We arrived from our almost three-week trip by car.

Preparing for your trip

Preparations for our trip began almost six months ago, during which time we prepared a little for our trip, namely:

• Snorkel installed.
• We bought an autonomous charger - a power bank (tested on the Mongols, it works).
• We bought a bunch of spare parts:
• brake hose - 1 pc. - wasn't needed
• ball — 1 pc. - wasn't needed
• repair kit for brake caliper with piston - not needed,
• Valve cover gasket - not needed,
• engine sealant - not needed,
• metal clamps 3 pcs. - one was needed to attach the stabilizer bushing bracket due to the loss of the mounting bolt,
• drive belt - not needed,
• a belt for the viscous coupling was not needed,
• filters (cabin, air, oil) - replaced the air filter after changing the engine oil;
• engine oil - we changed the oil in Ulan-Ude (an excellent service station on the road, I don’t remember the name),
• antifreeze - not needed,
• brake fluid (helped the Mongols in a minibus whose brake pipe was broken). Later I needed it myself... I had to buy it in the village. Aktash.
• Candles 4 pcs. - were not needed
• A repair kit for repairing tires was not needed, we arrived without punctures, although we drove more than 30 km on sharp stones in places where we got lost!
• Fuel activator Motorresurs 200 ml. - 3 pcs. for 600 liters of fuel (only 1.5 packages were used).
• We received international licenses but never needed them, no one needs them there. The Mongol turned them over and over and decided to let us go, but still achieved nothing.
• Changed the oil and filter in the automatic transmission.

Let me start with the fact that our route along the route changed mainly in a big way, with stops at interesting places.

Part 1. Road through Russia

The first day

Our adventure journey has begun June 17 at 15.00, start from Novosibirsk (Akademgorodok).

We filled up a full tank of AI92, one 10 liter canister, and off we went...

On the first day there was almost nothing interesting, except for annoying cracks on the windshield from a mad “thief”, which, before reaching Zhuravlevo, drove onto the side of the road while laying asphalt. From it came two stones the size of a chicken egg... I thought it would break more, but they got away with a cobweb 2.5 x 2.5 cm. It will be necessary to drill until there are no cracks all over the glass.
Our first overnight stay was on a lake near Mariinsk.

Second day

In the morning, my husband tried to catch fish, the result was zero, the neighbor had a couple of crucian carp as big as his palm. We had breakfast and moved on.

Most major cities were bypassed. This was the case with Krasnoyarsk.
Our next overnight stay was on the Biryusa River (I finally found out where the river flows, after which the refrigerator at my house is named).

By the way, it’s not for nothing that the refrigerator was named after this river. We stopped immediately after crossing the bridge. The water was clean, the shore, however, was covered in garbage, we had to clean it up a little... Some were taken to the nearest trash can, some were burned on the spot.

One of the places we wanted to see was Lake Baikal.

Our plans were to drive along the shore of the lake. Baikal and stay in the town of Baikalsk, but we decided to change our route and visit about. Olkhon.

As a result, we left Irkutsk for the village of Sakhyurta, from where the ferry goes to the island. Olkhon. We reached the village at about 22.45, in the village, not far from the ferry, the traffic police crew stopped us, checked that the driver was sober, and let us go. There was no queue, we boarded the ferry at about 10:50 p.m. and immediately headed to the other side.

The ferry turned out to be free. Having reached the shore, we followed the Maps Me navigation to the village of Khuzhir. The road, to put it mildly, is bad... Sometimes it was possible to drive no more than 20 km/h, they didn’t think of immediately reducing the tire pressure.

We arrived in Khuzhir, circled the streets, tried to go ashore... But, because... It’s night outside, we couldn’t find the road. We went to the outskirts of the village... A pine forest appeared, and we decided to spend the night right in the forest.

Day three. Baikal

The next morning we went and bought food and souvenirs at the largest supermarket on the island. We stopped at the street. Baikalskaya, 58, we tasted the most delicious poses that were prepared especially for us.

And, of course, we bought hot-smoked, cold-smoked and dried omul (from 100 rubles per piece).

In order to ride and take photos of Lake Baikal, we rented 3 bicycles, the cost was 100 rubles per hour per piece.

We visited the local beach... We tried to swim, but it didn’t work out - the water temperature was +9°C. My husband and son went up to their knees and didn’t risk it any further. I was completely immersed. For about 10 seconds, my unprepared body did not allow more. Although I love contrast showers, he protested here.

We spent another night on the island, but closer to the ferry, on the sandy shore in a deserted place.
The next day we successfully reached the village of Sakhyurta by ferry, met an expedition from China in 5 cars, they are traveling from Manchuria to Lake Baikal and back.

While we were waiting for the ferry, we decided to inflate the tires for the asphalt. Locals are brazenly rushing to jump the line. By the way, buses, minibuses and special vehicles are allowed onto the ferry without a queue.

We drove towards the city of Ulan-Ude. We took a photo of Lake Baikal from the observation deck.

We reached Ulan-Ude late in the evening. It turns out that the time also had to be set forward an hour.

Through some hotel booking site, we booked a room in a small hotel called “Camping” (located almost immediately at the entrance to the city, in the Sovetsky district). We arrived at the place and the administrator was surprised that they could book something on the Internet. In general, we checked into a junior suite for 1100 rubles +200 rubles. child (up to 7 years free), for this we received: a toilet, a shower in the room and a clean bed, that's all we need for the night. However, we were not lucky with hot water. Well, I was trained by Lake Baikal, and I was able to wash myself.

