Terelj National Park

Terelj National Park is one of the most visited and interesting national parks of Mongolia. It is connected with Ulaanbaatar by a paved road with 70km.
The National Park is by its natural beauty, forested alpine mountains and interesting rock formations (Massive woolsack weather conditions) very well known.
Highlights: Turtle Rock, Meditation temple Ariyabal and visit local nomadic families. During the summer there are great opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, flower and bird watching.

The Turtle Rock, or called Melkhi Khad by the locals, is an interesting rock formation looking like a turtle. This giant rock formation is a popular spot for visitors to the area. There are you can ride a camel or travel on horseback around scenic nature.

Ariyabal meditation temple is situated in the scenic area of Terelj National Park, 3 km from Turtle Rock. Buddhist Monks performs meditation ritual for many years amongst beautiful and tranquil mountains.
The temple is surrounded by scenic mountains with interesting rock formations and sits at top of the mountain. The entrance of the gate is accessible by car, hiking or on horseback. The distance between the gate and the actual temple is about 1 km and it is only accessible by walking. To get to the top, you would cross the suspension bridge and climb up on 108 stairs, according to Buddhist prayer beads. This small hike is seen as a ritual to cleanse one’s sins. The temple, when observed from distance, can be seen as a beautiful white elephant and the staircase looks as if the dangling elephant’s trunk. From the top, you can enjoy the breathtaking view overlooking the Terelj National Park.