Mongolia
Travel Destination – Mongolia
Mongolia captivates travellers with its endless grasslands, dramatic Gobi Desert, ancient nomadic traditions, and welcoming communities. Whether you’re riding horses across the steppes, staying in traditional dwellings, or exploring Ulaanbaatar’s cultural sites, Mongolia offers experiences of awe-inspiring natural beauty and cultural depth. Travel here often includes remote regions, sparse infrastructure, and varied terrain, so thoughtful planning will help you enjoy a safe and seamless journey, including health, safety, and environmental preparation.
Health Risks
Pre-travel preparation
To prepare for a safe trip to Mongolia, it’s recommended to book an appointment with a travel doctor well before departure. A travel health consultation allows your doctor to review your vaccination history, recommend additional immunisations relevant to Mongolia and provide prescriptions for necessary travel medications. Your travel doctor can discuss tailored advice based on your itinerary, whether staying in the city, trekking across remote regions, or camping under the stars. Ideally, schedule your appointment six to eight weeks before travel to allow time for any multi‑dose vaccines. If you are leaving soon, a last‑minute consultation is still valuable, as many vaccines and accelerated schedules can still be arranged.
Insect avoidance
In Mongolia, insect-borne illnesses are relatively uncommon compared with tropical regions, but mosquitoes and other biting insects can still cause irritation and, in rare cases, transmit infections such as tick-borne encephalitis in certain rural areas. To reduce the risk of bites, travellers should stay in accommodation with intact window screens or air-conditioning, or use a permethrin-treated mosquito net if these are unavailable. When spending time outdoors, particularly at dawn and dusk, wearing long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, and socks can provide effective protection. Applying insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus further decreases exposure. Additional precautions include treating clothing and gear with permethrin and avoiding areas of dense vegetation where ticks may be present.
Food and water hygiene
Mongolia’s traditional cuisine, which often features meat, dairy, and hearty soups, can be enjoyed safely by following good food and water hygiene practices. To reduce your risk of gastroenteritis or other gastrointestinal infections, wash your hands thoroughly or use antiseptic hand gel before eating. Choose meals that are freshly prepared, fully cooked, and served hot, and avoid food that is raw, undercooked, or reheated. When eating street food or meals in rural areas, select vendors who cook food fresh in front of you. Fruits and vegetables are generally safer when they can be peeled before eating. Drink only boiled, filtered, or sealed bottled water, and avoid untreated tap water and ice made from it, particularly when travelling outside major cities.
Rabies prevention
Australia is one of the few parts of the world that is free of rabies, however rabies remains present in Mongolia, particularly in dogs and some wildlife. The most effective way to prevent rabies is to avoid contact with animals, including stray dogs and wild mammals, especially in rural and remote areas. Before travelling, it is advisable to discuss with a travel doctor whether pre-exposure rabies vaccination is appropriate for your itinerary, particularly if you plan to spend time outdoors, travel outside major cities, or work with animals. If you are bitten, scratched, or exposed to saliva from an animal while in Mongolia, seek immediate medical attention. Early treatment can prevent rabies, which is almost always fatal once symptoms develop.
Our Travel Doctors
Our fully qualified doctors have an interest in travel medicine and immunisations. And they know travel. Their expert advice will be tailored for you, your travel companions and your trip.
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Hepatitis A
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Hepatitis A is a viral infection that affects the liver and is commonly spread through food or water contaminated with the virus. Symptoms may include fever, tiredness, nausea, abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, dark urine, pale stools, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Hepatitis A occurs more frequently in Mongolia than in Australia, where not everyone is routinely vaccinated. Travellers who have not completed a two-dose course of the Hepatitis A vaccine are strongly advised to be immunised before travelling, particularly if staying with local families, visiting rural areas, or eating food prepared outside established hotels or restaurants.
Typhoid
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Typhoid is a bacterial infection caused mainly by Salmonella Typhi and is transmitted through contaminated food and water. It can cause prolonged fever, fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain, and digestive symptoms, and can become serious if left untreated. The risk of typhoid is higher in Mongolia than in Australia, especially in areas with limited sanitation. Travellers who have not previously been vaccinated should consider typhoid immunisation before departure, particularly for longer stays, rural travel, or frequent consumption of local food. Vaccination provides protection for up to three years, but careful food and water hygiene remains essential.
Hepatitis B
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The hepatitis B virus spreads through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids. Transmission can occur through unprotected sex, unsterile tattooing or piercing, or sharing personal items such as razors. Hepatitis B affects the liver, and can cause long term liver disease in some cases. While many younger Australians received Hepatitis B vaccination as part of routine childhood immunisation, a significant number of adults remain unprotected. For travellers to Mongolia who have not been vaccinated, Hepatitis B vaccination may be recommended, particularly for longer stays, rural travel, or activities that may increase exposure risk. A travel doctor can review your vaccination history and advise whether immunisation is appropriate for your plans.