Day four. Border

On the way out of Ulan-Ude we stopped at a service station to change the oil. They changed it in 20 minutes, our own oil and filter. We have been using ZIC X7 LS 5w30 for 50 thousand km already, we buy a 6-liter canister - it’s very convenient, the remainder after replacement is just enough to top it up until the next replacement 9-10 thousand km. Consumption up to 1 l. for 10 thousand km. I think it’s normal, especially since operation is sometimes difficult.
On the way to the border, this beauty stands in Buryatia, almost next to the road.

Now our path lies to the border town of Kyakhta.

Hooray! We are in Kyakhta.

We refueled, bought groceries at a local Metro store, and went through customs. We stood for about 20 minutes in front of the first gate. The Mongols brazenly drive ahead in trucks.

They let us in, we went for inspection... A woman with an action camera came up to us and checked the contents of our things, and also asked us if we were carrying anything prohibited. Things had to be taken out of the trunk. There was a suspicious suitcase with our things and sportswear. bag with tools. And, by the way, the suitcase actually contained my son’s fireworks, which I picked up from the RCR the other day. This completed the inspection. All the workers, I want to note, are very friendly towards Russians. We had 3 canisters with us: 1-20 liters. with water, 2-20 liters for gasoline empty, 3-10 liters. with gasoline, we previously read that you can only bring 10 liters of gasoline. However, we did not check anything in the canisters, nor whether they were full or not. The car was inspected, we went to fill out documents and go through passport control.

The car has a stationary 27 MHz radio (SI-BI) and 2 portable radios - I asked several times if they needed to be declared somehow, they answered that no.

When preparing documents, if you are going to leave through another crossing point, be sure to indicate this. You will be given a small sticker with a bar code, you will need it when you cross the border back to Russia, otherwise it seems like your car will be checked at customs.

Further, immediately behind our customs, there is a Mongolian customs, after the barrier and crossing a muddy ford (sort of like disinfection), take a piece of paper, there will be a booth right at the entrance. Then go through inspection again, but this time on the Mongolian side, turn the car around again, go through passport control, fill out a mini-form, then pay 60 rubles. for the muddy puddle we drove through.

Put all the necessary stamps and leave the border.

Immediately after the barrier, a woman runs towards you and needs to pay a transport tax of 10,000 tugriks or 300 rubles. (it’s better to change rubles into tugriks first, it will be cheaper, you can change it literally 20 meters away at the exchange office). The insurance office is 10 meters away. I paid 1150 rubles. (indicated the actual volume). We exchanged rubles into tugriks... We became millionaires - the exchange rate is 1 ruble. = 39 tugriks. (at the border with Tashanta the exchange rate was 1 ruble = 41 tugriks, in the city of Mandal Gobi the rate was 1 ruble = 37.75 tugriks).

Hooray! Finally we crossed the border... Due to the fact that we missed the ford and did not immediately take the piece of paper, we were stuck for 2 hours.

What documents do you need to cross the border to Mongolia:

• Foreign passport for all passengers and driver.
• Documents for the car - registration certificate (technical passport) - plastic card.
• !It is imperative that you are the owner of the car, or, as a last resort, a notarized power of attorney has been issued.

Expenses: 10,000 petrol, Mileage: 2500 km.

We entered Mongolia...

Part 2. Mongolia

Our main task was to visit the Genghis Khan monument on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, visit the Gobi Desert and fish in the cleanest lakes and rivers. We rode towards the Genghis Khan monument on horseback. Let's go...

The first city was Sukhbaatar, we drove through it without stopping.

What catches your eye when visiting Mongolia is the insane number of Toyota Prius cars and the number of tire shops on every corner - in Mongolian “Dugui zasvar”.

Day five

We woke up somewhat early, at 4 am, but it was already quite light, and the horned animals were grazing with might and main. There were yurts nearby.

100 km before Ulaanbaatar we stopped for the night again.

Day six. Ulaanbaatar

The city of Ulaanbaatar greeted us with light rain. The traffic in the city is disgusting, and we spent two hours stuck in traffic jams. About traffic in Ulaanbaatar: everyone stops at a traffic light... that’s where all the rules end. A pedestrian crossing is like in Thailand, if you manage to get through, you are lucky... But even though you may be lucky, one car out of a hundred will let you through. When changing lanes, the signal is not turned on. The rules for driving around the ring are the opposite, not like ours. In front of us, a training car was driving through the city, filled to the brim with novice drivers... How hard it was for them. There is a separate lane for public transport, and even cars manage to occupy it, but buses travel without traffic jams.

In general, you can get used to this movement in half an hour. If you have driving experience with us in the city center. I tried not to drive around cities and gave the steering wheel to my husband.

In Ulaanbaatar we saw signs for KFC and Burger King - we left our car in the alley of houses and went shopping. We went to KFC because... my son loves hamburgers, and you can’t buy them anywhere else here. We placed an order: a hamburger and a drink for 7,500 tugriks (192 rubles). The child then sent a check to his classmates via WhatsApp so that the classmates would gasp. My wife and I decided to try buuzy, we went to the first cafe we ​​came across, there we tasted local cuisine - buuzy and tsai (green tea with butter and salt), surprisingly we liked the tea, we paid about 5000 tugriks for everything - 130 rubles.
I liked the moontoon buuz (600 tugriks for 1 piece) more (the dough is somewhat similar to pyansa). Tsai 300 tugriks.
Two pieces were enough for me to eat.

We refreshed ourselves and decided to look for sights.

We first tried to find on the map in which direction the famous monument to Genghis Khan on horseback was located, but the Mongolian map did not help us much. There is no Internet, mobile communications cost around 100-150 rubles. in a minute, so it was turned off immediately after entering this wonderful country. We decided to look for passers-by who spoke Russian, because driving around the city is suicide (with all the traffic and traffic jams). An hour later such a person was found. He told us how to get to the monument and even showed us a photo on his phone; we immediately realized that this was what we were looking for.
After leaving Ulaanbaatar, towards Bayandelger, after 40 km we reached the first stop.

