This reserve to the southwest of Ulaanbaatar is one of only three places in the entire Mongolian steppe where you can still see pure, wild horses. The breed, known as Przewalski’s horse, or takhi in the local language, has never been domesticated. By the mid-1960s it was on the brink of extinction, with numbers down to less than a dozen. Only thanks to a concerted rescue programme did it survive, and here at Khustain you can enjoy the heart-warming spectacle of a healthy herd roaming free against a backdrop of wild, rock-studded grassland. 

To ensure the best chances of a sighting, we recommend you spend a night at the ger camp near the park, which will allow you to be in situ at dawn and dusk, when the takhis congregate at favourite spots such as stream banks. The reserve holds around 200 horses – a herd of 40 bachelor stallions, and the rest in family groups of females (known as ‘harems’) accompanied by one dominant male. During the migration seasons in the early spring and autumn, the area is also a great one for spotting birds.