There are plenty of reasons to travel through Mongolia. You come for the vast open landscapes, the endless grasslands, the fascinating temples, the nomadic families or the famous Gobi Desert.
You can spend the night in a traditional Mongolian ger, watch the sun set over the Flaming Cliffs or visit the fascinating Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex.
Or you can drive to northern Mongolia to stand at the precise point where two invisible geographical lines intersect. Sometimes, while traveling between two destinations, you unexpectedly come across something you never knew existed.
| 📌 QUICK FACTS FOR YOUR VISIT TO THE 50°N 100°E MARKER | |
|---|---|
| 📍 Location: Erkhel Valley in Khuvsgul Province, Mongolia | 📌 GPS Coordinates: N 50° 00.000 E 100° 00.000 |
| 🕒 Opening Hours: Daylight hours | 💰 Entrance Fee: Free to visit |
| 🌍 Interesting Fact: Intersection of lines of latitude and longitude | 🗿 What to Expect: Four-sided monument with an eight-point compass |
| ⏱️ Time Needed for Visit: 90 minutes to two hours | ⭐ Worth Visiting: Definitely, a unique site that remains undiscovered by many travelers |
That is exactly what happened to me in northern Mongolia. My tour guide and I were traveling between Murun and Lake Khuvsgul when we came across a rather unusual attraction: the exact point where the 50th parallel north meets the 100th meridian east.
The GPS coordinates are N 50° 00.000 E 100° 00.000.
I did not plan my trip around finding this spot. I was not on a geographical expedition. I had not spent weeks studying maps and deciding that this was the one place in Mongolia I absolutely had to visit. I simply happened to come across it during the drive from Murun, where we started the day at the Uushigiin Uver Deer Stones, on our way to the boat cruise on Lake Khuvsgul.
Naturally, as an accountant, once I discovered that I would be standing at the exact point where 50 degrees north meets 100 degrees east, I had to stop.
An Unexpected Stop in Northern Mongolia
The journey between Murun and Lake Khuvsgul takes you through some spectacular scenery. Northern Mongolia is exactly the kind of place where the journey itself becomes part of the experience. The landscape stretches out in every direction, with rolling grasslands, mountains and wide-open valleys. Very little else is around to capture your attention.
There are no endless lines of traffic. No shopping malls. No crowded city streets. Instead, there is space, and lots of it. The views from the 50-100 marker make the walk up to the spot worth it, aside from the unique geographical significance of this spot.
As we traveled toward Lake Khuvsgul, we came across the site known as the 50°N 100°E Confluence, located in Erkhel Valley in Khuvsgul Province. At first, I thought it was simply an interesting geographical fact. Then my tour guide pointed out that the location has been developed as a tourist attraction and that there was a marker indicating the significant point.
When I discovered that I could be standing at the exact location where two major geographical lines meet, I could not just drive past. This unique geographical phenomenon appealed to the accountant in me.
What Exactly is a Confluence?
The word ‘confluence’ is often used to describe the place where two rivers meet, for example at the source for the Chao Phraya River in Nakhon Suwan, Thailand. In this case, however, it refers to the point where two geographical coordinates intersect.
The 50th parallel north is an imaginary line that circles the Earth at 50 degrees north of the Equator. The 100th meridian east is another imaginary line running from the North Pole to the South Pole at 100 degrees east of Greenwich. At one precise point in northern Mongolia, these two lines cross.
The lines themselves are invisible, naturally. There is no bright line painted across the landscape saying ‘50°N’ and no flashing light on the ground showing where ‘100°E’ begins. But according to the coordinates, this is the exact spot. And there is something strangely satisfying about standing there.
The 50:100 Tourist Complex
Fortunately, you are not simply expected to arrive at a random point in the countryside, check your GPS and then drive away. A tourist complex known as 50:100 has been developed at the location.
After an uphill walk of around 15 minutes from the car park, the location where 50° North crosses with 100° East is marked with a large four-pronged monument. The exact spot features an eight-starred compass tiled into the floor. The site celebrates the significance of the geographical intersection and provides visitors with a place to stop and appreciate the unusual location. It also provides the most important thing for any modern tourist attraction: somewhere to take photographs.
You can stand beside the marker, pose with the surrounding landscape or point dramatically at the coordinates as though you have just personally discovered the concept of longitude. The scenery is part of the attraction.
Further up the hill, you will spot a very large metal sign that says 50° 100°. Make sure you exert that extra effort and walk to the sign. The photos over the surrounding valley will make your effort worthwhile. Even further up the hill there is a geocache hidden in the rocks, the N 50° 00.000 E 100° 00.000 geocache, further motivating you to head up to the marker and beyond.
Is It Worth Stopping at the 50-100 Marker?
Standing at exactly 50°N 100°E, I was reminded that the world is full of interesting places that most people have never heard of, let alone visited. I had not planned to visit this location. I had not even known it existed before arriving in the area. Yet, suddenly, here I was standing at a precise geographical point that I could now locate on a map with complete accuracy.
If you are traveling between Murun and Lake Khuvsgul, the 50°N 100°E Confluence is certainly an interesting place to stop. It is not the sort of attraction that requires an entire day. A visit of 90 minutes to two hours will be more than enough.
That is part of its appeal of the 50°N 100°E Marker. It is an unexpected stop. You are already traveling through one of the most spectacular regions of Mongolia and suddenly you discover that you can also stand at the exact point where two geographical lines meet.
The site is unusual, the surrounding scenery is beautiful, and it gives you a travel story that is rather more interesting than simply saying that you stopped for a break during a road trip.
Most people can tell you that they have visited a famous monument, a beautiful beach or a major tourist attraction. Very few can say: ‘While traveling through northern Mongolia, I happened to come across the exact point where 50 degrees north meets 100 degrees east’.
And that is the best thing about travel. Sometimes the most memorable travel experiences are not the ones you carefully plan for months in advance. Sometimes you are simply traveling from one place to another when you suddenly discover something unexpected. For me, that unexpected discovery was the 50°N 100°E Confluence and I can honestly say, as a figures guy, that this was one of the most fascinating spots on my travels around Mongolia.
I had never heard of the spot before my journey through northern Mongolia, but I am very glad I happened to come across it.
Find the 50-100 Marker on Google Maps.
When I was in Murun, I stayed at the 50-100 Hotel. Otherwise, consider other accommodation options in Murun by clicking in the box below.
At Lake Khuvsgul, I stayed for two nights at the quite lovely Double Lakes Resort right on the edge of the water.
My visit to Mongolia, outside of the capital, was coordinated by Molomjamts Naranzul, someone who I now consider a good friend. Find Molomjamts Naranzul on Instagram, from where contact may be started by direct message.
Consider reading the other posts on Mongolia by Two Passports Packed.
(Visited in June 2025)