This 2-Day Mongolia Tour Was the Highlight of My Entire Trip: Terelj National Park
Out of everything I experienced during my time in Mongolia, from exploring Ulaanbaatar to staying in luxury hotels and wandering museums, the 48 hours I spent in Terelj National Park were, without question, the highlight of my entire trip.
Just hanging out Genghis Khan
I spent 5 days in Mongolia even though I knew it wouldn’t be enough time - but it was all the time I could fit into my schedule. If you’re as limited on time as I was, this would be the absolute one thing I’d recommend booking while you’re visiting.
(Affiliate link: Book the exact tour I took here.)
Why I Chose This Tour
This two-day tour checked every box and somehow still exceeded my expectations. I wanted to explore more than Ulaanbaatar and this tour allowed me to meet locals, see famous landmarks, ride horses and spend a night in a ger.
The itinerary includes Terelj National Park, Turtle Rock, the Chinggis Khan Statue Complex, horseback riding, hiking, a visit with a nomadic family, and an overnight stay in the countryside.
In addition to all of that, the reviews were outstanding, specifically from solo female travelers. Since I was taking this trip alone, that was a big plus for me.
Tour Itinerary
Just stumbled upon this guy while hiking
Day 1
Hotel pickup in Ulaanbaatar
Stop for snacks at a grocery store
Visit a Mongolian herder family + horseback riding
Traditional Mongolian lunch in a ger community
Stop at the iconic Turtle Rock
Visit Aryabala meditation temple (coffee stop right before the temple!)
Check in to a luxury ger at Erkhes Resort
Traditional Mongolian dinner and overnight stay
Day 2
Breakfast at the resort
Guided hike through Terelj National Park (pportunity to spot camels!!)
Visit the giant Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue (Tsonjin Boldog Complex)
Traditional lunch (we stopped at a Buddhist temple)
Visit Narantuul (Black) Market
Hotel drop-off
Horseback Riding with a Herder Family
Our tour group posing with our horses
Spending time with a family that still lives a traditional lifestyle gave me a deeper appreciation for Mongolia's culture as well. We were welcomed into the main family ger with snacks and salty milk tea, also known as suutei tsai.
While the suutei tsai wasn’t my taste, I did enjoy the aaruul snacks which is a dried curd snack made from boiled yogurt. If you’ve ever had yakult, it kind of reminded me of a freeze dried version of that. You can also add it to liquid to soften and release the flavors. This is something my kids would enjoy eating.
One of my favorite moments was visiting a traditional herder (nomadic) family and riding Mongolian horses across the countryside. I will say, though, this wasn't the type of horseback riding where you're free to explore on your own. Two local guides each led two horses across the hills and back. Of course, it would've been even cooler to have a little more freedom, but I completely understand why they do it this way for safety. If you've never ridden a horse before, this makes the experience very approachable for beginners.
Me and my tiny horse in Terelj National Park, Mongolia
Being out in Terelj National Park already makes you realize just how vast Mongolia is and how small you are in comparison. Riding through those open grasslands only amplified that feeling. It was peaceful, quiet, and unlike anywhere I've ever been.
The owner of the ger coming out to meet us
If you're planning to visit a nomadic family, it's customary to bring a small gift for the children. While many families now have access to smartphones and other electronics, it's still recommended to bring something that doesn't require batteries. I packed several small containers of bubbles because they're lightweight, easy to travel with, and both of my daughters still love them. They were a big hit.
(If you’re interested in reading a short article about the nomadic lifestyle in Mongolia, I found this great one online from 2025.)
After our visit with the family, we headed to a cluster of gers that serve as local restaurants for lunch. We enjoyed a traditional Mongolian meal of mutton, vegetables, and dough. One member of our group was vegetarian, and the restaurant prepared a separate meal for her, so vegetarian options are available if needed.
Turtle Rock
Even from a distance, Turtle Rock is massive and recognizable.
After lunch, we made our way to Turtle Rock. I'd seen plenty of photos beforehand, so I knew it really did look like a turtle, but I was completely unprepared for just how enormous it is. As we drove over a hill, you could already see it in the distance—still about five minutes away by car. It absolutely dominates the landscape.
At Turtle Rock you'll find a small souvenir shop, public restrooms, and a local man offering photos with his eagle for a small fee if that's something you're interested in. (Our guide told us we would hold an eagle the following day so we didn’t do it here.)
Aryabal Meditation Temple
View from Aryabal Meditation Temple
Our final stop of the afternoon was the Aryabal Meditation Temple. Just before reaching the parking area, I noticed a sign for a coffee shop and asked if we could stop. I'm so glad we did.
One of the paintings the artist was working on.
The coffee was excellent, reasonably priced, and exactly what I needed for an afternoon pick-me-up. There are also restrooms and a local artist selling beautiful landscape and horse paintings from the same cabin. It's one of those unassuming little stops that I'd definitely recommend taking a few extra minutes to visit.
Looking up the 108 stairs to Aryabal Meditation Temple
During the Stalinist purges, Aryabal Temple (also known as Aryapala Monastery) was one of many monasteries in Mongolia that was completely destroyed. It was reconstructed between 1998 and 2004 before reopening in 2007. Today, it serves as both an active Buddhist temple and a meditation retreat center.
About halfway up the mountain, you'll come across a small pavilion with a circular gazebo. Look up and you'll see a spinning arrow attached to the ceiling. Give it a spin and note the number where it lands. Along the path from the entrance gate to the temple, monks have placed 144 numbered placards featuring Buddhist teachings in both Mongolian and English. Find the placard that matches your number to discover your own Buddhist saying - some of them were quite comical.
