Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар) — also Ulan Bator, UB, or in the local language, Khot ("the city") — is the capital and the largest city of Mongolia. With more than 1.6 million residents as of 2023, Ulaanbaatar is home to roughly half of Mongolia's population and serves as the starting point for pretty much all travel to Mongolia.

Founded and established by warlords of the Mongol Empire in the 16th century, Ulaanbaatar is roughly 1,300-1,400 meters above sea level and is situated on a valley in the Tuul River.

Ulaanbaatar is a modern and clean city populated with beautiful landmarks such as the Green Palace, universities such as the National University of Mongolia, fancy skyscrapers, hotels, monasteries, museums, and malls showcasing local and international brands. A number of national parks and protected areas (the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park being the most popular one) belong to the city.

Due to its high elevation and distance from any major body of water, Ulaanbaatar has the onerous distinction of being the world's coldest capital city. Ulaanbaatar winters are notorious for being harsh, dry, and bitterly cold; winter temperatures range from -20° to -50° Celsius.

Understand
Ulaanbaatar has many different and distinct layers. Long gone are the days when this city was just a typical, drab Soviet-bloc town in the middle of nowhere. One can witness the traditional, the Soviet, and the super-modern, all within a 5 minute walk through the city.

Ulaanbaatar lies in the Altan Tevshiin Kundii (Valley of the Golden Cradle). Here the rivers Selbe and Tuul meet at the foot of the imposing Bogd Uul Mountain. In the forested and watered zone of northern Mongolia, it resides near the 2,000-year-old royal tombs of the Xiongnu, the 8th-century Turkic inscription of General Tonyukuk, and the birthplace of Genghis Khan. From the 20,000-year-old Paleolithic settlement on the Zaisan monument to the 12th century palace of the Nestorian Christian monarch Toghrul, there is a lot to learn and discover about this deep first layer of Ulaanbaatar.

The second layer is the Urga or Örgöö of 1639-1778 — what would become Ulaanbaatar was established as a nomadic monastic center for the spiritual leader Zanabazar in 1639 — 230 kilometres (143 miles) southwest of today's Ulaanbaatar. The monastic center moved repeatedly and eventually settled at its present location in 1778, along a trading route between Russia and China. This mobile monastery era survives today as cultural forms (Genghisid memory, Mongolian temple architecture, wooden-fenced ger districts, Mongolian script, and Buddhism, traditional clothing, festivals, wrestling, music), and as physical artifacts kept in museums (Zanabazar masterpieces).

The third layer is the late Qing dynasty Urga of 1778-1924 which can be found in surviving buildings such as the Gandan monastery.

The fourth layer is the socialist period of 1924-1990 which saw the destruction of temples, the confiscation of private property, and Stalinist purges, but also the emergence of Mongolia as a modern, independent nation with Ulaanbaatar as its showcase. It was in this period that the city was named Ulaanbaatar khot, literally "Red Hero City".

The fifth layer, corresponding to the decade of the 1990s, was a stagnant period marked by poverty and bread lines which left a poor impression on the few visitors who passed through the city after its opening from communism.

The newest sixth layer is the Ulaanbaatar of 2000 to the present, which saw the city over double in size to its current 1.6 million. However, while the center now has glittery skyscrapers, fashion boutiques and epic traffic jams, many poor migrants huddle in ger (yurt) districts on the outskirts of the city without basic amenities like running water and sewage. The residents of the ger districts have effectively become refugees in their own country, as the government has attempted to clamp down on rural-to-urban migration by not allowing new arrivals to register in the city, thus depriving them of the ability to access healthcare, employment and education in some instances.

Orientation
Peace Avenue (Enkh Taivny Örgön Chölöö) is the main street, stretching from east to west through the center with shopping and restaurants all along it. This street dates back to old Urga when it was called the Chölöö (Broad Avenue). The Chinese financed its paving in the 1950s. The street passes by the southern edge of the central square, Sükhbaatar Square, which has roots in the central square of old Urga. The tourist information office is in the south flank of the town hall in the western corner of Chinggis Square.

The city center is defined by the Ikh Toiruu (Great Ring Road) which has its origin in the prayer route of pilgrims circling the central temple-palace complex of Urga. Peace Avenue crosses the middle of the ring road horizontally while the southern part of the ring road is the Narnii Zam road ("Road of the Sun" built with Japanese support). South of the Narni Zam road is the affluent southern part of Ulaanbaatar with luxury apartments lining the Tuul River.

Ger districts line the northern part of the city center and stretch 7 km north to the Dambadarjaalin Monastery built in 1765. North of Dambadarjaalin Monastery starts the Zuslan or summer vacation area, where charming summer houses stretch 14 km to Khandgait.

Many families in Ulaanbaatar have a zuslan building (similar to Russian dachas) where they spend the summer among the forests and natural scenery of the Selbe river valley. Some herding families graze their horses and cows freely in this area. The scenery gets more dramatic going east towards the Terelj area with big rock formations and wildflower valleys. Tours go past Terelj to the 1740 Gunjiin Sum Princess Temple and the Khagiin Khar lake.

