Travel guide
About 350 km from Ulaanbaatar — 5–6 hours — with the Orkhon Valley's ancient sites along the way.
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Road tips
The shortest way is the northern route via Lün, Bayannuur, Dashinchilen and Gurvanbulag (~350 km). The southern route via Erdenesant, Rashaant and Khashaat (~383 km) is paved as far as Rashaant; some stretches between Khashaat and the lake are dirt track, so take it slow after rain.
Fill up in Ulaanbaatar or Lün. On the southern route the last station is in Khashaat soum centre, about 80 km before the camp. A spare can is a good idea.
About 350 km on the northern route or 383 km on the southern one — 5–6 hours with breaks. Leave early so you arrive in daylight.
Unitel, Mobicom and Skytel work well along the highway and in soum centres, with gaps in between. Download an offline map before you go.
The camp is open from June 1 to September 30, and in winter only during the ice festival. July and August are the warmest months, when the lake is pleasant for swimming.
Elsen Tasarkhai (Mongol Els) sand dunes near Rashaant, Khöshöö Tsaidam museum and Khar Balgas. With time to spare, visit Kharkhorin and Erdene Zuu, about 75 km from the camp.
Livestock often wander onto the road, so avoid driving after dark. Card payments are limited in soum centres — carry some cash.
Nearby sights
Home to the 8th-century Turkic inscribed steles of Bilge Khagan and Kul Tigin. The closest heritage site to the camp.
Get directions in Google Maps →Photo: Chongkian, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ruins of Ordu-Baliq, capital of the Uyghur Khaganate in the 8th–9th centuries, in the Orkhon Valley south of the lake.
Get directions in Google Maps →Photo: James A. Glazier, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Mongolia's oldest surviving monastery, founded in 1586 beside the ruins of Karakorum. Part of the UNESCO Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape.
Get directions in Google Maps →Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0 · Wikimedia Commons