Overnight Ger Stay
These cows lived beside Erkhes Resort
After our visit to the temple, we had a bit of a drive to our accommodation for the night. Once we arrived, we were shown to our ger, told the times for dinner and breakfast, and given our pickup time for the next morning before our guide headed out for the evening.
Just across the road from the resort was a small coffee shop that also sold cashmere. My new friends and I walked up the hill for a coffee and some shopping. I thought both the coffee and the cashmere were very reasonably priced, and I had a surprisingly hard time choosing what to buy because the selection was so large. They also accepted credit cards, which made shopping even easier.
The view into our luxury ger.
Afterward, we had some free time to wander around the resort and soak in the scenery before dinner. The horses that had been grazing nearby earlier in the day had moved on for the evening, but the area was still incredibly peaceful. It was one of those places where you naturally slow down and just enjoy the quiet.
Dinner was a traditional Mongolian meal of khuushuur - crispy fried meat-filled pastries - served alongside a vegetable and meat soup. Our vegetarian friend had already left the tour earlier that day, but I'm confident the guide would’ve made sure any dietary restrictions were taken care of.
Nighttime view of my ger in Terelj National Park
With virtually no light pollution, the night sky was spectacular. The stars seemed endless, and the silence made the whole experience feel even more magical. That said, my bed happened to be directly beneath the toono, the circular roof crown at the top of the ger, which meant I woke up bright and early around 5:45 a.m. when the sunrise streamed through the opening.
Before turning in for the night, one of the resort employees stopped by to ask if we'd like the heat turned on. We decided to leave it off and cracked one of the small windows instead. Sometime during the night, though, my roommate got up and switched the heat on. By morning, the ger was chilly but cozy.
The following morning’s breakfast was very typical of what I’ve been served in hotels around Asia - fried eggs, a tomato, cucumber, toast and sausage. When we stopped at the grocery store the day before, I purchased coffee for the morning and I was so glad to have it because the other options were salty milk tea and water. You can read my full review on the resort here.
Hiking Terelj National Park
I love a good hike, so I was thrilled to start our second day this way. After breakfast, we drove just a few minutes from the resort before setting off up the mountainside.
One of the camels we came across while hiking in Terelj National Park
The views were incredible, but what really made the hike memorable was our guide. She was genuinely fun to be around, shared fascinating historical information about the area, happily answered every question we threw her way, and even led us to a spot where she thought we might find camels.
She was right. Before long, we came across two wild camels casually lounging on the mountainside. It was easily one of my favorite wildlife encounters of all time. I could have spent the rest of the day exploring the trails around Terelj National Park. The scenery is spectacular.
Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex
Look how massive this is compared to that person on the top stair.
After our hike, we made our way back toward Ulaanbaatar to visit the 40-meter (131-foot) stainless steel statue of Genghis Khan on horseback, the tallest equestrian statue in the world. Even after seeing countless photos online, nothing prepared me for just how massive it is in person.
Even from a distance, this statue is absolutely massive.
The statue faces east toward Genghis Khan's birthplace and marks the spot where, according to legend, he discovered a golden whip. Inside the complex, you can take an elevator and climb the final stairs to a viewing platform located in the horse's head. Once you're at the top, you're rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding steppe. It also makes for some pretty epic photos with Genghis Khan.
What a beautiful bird this was - absolutely heavy to hold, but gorgeous.
This is one of those "must-see" attractions in Mongolia that actually lives up to the hype, and whether you're interested in Mongolian history or not, it's one of those landmarks that deserves a spot on your itinerary. If you’re self driving around. Mongolia, it’s pretty easy to get to and the parking lot was pretty empty when we visited.
One thing that really elevated the visit was the museum guide. He spoke Mongolian while our tour guide translated everything into English, and together they provided fascinating insight into Genghis Khan's life, the Mongol Empire, and Mongolia's history. He happily answered all of our questions and spent much more time with us than I expected.
Holding a golden eagle on my arm in Mongolia - he was so heavy!!
Before actually heading inside the museum, we stopped to take photos with a local falconer and his golden eagle. As he snapped our pictures, he encouraged the eagle to spread its enormous wings, creating some incredible shots with the Genghis Khan statue towering in the background.
Nearby, another local was offering camel rides. We skipped this but I kind of wish we'd done it.
Before you leave, be sure to browse the gift shops inside the complex. There were several to choose from, the selection was surprisingly good, and they all accepted credit cards.
Narantuul Market / Black Market
I cannot remember what this was - but it smelled so good!
After our visit to the statue complex, we stopped for lunch before heading back to Ulaanbaatar to visit Narantuul Market, better known as the Black Market.
I know this is a popular stop for many international visitors, but if I'm being honest, it's the one part of the tour I could have skipped. The parking lot was chaotic, it was extremely crowded, and I didn't come across anything that felt unique enough for me to take home.
That said, if you enjoy wandering large outdoor markets, you may really enjoy it. It just wasn't my favorite stop, especially after spending the previous day surrounded by Mongolia's incredible landscapes and nomadic culture.
Some of the horses we spotted while on horseback.
If you're visiting Mongolia and only have a limited amount of time, I genuinely believe this is one of the best ways to experience the country's landscapes, culture, and hospitality in a single trip. This tour was worth every penny.
Book the exact tour I took here: GetYourGuide link here