The monument is truly amazing in its scale.

Entrance for the three of us was a little more than 20,000 tugriks (530 rubles), cheaper for children.
At the entrance you will be greeted by guides who speak English and Russian - they will tell you everything for free.
On the ground floor there are shops with souvenirs, the prices, by the way, are quite adequate - low. Nearby you can rent national clothes for only 3,000 tugriks (75 rubles). The largest Mongolian boot and whip are also located here.

There is a restaurant and toilet on the second floor. Above there is an elevator and a staircase to climb to the observation deck, which is located in the head of the horse.

On the ground floor there is a museum with two rooms, in one of which you can sit at the table, like a real khan, and take wonderful photos, and in the other there are rare artifacts, and you cannot take photographs...

Gobi Desert

In the city of Mandalgovi, we realized that the money we exchanged at the border was 10,000 rubles. = 390,000 tugriks will not be enough for us until the end. We decided to go to the bank and change it.
We found a bank in the navigator and went to it. There was a small crowd near the entrance to the bank.

Inside, of course, there is no sign with the exchange rate hanging... Come up, show your papers and change, taking the electronic queue.
We seem to have reached a day when the entire population of the city came to receive pensions, benefits, salaries and other payments. Elderly people are dressed in national clothes - they wear them all the time, and not just on holidays. One of the Mongolian women gave us an electronic queue stub, which reduced our wait by about 1-2 hours. We showed our papers for 5000 rubles. operator and waited for a positive response from her. As a result, they exchanged 15,000 rubles for 550,000 tugriks.

Banks have the most unfavorable conditions. But we had nothing to do, the money was running out, and we were heading into the heart of the desert.
On the way we stopped at a roadside cafe. As usual, my husband and I ordered buuza with tsai. And my son was asked for meat with rice and Lipton.
This is what they brought us.

The child, of course, did not eat all of this, but this dish costs 5,500 tugriks.
Buuzes here cost 500 tugriks.

At the entrance to Dalanzadgad we were stopped by the police. At that moment I was at the helm. After the stop, my husband opened the window on the passenger side, handed the insurance and my international license to the policeman, although I was driving... The policeman looked at the insurance, handed it back, looked at the license without unfolding it (there is a photo inside and the available categories are indicated), judging by the appearance, I didn’t understand what was handed to him - he returned his license and left. And we moved on.

Here is the first and last acquaintance with the Mongolian police. Not a single policeman with a hairdryer (radar) was found on our way...
After we passed the town of Dalanzadgad, the asphalt said goodbye to us.

In the area of ​​Dalanzadgad or Gurvantes (I vaguely remember) our navigator led us to a dead end. Well, what a dead end... Simply in front of us was a dune the height of a 4-5 storey building. We left the car and went to take beautiful photos.

Gasoline is running out... There are 29 liters in the cans, and we still have to get out.

We went back, the navigator was confused. We went with a Mongolian map to ask for directions at the nearest yurt. A Mongol and his daughter came up to us and looked at the map... But they couldn’t show anything on it. He asked for a piece of paper and a pen (he doesn’t speak or understand Russian), drew us an approximate route... We didn’t understand anything. He waved his hand at us, got on his motorbike and motioned to follow us. We drove about 30 kilometers, he stopped and indicated to follow the power line. He asked where we were from, we said - from Russia. True, he didn’t understand the word “Russia”, but after the word “Moscow” he smiled and showed “class”.
Hooray! We took the road that is in our navigator.

Driving through the Gobi Desert and generally driving along the dirt roads of Mongolia, you can see a lot of empty vodka bottles (in Mongolian - Arkhi); we saw openly drunk drivers only in the city of Khovd, more precisely, on the way out of the city. There was a police car standing there, it looked like there was a “raid”, next to it stood a 200 Kruzak, the driver of which could barely stand on his feet... There was the smell of at least 1-2 drunk bottles of Archi.

When visiting Mongolian cities, and especially villages, we were always the center of attention, sometimes even people came out of their houses to look at us, as if a circus with clowns had arrived.
In the city of Baruun Bayan Ulan, we once again asked the locals for help. But it feels like they are seeing the map of their country for the first time.

Somehow we understood the direction and moved again along the high-voltage poles. But my husband wanted to get to the lake that he had been so eager to see after Dalanzadgad, not far from Bogd sum, Lake Orog. But we never got there, there is a very bad road, potholes and hills along which you need to drive up to 5 km/h. And while we were trying to get closer to this lake, we again came across sands.

The sand here is fine and white. It was getting dark, and we decided to put up a tent on the sands.
In the evening the sand is cold, and during the day you can’t stand on your bare feet, it’s very hot.

Day seven

In the morning we headed to the town of Bogd, towards the town of Bayankhogor. In the steppe we came across a lonely sign.

In Bogta we stocked up on drinks at the store.

We had a snack nearby at a local cafe.
The child ate sausages in batter (1000 tugriks), I, as usual, ate buuzy (500 tugriks) with tsai, and my husband ordered himself a dish for 5500 tugriks.

We moved towards Altai. We did not go to Bayankhogor. Road work is underway there. Laying asphalt.

Not far from the town of Zhinst there is a malebn.

The map showed a good asphalt road there. By 12 o'clock at night we finally got there. 40 km to the city of Delger. We set up a tent for the night. The weather began to deteriorate. It's very close to Russia. The wind and the clouds gathering in the sky reminded us of this.

The next stop was planned at a lake near the city of Khovd.

