Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake · Khorgo
Khorgo's lava blocked the Terkh river and made a 16 km lake with a volcanic island. Walk 20 minutes up to the extinct crater, look into lava caves, fish, ride horses or yaks; July and August are warm enough for a swim.
- Getting there644 km from UlaanbaatarOwn car ~9.5 h
- best 6–83–4 days
- Own car, 2 people, ger camp, 3 days~₮339k–₮680k per person
Getting there
- By car644 km · 9.5 h · Fuel ₮96k–₮307kOSRM 8.4 h; gogo.mn gives 660 km, the last stretch from Tariat is dirt; plan 9–11 h.
- By bus · TariatDragon terminal · ₮58k–₮60kUB → Tariat, 11:00 on some days; the lake shore is a few km from the village
What to do
- Climb to Khorgo's crater rim (≈ 180 m across)
- Lava caves along the east shore
- Fishing, a horse or yak ride, a boat
Where to stay
- From a rustic ger with a pit toilet to a ger with hot showers₮10k–₮100k
Good to know
- A national park: 3,000₮ per citizen, or 9,000₮ per car at electronic gates (order А/488, 2026).
- Dirt roads use 15–20% more fuel than paved ones and are slower than the router assumes; fill up in aimag centres.
Photos
Nearby
Photo credits
Freely licensed photos from Wikimedia Commons. Authors and licences below.
- Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake · Bernard Gagnon · CC0
- Khorgo volcano · Bernard Gagnon · CC0
- Horses by the lake · Bernard Gagnon · CC0
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
checked: 2026-10-10 · All figures are estimates with sources. Check prices before you go.