol empire and showed us some artifacts, including a few weapons and a golden ‘paiza’ (diplomatic passport used by the Mongol officials).

       

🍽️ 12:30 PM – Lunch in a Ger Camp

By midday, you’ll be ready for a hearty Mongolian lunch. Many tourist ger camps offer traditional meals in a warm, rustic setting. Look for dishes like:

• Khuushuur – Deep-fried meat dumplings

• Tsuivan – Stir-fried noodles with meat and vegetables

• Buuz – Steamed dumplings often filled with mutton or beef

• Gorkhi Terelj National Park

Our next stop was Terelj National Park. It’s a 1 hour drive from the statue, or slightly farther from Ulaanbaatar. This time there was a bumpy gravel road part of the way there.

Here, we did a short hike to the top of Turtle Rock, which involved climbing some rocks and squeezing through a few crevices. It was fun and not too hard for anyone in the group.

As you might guess from the name, this giant rock got its name from the shape. Looking at it from the east side, it looks just like a turtle.

       

Turtle Rock

Terelj seemed like a nice parkbut I was disappointed by the widespread development insi, de the park.