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Voykit pocket guide · Mongolia
Hovd
Ховд
Go for 2 nights as a western loop stop: museum, main square, petroglyphs behind the airport. Fly in, don't bus 24 h from Ulaanbaatar.
Hovd (Khovd) is the capital of Hovd province in far western Mongolia, a town of about 26,000–30,000 people on the Buyant river, ringed by the Altai. It is a transport hub for western Mongolia and a base for Kazakh and Uriankhai culture, not a sight-heavy destination. Two nights covers the museum, the main square and the petroglyphs; most travellers pass through on the way to Ölgii or the Altai.
- Country
- Mongolia
- Local name
- Ховд
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (deep cold, −25 °C and below)Nov–Mar (deep cold, −13 °F and below)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MNT
- Money
- Currency is the Mongolian tögrög (MNT, ₮). Cards work in Ulaanbaatar hotels, malls and larger restaurants; carry cash for markets, taxis and anything outside the city.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₮40,000–70,000 excl. bed · Mid ₮70,000–130,000 excl. bed · High ₮130,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Unitel, Mobicom, Skytel and G-Mobile sell prepaid SIMs at the airport and in town; bring your passport to register.
- Emergency
- Police 102 · Ambulance 103 · Fire 101
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin plugs work; UK and US devices need adapters. Ger camps offer charging for a few hours a day.
- Tipping
- Restaurants in Ulaanbaatar: Not expected; round up or leave 5–10% in tourist places if no service charge.; Taxi: Round up.; Driver on a tour: ₮15,000–30,000 per day, given at the end.; Guide on a tour: ₮20,000–40,000 per day, given at the end.; Cook and camp staff: ₮10,000–20,000 per day, pooled.; Nomad family stay: Pay the agreed fee; a small gift (fruit, sweets, photos, tea) is better than extra cash.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water is everywhere in towns; in camps, boiled or filtered water — bring a filter bottle for long trips.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in Ulaanbaatar. In ger camps: a shared shower block with flush toilets in better camps, pit latrines in simpler ones. With nomad families and on the road: a long-drop or the open steppe; carry paper and a trowel.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Milk tea (suutai tsai) | ₮1,000–2,000 |
| Huushur or noodle soup | ₮3,000–6,000 |
| Main course in a mid-range restaurant | ₮4,500–14,000 |
| Taxi around town, per km | ₮500 |
| Shared jeep to a nearby soum | ₮1,500–25,000 |
| Traditional deel, made to order | ₮35,000–40,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HVD · Hovd Airport
- About 6 km south of the centre; flights from Ulaanbaatar with Hunnu Air and Aero Mongolia, roughly 2 hAbout 3.7 mi south of the centre; flights from Ulaanbaatar with Hunnu Air and Aero Mongolia, roughly 2 h
Typical fares
- Hovd Airport → centre, taxi
- about ₮10,000, 10–15 min (check)
- Hovd → Ölgii, shared van
- ₮20,000–30,000, about 7 h (check)
- Hovd → Ulaanbaatar, bus
- about ₮65,000, 24 h+ (check)
Get around
The town is walkable: main square, big boots intersection, market and airport are the four anchors. A taxi around town is about ₮500 per km; agree the fare first. For soums and neighbouring aimags, shared jeeps and UAZ vans leave from around the central market — ask drivers, as most have no signs.
See and do
Known for
- Hovd Museum and its ethnic costume collection
- Baatar Khairkhan mountain petroglyphs
- Western Mongolia transport hub
- Kazakh and Uriankhai culture
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Baatar Khairkhan mountain petroglyphs | Taxi or walk south past the airport, about 6 km from the centreTaxi or walk south past the airport, about 3.7 mi from the centre | Half a day |
| Tsenkheriin Agui cave paintings, Mankhan soum | Shared jeep from the central market, then local transport | 2 days |
| Ölgii | Shared van from the market | About 7 h |
Sleep
- Main square and government building
- Hotels, the theatre and the museum within a few minutes' walk; best for a short stay.
- Central market area
- Cheaper guesthouses and the market; 3 blocks south of the big boots intersection.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Сайн байна ууsain baina uu |
| Thank you | Баярлалааbayarlalaa |
| How much is it? | Хэд вэ?khed ve |
| Where is the market? | Зах хаана байна?zakh khaana baina |
| I need a taxi | Такси хэрэгтэйtaksi kheregtei |
| I don't understand | Би ойлгохгүй байнаbi oilgokhgui baina |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Entering a ger: Call 'Nokhoi khorio' from a distance, enter right foot first without knocking, move clockwise to the left (west) side; avoid: Stepping on the threshold, walking between the two pillars, turning your back to the altar
- Offered food or drink: Receive with the right hand (left hand supporting the elbow), taste a little; avoid: Refusing outright or taking with the left hand only
- Snuff bottle exchange: When a man offers his snuff bottle, take it with the right hand, open slightly, sniff and hand it back; avoid: Taking snuff if you do not want it — just smell the cap
- Feet and knocks: If you step on someone's foot, shake their hand straight away; avoid: Leaving the touch unacknowledged — it is seen as the start of a quarrel
- Fire and stove: Treat the stove as sacred; avoid: Throwing rubbish into the fire or pointing your feet at it
- Hats: Hold a hat by the crown, remove it inside; avoid: Stepping over or throwing a hat
- Guests and gifts: Bring small gifts (fruit, sweets, vodka for elders, photos of your family) to a nomad family; avoid: Handing out sweets to children on the roadside
- Leaving: Keep goodbyes short; your guide will lead them; avoid: Whistling inside a ger
Scams and watch-outs
- The central market is closed on Thursdays, so shared vehicles to soums are hard to find that day.
- Most ATMs do not take Mastercard; Visa is more reliable, and euro exchange is difficult.
- Domestic flight timetables are often out of date — reconfirm with the airline before you travel.
- Winter is extreme: −25 °C and below from November to March.
Hovd is a quiet provincial town and feels safe by day; the real risks are winter cold, unlit streets at night and long-distance shared vehicles with no seatbelts. Agree taxi and jeep fares before you get in.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hovd yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hovd Museum and its ethnic costume collection
- Baatar Khairkhan mountain petroglyphs
- Western Mongolia transport hub
- Kazakh and Uriankhai culture
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Mongolia Tourism official site: mongolia.travel/
- Wikivoyage: Hovd, revision 5305302 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5305302
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
HovdХовд
Энэ хаяг руу явна уу
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Hovd; most countries' embassies are in Ulaanbaatar. Kazakh interests are handled through the Kazakh consulate there.
Print this card before you fly: mobile data is patchy outside town.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/hovd). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.