Not far from the city of Khovd there is a wonderful Lake Khar-Us Nuur. We found a place near the shore and set up a tent. The next morning we managed to catch only 3 fish with a fishing rod... Because the fish only pecked at a fly (live), and they ran out. What kind of fish we still didn’t understand... But it looks like Osman.

Due to the fatigue of the crew, it was decided to go towards the border with Russia.

Border again

Having arrived at the border in the city of Tsagaannuur at 17.45, we learned that opening hours were coming to an end and they would not have time to let us through.
We turned around and went to look for the nearest place to spend the night.
We arrived around 12 o'clock, and of course we were on our lunch break. We had lunch nearby in a cafe. The menu only includes buuzas and green tea with milk. We took 5, then another 5 and another 7, in the end we ate 17 buuz for three and drank 1.5 liters of tea.
Buuzas are small, 300 tugriks per piece.

Behind us there was a column of 6 cars with Russian license plates - 42, 174 regions. It turned out that they also traveled around Mongolia. They told us that not far from the lake where we stayed there is Lake Khyargas Nuur, where you can catch fish with your hands. And quite large. As a fisherman, I wanted to return, but my wife and son wanted to go to Russia. There is a reason to go to Mongolia again, now I already know where I need to go.
The Mongolian side of customs passed through quite quickly, at this point many people spoke Russian, they always suggested what to do. The inspection is quick and superficial.
The Mongolian side has been passed.
We went beyond the fence, and again there was a broken dirt road.
Having reached the Russian side, they checked the passports and handed over to the Russian customs the number of people in the car, so that no one would run away along the way. As soon as we entered the Russian border zone, excellent asphalt began.
At Russian customs we were first met by a representative from Rospotrebnadzor. Her uniform looked like Mary Poppins from the movie. Having passed the control of Rospotrebnadzor, we went to passport control and inspection.
Everyone passed. The car was removed from control.
Hooray! We returned to Russia... That feeling when you are ready to kiss your native asphalt.

Now Gorny Altai awaits ours.

Regarding clean drinking water, we always bought it in supermarkets. 5-liter canisters cost around 50 rubles. And, of course, soft drinks - Fanta with pineapple, peach, apple, and grape flavors. Sprite with mint flavor... This is not Sprite with cucumber flavor, like in Russia.
What we liked from the food bought in supermarkets: Korean whole noodles (we know them well, because a couple of years ago we were engaged in the wholesale sale of similar products in the Russian Federation), liver pate (made in Mongolia), camel milk, delicious bread. Very cheap and good green tea. In the city of Ulgei, chicken eggs produced by the science city of Koltsovo (a neighbor of Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk) were even on sale. There are a lot of Korean and Chinese products, everything is delicious. I liked the local ice cream (maybe because I was pregnant, 16 weeks) for 600 tugriks, the taste is specific, sour.
They brought a couple of bottles of Genghis Khan vodka as gifts, around 14,000 tugriks (360 rubles) each, the cheapest vodka is almost the same as ours, from 190 rubles. for 0.5.

Numbers:
Spent in rubles:
Fuel - 8,000 rub. or 312,000 tugriks

Mongolian insurance - 1,150 rubles. (if you are coming from the city of Kyakhta through Altan Bulag, you may not be allowed to leave without it... And I felt comfortable with it, by the way, I didn’t underestimate the engine capacity, although it could have been done less, it would have been cheaper).
Transport tax - 300 rub. (in fact, we can agree on 150).
Driving along the roads between cities (a booth with a barrier costs 150 rubles - one passage costs 1000 tugriks (25 rubles) - you can go around, some Mongols do this.
Total mileage - 7480 km. (approximately about 1000-1500 km on dirt roads, of which 300 km are on terrible roads - rocks, pits where the speed could not exceed 20 km.)
The fuel burned was approximately 950 liters (approximate consumption 12-13 liters).
Filling an almost full tank cost 100,000 tugriks.
Gasoline prices in Mongolia range from 1500 to 1800 tugriks (i.e. from 36.5 to 44 rubles per 1 liter AI92). The quality of the fuel is no worse than ours... there were no problems. Above 92 can only be found in large cities. Diesel fuel is cheaper than 92 gasoline. And gas with its Mongolian name “AKHUI” costs the same as AI92 gasoline.

Here it is, the final part of our route.

The first settlement in Russia is Tashanta, there is nothing to do here. We arrived at Kosh-Agach, where we bought groceries and refueled.
The first thing we thought was to go to the Ukok plateau, but, as always, it was not on time. We won’t have time to order the pass, because... The working day on Friday is shortened, but at the checkpoint they don’t seem to process it right away. It's okay, we love Altai very much and are ready to come again.
Further, because We safely left the map with the main attractions at home, we are looking for them using the Maps ME program on our phone. The first thing they found... Mars-2. The road was less than 50 km, but what an interesting road... given the increasing rain. There were very steep climbs and large rocks along the road, not to mention the fact that we were pulled into a ditch several times. We finally got to this point... But, unfortunately, our dreams did not come true.

Apart from the road, there is nothing interesting to this place. We drove back according to my husband’s method... He saw where we could cut and go in a straight line. In one of the places where the ground was soggy, we began to be drawn into the nearby Chaganuzun River, so we decided to go back and drive through the passes. We didn't take any photos because it was raining.
Next we went to our overnight location, near the village of Kosh-Agach on the Chuya River. We set up a tent and put an additional awning on top. So the awning was not pulled up quite correctly, and in the morning 20-30 liters of rainwater were drained.
Gossip fishing is in full swing again. We tried to dig up worms for the fishing rod... They are not here either.
Next we go towards Aktash, but we remember that a year ago we wanted to look at the Aktru glacier. We return to the village of Kyzyl-Tash and drive towards the transshipment camp. The road is not entirely bad, sometimes puzoters even get to the alpine camp, however, they cannot do without losses. On the way to the transshipment of the car, there are only loaves, 469 Oises, Urals ... so we are on the right track. On the way we met: 1 bridge, 3 fords (depth no more than 50 cm, without a snorkel), then the road began with large stones and steep climbs.

