Now curating journeys for 2027 and 2028.
Mongolia's Travel House · Ulaanbaatar, since 2016

Arrive as a guest,
leave as kin.

Rare, authentic journeys built and run by our own Mongolian team, eagle hunters, Naadam, the reindeer tribe, the Gobi. Private, small-group, and handled end to end.

Private onlyOwn fleet and lodges24 hour duty deskYPO and EO trusted
2016Founded in Ulaanbaatar
40Countries of guests welcomed
4.9Tripadvisor, out of five
4Properties we own and run
Join a departure

Discover Mongolia. Twice a year, sixteen seats.

Our one joinable expedition: the classic loop south into the Gobi and back through the heart of the country, run twice a year with our full crew and never more than sixteen guests. From USD 5,400 per person sharing; a deposit of USD 1,500 holds a seat.

12 to 23 June 2027Early summer · 16 places14 to 25 August 2027Late summer · 16 places

Gobi, Orkhon Valley and back. 12 days, two guides, our own vehicles and cook.

Why the discerning choose Rara

We own the road you travel on.

Most operators in Mongolia are intermediaries. When the season tightens, an intermediary can only pass on bad news. We built the company the other way round: the guides are ours, the vehicles are ours, the lodge, the hotels and the camps are ours. That is why we can promise what others can only request.

i.

Nothing is shared.

Vehicles, guides, cooks, camps and the daily plan belong to your party only. The one exception is Discover Mongolia, our single joinable expedition, sixteen seats twice a year.

ii.

One host, always named.

From the first call you deal with one senior person. The same person is reachable through your journey, and a duty officer answers around the clock.

iii.

Corporate-grade care in the field.

Tracked vehicles, written journey plans, check-in protocols and a medical evacuation retainer. The same standard we hold for our industrial clients.

iv.

Built after we talk.

A from price to start, then a twenty minute call and a private proposal with everything included and stated in plain language.

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Live from Mongolia

Right now, on the steppe.

Ask us what it is like this week →
16:40Ulaanbaatar time

Golden September

The best month. Larch forests turning gold, cool clear nights, taimen feeding hard before winter, herders moving to autumn pastures. Eagle festival preparations in Ulgii.

SoonGolden Eagle Festival, Ulgii
WinterKhuvsgul Ice Festival
JulyNaadam
Ulaanbaatar
loading the sky
Gobi, Dalanzadgad
loading the sky
Khuvsgul, Khatgal
loading the sky
Altai, Ulgii
loading the sky

Weather from our four field regions, refreshed every ten minutes. The season note and calendar are kept by our team in Ulaanbaatar. Office 09:00 to 19:00 Ulaanbaatar time, WhatsApp around the clock during your journey.

Green contribution

Off grid by choice. Trees by the hundred.

Big Sky Lodge runs on its own solar array, with no diesel generator and no grid connection. Every journey plants trees at the lodge under Mongolia's national Billion Trees pledge, and every field programme leaves no trace: waste carried out, refillable water on every vehicle, no off-track driving on the steppe.

90 kWp

Solar at Big Sky

The lodge, restaurant and stables run on sun and batteries, in a national park, with hot water in every room.

412

Trees in the ground

Planted at Big Sky Lodge with our guests. Goal: two thousand by 2030.

0

Single use plastic

Refillable water systems on every vehicle and at every camp we run.

100%

Mongolian team

Guides, drivers, coordinators and hospitality staff are Mongolian employees, not subcontractors.

In our guests' words

4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor. 128 reviews, none of them ours.

Read every review on Tripadvisor →
★★★★★ A truly unique and amazing experience

From the minute they picked up my friends and I from our hotel in Ulaanbaatar, it was clear how much thought and intention had been put into every aspect of the tour. Nyamka and CJ were wonderful tour guides. Even the different lodgings we stayed in over the three days became an interactive educational experience, first staying in traditional gers and getting to know a nomadic family, then a modern ger resort, and lastly a wonderful lodge to close out our last night.

Adam, Gary, IndianaPrivate three day journey, group of friends · October 2025
★★★★★ Best expedition ever

We did a three week expedition that Rara Avis put together for us two couples aged 65 to 81. We stayed in lodges, gers, hotels, shared time with two different local families who took us hunting with the family's golden eagle on horseback, then went to the local eagle festival twice. If you are the adventurous, regardless of your age, take the time to truly experience Mongolia in all its beauty. I would go again in a heartbeat.

Paul R, Victoria, TexasThree week expedition, two couples aged 65 to 81 · September 2025
★★★★★ Best trip of my life

We did an 11 day tour from Ulaanbaatar to West Mongolia with CJ and Nyamka, and it was honestly one of the best experiences of my entire life. They tailored the entire itinerary to our group's interests, even agreeing when we wanted to skip a night at a hotel in exchange for camping. The best part of it all was the people. Everyone was so open, warm, and eager to help even when situations didn't go as planned.

Shi En WEleven day journey to western Mongolia · July 2025
★★★★★ Mongolia with Rara Avis is a must

The intentionality, professionalism, insight, and information were all 10/10. It was the perfect balance of fun, relaxation, activity, and learning. We spent one night with a local herder family, a once in a lifetime experience, as well as a night in a very comfortable lodge and another in a classic ger hotel.

A group of seven colleaguesCustom three night private tour · October 2025
★★★★★ Wonderful time exploring Terelj Park

The tour company was on time and the guide and driver were professional and helpful. The horseback ride through the green woods above the temple and around Turtle Rock was great. We changed the riding pace and I felt safe the entire time. Lunch at their gorgeous lodge was great.

Thomas DTerelj, horseback and Big Sky Lodge · July 2026
★★★★★ Unforgettable three day Mongolian adventure

At Hustai National Park we were incredibly lucky to see Mongolian wild horses up close, less than 100 metres from our car. Our guide explained everything, from nomadic life to Buddhism and the Mongol Empire, in a way that was both accessible and insightful. Special thanks also to our driver, whose superb driving skills made us feel safe and comfortable at all times.

Yip Wing YanKharkhorin, Khustai and the Mini Gobi, three days · June 2025

Every quotation on this page is a verbatim excerpt from a public Tripadvisor review, checked 9 September 2026. We shorten, we never rewrite. Ranked #13 of 411 outdoor activities in Ulaanbaatar.

Shall we talk?

The fire is already lit.

Tell us who is travelling and roughly when. A senior member of the team replies within four hours in Ulaanbaatar office time, and always within 24. Then we design the journey around you.