Why September is the month we'd choose

Mongolian tourism is built around three things: nature, the nomadic way of life, and the distances between places. All three work best between May and October, which is why our group departures run in that window and almost nothing runs in deep winter.

That stretch is also the safest part of the year for weather. You get sunny days across the whole country and enough rainfall to keep the steppe green rather than brown, which matters more than people expect — a green steppe and a dust-coloured one are two different holidays.

What September has that July doesn't

September is enjoyable, colourful, not hot and not cold. The countryside is at its most picturesque, because autumn colour arrives across the valleys while the days are still comfortable to drive and walk in.

It is also the best month for the side of Mongolia people actually remember. Nomadic families have their widest variety of dairy products in September and are busy processing milk and preparing for winter, so a home visit lands in the middle of real work rather than a quiet afternoon. The outdoor celebrations fall here too — Wonder of Airag, foal stamping, and the Aduuchin best-horse-training competition.

If your dates are fixed

July is the Naadam Festival — wrestling, archery and horse racing — and the busiest weeks of the year, so book early. August brings Danshig Naadam. June through August is the window for the far north, Khuvsgul Lake and the reindeer herders. The first weekend of October is the Golden Eagle Festival in Bayan-Ulgii. And April, like September, is a good month for nomadic life.

Outside all of that, February is Lunar New Year and proper Mongolian winter, and March brings the camel and ice festivals. There are no group dates in those months, but we run them privately.