VISIT: LATE NOVEMBER 2023

Orkhon Valley has been covered a couple of times in reviews but never in winter. I made a combined visit with the Deer Stones at Khoid Tamir valley. I did not stay overnight in Karakorum but visited two places. Balgas Ordu Baliq on my way from Ulaanbaatar to Tsetserleg and the Erdene Zuu Monastery on the way back. The roads are well paved and also cleaned if there is snow but still in winter the drive takes long.

Balgas Ordu Baliq can only be reached in winter if there is not fresh snowfall and you can see the tracks of others. As, it's off-road and if you do not see where you go you will get stuck in a ditch in no time. Luckily, on my way to Tsetserleg there was not that much snow so I visited Balgas Ordu Baliq first. The site is not huge, there is a wall left, a pagoda and several towers around. It is however in ruins and weather has a big impact. I walked around an hour and left to Tsetserleg.

On my wat back from Tsetserleg I visited Erdene Zuu. The iconic view outside from the wall and pagodas in the snow is mesmerizing. Inside the walls, I kept my visit short as temperatures dropped to minus 29 Celsius (about minus 20 Fahrenheit). Luckily I was just in time to witness a short ceremony of the monks. After warming up inside the temple, I continued my way back to Ulaanbaatar. The road was without snow but it was late evening I arrived back.

All in, it's a great place but in winter there is not much more to explore in the Orkhon Valley as what I did. A visit in summer would be better.