Things to do in Ulaanbaatar
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Ulaanbaatar
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall, late May to early September: long days, steppe green, all tours, camps and performances running.
Connoisseur month: golden larch, crisp air, crowds gone, until the cold snaps shut late in the month.
Worst for a normal leisure trip: extreme cold, valley smog, ice, short days and expedition clothing needed.
Shoulder hazard: dust storms and vicious wind chill despite rising temperatures.
What's on
- Naadam Festival 11-13 July
Wrestling, horse racing and archery, with the opening ceremony on 11 July. Book everything by March.
- Tsagaan Sar (Mongolian Lunar New Year) Jan/Feb (lunar)
Family centred home festival of buuz and elder visiting. A quiet, closed city unless a local family invites you in.
- Khovsgol Ice Festival early March
Ice skating, dog sleds and reindeer on frozen Lake Khovsgol, booked through Ulaanbaatar as a multi-day trip.
- Golden Eagle Festival early October
Held in Bayan-Olgii in the far west, not Ulaanbaatar, but sold as a full package by Ulaanbaatar operators.
Best things to do in Ulaanbaatar
Chinggis Khaan National Museum
Start here for the full Mongolian story, from deer stones and empire to democracy, in a modern nine floor museum.
Gandantegchinlen Monastery
A living monastery of chanting monks and prayer wheels, centred on a huge gilded Avalokiteshvara statue.
Tumen Ekh Ensemble
A one hour folk showcase of throat singing, horsehead fiddle, dance and contortion that has to be heard live.
National Museum of Mongolia
Best for ethnography and costume, with deels, jewellery and nomadic household gear the newer museum covers less.
Sukhbaatar Square
The ceremonial heart of the city and the best place to orient yourself and people watch at the start of a day.
Choijin Lama Temple Museum
A compact, dense temple complex of tsam masks and fierce guardian art wedged between downtown towers.
Bogd Khan Palace Museum
The last king's palace, packed with extraordinary robes, thrones, gifts and a ger lined with leopard skins.
Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts
Serene gilded bronze Buddhas by Zanabazar, Mongolia's greatest artist, plus thangkas spanning centuries.
Where to stay in Ulaanbaatar
Sukhbaatar Square / Baga Toiruu
first trip, all-round base
Historic centre inside the ring road, walkable to both big museums and Gandan, with hotels at every tier.
Olympic Street / Shangri-La and National Amusement Park fringe
first trip, quieter central base
Five to ten minutes south of the Square, newer and quieter, anchored by Shangri-La and the Tumen Ekh theatre.
Zaisan
families, longer stays, return visitors
Affluent, greener district south of the river with views and dining, but bridge traffic for every central sight.
Think twice about
- Ger districts on the northern, western and eastern outskirts
Largely unplanned settlements without running water or sewerage, unpaved unlit roads and the worst winter smoke. Visit a family hosted, do not base here.
- Far Peace Avenue west and far east past Narantuul
Forty five to ninety minutes each way to the Square at peak, fewer restaurants and nothing walkable. Hotels here work as transit stops, not bases.
- Narantuul Market immediate surroundings
The city's most cited pickpocket and bag snatch spot. Visit by day with a guide or hostel group, do not base here.
Best restaurants in Ulaanbaatar
Modern Nomads
The gateway Mongolian meal: buuz, khuushuur, tsuivan and mutton ribs with picture menus marking the meats.
Veranda
A Ulaanbaatar institution for steaks, truffle risotto and a serious wine list, on a summer terrace or warm room.
Rosewood Kitchen + Enoteca
Seasonal Italian with handmade pasta, good steaks and an enoteca wine focus in a polished, relaxed room.
Namaste
Residents' weekly favourite for butter chicken, naan and honey clove tea, with a strong vegetarian range.
Hazara
Cosy, older school Indian cooking praised for butter chicken, garlic naan, chole and saffron rice.
Great Mongol Restaurant & Pub
A big social beer hall for Naadam khuushuur, local draught beer, long shared tables and local company.
Millie's Espresso
Real espresso, American breakfasts and salads, the place to recover from jet lag and get cafe work done.
La Rosa Tapas & Tequila Bar
A loud, fun party restaurant for margaritas, mushroom tacos, burritos and sharing plates with a group.
