Best time to visit Mongolia, month by month (and when Naadam is in 2027)

Mongolia has two travel seasons. Summer, from May to early October, is for the steppe, the Gobi, horses and lakes. Winter, from December to February, is for snow, frozen rivers and very cold mornings. In between, the country is thawing or freezing over, and we don't run trips.

The short answer

• June to August is the warmest time of year, and July brings the Naadam festival. It's also the wettest.
• May and September are cooler and drier, with cold nights.
• Early October still works for the Gobi, though nights there fall to around freezing.
• December to February is the winter trip: deep cold and very dry air.

Days warm up fast in May, but Ulaanbaatar's average low is still 3 °C, so pack properly. One of our late-May 2026 travellers, Lalitendu T., put it well: "Lucky to experience all 4 seasons a day!" Another, Tian C., noted that the trip ran smoothly "even though there were ups and downs such as the weather and government regulations for kayak activities." Expect some plans to move with the weather and local rules.

This is when most of the year's rain falls. Ulaanbaatar averages about 50–70 mm a month from June to August, with some rain on roughly 15 to 17 days a month. In the Gobi, July averages 29 °C highs. Our trip notes for the north and the lakes warn that mornings and evenings can be cold even when days are warm, so bring a warm layer and a rain jacket.

September is much drier than August, with highs of around 17 °C in Ulaanbaatar and 21 °C in the Gobi. We run Gobi, Central Mongolia and Eight Lakes horse-trek departures then. By October, Gobi nights average just below freezing, so the 9 October departure needs a down jacket.

Ulaanbaatar averages −15.5 °C highs and −26 °C lows in January, and our trip notes put winter days at −15 °C to −30 °C. Our Mongolia Winter Adventures trip runs in December, January and February, with camel rides on snowy dunes, dog sledding on a frozen river and a ski day. Our Mongolia in winter guide has the details.

Naadam is Mongolia's national festival. UNESCO, which added it to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2010, describes it as celebrated every year from 11 to 13 July across Mongolia, built around three traditional games: horse racing, wrestling and archery. Under Mongolia's Law on Public Holidays, 10 to 15 July are public holidays.

For 2027, the festival days fall on Sunday 11 to Tuesday 13 July. The 2027 holiday schedule hadn't been announced when we checked on 20 October 2026, so check the official dates before you book flights.

We took a group to Naadam from 10 to 16 July 2026. Song N., one of the travellers, wrote: "Naadam Festival is a plunge into the country's soul. The opening ceremony alone is worth the trip." Hong T. liked "truly experiencing the Naadam festival like how the locals do."

Our 2027 plans: as of October 2026, we don't have a departure for the national Naadam in July 2027. If you want one, message us. For a festival-style trip in spring, SoFest Mongolia on 15–21 May 2027 has a Mini Naadam-style day: a training session with Mongolian "warriors", riding with local riders, and Mongolian wrestling, horse-racing culture, archery or other traditional performances, then an outdoor DJ party and campfire. It costs from SGD 1,919 (MYR 6,139, HKD 11,786) and is a bigger group than usual: 50 seats, running once 20 have signed up.

• First trip, one week of leave: Central Mongolia in June or September, from SGD 1,841 (MYR 5,887, HKD 11,303).
• Dunes and desert: the Gobi in May, September or early October.
• Riding: the Eight Lakes horse trek in June or September.
• Naadam: July, on your own, or with us if a 2027 departure opens.
• Snow: December to February.

Regions, visas and every departure are in our Mongolia group tours guide.

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