Distance: 365 km from Ulaanbaatar
Duration: 7-9 hours by road
Accommodation: Ger camps
Activities: cultural tours and horseback riding, hiking and fishing in the surrounding area.
Once the capital of Mongolia, Karakorum’s shell now possesses symbolic and historical importance rather than direct political clout. However, it remains one of the region’s most popular destinations, in part because the site now houses Erdenezuu Monastery, the nation’s second-largest Buddhist monastery. The ruins of Karakorum are reposed about 370 kilometers west of Ulaanbaatar, in Uvurhangai aimag. Karakorum was established around 1220 and was briefly Mongolia’s capital until 1241. Within the next quarter-century, Kublai Khan moved the center of Mongol affairs to Khanbalik, in what is now Beijing.
