With negative temperatures in winter combined with air pollution in cities, this time of year might not immediately appeal to the average tourist, but Mongolia offers a lot for travelers to take in year-round. If you can brave the weather (just add more layers!), there are multitudes of winter sports and festivals to enjoy and so much beautiful nature to take in.

The newest festival to attend is the Mazaalai International Snow and Ice Festival, which is located at Sky Resort on the outskirts of UB and recently set a Guinness World Record. The festival is named for the endangered Gobi bear, a small brown bear only found in this part of the world. There are 52 ice sculptures of this bear that represent the remaining population.

Other places to visit this time of year are Khuvsgul Lake in the north (think Baikal’s smaller cousin) and the Camel Festival that takes place in the south. Ice skating, ice fishing, ger camping, dog sledding, skiing, and so on, are all options in winter and available throughout the country.

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