Altai (Altay) is the capital city of Govĭ-Altai province. Straddling the western edge of the Gobi Desert where the Altai Mountains rise out of the sands, the region seems to symbolize emptiness. To the south of the city is the massive Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area 'A' and 'B'. Area A lies to the east with part of the park in Bayanhongor, and Area B is smaller and to the west. Together they cover some of the driest and more remote parts of the Gobi. Many high snow-capped mountains are closer to the city in the Altai range just to the south and west.

Understand

With a population of about 18,000 (2017), Altai is one of the smallest provincial capitals in Mongolia in one of the least densely populated provinces in the country.

Govĭ-Altai is home to many rare mammals like the Govi Bear, wild Bactrian camels, Argali sheep, black-tailed gazelles, and wild cats. Many other large mammals like wolves, foxes, marmots, and birds and reptiles live in different parts of the province.

Altai (Mongolia)
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       1     −10 −25       1.8     −9 −23       5.9     −3 −16       10     6 −7       12     14 1       28     19 6       49     20 8       41     18 7       16     13 1       7.5     5 −7       2.9     −4 −17       1.5     −8 −23 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm NOAA (1961-1990)
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       0     13 −13       0.1     16 −10       0.2     28 3       0.4     43 20       0.5     56 33       1.1     66 43       1.9     67 46       1.6     65 44       0.6     55 33       0.3     41 19       0.1     26 1       0.1     17 −10 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Get in

Buses and microbuses leave for Altai from Ulaanbaatar from the Dragon Center every day at noon. It is also possible to take a shared jeep from either Hovd or Bayanhongor and sometimes Uliastai.

By plane

Grass runway located just outside the city has flights to Ulaanbaatar and Bayanhongor.

• AeroMongolia, ☏ +976 11 330373 (Ulaanbaatar), +976 -8808 0062 (Altai), altai@aeromongolia.mn. Office Hours: M Tu Th-Sa 09:00-18:00. It is generally cheaper, but uses older planes. Charges foreigners double the local rate. Flights on M W and F. 
• Hunnu Air, ☏ +976 7000 1111 (Ulaanbaatar), info@hunnuair.com. Formerly Mongolian Airlines. Flights from Ulaanbaatar via Bayanhongor on Tuesday and Friday. 

See

• 1 Narvanchin Khiid (adjacent to Entum Hotel). A monastery to explore. (updated Sep 2020)

Do

• 1 Khantaishir. A cinema. (updated Sep 2020)

Eat

If you get tired of eating at the Entum Hotel, you could eat at one of these:

• 1 Dariv Bakery/Coffee, ☏ +976 8596 1833. Pizza and desserts. (updated Sep 2020)
• 2 Sutai. (updated Sep 2020)

Sleep

• 1 Entum Hotel, ☏ +976 9918 6775. This hotel is very Stalinist looking, complete with cyrillic characters on top, but it looks better than the competition (rough). It has a restaurant and you get to look out on the ashen-looking town. (updated Sep 2020)