Outdoor things to do in Ulaanbaatar
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
Alpine valley of larch forest and granite tors for Turtle Rock, a hillside temple, horse riding and ger lunches.
Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex
Ride the lift inside the huge steel horseman to a viewing platform on the horse's head, with a museum in the base.
Hustai National Park
Open steppe where reintroduced takhi wild horses come to water at dawn and dusk, with deer, marmots and eagles.
Bogd Khan Mountain
The sacred forested mountain south of the city where locals hike and picnic to escape the smog.
Manzushir Monastery
Ruined monastery in a beautiful granite valley on the south side of Bogd Khan, good for short hikes and picnics.
Erdene Zuu Monastery
Mongolia's oldest monastery, built from the imperial capital's stones inside a wall of 108 stupas.
Elsen Tasarkhai
A long sand ribbon where steppe, dune and mountain meet, for camel rides, ger stays and clear night skies.
Mount Bogd Golf & Country Club
Mongolia's only international standard grass course, 18 holes beside a sacred mountain, with spa and clubhouse.
Best hotels in Ulaanbaatar
Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar
The most polished full service hotel in Mongolia, with pool, spa and dining attached to the Shangri-La Centre.
Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace
Refined, quieter five star east of the centre, a calmer luxury pick for couples who value quiet over walking.
Best Western Premier Tuushin
Two minutes from Government Palace and the Square, the best located top tier stay for first time ease.
Terelj Hotel
Luxury countryside split stay with valley silence, spa and horse riding from the door, transfers arranged.
H9 Hotel Nine
Locally run, modern and steps from the Square, the resident recommended mid range answer for most visitors.
Urgoo Hotel
Locally owned boutique value in the centre, with character over chain consistency for independent travellers.
Holiday Inn Ulaanbaatar
Modern chain reliability with predictable rooms, breakfast and Wi-Fi after a long flight or before a tour.
Ramada by Wyndham Ulaanbaatar Citycenter
Predictable business chain stay in the centre, chosen on price for zero surprises on a work or tour stop.
Is Ulaanbaatar expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MNT 140,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MNT 490,000 a person |
| Splurge | MNT 1,225,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Tumen Ekh Ensemble: a few days ahead
- Gorkhi-Terelj National Park: a few days ahead
- Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex: a few days ahead
- Hustai National Park: a few days ahead
- Erdene Zuu Monastery: a few days ahead
- Elsen Tasarkhai: a few days ahead
- Mount Bogd Golf & Country Club: weeks ahead
- Chinggis Khaan Golf & Country Club: a few days ahead
- Months ahead: Naadam week hotels and ceremony tickets, top hotels for July, multi-day tours in June to August, summer golf weekends.
- Days ahead: Tumen Ekh confirmed by hotel phone call, Veranda and Rosewood weekend dinners, top rated private day tours.
- Walk-in is fine for museums and monasteries if you go early, and for most Mongolian restaurants off peak.
Is Ulaanbaatar safe?
- Petty theft is the main risk in crowds at Narantuul, the State Department Store, Gandan gates and on buses. Carry valuables at the front.
- Fake police around the Square may demand to inspect your wallet. Real police do not need it in the street; insist on a police station.
- Avoid walking alone after dark outside the lit centre and app-book taxis door to door after drinking.
- Bigger real risks are road accidents, extreme winter cold and stray dogs in the outskirts. Choose reputable operators.
Ulaanbaatar travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Sukhbaatar Square as a paid half day attraction: it is twenty minutes plus photos.
- Chinggis Statue without Terelj, or the reverse sold as rushed halves. The combined day is the product.
- Cashmere too cheap to be true is not cashmere or is a low blend. Buy on the fibre label from a reputable shop.
- Luxury ger camps booked on photos alone: confirm bathroom, heating and transfer inclusion before paying.
Getting around Ulaanbaatar: public transport and more
- Walk the centre, taxi everything else. Download UBCab before arriving and pin your hotel on offline maps.
- Traffic is the main trip hazard: peak journeys can take three to four times the map estimate, so build in buffers.
- New airport is about 50km south. Pre-book your arrival transfer and allow one to one and a half hours each way.
- At 1,350m and very dry, carry water, lip balm and moisturiser, and expect alcohol to hit harder.
Who Ulaanbaatar suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Ulaanbaatar your trip
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