At a Glance
Dates: All year
Group Size: Priced 2-6 but larger groups are welcome
Duration: 1 Day
Trip Style: Immersive, cultural
Price: US$ 290 pp – US$120 pp
Key Experiences
Enjoy a classic Mongolian day out to Aglag Buteel Khiid, travelling as local families do.
Walk the forested kora (meditation path), passing stone carvings and quiet viewpoints among larch trees.
Explore a contemporary monastery rooted in an 18th-century spiritual landscape, connecting past and present Buddhist practice.
Visit the small on-site museum, home to sacred — and occasionally unexpected — ritual objects.
Share lunch at a simple roadside restaurant, reflecting everyday life beyond the city
Details
Our day tour to Aglag Buteel Khiid is no different from anyone else’s. But Aglag Buteel Khiid is a popular destination for Mongolian families, and that’s how we approach the experience — as a grand Mongolian day out, including lunch at a local roadside restaurant, just as local families do.
Here is how the day unfolds.
Located around 100 km north of Ulaanbaatar, Aglag Buteel Khiid is one of Mongolia’s most recent monasteries. While the current meditation centre was built in 2014 by Lama Purevbat, the site itself has a much deeper history dating back to 1727. During the socialist era, the temples of the original 18th-century monastery were repurposed or destroyed, yet the spiritual significance of the landscape endured. The present-day Aglag Khiid was established on this same site, reconnecting historical foundations with a contemporary artistic and meditative vision.
Set among forested hills, the monastery is known for its religious art and imaginative stone carvings woven into the natural surroundings. The kora (meditation path) winds through larch forest, passing carved stone figures and quiet viewpoints. The walk is unhurried, and as you climb, the sense of space and stillness gradually deepens.
At the monastery itself, you have time to explore the colourful Buddhist artwork and visit the small museum, which houses a collection of sacred — and at times unexpected — artefacts.
Whether your interest lies in Buddhism, religious art, or simply stepping away from the city for a calm day in nature, Aglag Buteel Khiid offers a rewarding escape.
- Lunch is taken at a simple roadside restaurant, reflecting a very typical Mongolian day out. Vegetarian options are available but limited.
- There is a steep uphill walk of around 15–30 minutes (depending on fitness) from the car park to reach the main temple complex.
- The kora (meditation path) includes some steeper sections and rough steps.
- Toilet facilities are available but limited.
What to Bring
Comfortable shoes suitable for walking on uneven terrain
Layers for Mongolia’s changeable weather.
Sun protection (hat and sunscreen) or a waterproof, depending on conditions!
Drinking water
A flexible attitude
- Final group size of 1 guest: US$ 290 pp
- Final group size of 2 guests: US$ 160 pp
- Final group size of 3-4 guests: US$ 140 pp
- Final group size of 5-6 guests: US$ 120 pp
- For groups bigger than six, get in touch for details.
Map Of Route
Included in the price
- A local lunch with a soft drink
- The support of one of our great intergenerational teams - made up of a male Mongolian driver and one of our English-speaking female trip assistants—helping to create an immersive and well-supported experience.
- Transportation to and from your accommodation in Ulaanbaatar
- Entrance fees to the monastery. Please note this excludes camera tickets.
Not included in the price
- Gratuities
- Photography and video fees
Travelling With Our Team
Every journey you take with us is guided by one of our intergenerational Mongolian teams — a female trip assistant and a male driver — who support the day-to-day flow of the trip while sharing insight, conversation, and good company along the way. Our teams use tourism to build more secure, confident futures for themselves and their families, and our female trip assistants — women from backgrounds often overlooked by mainstream tourism — sit at the heart of this work. As our guest, you become part of their personal and professional growth, not just a bystander to it.
Throughout your journey, you’ll be accompanied by one of our intergenerational Mongolian teams, where different ages and life experiences come together. This structure helps navigate social and cultural barriers — from gender roles to expectations around age and authority — softening social boundaries, encouraging shared decision-making, and creating a more open, supportive environment.
We work with and support our team year-round, rather than through short-term or seasonal contracts. These long-standing relationships are built on trust, shared experience, and mutual care. That continuity matters — and it shapes how your journey unfolds on the road.
Our female trip assistants are central to this approach. For many, tourism provides an opportunity to support their families while developing confidence and professional skills over time. They are not performing a role; they are growing into it, alongside us, and shaping their own futures through the work they do.
You’ll also be welcomed by local families with whom we’ve built enduring community partnerships. Their hospitality comes from familiarity and friendship, forming a quiet but meaningful part of your experience.
Behind the scenes, Jess & Turuu (Founders) and Tuya (Office Manager) remain closely involved throughout your journey, offering coordination and support — so even in Mongolia’s most remote places, you are never far from help.
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