Getting there - Ulaan Baatar
Most people access the Tavan Bogd NP through Ulgii (also spelled Olgii & Olgy), the principal town of the Kazakh region in the northwest of the country. And most people access Ulgii by arriving first in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaan Baatar. If you are like me, then you probably do not want to spend too much time in a city and just want to get straight out on the trail, but it is definitely worth spending some time in UB before heading off to Ulgii.
Lighting butter lamp offerings at Gandan Monastery in Ulaan Baatar.
I think the best way to explore Ulaan Baatar is on foot, of course. Early mornings are a great time to walk up to Gandan Monastery, watch worshippers lighting butter lamps and breathe in the Juniper incense. During the heat of the day the National History Museum is a cooler indoor option. There are plenty of blogs that discuss all there is to do in UB - like this one. Likewise, for accommodation, restaurants and maps, please read your favourite travel sites.
I have no affiliations with any one guest house or hotel but I have stayed at the Lotus Guest House and at the Bayangol Hotel – each at opposite ends of the budget spectrum. The Lotus Guest House is about USD $15 – $20 per night; they have dorms and double rooms, some with traditional furniture – it is friendly, generally very clean and brilliantly located close to the centre of UB. The Bayangol Hotel is also well located, clean and at about $150 (min) per night it includes a comprehensive breakfast, TV and good WIFI and is a perfect end of trek treat with ample, western style bathroom and lots of fluffy towels.
Getting there - Ulgii
It takes about 48 hours on a bus to cover the 1600 odd kms from UB to Ulgii. Even if it is not the most comfortable way, I love travelling by land and do enjoy the adventure and contact with local people that you get when you take local transport – I wouldn’t do this trip every time, but it was really worthwhile doing it once!
Buses leave 3 times a week from the Dragon Bus Terminal on the far west of the city on Peace Avenue. Buy your tickets the day or two before you plan on leaving to ensure you get one and also to get a feel for the terminal. On the day of your trip you are going to have to go from bus to bus to find the right one so give yourself plenty of time to get there. Also, make sure you have all the snacks you want and plenty of water for the trip (especially if you are vegetarian/vegan or have any special dietary requirements) the food choices on the road are even more limited than in towns.
Having said that, in Ulgii there is a couple of good restaurants Pamukkale (Turkish - best for veggos) and the Golden Eagle (not far along on the same road) mixed Mongolian and Chinese/Western hybrid dishes.
Getting there - Tavan Bogd National Park
Once you get to Ulgii you’ll have to find a driver or join an existing hike… Altai Expeditions have helped Edgewalkers a lot in the past and continue to provide us with camels and wranglers during our current tours. In addition, we always stay at The Eagle’s Nest Hotel, which is owned and operated by the Altai Expedition mob, it is clean and I think the best place to stay in Ulgii. Make sure you go for a walk around Ulgii and climb the monument hill to get a great look at this predominantly Kazakh town.
Eagle’s Nest Hotel in Ulgii, with some of our clients goofing around before heading out for a meal
Go for a walk up to the hill monument to get an eagle’s view of Ulgii.
Once you hit the road towards the Tavan Bogd National Park you are really getting as remote as can be. The journey is under 200 km but will take up to 6 hours in a 4WD. I’m not going to lie, it’s a bumpy ride, but I love it!
Below are some pics from my very first trip to the Mongolia when I went solo in 2015. I was pressed for time so hired a private driver for the trip to Tavan Bogd rather than wait for a private tour. He spoke no English and stopped several times to help other drivers who had run out of petrol or were stuck in the tricky terrain. Nowadays we have a whole team of drivers, camels, cooks and horsemen who support our walks.
To do a through hike and camp in the National Park you have to be accompanied by a local ‘guide’. The term is used loosely as this could mean a local herder just riding beside you on a horse or a proper guide, one will cost more than the other, of course. And, because the national park sits right across two international borders, you will also need a permit before you can visit … ask to talk to Bek, at the Eagle’s Nest, he will get one for you and can find a driver/guide/horse wrangler.
Unless you are an experienced mountain hiker I strongly suggest going with a guide and not just a horseman. This is a level 5 hike with tricky terrain, steep & high mountain passes on a remote and unmarked trail (there are no sign posts); there are also glaciers, slippery rocks, steep climbs and descents, boggy fields, fast-moving streams that need crossing and temperamental mountain weather. So, take care.
Other tips
You can find topographical maps of the Tavan Bogd National Park at the Seven Summit Outdoor Equipment Shop near the post office in UB. If you are travelling by bus, you can also buy fuel (isobutane/propane) canisters here that you’ll be able to transport by bus; otherwise, you cannot buy them in Ulgii (this may be changing) but last July there was nowhere to buy fuel canisters for Jetboil-like stoves.
One new addition to my backpack (so handy in Mongolia because it is generally sunny) is an Anker portable solar charger (I have no affiliation with this brand) and I can say it is a game changer! It doesn’t store a charge, which makes it really light, and in good, sunny weather it can charge phone, tablet, camera batteries, GoPro, GPS) and you can hook it up to the back of your pack and it charges while you walk.