There are very large stones in the ford ... Hitting such a stone with an unclosed razdatka is an opportunity to stay here for a long time. As according to the law of meanness, not a single car to see which of the fords is better to go.
We decide to walk, about 17 km there and back. We park the car at the transshipment and go. We took some water and waders in the car. The river is very cold and the stones are slippery, I checked. My husband carried me and my son across the ford to the other side. The road to the alpine camp is difficult, up and down, slippery stones. Halfway through the route it starts to rain, part of the route goes through the forest, we got a little wet.

The son did not expect such a setup. If I had known, I would have stayed in the car.
Less than 1 km remains, the glacier is already clearly visible.

After 2.5 hours we arrived. My wife and son went to look for a cafe to warm up and have a snack. I headed to the spring to replenish my water supplies for the return trip. The rain intensified, I took a couple of photos of the monument to the crashed snowboarders in May 2002 and the monument to all the dead climbers.

We didn’t go all the way to the glacier in such weather, and it’s already late in the evening, and it’s risky to walk along the path in the forest in the dark.
After drinking delicious herbal hot tea with pancakes in a cafe, we headed back to the transshipment.
The way back was much easier, as there were mostly descents, very few ascents. We left the waders at the beginning of the journey so as not to carry extra weight. We find them in the saved marks of the navigation program, pick them up and go to the ford.
In general, the road, although difficult, but with good protection and a snorkel, you can drive.
Next we go to the geyser lake. We reach the "Otdykh" base, the passage to it goes through a swamp, we pay 30 rubles each. for adults, children are free, and we go 300 meters to the lake.

We take a photo of a wonderful geyser lake and go further towards Aktash.
Having reached the village. Aktash, we turn towards Ulagan, we go towards the most beautiful of the Altai Mountain passes - Katu-Yaryk. The distance from Aktash to Katu-Yaryk is approximately 100 km one way. The path passes through another landmark - the Red Gate, but we already took photographs here a year ago, so we move on. Along the way there are a large number of recreation centers. All nearby lakes are leased, so fishing is again in the span. Closer to the pass, the road deteriorates, the puzoterki trudge along for 15-20 km, we carefully overtake them and move on... Our speed on such a road is 70-80 km, the suspension allows us to drive comfortably. Most of the route runs on asphalt, primers only 30%. Having reached the pass, we take a photo and tighten the stabilizer mounting bolt that was lost along the way.

We don’t go down the pass, it makes no sense. The road through the pass goes to the south of Lake Teletskoye, which we will not go to, we have already been. Another reason why we don’t go towards the lake is the remaining gasoline, which will not allow us to return back.
Next, our path passes through the Maiden's Tears waterfall (Shirlak), we were here, but decided to visit again.

We stop at the monument to the driver, which we usually passed.

"Monument outside the village of Bely Bom. Erected to the hero of the famous song about Kolka Snegirev. Dedicated to all the drivers who died on the Chuysky tract."

We stop at the confluence of the Katun and Chuya.
We can easily pass the Chike-Taman pass; it’s easier for a car with a snorkel to breathe. We buy souvenirs and teas as gifts at the pass.
The Seminsky Pass is also in the same breath, we don’t stop here, there are a lot of people. Mongolian goods are sold at 5 times more expensive.
Closer to the village. Ongudai we go down to the Ursul River, the descent is very steep, if it rains, it will be difficult to go back. We find a great place to spend the night.

On the way home, we buy more mead to celebrate our trip at home.

Then we go home, there are no more stops.
At the entrance to Cherepanovo, heavy rain began. This is how Novosibirsk met us, washed us from the dirt. July 4 at 22.00 we arrived home.
Many thanks to our car, which brought us home and did not cause problems on the road!

Upon arrival, the first thought is where we are going next time.

Issue price: 10,000. Mileage: 1050 km

31.08.17,
Anechka,
Novosibirsk

Great story! But I have a question about gas mileage,
Fuel spent - 8,000 rubles. , Fuel burned - approximately 950 liters (approximate consumption 12-13 liters). Gasoline prices are 36.5 to 44 rubles. for 1 liter.
It turns out that the consumption of gasoline is approximately 35 thousand rubles, and you have written 8,000 rubles.

There are 8 road crossings and two railway crossings open on the Russian-Mongolian border, operating all year round. For citizens of third countries, crossing is possible only at the road checkpoints Tashanta - Tsagan-Nur (Altai), Kyakhta - Altanbulag (Buryatia) and at the railway crossing: Naushki - Sukhbaatar (Buryatia). If, for example, the group includes citizens of former Soviet republics, they will not be allowed to cross the border as citizens of third countries. The passage of third-country citizens at this crossing is planned to be opened only after the reconstruction of the Mondy-Khankh checkpoint.

For Russian citizens, it is also possible to cross through road checkpoints: Mondy - Khankh, Solovyovsk - Erentsav, Khandagayty - Borsho, Tsagan-Dogorod - Arts-Sura, Shara-Sur - Tes, Verkhniy Ulkhun - Ulkhun and by railway - Solovyovsk - Erentsav.

Local taxes apply when crossing the border. At the Kyakhta-Altanbulag automobile checkpoint, the Russian side charges money for processing documents when leaving Russia and sanitizing cars upon entry. The Mongolian side charges a transport tax of about $10 and car insurance of $20–25.

