
If you are looking for a truly special riding adventure, our KTM dirt bike tour of Mongolia will tick every box. Bordered by…
If you are looking for a truly special riding adventure, our KTM dirt bike tour of Mongolia will tick every box. Bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, this vast country has a long and fascinating history dominated by Genghis Khan, the infamous founder of the Mongol Empire back in the 13th century. Khan’s influence is still strong all over this unique nation, from his vast statue to the delicious vodka that bears his name.
But it’s the riding here that will really capture you. With only three million people spread across one and a half million square kilometres of land, Mongolia is one of the most sparsely populated places we’ve ever been to. With no borders, fences or boundaries, you can ride to your heart’s content from dawn ’til dusk. The routes we’ve chosen for our Mongolia dirt bike tours ensure day after day of sweeping and life-affirming trails, through enormous landscapes without touching tarmac or seeing towns often for hundreds of miles at a time. This place is an off-road rider’s paradise.
If you are looking for a dirt biking adventure like no other, Mongolia is the place for you!
You’ll be met at Chinggis Khan international airport and driven straight out to the countryside where you’ll meet the rest of the group and our support team. Kicking off in true Mongolian style, we’ll be staying in a traditional Mongolian ‘ger’ camp (also known as a ‘yurt’) beside a river.
You’ll receive a full briefing of the trip ahead, followed by a welcome feast, roaring campfire and traditional live music. The local drinks will almost certainly make an appearance but go easy – for tomorrow we ride!
No trip to Mongolia would be complete without a visit to the mighty Genghis Khan statue. Therefore the first morning of this KTM dirt bike tour of Mongolia will take us on a short ride over to see the giant horseman before hitting the trails.
Leaving the city well behind us, we’ll quickly find ourselves riding over endless steppes, dotted with the occasional nomadic camp and flocks of sheep and goats.
This afternoon we will venture into the immensely beautiful Khustain Nuruu National Park – a protected area home to Przewalski’s horse aka the Mongolian wild horse.
Tonight we do as the locals do, camping out next to a nomadic family and getting a feeling for the traditional way of life for so many Mongolians.
After saying our farewells to the nomads, we’ll saddle up for another amazing ride across the endless countryside. A tarmac section will lead us to Karakorum – the ancient capital city of the Mongol empire where Genghis Khan, the great Mongol conqueror, established his headquarters in 1220.
It’s then onto the dirt for an incredible afternoon of trail riding alongside rivers and over rolling hills dotted with giant boulders. This is trail riding heaven and you’ll be grinning from ear to ear by the end of the day!
We spend another night under the stars in our own private camp. If you’re not a big fan of camping, please trust us – there is no better way to experience the serenity of this massive landscape! We’ll set up camp near Mongol herdsmen and with any luck we’ll be able to have a ride on their horses.
We’ll say goodbye to our chef as he drives the camp truck back to Ulaanbaatar. We then saddle up for an entire day on the dirt – today you’ll truly appreciate the vastness of Outer Mongolia! We’ll stop for refreshments at a picturesque waterfall in the morning before continuing along the winding trails and dirt roads over the hills, across bridges, down through fragrant pine forests and through beautiful rivers where wild horses stop to cool off.
We finish the day at a great little resort with swimming pools filled by natural hot springs. You can even get a massage… Perfect!
A couple of hours on the dirt will bring us out onto the tarmac where we’ll take an easy morning’s cruise towards the extinct Khorgo volcano. After a short hike to the top we’ll hop back onto the KTMs and ride the rugged, lava strewn valleys over to ‘The White Lake’, stopping briefly along the way for the more foolhardy of us to jump down into an ancient ice hole – as you do!
Enjoy a cold beer by the water’s edge or plunge yourself into the crystal clear water for a sunset swim – this is a very special place!
We strongly recommend you start the day with a refreshing dip in the White Lake with it’s stunning scenery – although we’ll understand if you just opt for a cup of tea in the warm restaurant!
Today we spend most of the day riding fun dirt tracks as we turn due north, heading up to Zuun Nuur Lake. This beautiful lake is as remote as it gets, surrounded by pine forests and grassy hills – this is a wonderful place that will take your breath away.
The last day of riding on this KTM dirt bike tour of Mongolia will not disappoint! We start with a final 130 km of dirt trails, stop for lunch, and then a relaxing 130km of tarmac to arrive at ‘The Blue Pearl of Mongolia’ – Lake Khuvsgul. Type this into Google Images and get excited – this place is just incredible! At 136km long it’s the same length as Pangong Lake on our Himalayan Heights tour and equally as beautiful! Make sure you’ve left enough space on your SD card for this one …
Lake Khuvsgul is situated near the northern border with Russia and it’s the largest body of water in Mongolia – maybe time to break out the Speedos again?
