Töv: Nature, Archaeology and Buddhist Art

Hustai National Park, the burial site at Noyon Uul and Aglag Monastery offer different perspectives on Töv: nature and biodiversity, archaeology, and Buddhist art. Community-based tourism experiences add insights into the Mongolian way of life and horseback riding to these themes. When planning your trip, you can therefore distinguish between landscapes, history, culture and activities, rather than reducing Töv to a single type of experience.

National Parks and Biodiversity

Hustai National Park lies within the boundaries of the Altanbulag, Argalant and Bayankhangai sums in Töv Province. The park’s species inventory includes 51 mammal species, 223 bird species, 16 fish species and two amphibian species. Birds are therefore the largest of the four groups listed, while the inventory also includes mammals, fish and amphibians. These figures give an impression of the range of animal groups recorded, without reducing the national park to just one of them.

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park lies partly in Erdene Sum in Töv Province and partly in the Nalaikh District of Ulaanbaatar. Its establishment was intended, among other things, to develop organized tourism and ensure the appropriate use of the area. The national parks thus offer different points of reference: Hustai, with its recorded animal groups, and Gorkhi-Terelj, with its divided administrative location and stated tourism objective.

Archaeological History

The Xiongnu elite burial site at Noyon Uul extends across the Batsumber, Bornuur and Mandal sums in Töv Province. Located on Kharaagiin Noyon Uul, the site covers 129.6 hectares and was discovered in 1912. Its spread across three sums and its mountain setting give the site a clear regional connection. For travelers interested in archaeology, Noyon Uul is a distinct focus alongside the region’s national parks and cultural sites.

Aglag Monastery: Art and Hiking Route

Aglag Monastery in Töv Province is a Buddhist temple and museum. It was built amid the rock and forest formations of Mount Gariid. Buddhist works of art are displayed there, created using traditional thangka painting, silk appliqué, gilded metal casting and papier-mâché techniques. The range therefore spans painting and textile appliqué to metal casting and papier-mâché.

An adventurous hiking route begins behind the temple, following a designated path secured with ropes. At the monastery, both Buddhist art and a specific route are central attractions. If you would like to include culture and hiking together in your trip planning, you can consider them as separate areas of interest.

Community-Based Experiences in the Province

Community-based tourism is also among the region’s offerings. A provincial report dated April 3, 2026, names 98 households in 13 sums of Töv that operate such experiences. The offerings accommodate up to 829 guests per session and include insights into the Mongolian way of life as well as horseback riding. They complement the national parks and cultural sites with another perspective on tourism activities in the province.

Mongolia: Culture and Landscape in Broader Perspective

Naadam is celebrated in Mongolia each year from July 11 to 13 as a national festival. Horse racing, wrestling and archery take center stage. The two-stringed morin khuur also plays a prominent role in Mongolian nomadic culture. These cultural connections complement Töv’s specific sites with a broader view of Mongolia as a travel destination.

Another historic landscape in Mongolia is the Orkhon Valley. The cultural landscape includes extensive pastures on both banks of the Orkhon River, as well as numerous archaeological remains dating from the 6th century onward. It includes Kharkhorum, the capital of the vast empire of Chingis Khan in the 13th and 14th centuries. Erdene Zuu is the earliest surviving Mongolian Buddhist monastery within this cultural landscape.

Discover more destinations: Bayandelger, Balhin Chuluu, Uvurkhangai, Darkhan-Uul Aimag, Zavkhan Aimag, Khuvsgul, Ulaanbaatar, Umnugovi.

Back to the main travel overview: Mongolia.