Things to do in Khovd
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Khovd
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Shoulder sweet spot: green steppe, best Khar-Us birding in May, and Tsambagarav trekking opens toward mid-June.
Naadam season in Khovd, with full hotels, festival crowds and the liveliest town atmosphere of the year.
Warmest excursion weather and late-August birding, but mosquitoes peak at the freshwater lakes.
Clear, dry and quiet, then fast cooling, with October daytime highs averaging only around 9 degrees Celsius.
Deep winter: lakes freeze, mean January temperature around minus 24 degrees Celsius, and excursions become endurance exercises.
What's on
- Aimag Naadam mid-July, local dates set yearly
Wrestling, horse racing and archery in or near Khovd, in the national Naadam period.
- Tsagaan Sar January or February, lunar new year
Major family holiday when services thin out and buuz are served to guests in quantity.
Best things to do in Khovd
Museum of Khovd Province
About 3,100 exhibits in nine halls, with ethnic costume displays that explain Khovd's many peoples fastest.
Ard Ayush Square
The central square flanked by government and cultural buildings, and the orientation point for the whole city.
Sangiin Kherem
Surviving clay walls of the Qing fort in northern Khovd, a short atmospheric ruin walk with little interpretation.
Gandan Monastery
Khovd's active Buddhist monastery, a working religious place to observe respectfully rather than a monument tour.
Khovd Central Market
The commercial heart of the city, with mutton, dairy and summer produce reflecting the province's ethnic mix.
Where to stay in Khovd
Central Khovd
all visitors, walkable base
A compact core by Ard Ayush Square with the museum, market, hotels and restaurants within walking distance.
Think twice about
- Unlit ger district edges after dark
Poor lighting, dogs and higher petty crime risk at night in ger districts. Sleep in central Khovd.
Best restaurants in Khovd
Steppe Hotel Restaurant
The most comfortable dining room in Khovd, upstairs at Steppe Hotel with a terrace and the broadest local menu.
Buyant Hotel Restaurant
A hotel restaurant noted in Khovd guides for an English menu and good service, serving traditional Mongolian dishes.
Aravt Restaurant
A local family restaurant for buuz, khuushuur and noodle soups at local prices in the centre of Khovd.
Khovd Restaurant
A straightforward family restaurant serving the standard provincial repertoire, filling and inexpensive.
Outdoor things to do in Khovd
Khar-Us Nuur
A vast shallow lake about 40 km east of Khovd, with reed beds, a viewing tower and over 200 bird species recorded.
Dorgon Nuur
A saline lake past the 106 km mark from Khovd, where desert dunes meet the shore and swimming has fewer mosquitoes.
Tsambagarav Uul National Park
A glaciated Altai massif about 80 km north of Khovd, for multi-day guided treks with no facilities near the mountain.
Buyant River
Green water meadows on the edge of the city where residents pitch gers in summer along the fast-flowing river.
Best hotels in Khovd
Steppe Hotel
The most comfortable hotel in Khovd, central with a restaurant and rooftop terrace. No luxury tier exists in town.
Minj Hotel
A solid central mid-range hotel and the practical fallback when Steppe Hotel fills, especially around Naadam.
Buyant Hotel
A long-standing basic budget hotel in the centre, used for years as a staging point for western Mongolia.
Tsambagarav Hotel
A budget provincial hotel in the centre, best as a sleep-and-go base for early excursion starts.
Is Khovd expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MNT 45,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MNT 110,000 a person |
| Splurge | MNT 280,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Khar-Us Nuur: a few days ahead
- Dorgon Nuur: a few days ahead
- Tsambagarav Uul National Park: weeks ahead
- Steppe Hotel: a few days ahead
- Minj Hotel: a few days ahead
- Book the Ulaanbaatar to Khovd flight first, since limited weekly flight days dictate the whole itinerary.
- Book Steppe Hotel and any Tsambagarav operator early for Naadam in July and the mid-June to late August trekking window.
Is Khovd safe?
- Watch for pickpocketing and bag snatching in crowded places such as markets, especially during Naadam and Tsagaan Sar.
- Fuel shortages, including aviation fuel, may affect flights and road travel: confirm fuel and flights shortly before travelling.
- Carry tugrik cash, as cards are rarely accepted outside Ulaanbaatar and major tourist destinations.
- Phone and emergency services may not exist in rural areas. Travel outside town with a company or group and carry evacuation insurance.
Khovd travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Assuming a daily flight exists, or a same-day Dorgon Nuur return without checking road, weather and fuel.
- Underestimating mosquitoes at Khar-Us Nuur in July and August.
- Expecting vegetarian variety, seafood or English menus outside the hotel restaurants.
Getting around Khovd: public transport and more
- Walk central Khovd. Hire a 4x4 and driver through your hotel for all lake and mountain excursions.
- Khovd is about 1,400 km by road from Ulaanbaatar, roughly 40 hours, with only a few direct flights per week.
- Khovd time is UTC+7, one hour behind Ulaanbaatar.
Who Khovd suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Khovd your trip
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