Central Mongolia
Central Mongolia is a region in Mongolia that contains the capital of modern Mongolia, the ruins of capital of the Mongol Empire, and the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape.Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Essential Destinations
Top destinations include Ulaanbaatar and Tsetserleg.
Ulaanbaatar
Photo: Brücke-Osteuropa, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Ulaanbaatar — also Ulan Bator, UB, or in the local language, Khot — is the capital and the largest city of Mongolia. With more than 1.6 million residents as of 2023, Ulaanbaatar is home to roughly half of Mongolia's population and serves as the starting point for pretty much all travel around Mongolia.
Tsetserleg
Photo: He-ba-mue, CC BY-SA 2.5.
Tsetserleg is the capital of Arkhangai province. The town is located in a beautiful forested valley in the Khangay mountains; it has a population of around 20,000, and is generally considered to be the most pleasant of Mongolia's provincial capitals.
Zuunmod
Photo: Yaan, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Zuunmod is the capital of Tuv province, Mongolia. While the town of 15,000 may not be of much interest, the ruins of a destroyed Buddhist Temple is just outside the city along a hiking trail to Ulaanbaatar.
Destinations to Discover
Explore places such as Arvayheer and Karakorum.
Arvayheer
Photo: Torbenbrinker, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Arvaikheer, also spelt Arwaiheer is the capital of Övörkhangai Aimag and one of the most central points of Mongolia. It is a centre for traditional crafts, goat herding and equestrian sports, and hosts a large regional horse festival every year.
Karakorum
Karakorum is a city in Central Mongolia, about 300 km west of Ulaanbaatar as the crow flies. Locals call it Har Horin or Harhorin. Karakorum and its surroundings have been the location of many imperial capitals throughout history, including that of the Uighur Khaganate, the Mongol Empire when Marco Polo visited, and later on, the Northern Yuan.
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is in Tuv of Mongolia, 55 km outside of Ulaanbaatar. It's one of Mongolia's top attractions.
Baganuur
Baganuur is the second biggest mining town in Mongolia that is east of Ulaanbaatar. The city has 30,000 residents. Amazing open valleys and forest areas surround the city. This is one of few less tourism-exploited destination in the country.
Khustain Nuruu National Park
Photo: Eddy23, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hustai National Park, located in the Khustai Mountains of Töv Province, is a national park of Mongolia. It is also known as Khustain Nuruu National Park. It covers an area of 506 km2. The Tuul River runs through the park.
Khogno Khan National Park
Photo: Gyula Péter, CC BY 3.0.
Khogno Khan National Park is in Mongolia, 280 km west of Ulaanbaatar on the way to Kharkhorin and 90 km east of Kharkhorin.
Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve
Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve, 130 km south-east of Ulaanbaatar, has a great diversity of ecosystems even though it has a comparatively small area. The complex of high mountains, steppes, rivers, lakes and wetlands are kept in their original condition.Central Mongolia
- Type: region
- Location: Mongolia, East Asia, Asia
- View on OpenStreetMap
Latitude of center
47.3833° or 47° 22′ 60″ northLongitude of center
101.5° or 101° 30′ eastWikidata ID
Q28739337
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Satellite Map
Discover Central Mongolia from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
In Other Languages
From Catalan to Vietnamese—“Central Mongolia” goes by many names.
- Catalan: “Mongòlia Central”
- Chinese: “中蒙古”
- Galician: “Mongolia Central”
- Italian: “Mongolia centrale”
- Japanese: “中央モンゴル”
- Vietnamese: “Trung Mông Cổ”
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