Mongolia Road Trip: Routes, Highlights & Tips

Traveling around Mongolia by road is a lifetime of experience. The open prairies and the expansive deserts have attracted travelers from all across the globe to experience a Mongolia road trip, at least once in their lifetime. Being one of the world's most sparsely populated country, traveling on wheels here will definitely be a much different affair than that in any other country.
 

The following information will help you arrange for the road trip smoothly.
 

Mongolian Vans

You can find three types of Russian fuel here - A76 (which is mainly used for Russian vehicles and trucks), A95 and A92 (primarily for imported vehicles).
 

Flat tires are a very common incident when you are on any road trip, but in Mongolia, you are expected to know how to deal with such an occurrence. It is obviously advisable to have an extra good-quality tire (you can also get two or more spare tires if space permits). However, you will find tire-repair shops even in small villages along the main route. In Ulaanbaatar, from where you will mostly be starting the journey, offers a number of excellent choices to get the car repaired or checked.

 Read more about Mongolia Car Rental
 

Many adventurists in their Mongolia road trip like to hire a car so that they can drive themselves rather than having a chauffeur all through the way. There are some trusted car rental agencies and tour operators that rents out rugged vehicles such as Land Cruisers. You can choose from a varied range of vehicles including compacts for driving and off-road vehicles that works well for the countryside.
 

The guesthouses in Ulaanbaatar will help arrange for the cars and drivers. Even though they will ask for certain commission, but you’ll get a chauffeur who can take you through some off-tourist routes and also able to locate hard-to-find attractions. Do not miss clicking the caves, deer stones and ruined monasteries.
 

Depending on the number of people, your car size will vary. A van can fit in four or more passengers (along with the driver and guide). Japanese 4WD can fit in smaller number of people.
 

It can be used by those who have issues with budget. You can find some of the most important regional gateways such as – Khovd for the west, Mörön for Khövsgöl Nuur, Choibalsan for the Far East and Dalanzadgad for the south Gobi.
 

For instance:
It costs 400 Tugrug per km for the locals to hire a jeep. The price can vary for tourists.
From ulaanbaatar to Khovd, it can take up to 20 h 28 min (1,473.1 km) via AH4.
Ulaanbaatar to Choibalsan is a distance of abou 9 h (672.5 km) via Eastern Hwy.
Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad takes upto 7 h 36 min (580.4 km) via Mandalgovi - Luus Rd.
 

After reaching these places, you can take rented jeep and driver from the market. However, these are not very popular in terms of tourism so driver from here might not be as experienced as the ones from Ulaanbaatar. Moreover, there will most possibly be an interpreter in your Mongolia road trip who will help communicate your plans to the driver. Same like a driver, finding an English-speaking guide in Ulaanbaatar will be easier than in the countryside.
 

It is less likely to find any vehicles for hire in the villages. Even if there is, it might not be in the best of the condition for running through the rugged terrain.
 

The rule is when hiring a vehicle in the countryside that can transfer you to the next rural city in your Mongolia road trip, you will have to make the payment for the return fare. The Russian vans can cost about 50 US$ without drivers but for more sophisticated cars, it can go up to 120 US$. This is because, in every possibility, the chauffeur will return with an empty van. This, however, does not apply when travelling to Ulaanbaatar because there will be passengers on the way back who can hire this car to going to the capital. Make sure you understand which of the costing will suit you.
 

You can find plenty of used car lots in Ulaanbaatar. You can ask the guesthouse owner to help you find the shop. The pricing can vary, but in general, an Old Russian 4WD would cost around US$3500. Used Ij Planeta, which is a Russian-made motorcycle, can be approximately US$1000. Even though there can be issues with break down, you will find repair shops in the countryside.
 

• Drive on the right side of the road.
• 18 is the minimum driving age.
• Permitted blood alcohol level in blood while driving is 0.02%.
• Safety belts while driving is must for driver and passengers.
• For motorcyclists, wear protective helmets.
• No permission for crossing over the carriageway curbstones.
• Not allowed to drive over the sidewalks and side verges.
• Frightening animal-drawn vehicles that are crossing roads is illegal.
• Putting own objects out of the window is illegal.
• Drivers must give way to vehicles and pedestrians on the road.
• Speed limit for residential zones is 20 km/h (12 mph), for built-up areas – 60 km/h (37 mph), outside built-up areas – 80 km/h (50 mph), on motorways – 100 km/h.
• Two wheelers are allowed for driving in cities between major cities; for other routes, four wheel drive vehicles should be used.
• 102 is the police phone number.

Read more about 5 Things to Know about Ulaanbaatar Traffic
 

Telephone lines can serve as the most ideal navigation tools. Otherwise, you can try local advice to ask for directions. If you have a dashboard mount to keep the GPS, that can work too.
 

If you are looking at a main road in the map, it might in actuality turn out to be nothing more than tire tracks in the dirt and sand. Also, the signposts only exist along the paved routes. The roads in the country mostly connect nomads, that is, they keep moving; this makes the roads seminomadic.
 

• Trekking through the Gobi Desert
• Trips to Lake Khovsgol
• Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake from Ulaanbaatar can be a multi-days tour
• Ulaanbaatar to Tsenkher
• Ulaanbaatar to Karakorum - two most popular places in the country
 

• Expense for the fuel, vehicle insurance, toll and parking fees
• Allowance and cost for the driver
• If it is an air-conditioned vehicle
• Food allowance for the driver

 You May Like:

Mongolia Transportation & Ulaanbaatar Transportation

Mongolia Travel Tips

All You Need to Know about Safety in Mongolia for Travelers