Guides
Travelling with children
Information as of 2026-09-21
An adult travelling with a child who is not their own must carry a notarised letter from the parents or legal guardian confirming the arrangement.
Children are among the groups specifically identified as more affected by Ulaanbaatar's winter air pollution.
Rabies is the health risk that changes most with children, because dogs are commonly infected and children are more likely to approach animals and less likely to report a small bite or scratch.
Measles is endemic and the risk is higher than in the UK, with early vaccination recommended for infants from six months of age travelling to such areas.
MMR considered from 6 months of age for travel
The practical difficulty of a countryside trip with children is the driving: long days on unpaved tracks with no facilities between stops.
Only about 10% of roads tarmacked; signposting minimal
Mongolian hospitality is strongly family-centred and children are welcomed rather than merely tolerated, which makes homestays and family gers an easier fit than they might appear.
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- Get rabies pre-exposure vaccination for children before a countryside trip, and teach them not to approach dogs, however friendly they look.
- Cap driving at four to five hours a day with young children and build in horse riding, dunes or a lake as the day's destination.
- Avoid a winter Ulaanbaatar stay with small children if air quality matters to you; the shoulder season is far kinder.
- Pack familiar snacks; a mutton-based menu is a hard sell for a seven-year-old on day three.
- Bring a child-sized sleeping-bag liner and warm layers for the ger, where the stove goes out overnight.