Spend the morning doing a spot of fishing or simply sipping tea by the water’s edge and taking it all in. We will then transfer to the local airport at Mörön (airport code: MXV) where we’ll catch a short flight back to Ulaanbaatar (airport code: UBN).
As you’ve spent the past week in Ger camps, it’s only right that we put you up in a plush 5* hotel for the final night. A farewell dinner is in order followed by drinks at the Sky Bar overlooking Ulaanbaatar – what a trip!
Finally, it is almost time to head home after your epic Mongolian adventure! We recommend you book an evening flight, giving you some time to explore some of the city’s sights but it’s entirely up to you.
We can arrange your transport to the airport.
You’ll be collected from Ulaanbaatar (UBN) airport on the morning of the first day and dropped off at the same airport on the last day of the trip. We’ll also organise the required taxi transfers for the domestic flight from Mörön to Ulaanbaatar.
All entrance fees during the tour.
Your tour will be led and managed by a highly experienced member of the Ride Expeditions team (trained as a wilderness first response medic).
Ride Expeditions Ltd is committed to customer satisfaction and consumer financial protection. At no extra cost to you, and in accordance with ‘The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018’, all passengers booking with Ride Expeditions Ltd are fully insured for the initial deposit, and subsequently the balance of monies paid as detailed in your booking confirmation form.
The policy also includes repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Ride Expeditions Ltd. This insurance has been arranged by Towergate Travel through Evolution Insurance.
During the COVID-19 crisis, every rider that requested a refund was issued a cash refund.
All fuel for your motorcycle is provided by us and we carry spare fuel in our support vehicle for the sections of the route where fuel stations are scarce.
This motorcycle tour is accompanied by a GPS tracker that displays our live location and track history on an online map. We will provide you with the link and login details which you can then share with your family at home so they can track your progress throughout the trip.
Your Mongolian motorcycle tour will be guided by an experienced local who knows the tracks & trails like the back of his hand!
Breakfast, lunch and dinner is provided on most days.
Please see the daily itinerary to see what meals are included on each day.
A mechanic will be riding at the back of the group, ready to attend to any issues that may arise.
At least one member of the support team will have been trained as a Wilderness First Response medic.
An extensive medical kit including a defibrillator (AED) & stretcher is carried in the support vehicle.
We also have consulting doctors on call, 24/7, who are always ready to assist in the case of an emergency. Our doctors are fully briefed on all riders medical info prior to the tour, they know what we do, where we are riding, exactly what we have in our medical kit and what training our medics have.
Tours are accompanied by GPS trackers and a satellite messenger device so our doctor and office can see exactly where we are and can maintain communication.
Please see the Dates & Prices section for available bikes.
The cost of shipping the motorcycle back to the start point is also included.
If you have you your own suitable & reliable motorcycle at the start point, you are quite welcome to use that for this trip.
Since the day Ride Expeditions started running tours in Cambodia back in 2012, we have been dedicated to supporting the local community.
Part profits from every motorcycle tour are donated to M’Lop Tapang – a local Cambodian charity dedicated to bettering the lives of young children & their families.
A Ride Expeditions riding jersey with your name printed on the back.
Playing our part in rainforest & wildlife conservation and in an effort to off-set our carbon emissions, we donate part profits to World Land Trust.
The tour includes two support vehicles: a 4×4 support vehicle driven by a mechanic carrying a spare bike, spare parts, tools, cold drinks, medical kit, stretcher, defibrillator (AED) etc. and a 4×4 luggage vehicle driven by an assistant mechanic.
We’ll welcome you with a bag of Ride Expeditions goodies which will include:
You’ll need to book two flights for this motorcycle tour of Mongolia:
It is important you either:
Please be aware that you are responsible for all damage to the motorcycle. Please see the 'optional extras' section for our 'damage protection plan'.
It is a condition of booking that you obtain appropriate travel insurance that covers you for riding the same capacity motorcycle that you’ll be riding on this motorcycle tour.
The insurance must cover emergency evacuation, medical bills, repatriation etc.
Enduro / summer weight adventure style kit is the way to go on this motorcycle tour, rather than road riding kit. If you are opting for enduro kit, we’d recommend you bring extra layers and waterproofs to keep out the wet stuff.
You'll want some decent armoured protection and please do bear in mind that we will sometimes be riding on the road... 'dress for the slide, not the ride!'
All damage to the motorcycle is then covered by us. Please bear in mind that this excludes damage caused by irresponsible riding.
Single room accommodation is available 6 out of the 8 nights.
Outside of the capital, Mongolia is less developed than most tourist destinations, so catering for vegetarians is a relatively new concept for a country that is so dominated by livestock and meat eating.
Most of the places we stay at will cater for a meat-free meal (and we’ll always have a backup plan for those places that might not!), but vegan and other allergy / gluten intolerant options may not be available.