It takes from 2 to 4 hours to cross the border, even if there is no queue, but usually, due to queues at the border, crossing by car, for example in Kyakhta, takes the whole day.

VEHICLE CROSSINGS AT THE RUSSIA-MONGOLIA BORDER

Checkpoint Tashanta – Tsagan-Nur (Altai)

The automobile checkpoint in Altai in Tashanta is located in the mountains. Between the Russian and Mongolian checkpoints there are more than 20 km of dirt road and the Durbet-Daba pass with a height of 2400 m. There is a rule here: no one should remain in the neutral zone. This section must be passed before the Mongolian checkpoint closes. Checkpoints operate from 9am to 6pm.

Checkpoint Kyakhta - Altanbulag (Buryatia)

Checkpoint 24/7!

At the Kyakhta - Altanbulag automobile checkpoint, the Russian side charges money for paperwork (about 90 rubles) when leaving Russia and sanitary processing of cars $5-7 upon entry. The Mongolian side charges a transport tax - about $10 and car insurance - $20-25.

It takes from 2 to 4 hours to cross the border, even if there is no queue, but usually, due to queues at the border, crossing by car, for example in Kyakhta, takes the whole day. The modern terminal is designed to handle up to 500 cars per day, but in practice, even if you arrive early in the morning, this does not mean crossing the border before lunch.

Checkpoint: Mondy – Hankh

Crossing the border by citizens of third countries at the Mondy-Khankh checkpoint (Lake Khubsugul) is not provided for by the intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Mongolia and is only possible for residents of Mongolia and Russia.


• Mondy-Khankh automobile checkpoint(302 km from Irkutsk) located on the pass Mungiin-Daba (1830 m.) Has double-sided status. This means that today only citizens of Mongolia and Russia can cross the border here. Open in summer from April 15 to September 15 - from 10:00 to 18:00, in winter - from 10:00 to 17:00. Closed on weekends and holidays.

  There is quite a decent asphalt road leading to the border from the Russian side. From the village of Mondy, a good quality road constantly goes up. Mungiin Daba Pass and at the same time a border. After passing the border, a standard Mongolian dirt road begins. The forest has disappeared - there is a steppe all around, with groves on the slopes of the mountains. From the border, the road goes with a general decline. Before reaching the village of Khankh, you must pay an entry fee Khuvsgul National Park.

  Since 2010, the Federal Agency for the Development of the State Border of the Russian Federation has been working on the issue of changing the status of the international automobile checkpoint (MACP) Mondy-Khankh from bilateral to multilateral. A positive conclusion to this project was given by Rosgranitsa. However, to date the issue has not been resolved.

Checkpoint Solovyovsk - Erentsav

Open 7 days a week from 9 to 18 with a lunch break from 14:00 to 15:00 Chita time.

Checkpoint Khandagaity – Borsho

The Khandagaity-Borshoo border checkpoint on the Russian-Mongolian border will soon be equipped to practically transfer its status from bilateral to multilateral. Rosgranitsa is allocating 15 million rubles for these purposes. Reconstruction of the border checkpoint on the Tuvan section of the Russian-Mongolian border will double the capacity of passing people and vehicles.

Consul General of Mongolia in Kyzyl Bazarsad announced the decision taken by the Mongolian leadership to open this checkpoint up to 3-4 times a month for the passage of representatives of third countries even before the completion of reconstruction, which usually lasts for several years.

In the meantime, the Khandagaity-Borshoo checkpoint operates in a two-way mode and is open to citizens and legal entities of Russia and Mongolia. Numerous foreigners arriving in Tuva cannot cross the state border on the Tuvan section and are forced to use the Kyakhta checkpoint in Buryatia or Tashanta in the Altai Republic.

Checkpoint Tsagan-Dogorod – Arts-Sura

Checkpoint Shara-Sur – Tes

Checkpoint Upper Ulkhun – Ulkhun

ENTRY TO MONGOLIA BY PERSONAL CAR

To enter the territory of Mongolia with your own car, an international driver’s license alone is enough; no other permits from the Russian traffic police or replacement of Russian license plates with Mongolian plates is required.


You cannot drive across the border in a car driven by a simple written power of attorney - only valid notarized powers of attorney. When crossing the border, the vehicle data is entered into the customs declaration by the owner and recorded in the computer database of the Mongolian customs.


There are no prohibitions when traveling by car within the territory of Mongolia. The only restriction that motorists may encounter is being in the border zone and in specially protected natural areas. Movement in the border area with China requires a special permit. The border zone is considered to be a 30 km strip of land along the state border of Mongolia. For example, to visit the caves on the Darganga plateau, you must have approval from the border guards, since the entrance to the caves is located in the border zone. In the territories of nature reserves and national parks, a paid regime has been introduced for the stay of tourists and the entry of cars. It is legally established at 1,000 tugriks per car, and 3,000 tugriks per person for up to a week of stay in specially protected areas.


On roads when crossing the administrative boundaries of aimags, local tolls are collected, most often 1000 tugriks (for a passenger car), but more expensive for a minibus. In some aimags, money is charged for traveling over wooden bridges. You also need to pay for the use of ferries.


To transport pets across the border, an international veterinary certificate is required.


The use of car radios (27 MHz), satellite phones and GPS is not prohibited (there is no law on the use of civilian radio stations in Mongolia) - importing them into Mongolia and working with them is permitted. The problems begin at Russian customs - permission is needed for radio stations installed on cars. According to current regulations, GPS are prohibited from being imported into Russia. Therefore, when leaving Russia, you MUST include GPS devices in the customs declaration, indicate its serial number, and have a copy of the certificate issued in the store upon purchase.

