Terelj & Chinggis Khan Statue: Day Trip with Nomad Lunch

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

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Duration6h–8h

GroupUp to 24

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

From the giant Chinggis Khan statue to sharing tea in a ger, Mongolia’s wild heart opens up

You’ll climb temple steps above Terelj’s green valleys, stand beneath Mongolia’s towering Chinggis Khan Statue, and share homemade food with a nomadic family in their ger. With an English-speaking guide and all entry fees included, this day trip brings you close to local life — and leaves you with memories that stick around long after you leave.

6h–8h

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Chinggis Khan and Terelj Park

See Chinggis Khan statue and museum
Pass by typical Mongolian town
Hike to Aryabal Meditation Temple
Explore national park and have lunch

The Experience

We were already halfway up the steps to Aryabal Meditation Temple before I realized how thin the air felt — or maybe it was just nerves. Our guide, Baatar, pointed out prayer wheels spinning quietly in the breeze. He told us about local Buddhist traditions as we caught our breath and tried not to laugh at how red our faces were getting. The view over Terelj was wide and green, with clouds moving so fast you could almost hear them brushing past.

I didn’t expect the Chinggis Khan Statue to be quite that shiny. You see photos online, but standing under his horse’s hooves is something else. There’s a little museum inside (Baatar knew all the weird facts), and from the top you can see forever — or at least until your eyes water from the wind. We passed through a small town after that; kids waved at us from behind a fence, and I tried to remember how to say hello in Mongolian (failed miserably, got a big grin anyway).

Lunch was with a real nomadic family inside their ger. The smell of wood smoke and boiling milk tea hit me before I even ducked through the door. We sat cross-legged while our host handed around plates of dumplings — hot, chewy, perfect after hiking. Someone’s grandmother poured more tea than I could drink, but it felt rude not to try. There was this quiet moment where nobody talked much; just spoons clinking and sunlight coming through patched canvas. I still think about that.

What’s included

Your day covers all entry fees, bottled water throughout, certified English-speaking guide support from start to finish, plus a traditional homemade lunch with a Mongolian nomadic family before heading back to Ulaanbaatar in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Nomadic Hospitality Mongolia