MONGOLIA

Mongolia’s most important monastery, it houses a stunning, recently-rebuilt 75-foot copper and gold Buddha statue covered in precious stones.

This monastery was spared destruction during the communist regime to “serve as a reminder of the degenerate ways of the feudal past.” Thank goodness it fared this long, because it makes for a fascinating glimpse into Mongolia’s rich Buddhist history.

This three-day festival that takes place each July is a vibrant celebration of Mongolian independence and traditional culture. Colorful parades and pageants give way to traditional archery competitions and horse races.

Despite being close to the capital, this park feels worlds away with its abundance of wildlife and natural landscapes. It is also home to the partially ruined Manzushir Monastery, spectacularly set overlooking a gorgeous wooded valley studded with granite outcroppings.

Just 75 miles northeast of Ulaanbaatar, this spectacularly scenic area on the Tuul River is a wonderful setting for hiking, horseback riding and yak trekking.

Built from stones recycled from ancient Karakorum, this monastery is the center of Mongolia’s rich Buddhist tradition. Many of its treasures were hidden in the countryside to avoid the communist purges. Some are now restored but it’s only through speculating on the monastery’s extraordinary past that one truly grasps its significance.

Located in Gurvansaikhan National Park, these extraordinary cliffs that glow red with the setting sun (hence their name) are home to a remarkable assemblage of Late Cretaceous fossils—a must-see for enthusiasts and casual observers alike.

Providing a unique ecosystem teeming with wolves, snow leopards, pallas cats, gazelle, ibex, argali and a variety of raptors, the rugged, remote Altai landscape will awaken your inner adventurer.

This Bronze-age burial site features mysterious, beautifully carved deerstones standing proudly on a stark plain. Their history and significance remain an enigma reminiscent of Stonehenge or Easter Island.

Here the wide-open steppe gives way to forests of Siberian larch overlooking Lake Khovsgol—vast and awe-inspiring. The area offers excellent opportunities for hiking, fishing, horseback riding and sea kayaking, as well as visiting with the native Tsaatan people, reindeer herders who migrate to this area in the summer.