A trip to Mongolia is a trip for explorers and adventurers, rather than simple tourists. Among endless landscapes, nomads' tents, eagles and Bactrian camels, a tour across Mongolia is an experience that remains impressed in the heart and memories of those who visit. When to go to Mongolia? What climate should one expect? Here is some useful information to prepare for a trip to Mongolia and understand what the best period is.
Climate in Mongolia
The climate in Mongolia is continental, with long very cold winters and short mild summers. The rains are scarce, more frequent in the north, but only in the summer. The sky is almost always clear. In winter snow is more frequent but not abundant. The wind blows often and strongly, causing dust storms.
In the cold months of winter temperatures can even go down to -20 (due to the wind, the perceived temperature can even be -35). For this reason, if you choose to travel in winter, you need to be well covered in order to avoid freezing.
In the summer, with differences between north and south, average temperatures are around 20 degrees. but heat waves can occur with peaks of 37 degrees (Mongolia's weather is very unstable and can change considerably from one year to another).
In the winter, Ulaan Bataar is the coldest capital in the world with its average of -24 degrees in January (but the minimum temperatures in the night can even go down to -40!).
Traveling to Mongolia: when to go
In general, the best period to visit Mongolia is between spring and summer and the start of fall, meaning from May to October. In this period temperatures remain above zero almost everywhere (except at high altitudes). In these months, it's hot in the day but quite cold at night, so bring long-sleeved and warm clothes.
July and August are also the months of Nadaam, a traditional Mongolian festival, so you need to book in advance to find accommodations and services. The Mongolian winter is extremely rigid, so this season is not recommended for a trip.