A trip to Mongolia previously also did not require much hassle, but now everything has become even easier. In 2020, residents of Russia do not need a visa to Mongolia if you want to spend no more than 30 days in the country. Our advice will help you navigate and prepare all the necessary documents for entering the country for a longer period. These rules are relevant in 2020.

To apply for a visa, it is not necessary to contact the consulate in person; this can also be done by e-mail. To do this, you will need to send all the necessary copies of documents and questionnaires by email, and the documents themselves – by mail or courier delivery.

Visa application

You will need the following documents:

• completed visa application form;
• international passport (original) and a copy of the photo page;
• one photograph (3x4 or 3.5x4.5 cm);
• documents confirming that you are engaged in any activity that you will return to after the trip:
• a letter from your work or school about granting leave;
• business license and tax return if you are an individual entrepreneur;
• documents from the pension fund if you are a pensioner.
• invitation;
• document confirming payment of the visa fee.

Cost and processing time

The visa fee is paid in dollars and is $50. The application is reviewed within 5 days. If you need to get a visa faster, you can order an urgent processing, and then the visa fee will cost approximately twice as much.

Filling out the form

Sample of filling out an application form for a long-term Mongolian visa

The form must be filled out in Russian, Mongolian or English. Fill out carefully and legibly, with a black pen or directly in electronic format. There shouldn't be any mistakes.

The invitation depends on the purpose for which you are traveling to Mongolia.

Long term tourist trip

If you are traveling as a tourist, then the invitation must be issued by a Mongolian travel agency and confirmed by the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Even if you prepare the documents yourself, without the help of Russian travel agencies, you will still have to contact the Mongolian consulate.

Business trip

If the trip is work-related, you will need to provide an invitation from the host company in Mongolia. This invitation must be certified and signed according to all the rules, and the reason and duration of the trip must be indicated there.

Studies

If you are traveling to Mongolia to study, you will need an admission letter from the educational institution confirming your student status and duration of study.

Transit visa

You will need to provide documents confirming the route (copies of tickets) and travel dates. You also need a copy of the visa for the destination country.

Minors

If you are traveling with a child, then the conditions for him will be the same: a foreign passport if your stay in the country does not exceed a month, and a visa for a longer period. If the child is under 16 years old, he can be included in the parents’ visa. must be handled by parents or guardians. When traveling with one parent, you need the written and certified consent of the other.

Other types of visas

In addition to the above, there are also the following types of visas:

• entry, exit and entry-exit visas;
• 2-fold;
• multiple visas (for a stay of up to one year);
• 2-entry transit or transit multiple visas.

Border crossing

There are different ways to get to Mongolia from Russia.

1. By plane. From Moscow to Ulaanbaatar you will fly in about 6 hours, flights operate almost every day. Planes also fly from Irkutsk and irregularly from some other cities. You can also fly in transit through other countries.
2. By train. Trains from Moscow to Mongolia go twice a week (travel time is about 4 days), from Irkutsk - every day (about 36 hours).
3. By car.
4. By bus (from Ulan-Ude, Kyzyl).

Traveling by car

To travel to Mongolia by car, you will need an international driver's license, and if the car is not yours, you will need a power of attorney from the owner of the car certified by a notary. After the partial entry, no other documents are needed.

You can move around the country in a car without any problems, with the only exception being border zones (30 km from the borders) - to stay in these zones you will need special permits, in other cases you will be charged for entry into some border areas.

You can also rent a car in Ulaanbaatar. But according to the law, you will have to “rent” a local driver along with the car - you yourself will not be able to drive such a car. It is best to rent a car for a day.

There are 29 checkpoints on the border between Mongolia and Russia. Among them are international, bilateral, seasonal and transit.

Crossing the border for Russians does not entail any problems if they have the necessary documents. In terms of time, this takes from 4 hours to the whole day, depending on the queue at the border at that moment. Keep in mind that you will have to pay customs fees on both the Russian and Mongolian sides.

From Barnaul to the capital of Genghis Khan’s homeland - 2372.51 km. Many Altai tourists are increasingly choosing this particular direction for travel. We tell you what Mongolia attracts, how to get there, what to see and how much the trip will cost.

Why Mongolia?

Not everyone will decide to rush to Mongolia. Despite the relative proximity to the Altai Territory, the path ahead is not the closest. This direction is mainly preferred by independent tourists.

Mongolia is located on a vast territory, so the distances between settlements are quite impressive, and the quality of the road surface cannot always be called good. Travelers are attracted by wild, untouched nature, national color, gastronomic novelties and unusual landscapes.

And also endless steppes, clear lakes, the Gobi Desert, snowy peaks, and the hospitality of the local residents. Here yurts are not entertainment for tourists, but ordinary life, food over a fire.

It’s not for nothing that Mongolia is called the land of blue skies. There are more than 260 sunny days a year, and in the Gobi Desert it may not rain for several years.

How to get there?

If you are traveling by car from Barnaul, then it is better to split the trip into several days. For example, get to the village of Aktash in the Altai Mountains, stop there for the night and relax. Moreover, the road to the Ulagansky district of the republic runs through stunningly beautiful places. And it’s simply impossible to drive without stopping.

For example, you will have to overcome two passes: Seminsky and Chike-Taman, where you must take a photo as a souvenir. This also applies to the place where Katun and Chuya merge, and a few kilometers from the village of Aktash there is the famous Geyser Lake, which has become popular among tourists.

The road along the Chuysky tract is in excellent condition, however, repairs are underway in some sections, so forced stops or even traffic jams are possible. Some travelers say they had to stand for up to four hours before being allowed to pass.

The road along the Chuysky tract, although good, is not easy, you won’t be able to drive fast, and few people want to accelerate on mountain serpentines and winding descents. So you can make the next stop, for example, in the village of Tashanta, relax, gain strength and move on.

