Q: My wife and I would like to visit Mongolia next year, and seek your guidance. We are senior citizens in our mid-70s, and so have time on our hands. My wife is able to walk short distances in small stretches only. We prefer to travel business class and stay in comfort, at 3-staror 4-star hotels. We enjoy good food/local cuisine, visiting historical sites and traditional entertainment. I request an idea of the budget and the places to visit. Though not necessary, I would prefer to look at airline packages too.

Marco Says: Mongolia can be a fascinating destination, but also a little tiring given the distances and activity. A classic itinerary for the country must include the capital Ulaanbaatar, its beautiful monasteries and palaces, Lake Hovsgol in the open steppes, the sand dunes of the Gobi Desert, and a stay at a traditional ger site. If you plan to visit in July, then of course, you must include the festival of Naadam, Mongolia’s famous traditional national games.

If comfort is an objective, and money not an issue, I would recommend you join a 12D tour with Nomadic Expeditions (nomadicexpeditions.com) in the month of July. Prices start from $6,695 per person on double occupancy plus $600 per person for internal flights. They are pricey but you’ll be looked after. If that’s too expensive, consider Discover Mongolia (discovermongolia.mn) and TTR Mongolia (ttrmongolia.com), which also have tours at that time.

There are no direct flights to Ulaanbaatar from India, and the sector is an expensive one. Business Class tickets start from approx ₹1,20,000 on Asiana Airlines (flyasiana.com) and Korean Air (koreanair.com) with a changeover in Seoul. TTR Mongolia also books airline tickets for you.