Mongolia is one of the best family travel destinations on earth. Low crime, high kid-to-adult ratios, open space, animals everywhere, and a culture that welcomes children as full members of society.
Oyungerel Enkhbat
Mongolia is one of the safest countries on earth by almost any metric: violent crime is rare, tap water in camps is filtered, and wildlife does not hunt children. More importantly, Mongolian culture is deeply child-friendly. Host families scoop up visiting kids, feed them first, and involve them in everything.
Horses and camels they can actually ride. Baby goats and sheep to feed. Archery lessons at Big Sky Lodge. Playing with nomad kids the same age (who barely speak English but figure it out). Stargazing sessions with our guide-astronomer. Buuz dumpling cooking classes. Sledding at Terelj in winter.
Very long drives. Mutton fat. Cold mornings in the Gobi shoulder season. Parents should pack snacks, books, games for the vehicle, and warm layers. Every Rara Avis family trip includes a dedicated family guide who keeps kids engaged between sights.
Kids as young as four travel well with us. Under four is harder because of long drives and altitude. Seven to fourteen is the sweet spot: old enough to remember, young enough to still be delighted.
Ten days is ideal. Enough for Ulaanbaatar, Terelj, Kharkhorin, and either Gobi or Khuvsgul. Twelve days for everything. Shorter than ten and you spend too many hours on the road.
Little Nomads Ten Days covers Big Sky Lodge, Kharkhorin monastery, and four nights at Otugi in the Orkhon Valley. From 4,200 USD per adult, 2,100 per child age 5-15.
Big Sky Lodge has connecting cabins. Otugi has a dedicated family ger with two queen beds and room for a cot. We never put families in standard double rooms. Every family trip has a milk cow nearby for fresh-milked tea at breakfast.
Our vehicles have child seats on request. All guides are trained in wilderness first aid. We carry a satellite phone and a prearranged evac plan with SOS International in Ulaanbaatar. In our years guiding we have never had a child injury beyond a scraped knee.