When festival season arrives, hooves and drums carry across the grass, and families gather in their finest clothes to cheer on the games. Naadam is the big one, but smaller celebrations fill the summer in villages, each with its own food and songs. Beyond the festival grounds the land opens into wide steppe and the Gobi.

The climate is extreme continental, with long, very cold winters and short summers, so the warm months are when the country comes alive. Pack layers and sun protection. A Local Friend will tell you when to arrive early for the best view and when to linger into the evening.