Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Guesthouse Tour Operators
Almost every guesthouse in Ulaanbaatar also runs tours, grouping together solo travellers
and couples that wash upon their doorsteps. The guesthouses offer bargain-basement
prices and run no-frills jeep tours of the countryside.
Rivalry
Competition is stiff between guesthouses and some will be none too pleased if
you stay at their guesthouse and then take a tour with a rival outfit. We have even heard
of people getting thrown out of their guesthouse after booking a tour with another com-
pany.
Cost
For the most basic driving tour, prices start at around US$50 per day per person,
provided you have four or more people.
Inclusions
Some budget tours don't include food or accommodation; however, they usu-
ally include stoves for cooking your own food and tents for camping out. The guesthouses
rarely offer special activities such as biking, kayaking or horse expeditions - for that it's
better to try an actual tour operator.
Guides
Guides employed by the guesthouses are often students on a summer break,
who may have limited knowledge of Mongolian history or off-the-beaten-path destinations.
If you think you might need a guide who can offer some in-depth knowledge about the
country, the best place to look, again, are the professional tour operators.
Fishing
If you want to fish, note that some low-end companies take tourists fishing
without a permit - if you are concerned, check with the operator before signing up for the
trip or steer clear of the cheaper options. As a general rule of thumb, sustainable tourism
is not a high priority of the guesthouse tours.
Recommended tours
It's difficult to recommend one guesthouse tour over another be-
cause the drivers and guides change frequently and the tours are often almost identical
(following the same standard itinerary of the Mongolian highlights, ie the Gobi, Kharkhor-
in, Great White Lake and Khövsgöl). What sets the tours apart is their levels of organisa-
tional skill and the ease of doing business with the guesthouses themselves. The guest-
houses that tend to get the most consistently good feedback include: UB Guesthouse
(
Click here
)
, Khongor Guesthouse (
Click here
), LG Guesthouse (
Click here
)
and Idre's
Guest House (
Click here
)
. Check two or three and compare prices and itineraries, meet
the guide/driver and carefully scrutinise their payment and refund policies.
Outside Mongolia
Reliable agencies outside Mongolia can help with the logistics of travel in Mongolia, in-
cluding visas, excursions or the whole shebang, including tickets, individual itineraries or
group packages. These include travel agencies, adventure-tour operators and homestay
agencies.
