Centre
First-timersNear Sükhbaatar Square, with hostels, restaurants and tour agencies.
Ulaanbaatar city guide
Things To Do In Ulaanbaatar
The coldest capital on earth and the start of every Mongolian adventure: a Buddhist monastery, a giant Chinggis Khaan, throat singing and museums, with the steppe beginning where the city ends.
25
Hostels in the city
9.3
Average, from 3,815 reviews
Half
Of Mongolia lives here
-16°C
A January day
40 m
The Chinggis Khaan statue
The gateway to the steppe
Ulaanbaatar is home to about half of Mongolia's people, in a country of more livestock than humans. It grew from a moving monastery into a Soviet-planned capital of apartment blocks, and it is now a fast-growing city surrounded by districts of gers, the traditional felt tents.
It is the coldest capital in the world, with January days far below freezing, and every trip into the steppe, the Gobi and the lakes starts here.
Two or three days in the city is right, before a tour.
Where to stay
Stay in the centre, within walking distance of Sükhbaatar Square, where most hostels, restaurants and tour agencies are. The traffic is so bad that being central saves hours. Beyond the centre, the city spreads into Soviet-era apartment blocks and then the ger districts on the hills.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 5 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Ulaanbaatar
Gandan Monastery is the heart of Mongolian Buddhism, one of the few monasteries to survive the purges of the 1930s, when thousands of monks were killed. Come in the morning, when monks chant in the halls, and see the 26-metre statue of Avalokiteshvara, Migjid Janraisig, covered in gold; the temple building charges a small fee.
Sükhbaatar Square, also called Chinggis Square, is the city's centre, with a seated statue of Chinggis Khaan in front of the Government Palace. The Chinggis Khaan National Museum, opened in 2022, covers the Mongol Empire and the steppe peoples before it, and is the best museum in the country.
The Choijin Lama Temple Museum, a monastery complex surrounded by modern towers, and the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan, Mongolia's last king, show the city before the Soviets.
In the evening, watch a folk show at the Tumen Ekh ensemble or the national theatre: khöömii throat singing, the horse-head fiddle, contortionists and dance. Climb to the Zaisan Memorial, a Soviet-era monument on the hill south of the city, for a view over the whole valley.
Day trips go to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, with rock formations and ger camps, the giant stainless-steel Chinggis Khaan equestrian statue at Tsonjin Boldog, forty metres tall, and Hustai National Park, where wild takhi horses have been reintroduced.
Free things
Free things to do in Ulaanbaatar
Sükhbaatar Square is free, and so are Gandan Monastery's grounds and the morning chanting you can hear from the courtyards; only the main temple charges.
The view from the Zaisan Memorial is free, and so is walking along Peace Avenue, the main street. The State Department Store, a Soviet-era shop, is a free look at the city's history and the easiest place to buy souvenirs.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Ulaanbaatar
Mongolian food is built for a cold, nomadic life: meat, usually mutton, and dough. Buuz, steamed dumplings, are eaten in huge numbers at Tsagaan Sar, the Lunar New Year. Khuushuur, fried meat pastries, are the street snack, especially at Naadam. Tsuivan, stir-fried noodles with meat and vegetables, is everyday food.
Khorkhog, mutton cooked with hot stones in a sealed churn, is a countryside feast; ask a tour to arrange it. Airag, fermented mare's milk, slightly alcoholic and sour, is the summer drink, and suutei tsai, salty milk tea, is drunk all year.
The city also has a growing range of Korean, Japanese and European restaurants. A local meal is €3 to €8.
Nightlife
Going out in Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar has a lively nightlife for its size: bars, clubs and a craft-beer scene in the centre, busiest on Thursday to Saturday nights. Karaoke is popular, and vodka is the national drink.
Late at night, drunken fights and harassment happen, especially around clubs; go out in groups, and take a booked taxi back.
A beer is €2 to €4.