We’ll do our best to work around any specific requirements, but if you are going to go into anaphylactic shock if a peanut so much as looks at you, please let us know and have a fully loaded epi-pen somewhere readily accessible.
Drop us an email and we can discuss any concerns you may have.
To be legally riding in Mongolia you are required to carry your local driving licence, which must cover the size of bike you will be riding. This will also be a stipulation of any travel insurance company too.
You will also need an International Driving Permit (IDP). An IDP is basically an official, multi-language translation of your driving licence.
A 30-day tourist visa is required for most nationalities and this can be easily obtained at any Mongolian embassy, consulate, consulate-general or honorary consul. Unfortunately, Mongolia does not yet offer an online e-visa service.
If you are travelling to Mongolia from a country that has no Mongolian consulate, you can pick up a 30-day tourist visa on arrival at the airport in Ulaanbaatar. You’ll need T108,000 or dollar equivalent – which is about $50 – and two passport photos. You should also have a pre-approval letter from an organisation or company in Mongolia – just let us know if you need this and we will get it sorted.
To secure your place we simply need a 20% non-refundable deposit (subject to a minimum of £500). The remainder does not need to be paid until 60 days prior to the tour start date.
Yes. Here at Ride Expeditions, we take the necessary precautions to ensure that we protect both ourselves and you as the customer, with insurances covering financial failure, public liability, professional indemnity and employers liability (you will need your own travel insurance).
To obtain this insurance we must meet strict safety standards and local regulations. We must also carry out thorough risk assessments about all aspects of a tour before tyres can hit tarmac (…or dirt!).
Yes. All passengers booking with Ride Expeditions Ltd are fully insured for the initial deposit, and subsequently the balance of monies paid as detailed in your booking confirmation form. The policy also includes repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Ride Expeditions Ltd. This insurance has been arranged by Towergate Travel through Evolution Insurance.
Not riding the motorcycle, no (although this will of course depend on the extent of your limited mobility). However, we may be able to accommodate you in our support vehicle. We advise you to give us a call and we can discuss.
For the most accurate and up to date info, we advise you visit the ‘Travel Health Pro’ website.
Please also consult with your own doctor at home at least 8 weeks before your trip.
Average group sizes are 8-9 riders and we limit the groups to 12 riders.
If you cancel your booking before departure, cancellation charges will be applied as follows:
Please refer to our Terms & Conditions for further info regarding cancellations, changes and transferring your trip to a friend.
For the most accurate and up to date info on travel advice for Mongolia, we advise you to visit the foreign office website.
Follow this link for Mongolia travel advice from the UK foreign office. As we are a UK company, this is the official government advice we follow. If you are not a UK resident, we advise you search for the equivalent info from your own country’s foreign office, as travel advice may differ.
The riding on this Mongolia dirt bike tour can be a little challenging in places, so we therefore ask that you’ve had at least two years of active riding experience prior to booking. As it’s an off-road based tour, we’d also want to know that you’ve actually had some suitable off-road / dirt / trail riding experience – it’s not ideal if your first experience of off-road riding is on a week long dirt bike holiday in outer Mongolia! Being comfortable riding whilst standing on the pegs is ideal. The riding itself is not that difficult but the ruts and occasional patches of sand and mud can catch people out.
If you’re unsure of your ability, give us a call and we’ll happily talk you through it. We can also recommend some excellent off-road skills training centres.
The currency is called ‘tögrög’, code: MNT, sumbol: ₮, and the exchange rate will give you around 3500 to the pound. But don’t worry about planning ahead as you can’t get them outside of Mongolia, so you can either bring dollars to change or get money out of an ATM as you would in another country. Please remember to do this in Ulaanbaatar as there are precious few ATMs in the middle of nowhere. In reality you won’t need too much cash as there are few opportunities to buy anything. If you want to shop – go to Dubai…
Don’t forget to tell your bank you are heading to Mongolia as without this information they will most likely think some rogue hacker is dipping into your account and promptly block your card.
The minimum required number for this trip to run is 6 riders. We reserve the right to cancel the tour if this number is not met and we will provide you with a minimum of 56 days notice. Please know that this is an absolute last resort for us and we will always do everything in our power to avoid this happening.
We accept GBP payments by Visa, Mastercard & American Express and direct bank transfers. Please get in touch if you would rather pay in another currency – we’ll do our best to accommodate!
For Mongolia there are two associated plug types, types C and E. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type E is the plug which has two round pins and a hole for the socket’s male earthing pin.
Although we can’t guarantee the menu, we’ve certainly not ordered it at any of our overnight stops. Mongolians do eat horse meat though and if you’re OK with that, we’ll be able to find some. We really don’t recommend horse cheese or even worse, fermented horse milk.