You don’t have to head that far out of Ulan Bator to get a real feeling for the wilderness of Mongolia. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is only 55km / 35miles from the busy, polluted capital, yet feels light years away.
Once there, there is some fantastic hiking, traditional Buddhist temples nestled in the hills, and the opportunity to stay overnight in the Mongolian Gers (felt yurt huts).
Whilst not as remote as some destinations in Mongolia, there are various spots that give you those giant views across the seemingly endless steppes and allow you to spend time with people that are still living the subsistence lifestyle much the same as hundreds of years before. A must if either staying in Ulan Bator or passing through on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
I’ve listed some travel tips below, but the main tip I would give is to make sure you spend your evening(s) in one of the Mongolian Gers. Not one that is surrounded by village infrastructure, but one that is isolated and with no other gers in sight – it gives you a feel of what it must be like to live in the isolation here and was our highlight of the trip.