All activities / Trekking / Hiking / Altai Tavan Bogd
Trekking / Hiking in Altai Tavan Bogd
A national park in the far west where Mongolia's highest peaks, the five summits of Tavan Bogd, rise over the Potanin Glacier on the borders of Russia and China. Its valleys hold Kazakh and Tuvan herders, petroglyphs and glacial lakes.
Why here
Altai Tavan Bogd is the roof of Mongolia. The five sacred peaks give the park its name, crowned by Khuiten at 4,374m, the country's highest point, above the Potanin Glacier, the longest in Mongolia. Trekkers walk in from the Tsagaan Gol valley or the Khoton and Khurgan lakes to a base camp under the glacier, with the option of the non-technical Malchin Peak at 4,050m for a summit and a view into three countries. The valleys belong to Kazakh eagle hunters and Tuvan herders, and the walk passes Bronze Age petroglyph fields and grazing yaks and camels. Argali sheep, ibex and, rarely, snow leopard live in the high country. This is remote, high and cold, and the reward is Mongolia's grandest mountain landscape.
Best months
The trekking season runs June to September, with July and August warmest and the passes clearest; even then nights are cold and weather on the glacier turns fast. The upper park requires a border permit arranged in advance, and routes use pack camels or horses to carry loads. A local guide is effectively required for navigation, river crossings and permits.
Getting there & around
Access is a domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar to Olgii, then a long drive on rough tracks to the trailhead near the Tsagaan Gol. The park sits on the Russian and Chinese borders, so a permit must be arranged ahead. Treks are supported with pack animals, a cook and a guide, and run five days or more to reach the glacier base camp and back.
Skill levels: intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Blue Wolf Travel
OutfitterThe original tour company in Olgii, offering trips since 1998 and run by owner Canat, who works in Kazakh, Mongolian, Russian and English. Described as the largest operator in western Mongolia and recognised by the national tourism board, Blue Wolf runs guided treks into Altai Tavan Bogd National Park with its own local guides, cooks and pack animals, alongside winter eagle-hunting trips. Based in Olgii, Bayan-Olgii.
Mongolia Expeditions
OutfitterAn Ulaanbaatar operator running since 2004 from Sukhbaatar District and specializing in the Altai high country. Its Tavan Bogd base camp trek is a 50km route to the foot of Khuiten and the Potanin Glacier, with the option of Malchin Peak at 4,050m, supported by an expedition cook, local guides and pack animals. The team also runs the technical Khuiten climb, so trekkers travel with staff used to the glacier environment.