The ‘Blue Pearl’, Lake Hovsgol is a 100-mile long pristine alpine lake located in the north of Mongolia, close to the Siberian border. The lake lies at 1645m and is a rift valley some 262m deep. The water in the lake is some of the purest water in the world and the outlet, the Egiin Gol joins the Selenge River flowing onto Lake Baikal in Russia. The Lake is protected as a National Park and is sacred to Mongolians who call it ‘Dalai Ej’, the ‘Mother Sea’.

Hovsgol is a unique region where you can see both the camels of the Gobi and the reindeer of the taiga. Five Mongolian ethnic groups, Buriat, Khalk, Darhat, Urianghai and Tsaatan meet here and Shamanism has a strong influence.

The Horidal Saridag Special Protected Area adjoins the Lake Hovsgol National Park, making the region an important area for wildlife.There is huge diversity of wildflowers and birds in the National Park, including a number of rare species.

Map of Lake Hovsgol