Weekend Bogd Khan Mountain Hike

Manzushir Monastery & Bogd Khan Mountain Hike

We pick you up from your accommodation at 09:00 and drive 50 km (1 hour on a paved road) to the ruins of Manzushir Monastery on the southern slopes of Bogd Khan Mountain. Its first temple was built in 1733, and the monastery grew into a complex of 21 large and small temples with more than 500 monks before it was destroyed in the communist purges of 1937. Explore the site, set in a beautiful wooded valley, and visit its small museums. Then set off on a hike in Bogd Khan Mountain National Park. Rising beside Ulaanbaatar on the bank of the Tuul River, the mountain was declared a sanctuary in 1778 to protect its rich variety of plants and animals, making it one of the oldest officially protected areas in the world, and it is on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List. The park lies at an average altitude of about 2,000 m, with patches of larch and pine forest. Follow the trail toward Tsetsee Gun peak for as long as you like, about 2 hours in total. After lunch, visit a local cashmere and sheep-wool factory shop and the museum of Tuv Province, then drive 50 km (1 hour on a paved road) back to Ulaanbaatar, arriving at your accommodation at around 17:00.