The World's Remotest Cities, MongoliaYou will discover the world's remotest cities in Mongolia. About half of Mongolia's cities cluster around the Trans-Mongolian line. Others started as Silk Road cities or as secret Soviet bases.
The following cities (Mongolia has about thirty) make good bases for exploration of Mongolia's remote areas. Read the list and make sure you don't miss some of the hidden gems these cities and their surroundings contain. Visit the following page for information on how to fly to these cities: Mongolia airlines. If you prefer to drive, check out my Mongolian road map page. Alphabetical List of Cities, Mongolia
Map of cities in Mongolia ArvaikheerArvaikheer is the capital of the Uvurhangai province and known as an equestrian and crafts center. What to see: If you like horses, visit at the time of the large regional horse festival. Make sure you have some local currency to take advantage of the local handicraft industry. How to get there: Take one of the regular flights from Ulaan Baatar to Arvaikheer' s single unpaved runway. BayankhongorBayankhongor is the capital of the Bayankhongor province. The city has two museums which started life in a single ger. Both museums now have permanent accommodation. What to see: The Ethnographic Museum covers life in Mongolia from nomadic times. Exhibits include a taste of life during Manchu rule and in the twentieth century under Socialism. In the Natural History Museum, you can see precious stones; rare stuffed animals; and the complete skeleton of a local dinosaur. Several small Buddhist monasteries may also interest you. What to do: Bayankhongor makes a good base for exploring the most diverse province in Mongolia. Forests and the Khangai Mountains take up most of the north. The famous Gobi desert takes up much of the south. The province hosts rarities such as an oasis, hot springs and the Gobi bear. BulganBulgan is the capital of Bulgan province. Its population numbers only twelve thousand, but it's noteworthy as the home of the only Outer Mongolian to travel into Outer Space! Hidden secrets: Mongolians prize Bulgan's airag—fermented mares' milk. What to see: Local ger camps run tours to sights of interest, as well as conducting horse treks and fishing trips. How to get there: Bulgan has one unpaved runway and receives regular flights from Ulaan Baatar. ChoirChoir is the capital of the Gobisumber province
Choir is one of the more remote cities of Mongolia Hidden secrets: It has the longest runway in Mongolia, courtesy of Russia which once maintained a military base here. What to see: A statue of Mongolia's only astronaut. How to get there: The Trans-Mongolian train stops at Choir. You can also get there by air or jeep. KharkhorinKharkhorin is situated between the Khangai Mountains and the rolling steppes of central Mongolia.
Kharkhorin is one of the most ancient cities of Mongolia What to see:
How to get there: Regular flights arrive from UB to an unpaved runway. If you want to drive you can find asphalt roads almost all the way! KhovdKhovd is set at the foot of the Altai Mountains next to the Buyant Gol River. The capital of Khovd aimag, it draws its population from at least eleven ancient Mongol tribes. Hidden Secrets: The city contains the ruins of a Chinese Fortress, destroyed during a rebellion against Chinese rule. What to do: The location provides good hiking and fishing possibilities. Nature lovers shouldn't miss the Mankhan Nature Preserve some twenty-five kilometers away. Special Tip: If you arrive in late summer make sure to stock up on locally harvested water melons and tomatoes. MandalgobiMandalgobi is the capital of the Dundgobi province. What to do: Madalgobi makes a good base for exploring the Gobi desert and its fringe areas. MurunMurun is the capital of Khuvsgul province in northern Mongolia. It follows the typical Soviet blueprint and has a hospital, museum, theater, post office and school. Hidden secrets: The city existed to support a now destroyed monastery called Murungiin Khuree. What to see: You can visit the ruins of Murungiin Khuree and a smaller working monastery on the edge of the city. What to do: Take a trip to Lake Khuvsgul, which contains more than one percent of the world's fresh water. How to get there: Murun has one paved and one gravel runway served by daily flights form Ulaan Baatar (ZMMN; MXV). Sainshand
One of the Gobi desert's cities (Mongolia) Sainshand is another city which has a stop on the Trans-Mongolian line. Its population of twenty-thousand live in an eastern Gobi steppe zone. Hidden secrets: A twentieth-century curator buried his museum's exhibits in the Gobi, saving them from socialist soldiers. Some exhibits remain buried. What to see and do:
SukhbaatarSukhbaatar—another city named after a revolutionary hero. The Trans-Mongolian makes its last call at Sukhbaatar before the Russian border. TsetserlegTsetserleg is the capital of the Arkhangai aimag. The city rests on the slopes of the Khangai Mountains. What to see: The local monastery hosts reincarnations of Zaya Pandita. The seventh reincarnation resides in Ulaan Baatar but rarely visits. How to get there: Regular flights arrive in Tsetserleg from Ulaan Baatar. UlaangomUlaangom translates as 'Red Valley'. At 939 meters above sea level it holds the record as the lowest point in the country. The city borders Russia and houses the Consulate of the Tuva Republic. Things to see: Lake Uvs—a salt lake and remnant of an ancient ocean. Many species of fish live there and thousands of migratory birds visit the lake each year. UlgiiUlgii lies in the Mongolian 'Wild West' close to the Chinese—Kazakhstan border. The population is largely nomadic and Muslim. Things to do: Spend a day eagle hunting with the locals.
How to get there: Catch a flight from Ulaan Baatar to Ulgii's single unpaved runway. Zamiin uudZamiin uud ('Road's Gate') borders China. If you want to enter China by rail or road you must pass through Zamiin uud. Zamiin Uld's population numbers just twelve thousand, but over a million people pass through each year! Related Pages
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