Karakorum-the ancient mongol capital and Erdene Zuu monastery               

In 1220 Chinggis Khaan moved his capital from the east to Karakorum, 373km southwest of modern-day Ulaanbaatar. Karakorum served as the political, cultural and economic capital of the Mongols for only 40 years until Khublai Khan moved it to Khanbalik, in today’s Beijing. Following the move to Beijing and the subsequent collapse of the Mongol Empire, Karakorum was abandoned and then destroyed by revengeful Manchurian soldiers in 1388.
Whatever was left of Karakorum was used to help build Erdene Zuu monastery in 1586 as the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. In 1792 it housed up to 100 temples and approximately 10,000 lamas were in residence. The monastery was badly damaged during the Stalinist purges in 1930s.
Erdene Zuu is surrounded by the symbolic ruins of Karakorum monumental walls (400 m in length) with 108 stupas. The monastery has become active since the democratic revolution in 1989 with the fall of communism in Mongolia. Today it retains much of its former glory. Enclosed in an immense walled compound, the 3 temples which were not destroyed in 1930s are dedicated to the 3 stages of Buddha\'s life: childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Outside the monastery walls there are 2 \'turtle rocks\'. These sculptures once marked the boundaries of ancient Karakorum, acting as protectors of the city. The sites of this ancient Mongol capital Karakorum and Erdene Zuu monastery with their 108 stupas undoubtedly attract travellers. The place is located 373km southwest of Ulaanbaatar.

Waterfall Orkhon or Ulaan Tsytgalan

This waterfall is situated in the historically well-known Orkhon valley through which the river Orkhon flows for more than 1120 km. The waterfall was formed by a unique combination of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes about 20,000 years ago. The falls cascade from a height of 22 metres  and are naturally most impressive after heavy rain. It has an amazing combination of sight and sound. There is a path to climb down to the bottom of the gorge that is dotted with pine trees and is very scenic from the bottom. The waterfall is a great spot for bird watching and fishing.

Tuvkhun Monastery                                    

Tuvkhun monastery sits on the peak of Undur Shireet mountain that is located in boundary of Arkhangai and Uvurkhangai aimags. It was cited by Zanabazar (1 st Bogd Gegen in Mongolia) in 1654 on the smooth grand of the south slope of 20 meter high steep rock. The monastery has 14 small temples. Here in Tuvkhun, Zanabazar created the famous Mongolian script “Soyombo” in 1680. The monastery has enjoyed state protection since 1998 and was registered by UNESCO as “The most wonderful valuable object” of the world heritage in 1996.

Ugii Lake                                                 

Ugii Lake is 1.337 meters above the sea level in Ugii soum of Arkhangai aimag. It covers 25 sq. km area and is known for its reach fish and birdlife. The fish population is represented by pike, catfish and barscharten, which are the most common types for industrial fishing. Ugii lake is also home to many different birds such as Swan Goose, White Spoonbill and Dalmatian Pelican. It is a nice place for overnight’s stop.

Khugnu Khan Mountain - Natural Reserve          

Khugnu Khan Mountain National Park is situated in the border area of three aimags: Bulgan, Ovorkhangai and Tuv. The area is extremely picturesque as it covers mountains, forests, steppes, semi-desert and mineral water sources all-in-one location.
Khugnu Tarny Monastery has two parts, an upper and a lower part. What is of interest is that the monastery belongs to the three different periods of Buddhism in Mongolia: ancient, middle and late. Prince Bishrelt of the former Tusheet Khan Aimag founded the monastery at the beginning of the 17th century. Later on Zanabazar dedicated this monastery to one of his teachers, Erdene Tsorj. It was built in 1670-1680 and was destroyed during the war of Galdan Boshigt, a fighter opposed to Manchurian domination of Mongolia.
The monastery was rebuilt in 1990 by the initiation of a granddaughter of one of the highest lamas who was residing at the monastery when it was destroyed.