Getting around
Getting around Ulaanbaatar
The new Chinggis Khaan International Airport, opened in 2021, is about 50 kilometres from the centre, about an hour by taxi or the airport bus. Book a taxi through the UBCab app or your hostel to avoid overcharging.
Traffic jams in Ulaanbaatar are among the worst in Asia; walk in the centre whenever you can. City buses use a prepaid U Money card. Taxis are cheap, and any car may act as an unofficial taxi; agree the price first.
The Trans-Mongolian Railway runs to Beijing and to Irkutsk in Russia. For the steppe, the Gobi and the lakes, join a shared multi-day tour in a Russian UAZ van, with a driver, guide and cook, arranged through hostels and agencies; roads are rough and distances long.
Costs
What Ulaanbaatar costs
Ulaanbaatar is mid-priced. Dorms start around €8 and a careful day is €25 to €35.
Multi-day tours are the main cost, about €50 to €80 a day per person shared, including the driver, guide, food and ger stays. The museums and Gandan's main temple charge a few euros each, and a folk show about €10 to €15.
The currency is the tögrög (MNT); prices here are euro equivalents. Cards and phone payments work in the city; carry cash for the countryside, where there are few ATMs.
Safety
Staying safe in Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is generally safe, but pickpockets and bag slashers work the markets, buses and crowds, especially the Naran Tuul market, the 'black market'; carry little, and keep bags in front.
At night, stay in groups and avoid drunken confrontations.
In winter, air pollution from coal stoves in the ger districts is among the worst in the world, and temperatures fall below -30°C; dress in serious layers.
In the countryside, carry water and sun protection, and tell people your plans.
Emergency numbers are 102 for police and 103 for ambulance.
Day trips from Ulaanbaatar
The steppe begins at the city's edge.
Terelj National Park
Rock formations, rivers and ger camps.
Chinggis Khaan statue
A forty-metre stainless-steel equestrian statue.
Hustai National Park
Wild takhi horses, reintroduced to the steppe.
Gobi Desert
Dunes, canyons, cliffs and camels.
Lake Khövsgöl
A vast, clear northern lake.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Naadam, in July, is the great festival of wrestling, archery and horse racing.
January or February
Tsagaan Sar
Ulaanbaatar
The Lunar New Year.
11–13 July
Naadam
Ulaanbaatar and nationwide
Wrestling, archery and horse racing.
Early October
Golden Eagle Festival
Bayan-Ölgii
Eagle hunters in the far west.
Hostels
Where to stay in Ulaanbaatar
The top-rated places to stay in Ulaanbaatar right now, live from Hostelworld.
Top Tour Guesthouse Mongolia
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
Town Yard Hostel
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
UB Guesthouse & Tours
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
Golden Gobi
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
Sunpath Mongolia
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
When to go
June to September, with Naadam in July. Winters are brutally cold.
Jan
Extreme cold
Feb
Tsagaan Sar
Mar
Cold
Apr
Thawing
May
Good
Jun
Tour season
Jul
Naadam
Aug
Peak
Sep
Good
Oct
Eagle festival
Nov
Cold
Dec
Extreme cold
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. January days are far below freezing.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in tögrög locally; these are euro equivalents. Excludes tours.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Ulaanbaatar travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
When is Naadam?
From 11 to 13 July, with wrestling, archery and horse racing in Ulaanbaatar and across the country. Book accommodation early.
How do I see the Gobi?
On a shared multi-day tour in a UAZ van, arranged through hostels and agencies. A week or more is best.
How cold is it?
The coldest capital in the world: January temperatures regularly fall below -30°C at night. Summers are warm.
How far is the airport?
About 50 kilometres, an hour by taxi or the airport bus.
Can I take the train to Beijing?
Yes, on the Trans-Mongolian Railway, which also runs north to Irkutsk.
How many days do you need?
Two or three in the city, then a tour into the countryside.
When is the best time to visit?
June to September. Winter is brutally cold and polluted.
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