Karakorum and Erdene Zuu

Karakorum, in the beautiful Orkhon Valley, was the fabled capital of the mighty Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan and built up by his successors into a cosmopolitan centre that awed medieval travellers, before it was later destroyed and largely vanished into the steppe. Today the site is marked by Erdene Zuu, the oldest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, built partly from the ruins of the old capital and enclosed within a striking wall studded with 108 white stupas, a serene and historic place in the UNESCO Orkhon Valley cultural landscape.

What's there

• Erdene Zuu Monastery - the oldest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia.
• The 108 stupas - the striking wall of white stupas around it.
• The site of Karakorum - the ground of the vanished Mongol capital.
• The Orkhon Valley - the UNESCO landscape and its nomadic heritage.

When to go

June to September, the summer, for the most pleasant weather to reach and explore the site on the steppe; it is a long drive from Ulaanbaatar, best as part of a wider central Mongolia trip taking in the Orkhon Valley and its nomadic life.

What to expect

Little remains of the ancient capital of Karakorum itself, which was destroyed and absorbed into the steppe, so it takes imagination, with the monastery of Erdene Zuu the main surviving sight; the significance is as much historical as visual. It is a long drive from Ulaanbaatar. The monastery, the ring of stupas and the sense of the vanished imperial capital on the vast steppe, though, are genuinely evocative.

Nearby

The Orkhon Valley, its waterfall and the nomadic countryside are the region.