When to travel to Mongolia?
Mongolia has 4 distinctive seasons and is geographically the farthest country from any sea. Hence, its continental weather is very difficult to predict. Its distance from the ocean ensures a very dry climate where you hardly sweat, even on the hottest days. The main (best) travel season starts in late spring from the end of May and lasts until Autumn, somewhere around the beginning to the middle of October.
Summer
Summer is the season to prosper for Mongolian nomads as rivers and grasslands are at its peak. Nomads spend the summer days milking and making dairy products in flourishing meadows. The Naadam Festival, Mongolia’s biggest traditional holiday, featuring archery, wrestling and horse race, takes place in July. During the summer months, the temperature is comfortable during the day while the nights might be slightly chilly. Although the summer is the rainy season in Mongolia, the country enjoys relatively low levels of precipitation. Even on rainy days, you would usually see several light showers, and your trip shouldn’t be adversely affected by rainfall.
Summer in Mongolia
Autumn
The golden season offers wonderful foliage, and a good chance of catching sight of the nomads moving from summer to autumn pastures. This time of the year nomads have much to prepare hay, heating materials and ger insulation etc for the coming winter. The Golden Eagle festival in Western Mongolia is the highlight of the season. During this time Mongolian lakes are one of the best places to observe a great variety of waterfowl as they migrate out of Siberia.
Autumn in Mongolia
Winter
The winter months, when temperatures dip well below -30°C (-22°F) and all the rivers and lakes freeze, Mongolia has much to offer. In the heart of winter, Mongolians celebrate their traditional Lunar New Year Festival. Traveling through Mongolia during the winter months is not an easy task but is well worth it. If well prepared you are in paradise, though a very cold one. The most thrilling trip in the winter is going on eagle hunting with Kazakhs in the Altai mountains.
Winter in Mongolia
Spring
Mongolian spring comes after a long winter and days become longer and warmer. It's the busiest time of the year for herders who constantly follow their livestock and collect the newborns from pasture lands. A great chance for a traveler to experience and witness nomadic lifestyle in-person. Another two unique festivals take place during this time - The Ice Festival at Lake Khuvsgul, and The Thousand Camels Festival in the Gobi Desert.
Spring in Mongolia
Keep in mind that Mongolia enjoys over 250 days of sunshine in a year. Only in Mongolia, you can truly experience the nomadic culture that lifestyle had not really changed from the past. Mongolian people have a big and warm heart like their vast steppes. Any season you choose to come to Mongolia, we would make sure your experience would be the best!