Tick-borne encephalitis
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Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infection transmitted by tick bites and occurs in parts of Mongolia, particularly in forested and grassy areas during the warmer months (spring to early autumn). Travellers who plan hiking, camping, or rural outdoor activities may be at increased risk.
Prevention focuses on avoiding tick bites by wearing long sleeves and trousers, using insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin, performing regular tick checks, and promptly removing any attached ticks. For travellers with significant outdoor exposure in endemic regions, TBE vaccination should be discussed with a healthcare provider before travel.
Routine vaccinations
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Thanks to Australia’s strong national immunisation program, infections such as measles, mumps, rubella, and tetanus are now uncommon at home. However, these vaccine-preventable diseases continue to circulate more widely in Mongolia, particularly in areas with lower vaccination coverage or limited access to healthcare. Before travelling, it’s important to review your routine vaccinations and confirm that you are up to date. A travel doctor can assess whether boosters are needed for vaccines such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), tetanus, influenza, and COVID-19 to help reduce the risk of illness while travelling.
Mongolia
Other health risks in Mongolia
Rabies
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Australia is one of the few parts of the world that is free of rabies, however rabies remains present in Mongolia, particularly in dogs and some wildlife. The most effective way to prevent rabies is to avoid contact with animals, including stray dogs and wild mammals, especially in rural and remote areas. Before travelling, it is advisable to discuss with a travel doctor whether pre-exposure rabies vaccination is appropriate for your itinerary, particularly if you plan to spend time outdoors, travel outside major cities, or work with animals. If you are bitten, scratched, or exposed to saliva from an animal while in Mongolia, seek immediate medical attention. Early treatment can prevent rabies, which is almost always fatal once symptoms develop.
Gastroenteritis
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Travellers to Mongolia may experience gastroenteritis, often referred to as travellers’ diarrhoea, which is typically caused by bacteria present in contaminated food or water. Common culprits include campylobacter, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli or salmonella. Symptoms usually appear within one to three days and can include watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, or vomiting. The main priority is to prevent dehydration. Oral rehydration solutions are recommended to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. Most cases resolve within a few days without antibiotics, which are generally reserved for prolonged or severe infections or for those at higher risk of complications. Prevention focuses on careful hand hygiene and avoiding raw or undercooked foods and untreated water.
Non-infectious conditions
Deep vein thrombosis
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Travel in and to Mongolia can involve long flights or extended overland journeys, which may increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT occurs when blood circulation slows in the deep veins, typically of the legs, causing clots to form. To reduce risk, take regular breaks to stand, stretch, and walk whenever possible during travel, and keep well hydrated. For those with higher susceptibility, wearing below-knee compression stockings can provide extra protection. If DVT develops, treatment usually involves blood-thinning medication.
Altitude sickness
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Travellers to Mongolia may experience altitude-related illness when visiting mountainous regions, particularly in the Altai Mountains and other highland areas where elevations can exceed 2,400 metres. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) can affect around one in four people who ascend rapidly without adequate acclimatisation. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and reduced appetite. In most cases, symptoms improve within 12 to 48 hours if no further ascent occurs.
More serious altitude illness can develop at higher elevations. High Altitude Cerebral Oedema (HACE) affects the brain and may cause confusion, poor coordination, and changes in behaviour, while High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPE) affects the lungs, leading to shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, and reduced exercise tolerance. These severe conditions are more likely above 4,300 metres and can be life-threatening without urgent descent and medical treatment.
Gradual ascent is the most effective way to reduce the risk of altitude sickness in Mongolia. A travel doctor can also prescribe preventive medication for those at higher risk or with rapid itineraries. Travellers planning treks or expeditions above 4,300 metres should carry appropriate emergency medication and consider travelling with an experienced guide who is familiar with recognising and managing AMS, HACE, and HAPE. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends recognising early symptoms, avoiding further ascent when symptoms are present, and descending promptly if symptoms worsen despite rest.
Safety on the roads and elsewhere
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Travelling in Mongolia can be a rewarding adventure, but careful preparation is important due to its vast distances and variable infrastructure. Road conditions outside major cities can be rough or unsealed, so choose experienced drivers and reliable vehicles, and always use seatbelts where available. If you plan to ride a motorbike, only do so if you are confident in your ability, familiar with local driving conditions, and wearing a certified helmet at all times. For outdoor activities such as hiking, horse trekking, or exploring remote landscapes, wear sturdy, broken-in footwear, apply sunscreen and insect repellent, pack lightly, and stay within your physical limits. Weather can change quickly, and help may be far away in remote areas. Comprehensive travel insurance covering medical care and emergency evacuation is strongly recommended when travelling in Mongolia.