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Mongolian Ulaanbaatar
CNN
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Due to its remote and short summer season, Mongolia has long been an overlooked destination by travelers.
However, 2023 may still be the best time to get there as the country relaxes entry requirements for international visitors and is now more open to tourism by upgrading infrastructure.
Below are 10 reasons why travelers should start planning their visit to Mongolia that they are obsessed with right now.
As the Mongolian government has declared a “year to visit Mongolia” between 2023 and 2025, citizens from 34 countries can visit the country by the end of 2025.
With the addition of several European countries, including Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, the UK, and Australia and New Zealand, the total number of countries and territories on the visa exemption list is now 61.
The complete list is here.
After years of delays, a pandemic and some controversy, the newly constructed Genghis Khan International Airport has finally opened in the summer of 2021.
With its ability to handle roughly 3 million passengers a year (double the old airport), parking spaces for 500 new aircraft, and the ability to add infrastructure to support the rise in domestic and budget flights, the airport is welcomed into the national initiative to grow tourism.
Budget flights from Eznis Airlines to Hong Kong have been rebooted since the airport was opened, and discussions are underway to resume direct flights to the US.
The recently opened Chinggis Khaan Museum brings the noisy Mongolia history to a beautiful and fresh look.
With over 10,000 artifacts over two,000 years, the museum explored the history of the Mongols and the empire they created, and was ultimately lost.
The museum's artifacts are eight stories tall and have six permanent temporary exhibition halls. Guided tours are offered in English every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
When most people think of Mongolia, the final thought comes to mind is the music festival and art installation that focuses on conservation, located in the heart of the world's largest desert.
But it's all changed thanks to festivals like Playtime, Spirit of Gobi, Intro Electronic Music Festival, and Kharkhorum 360 Visual Art & Music Experience.
With international bands, DJs and musicians from all over the world along with a quasi-clase mix of Mongolian rappers, bands and folk singers, the country may be one of the most underrated places in the world for festival lovers.
The annual Nadham event has always been a major reason to visit Mongolia, but now the festival is just celebrating its 100th anniversary and 2023 is just as good as ever.
The origins of the festival are rooted in the era of Jinghis Khan, but he continued to use horse racing, wrestling and archery competitions to maintain warriors during combat, while Nadham officially became a national holiday 100 years ago.
Today, the festival is held in Ulaanbaatar, National Sports Stadium, with several bells and whistles than in the Great Khan era.
The opening ceremony on July 11th is always one of the hardest tickets to score in town.
Try your hand with archery in the Mongolian way
Mounted archery is one of the sport's most skilled archers and is seeing a revival in Mongolia thanks to someone like Altankhuyag Nergui, Namnaa of his archery academy.
Here, locals will install horses and learn the basics of Mongolian archery before they can take new discovered skills to another level.
Over the summer, students and academy members performed weekly shows for interested audiences. The Academy also offers a one-day training session for anyone looking to try this intense sport.
Speaking of bringing life to Mongolia's most ancient traditions, the revival of Mongol Bitzig, or the traditional Mongol script written from top to left to right, has also seen a major revival in recent years.
Learn about this important cultural heritage from Master Calligraphy Tamil Samandubadra Pure by visiting the Erdenesiin Khuree Mongolian Calligraphy Centre in Karakorum. And while you're there, browse the yurts filled with Tamil pieces.
Pair the release of Husqvarna's New Norden 901 Expedition Motorbike with the newly announced Eagle Hunter Tour on Nomadic Off-Road, and you'll have the fastest adventure in Mongolia.
The tour takes six riders ranging from Ulaan Baatar to Bayan Urugi, ranging from 1,700 km, where the riders eventually meet the host, the famous Mongolian Eagle Hunter.
Fastest than this adventure is the rate at which nomadic off-road tours sell out.
Professional Musher Joel Rauzy has been leading a fascinating tour of dogs across frozen lake Khuvsgul for 18 years.
There are fewer crowds, lower hotel prices and you'll have the opportunity to see one of the world's largest freshwater lakes completely frozen. Winter in Mongolia is something you can see and experience.
The Rauzy company Wind of Mongolia offers tours of the lake. There, each person is assigned their own sled and dog for their journey. Following Rousey's lead, Masher creates a lake loop. Activities include ice fishing, but travelers stay in their winter yurts and spend time with nomadic families along the journey.
Scandinavian design hits Mongolia at Yeruu Lodge
Located in the heart of Serenis province on the Yeruu River, Yeruu Lodge was the brainchild of Norwegian founder Eirik Gulsrud Johnsen, who visited Mongolia for the first time in 2017.
With a minimal Scandinavian-inspired restaurant and dining area, there are fully equipped yurts for guests to stay, two flatfish courts, kayaks, driver's cabs, mountain biking and yoga areas, and the lodge is a destination for nature lovers.
The lodge, which is completely off-grid, runs through solar panels and uses heat heating, and all the water in the property comes from plant wells and is recycled after use.
Additionally, all the glass, metals and plastics used in the lodge are also recycled, making food waste a compost used to grow vegetables, berry and herb materials.
The lodge is scheduled to open in April 2023.