Located in the Bayan-Olgii Province in western Mongolia sits the amazing Altai Tavan Bogd National Park. Consisting of 600 000 hectares of landscape, it is one of the most picturesque national parks in the world, complete with lakes, steppes, a glacier, and the highest peak in Mongolia. This protected zone is also the habitat of many beautiful wildlife species such as the Ibex, Moose, Golden Eagle, Argali sheep, Red deer, Beech marten, and Snow cock.

This stunning yet contrasting landscape is rugged, with snow capped mountains, sub-alpine and alpine forests, and even a semi-arid desert. There are many things to do in the national park, whether you are a serious adventure junkie or just someone who would like to take a leisurely walk taking photographs. Things to do here include climbing, fishing, backcountry skiing, mountain trekking, whitewater kayaking, camel and horse trekking, whitewater rafting, and learning and experiencing about the Khazakh culture.

To get to Altai National Park, you will need to cover a distance of 180 km between this park and Ulgii. Unfortunately, there are no public transportation services from Ulggi where the park's headquarters are.

Instead, you will need to make your own way there by hiring a car such as a microbus or a Russian jeep and a driver. The park information centre in the city can also arrange this for you, if you are not sure how to do this. Alternatively, you could join a tour company that will take you to Altai.

To enter Altai Tavan Bogd, you will need to buy a park permit from the park's administration office in Ulgii. The permit costs 3000 turgik, which is about USD $2.40. You may also be required to get a border permit from the border guard’s office in Ulgii, as the park is actually next to the border of China and Russia.