Gobi Desert

The Mongolian government established the Great Gobi National Park in 1975 and the UNESCO designated the Great Gobi as the fourth largest Biosphere Reserve in the world in 1991. While the area is often imagined as a lifeless desert like in many other parts of the world, sand dunes cover just three percent of the landscape and it is surprisingly alive with wildlife which makes the reality quite different.
In terms of land type, the Gobi consists mainly of stony plains, rugged treeless mountains and scrubland. The Gobi was once a home to dinosaurs and this fact was revealed by American zoologist-adventurer Roy Chapman Andrews who uncovered dinosaur bones and other scientific findings during his expeditions to the Gobi in 1920s. Dinosaur skeletons and their petrified eggs have been preserved here to the present day.
The Gobi is one of the least populated places on earth with less than 0.5 people per square kilometre.   

Gurvan Saikhan National park

Gurvan Saikhan National park which is located in the territory of Umnugobi aimag (Southgobi province) is an integral part of the Great Gobi National Park. It contains mountains, dinosaur fossils, sand dunes, rock formations and a valley where there is ice for most of the year, even in hot summer days.
There are over 200 species of birds, including the Mongolian desert warbler, houbara bustard, finch and vulture. The park is a home to wild ass, black tailed gazelles, wild camels, snow leopards, mountain sheep (argali), ibex and black tailed gazelles.

Eagle valley (Yoliin Am)                                      

The Eagle valley is a protected area and it is located in Gurvan Saikhan or the Three Beauties which are beautiful rocky mountains in the middle of the Gobi Desert. The highest peak of these mountains is 2815meter above the sea level. The Eagle valley is 62 km from the centre of Umnugobi aimag Dalanzadgad. The valley is quite wide at the entrance and it narrows gradually into a remarkable gorge. A stream, three to four kilometres long, winds its way through the valley and in July, freezing into a thick corridor of ice. The high rocky walls of the canyon create a dramatic and very unusual scenery and it is no doubt that the valley is one of the most beautiful places in the country.     


Khongor Sand Dune (Khongoriin Els)                

Khongoriin Els is some the largest and most spectacular sand dunes in Mongolia. It is up to 300 meters high in some areas, 12 km wide and about 100 km long. The dunes are about 200 km from the centre of Umnugobi aimag. The Khongor river flows along the sand dune and makes it possible a beautiful oasis survive. The sand dunes change its color from yellow to silver at dawn and sunset. The dunes are also known as Duut Mankhan or Singing Dunes as they produce a sound like plane engine in a windy


Bayanzag / Rich in saxaul shrubs /                                  

Bayanzag is one of the attractive places to visit in the Gobi Desert as it was evidenced that the place was a bottom of an ancient sea that existed 60-70 million years ago. The place is also called as Flaming Cliffs, a name given by the American zoologist and adventurer Roy Andrew Chapman who visited Mongolia in 1920s and uncovered number of dinosaur bones and eggs. A skeleton of a giant dinosaur found by Chapman is exhibited in the Museum of Natural History in Ulaanbaatar while other findings are shown in other museums around the world. Bayanzag is a classic desert of rock, red sands and scrub which makes one feel tremendous emptiness.

Baga Gazariin Chuluu                                      

The granite rock formation in the middle of the dusty plains is another place with unique scenery in the territory of Dundgobi aimag (Middlegobi province) and it is sixty kilometres from the aimag center. The place is not only rich in minerals and crystals but also has several mineral water springs and remains of an old stone temple dating back to the 17th century. The rocks are worshipped by locals and there is even a legend that Chinggis Khaan grazed his horses here.
The highest peak which is five kilometres away from the formation is 1768m. It takes about 5 hours to climb up to the peak. The place is a great spot to camp.

Ongi temple                                                   

This small mountainous area along the river, the Ongiin Gol, makes a good resting place in a long journey. There are remains of two ruined monasteries, the Barliim Khiid on the north bank, and the Khutagt Khiid on the south. Together the complex is known as Ongiin Khiid or Ongi temple. Around 1000 lamas resided in these monasteries which had a same destiny as most other monasteries that were destroyed during Stalinism. In 1994 the temple was restored.
There are plenty of places to camp along the forested riverside.