Why is 2023 the year to visit Mongolia?

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Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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Due to its remoteness and short summer season, Mongolia has long been an overlooked destination by travelers.

But as the country moves to further open up tourism to international visitors by easing its entry conditions and upgrading its infrastructure, 2023 could be the best time to get there.

Here are 10 reasons travelers should start planning their long-awaited trip to Mongolia now.

With the Government of Mongolia declaring 2023 to 2025 the “Years of Visit Mongolia”, citizens of an additional 34 countries can now visit the country visa-free through the end of 2025.

The addition of several European countries, including Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain and the UK as well as Australia and New Zealand, now takes the total number of countries and territories on the visa-free list to 61.

The full list is here.

After years of delays, the pandemic, and numerous controversies, the newly constructed Chinggis Khan International Airport finally opened in summer 2021.

With the capacity to handle approximately 3 million passengers per year (double the old airport), 500 new aircraft parking spaces and the infrastructure to support the growth in domestic as well as budget flights, the airport is a welcome addition to tourism. The country’s efforts to increase.

Budget flights to Hong Kong from EZNIS Airways have been resumed since the airport’s opening, and talks are reportedly underway to resume direct flights to the United States.

The recently opened Chinggis Khan Museum offers a beautiful, fresh look at Mongolia’s tumultuous history.

With over 10,000 artifacts spanning more than 2,000 years, the museum traces the history of the Mongols and the empire they built – and ultimately lost.

The museum’s artworks are presented on eight floors, with six permanent and two temporary exhibition halls. Free guided tours in English are offered every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

When most people think of Mongolia, music festivals and conservation-focused art installations in the heart of one of the world’s largest deserts are the last things that come to mind.

But thanks to festivals like Playtime, Spirit of Gobi, Intro Electronic Music Festival and Kharkhorm 360 Visual Art and Music Experience, all this is changing.

Putting together international bands, DJs and musicians from around the world alongside Mongolia’s diverse mix of rappers, bands and folk singers, the country may be one of the most underrated destinations in the world for festival lovers.

The annual Naadam event has always been a great reason to visit Mongolia, but now that the festival has celebrated its 100th anniversary, 2023 is as good a time as ever to attend.

While the origins of the festival date back to the days of Genghis Khan, when he used horse racing, wrestling and archery competitions to keep his warriors in shape between battles, Naadam officially became a national holiday just over 100 years ago.

Today, the festivities held in Ulaanbaatar at the National Sports Stadium have a few more bells and whistles than in the days of the Great Khan.

Getting a seat at the July 11 inauguration ceremony is always one of the hardest tickets in town.

Try your hand at archery the Mongolian way

Mounted archery is seeing a resurgence in Mongolia thanks to people like Altankhuyag Nergui, one of the sport’s most accomplished archers, and his archery academy, Namna.

Here, locals learn the fundamentals of Mongolian archery before mounting a horse and taking their new skills to another level.

In the summer months, students and Academy members put on weekly shows for interested audiences. The academy also offers day-long training sessions for those interested in trying this intense sport.

Speaking of giving life to Mongolia’s most ancient traditions, the revival of Mongol Bichig, or the traditional Mongolian script written top to bottom and read left to right, has also seen a major resurgence in recent years.

Visit the Erdenesin Khoury Mongolian Calligraphy Center in the Karakoram to learn about this important cultural heritage from master calligrapher Tamir Samandabadra Purev. And, while you’re there, browse the yurts filled with Tamir’s works.

Combine the release of Husqvarna’s new Norden 901 Expedition motorbike with Nomadic Off-Road’s newly announced Eagle Hunter Tour, and you have one of the fastest adventures in Mongolia.

The tour takes six riders 1,700 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar to Bayan-Ulagi, where the riders eventually meet their hosts, Mongolia’s famous eagle hunters.

The only thing faster than this adventure is the rate at which Nomad Off-Road tours sell.

Professional musher Joel Rousey has been leading dogsledding tours on frozen Khuvsgul Lake for 18 years.

With fewer crowds, lower hotel rates and the chance to see one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes completely frozen over, winter in Mongolia is something to behold and experience.

Rousey’s company, Winds of Mongolia, offers tours of the lake, where each person is assigned their own sled and dogs for the trip. Following Rousey’s lead, mushers will circle the lake. Activities include ice fishing while travelers stay in winter yurts and spend time with nomadic families during the journey.

Scandinavian design influences Mongolia at Yeru Lodge

Located in the heart of Selenge Province on the Yeruu River, Yeruu Lodge is the brainchild of Norwegian founder Erik Gulsrud Johnson, who first visited Mongolia in 2017.

With a minimalist Scandinavian-style restaurant and dining area, fully equipped yurts for guests to stay in, two petanque courts, kayaks, a driving range, mountain bikes and a yoga area, the lodge is a destination for nature lovers.

Completely off-grid, the lodge uses solar panels, thermal heating, and all of the property’s water comes from a property well and is recycled after use.

Additionally, all glass, metal and plastic used at the lodge is also recycled, and food waste is turned into compost which is used to grow vegetables, berries and herbs.

The lodge is scheduled to open in April 2023.