What documents are needed to travel to Mongolia?

You need a passport, driver's license, and car documents. But you don’t need to apply for a visa. More precisely: if you are going to stay in Mongolia for less than 30 days, then you won’t need it. If you expect the trip to last more than a month, then a visa is needed.

Of course, the import of drugs, psychotropic drugs and explosives, weapons and ammunition, samples of animal and plant tissue, as well as pornography is prohibited. If you intend to export furs and skins, gold, precious metals and precious stones, as well as items of cultural or artistic value from Mongolia, they must be presented to customs. The cost of each item should not exceed 500 USD; if this amount is exceeded, a duty of 10% to 100% must be paid.

These are not all restrictions, but there are not many of them. Please read them carefully before your trip.

Where to live?

As interest in Mongolia has increased in recent years, there is plenty on offer for tourists. In cities, tourists are offered accommodation in hotels, inns, and recreation centers. Prices vary; on the Internet you can find both very inexpensive offers (from 700 rubles per day) and hotel rooms for 20 thousand rubles.

But outside of Ulaanbaatar and large cities, everything is much more complicated. The only accommodation option is a yurt. Most yurt camps are owned by private individuals. There are both cheap and expensive ones. A range of services from basic camping-type accommodation to luxury options with all amenities. Meals are usually half board or full board. The cost of accommodation starts from 2000 rubles per day.

It is advisable to look for a place to spend the night in advance, having already planned the route.

What is?

National Mongolian cuisine. Everyone's attitude towards her is different. Some people recommend not hoping too much for gastronomic pleasure, so as not to be disappointed. Others fall in love once and for all with tea with cream and salt, koumiss, and lamb dishes. By the way, basically all meat dishes are prepared from sheep, and they also love goat meat. Less commonly, horse meat and beef. The food is filling and fatty. So if you are on a special diet for health reasons, it is better to take cereals with you and cook them yourself.

By the way, food in a cafe will cost very little; for example, for a plate of noodles with lamb you will have to pay about 120 rubles.

When to go?

Officially, the best season in Mongolia is from June to early September. However, travelers who traveled at other times say that Mongolia is always beautiful. The main thing is to take the right clothes. The more warm clothes, the better.

What to see?

It depends on what interests you first. Some come for fishing and scenery, others consider it necessary to visit the Gobi Desert. Mongolia is different for everyone. And this country occupies a huge territory. So you won't be able to watch it completely in one go. Or it will take a very long time.

But there are still places that are highly recommended to visit.

Natural attractions of Mongolia: Lake Khovsgol, the deepest in Central Asia. By the way, it is very popular for fishing and ecotourism. Travelers also choose to visit the valley of the Selenga River, which flows into Lake Baikal. You can also visit the sacred mountain Bogdo-Ula, the birthplace of Genghis Khan, the surrounding area of ​​which has the status of a nature conservation zone. And, of course, if you are primarily interested in nature, go to the Gobi Desert. This, of course, is a drop in the ocean from what you can see in Mongolia.

One lunch or dinner in an inexpensive restaurant will cost about 190 rubles. In a higher class establishment - about 1200 rubles. Prices for food in supermarkets differ from those in Barnaul. It's more expensive in Mongolia. For example, a loaf of bread costs 44 rubles, a carton of milk costs approximately 62 rubles, eggs (12 pieces) cost 142 rubles. Vegetables and fruits are also more expensive than in Barnaul.

Accommodation, if you are not traveling with tents, is also a significant expense.

From Russia they operate several times a week by Aeroflot and Miat Mongolian Airlines on the Moscow–Ulaanbaatar route.

Chinggis Khan International Airport (ULN) is located 15 km southwest of Ulaanbaatar. Airport help desk phone number: +976 11 119.

Tickets to Mongolia

The search form on our website will allow you to select and book plane tickets to Mongolia online. Here you can also view flight schedules and prices for tickets to Mongolia, choosing the cheapest option. Keep in mind that the earlier you book your ticket, the cheaper it may cost.

Enter the appropriate cities in the “Departure” and “Destination” fields; specify the departure date and other required information, and click “Search”. You will see a complete list of flights between the cities you selected, with prices indicated. If there are no direct flights between the specified points, then you will be offered the optimal (both in price and time) routes with transfers.

You can purchase tickets to Mongolia without leaving your computer. By clicking on the “Buy” button, you will be taken to a website that contains all the necessary information about payment and delivery of the ticket.

How to get to Mongolia by train

You can get to Mongolia by train from Russia and China.

A train departs from Moscow once a week to Ulaanbaatar; In the Mongolian capital, a train traveling along the Moscow-Beijing route makes a stop.

In addition, regional trains run from Russian territory to Mongolia (for example, Irkutsk–Ulaanbaatar).

You can view the train schedule to Mongolia, find out the fare, and also order a ticket online on the page.

Ulaanbaatar Central Station is located 8 km from the city center. The station can be reached by all means of transport.

How to get to Mongolia by road

You can also get to Mongolia by bus. Thus, buses regularly run between Ulan-Ude and Ulaanbaatar (travel time is about 12 hours).

To enter the territory of Mongolia with your own car, an international driver’s license is sufficient; no other permits from the Russian traffic police or replacement of Russian license plates with Mongolian plates is required.

You cannot drive across the border in a car driven by a simple written power of attorney - only notarized powers of attorney are valid. When crossing the border, the vehicle data is entered into the customs declaration by the owner and recorded in the computer database of the Mongolian customs.

The following automobile border crossings are located on the Mongolian border: Mondy, Kyakhta, Solovyovsk.

The distance by road from Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar is 1028 km.

The distance from the Kyakhta-Altanbulag checkpoint to Ulaanbaatar is 345 km.