Ulaanbaatar: Mongolia’s Capital and Starting Point

The Gandan Monastery’s 26-metre copper Migjid Janraisig statue was dismantled in 1938 under Stalin’s orders and shipped to the Soviet Union. The official reason given was war materials; the statue was melted for ammunition or repurposed. Hundreds of monks were executed in the same purge; most of Mongolia’s 700-plus monasteries were destroyed. The statue in the temple today is a 1996 reconstruction, built on the exact form of the original. Knowing this when you visit changes the room: the devotion around the reconstruction becomes something more specific than generic religious sentiment.

Ulaanbaatar is home to around half of Mongolia’s 3.4 million people, one of the most extreme concentrations of a national population in a single city in the world. The city sits at 1,350 metres elevation in the Tuul River valley, between four sacred mountains. Winter temperatures regularly reach minus 30-40°C. Summer temperatures reach 35°C. The annual temperature range is over 60 degrees, among the most extreme of any capital city.

Most visitors use UB as a starting point for the Mongolian countryside rather than as a destination. The city repays 2-3 days of genuine attention.

Gandan Monastery

The Gandantegchinlen Monastery (usually shortened to Gandan) is an active Tibetan Buddhist monastery complex on the western edge of the city. Built in the 1840s, severely damaged in the Stalinist purges of 1937 (when hundreds of monks were killed and most of Mongolia’s 700+ monasteries were destroyed), it was preserved partly as a museum and partly continued functioning through the Soviet period.

The main attraction is the 26-metre copper Migjid Janraisig statue inside the main temple: covered in gold paint, studded with semi-precious stones, it was dismantled and taken to the Soviet Union in 1938 and replaced with a modern reconstruction in 1996. The original was melted for ammunition.

Morning prayer services (around 08:00-09:00) are the right time to visit: monks in burgundy robes, the sound of horns and drums, active religious practice rather than a museum experience. Entry to the monastery grounds is around MNT 5,000 (about USD 1.50); the main Migjid Janraisig temple charges a separate fee of around MNT 10,000.

The National Museum of Mongolia

Sukhbaatar Square (the central plaza), around 15 minutes’ walk east of Gandan. The National Museum is the best single introduction to Mongolian history: Bronze Age artefacts, Khitan and Mongolian Imperial era pieces, a full set of traditional nomadic clothing and items including a complete ger (yurt) interior. The explanations are in Mongolian and English.

Entry around MNT 10,000. Closed Monday.

Sukhbaatar Square itself: the large central square named for the 1921 revolutionary, dominated by the government palace with a large Chinggis (Genghis) Khan statue at the centre. The square is where national events happen and where UB residents walk in the evenings in summer.

The Zanabazar Museum

The Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum (near Sukhbaatar Square) holds the most important collection of traditional Mongolian Buddhist art, including sculptures and thangka paintings attributed to Zanabazar (1635-1723), the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu (spiritual leader) of Mongolia and a skilled artist. The bronze sculptures are exceptional - technically sophisticated and stylistically distinct from Tibetan equivalents. Entry around MNT 6,000.

The Black Market (Narantuul Market)

The Narantuul market is called the Black Market not because of its products but because it was historically an informal market outside official Soviet-era commerce. Now it is the largest market in Mongolia: several city blocks of covered and open stalls selling everything from electronics to saddles to cashmere to second-hand motorcycles.

The cashmere section is the main draw for visitors. Mongolia produces about 40% of the world’s cashmere; Ulaanbaatar has competitive prices for raw and finished products. A full-length cashmere coat runs USD 150-400; a sweater USD 30-80. The quality varies. Gobi cashmere (a Mongolian brand with fixed-price shops in the city and at the airport) is more expensive but reliable. The market itself has lower prices with more variation in quality.

Pickpocketing at Narantuul is common; keep bags in front and do not carry valuables in external pockets.

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

48km northeast of UB, accessible by road in about 1.5-2 hours. Terelj is the closest steppe and mountain landscape to the capital: granite rock formations, river valley, the Tuul River tributary (Tuul Gol). The Aryabal Meditation Temple sits on a cliff accessible by stairs cut into the rock.

Ger camps in Terelj offer overnight stays in traditional round felt tents with wood stoves, around USD 30-60 per person including meals. The camp operators typically provide horses for riding (USD 15-25/hour with a guide). This is the most practical overnight experience of Mongolian steppe life available from Ulaanbaatar without a longer tour.

Naadam Festival

Mongolia’s Naadam festival runs from 11-13 July each year. The three “manly sports” are wrestling, horse racing, and archery. The main Naadam in Ulaanbaatar is at the National Sports Stadium; tickets for the opening ceremony and stadium events run USD 15-50.

The horse racing takes place 30km outside the city at Khui Doloon Khudag. The races cover distances of 20-30km across open steppe; riders are children aged 7-12. The children train for months; the competition is intense. Spectators watch from informal positions along the course.

Book accommodation for Naadam 3-6 months ahead. The city fills.

Eating

Mongolian food is based on meat (mutton primarily) and dairy products. The traditional diet reflected the nomadic need for calorie density and long shelf life.

Modern Nomads Restaurant (Peace Avenue): the best-known restaurant for Mongolian cuisine in tourist contexts. Serves buuz (steamed meat dumplings), khorkhog (pressure-cooked lamb with hot stones inside a sealed container), and tsuivan (hand-pulled noodles with meat). Around MNT 15,000-30,000 per person.

Millie’s Café (centrally located near Sukhbaatar Square): Western breakfast and café food, popular with expats and travellers needing a reliable coffee. Around MNT 10,000-20,000.

Hazara Restaurant (Indian): a long-established Indian restaurant in UB with a Mongolian-Indian clientele. Useful for dietary variety after a nomad ger trip. Around MNT 15,000-25,000.

Airag (fermented mare’s milk) is drunk in summer, when mares are lactating. It is mildly alcoholic, sour, and an acquired taste. It is offered in ger camps and by vendors at Naadam. Accepting when offered by a Mongolian host is the polite response.

Where to Stay

Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar (Olympic Street): the main luxury hotel in the city, attached to a shopping mall, around USD 180-300 per night. The reliable option for business travellers and those who want predictable Western-standard service.

Blue Sky Hotel (Peace Avenue): a mid-range tower hotel above the central bus station, around USD 80-150 per night. Good central location.

Nomad’s Guest House (side streets near the centre): a small guesthouse popular with backpackers, helpful staff who can organise tours and transport, dorms from around USD 10-15 per night, private rooms from USD 25-40.

Getting There and Around

Chinggis Khaan International Airport: the main international airport is 52km from the city centre, opened in 2021 to replace the Soviet-era Buyant-Ukhaa airport. MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Air China, Korean Air, and Turkish Airlines serve it from Beijing, Seoul, Moscow, Frankfurt, and other hubs. Transfer to the city: taxi around MNT 50,000-70,000 (USD 15-20), or infrequent bus. Allow 1-1.5 hours for the road journey.

Trans-Mongolian Railway: connects Ulaanbaatar to Beijing (30 hours) and Moscow (6 days). The UB station is central.

Getting around UB: taxis are unmetered and fares are negotiated or set by app (Taxify/Bolt is active in Ulaanbaatar). Public buses are functional but crowded at peak hours. Walking is practical in the central city.