Don't tour Mongolia with the wrong company!
The best Mongolian tour companies, by budget and location
I prefer to tour Mongolia in support of the local tourism industry. Don't pay 50% more by buying a tour in your home country, they'll just take a huge cut and sub-contract the work to Mongolians at minimal rates.
A number of dodgy people are offering sub-standard Mongolia tours to try to cash in on the tourism market. I get reports of new ones every year; they change names regularly so it's impossible to keep track of. It pays to choose the right tour company.
Below is a list of the best Mongolian tour companies. They're Mongolian-owned and operated. I've used them all myself, multiple times, and know them well. They also get great feedback from visitors to my site.
You can contact the most appropriate one using the forms below.
Best shoe-string budget tours of Mongolia:
The award definitely goes to Golden Gobi. This family-owned company have been at it for years, and get plenty of trips going through. Their guides are good and their drivers are outstanding!
The usual model is for them to get together about 5 or 6 travelers to share transport in a Russian-made UAZ 4x4 van, which gives travelers really good value.
They also run a popular guesthouse, which has hostel beds for budget travelers, and budget rooms for those seeking privacy but the fun, social atmosphere of a hostel. Mostly for the young, or young at heart, most people seem to be in their mid-20s to early 30s.
I actually met my wife there in 2008 when we were both staying there, so it has a special attachment for us! We now consider Ogie, Enkush and Bob good friends.
I have included a contact form for them below, but word of warning: they aren't the best at responding via email. Their model is more 'arrive at the guest house, tell us how many days you have and we'll let you know what tours we have that are about to leave'. So it may not work out for anyone who wants to actually plan in advance and ensure they get the itinerary and departure dates they want. The old adage, you get what you pay for...
The Spectacular West
Looking to tour stunning and remote Western Mongolia? It's a spectacular place, but you really need a Kazakh guide. Click on my Western Mongolia tours page to learn why, and how to get in touch with Bek, the best tour operator out there. There's also a handy .PDF file overview and itinerary which you can access here.
Best company for luxury Mongolia tours
If I win the lotto, I'll let you know! In all truth i probably wouldn't change much, most luxury hotels and tours i find often lose the authenticity and adventure that I enjoy the most about traveling. Having said that, I've heard Three Camels Lodge are a great place to stay, who also do luxury tours. You could try reaching out to them...
Click to go back from tour Mongolia page to Mongolia Travel Advice homepage.
Best Budget-to-Mid-Range Mongolia tours
Bek tours cater really well for the budget/mid-range Mongolia tour market and presents great value. They do fixed itinerary group tours for those seeking to save on costs. Or for those seeking to tour Mongolia privately, they can arrange everything for you, from guides to cooks, horses, jeeps and drivers.
Bek Travel have a good network around Mongolia. The owner, Aynabek, is quite a worldly guy who speaks five languages and has good experience of what tourists want. Since i first did a tour with him out West 10 years ago it's been a pleasure watching his fledgling business grow into one of the best tour outfits in Mongolia. You can use the form below to send Bek an inquiry.