The southern edge of Ulaanbaatar is marked by its boundary with the town of Zuunmod on the south side of the Bogd Uul mountain. The 1778 shrine of Tsetsee Gun on the peak and the 1747 ruins of the Manjusri Monastery are on top of the mountain. South of the mountain starts an endless sea of grassland steppe gradually merging into the Gobi Desert 300 km south of UB. Day trips to the east include the Tsonjin Boldog Genghis Khan Statue. Day trips to the west include the Hustai Nuruu National Park, Aglag Meditation Center and Ögii Lake.

History
At the time when Ulaanbaatar was founded as Urga in 1639 by Genghisid nobles, Mongolia was actually a serious contender for power in East Asia. The last Great Khan, Ligdan, had died in 1634, and Manchus were rising in the east — but the independent Mongols had been revitalized by a Buddhist renaissance in the 1570s, and raids under Altan Khan were carried out as far afield as Beijing. A firmer union of the Western Oirats and Eastern Genghisids would have sufficed to fend off the Manchus. The 1640 Mongol-Oirat Code of Law united the East and West, but this union failed to last long. What did survive from this period was the union of the Eastern Mongols cemented in 1639 with the founding of Urga. The Mongol nobles installed one of their own, Zanabazar, the son of Tüsheet Khan Gombodorj (1594-1655) and a direct descendant of Genghis Khan, as the supreme lama of the Mongols. His residence, called Örgöö or Urga, meaning "palace-yurt", was some 250 km west of the current site of the city, near the ancient Mongol capital of Karakorum. In 1651, the first Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, Zanabazar, returned from studies in Tibet and established seven monastic departments in Urga. The mobile monastery gradually became a mobile city, moving every few years as needed. Urga was moved 25 times between its founding in 1639 and settling in its current location in 1778, by which time it had several thousand tents and temples and was served by trade routes from China and Russia. It was also estimated to have about 10,000 monks. The Gandan Monastery was established in 1809 and became the center of learning for all of Mongolia, and one of the most important monasteries in Tibetan Buddhism.

The city continued to grow through the 19th century as a provincial capital of the Qing Empire and a center of religion and trade. Russian influence in Mongolia became significant in the late 18th century, and a two-story Russian consulate was opened in 1865 as an upgrade from the 18th century wooden quarters of the Russian representative. Mongolia was, in practice, a buffer between Russia and China, with plenty of local autonomy through the Bogd Jebtsundamba and Mongolian nobles.

In 1911, the 8th Bogd Khan declared independence from China, leading to a long unstable period in the city's history including an occupation by a Chinese warlord in 1919. However, the Chinese were expelled by the White Russian Roman von Ungern-Sternberg, aka the "Mad Baron", in 1921. This forced the Soviet Union to intervene and set up a puppet state in what was then known as Outer Mongolia. The country was nominally independent but essentially a satellite state of the USSR. In 1924, the city's name changed from Urga to Ulaanbaatar ("Red Hero"). Many of the monasteries and temples were destroyed in the religious purges of the 1930s.

Following the end of the Second World War, the old ger districts were largely cleared for Soviet-style city apartments, offices, and factories. The Trans-Mongolian Railway was completed in 1956, connecting Ulaanbaatar to Beijing and Moscow. Gandan Monastery was reopened during a visit by US Vice President Henry Wallace in 1944, when he asked to see a monastery.

Since the democratic revolution in 1990, the population of the city has almost tripled from 540,600 (1989) to 1.6 million (2020) - with thousands moving in from the countryside. The commercial and residential real estate sectors have boomed since 2000, though large factories have closed and much of the city still lives in the slum-like ger districts.

Climate
Although summer day temperatures can be around 20°C, the city shivers in sub-zero temperatures for five months of the year. January and February are the coldest months, with temperatures hovering between -15°C to -30°C at night. As a result of these prolonged periods of intense cold, the city has an average annual temperature of −0.4°C (31.3 °F), giving it the dubious distinction of being the world's coldest capital. The cold is dry, however, and there is not much wind chill due to temperature inversion. Heat island effect also means the city center is warmer than the outskirts. Summer can be very hot at times, so one should avoid heat stress and use sunscreen when necessary.

If you have breathing problems, be aware that Ulaanbaatar has high levels of air pollution during the winter. However, away from the city, the countryside air is gorgeous. In winter, air pollution starts at 19:00, when ger district residents start burning coal for heat, and lasts till about 10:00 the next morning. It is severe in northern parts of the city close to the ger districts, but gets sparse going south from Chinggis Square and is almost absent near Zaisan, at the southern edge of the city where there are no ger districts. The air pollution lifts in early March and the city remains pollution-free (excluding car exhaust) until November.

By plane


Getting to the airport takes about 50-100 minutes depending on traffic. Public transport buses run from 5 AM to midnight, but taxis and the new Ulaanbaatar Airport shuttle are more reliable. Taxis cost a steep 85,000-120,000 ₮ depending on your destination, be sure to agree on the price in advance. The Ulaanbaatar Airport Shuttle costs 20,000 MNT - 30,000 MNT depending on the size of the shuttle.

By train
Direct (if long) journeys are possible from destinations between Moscow and Beijing on the Trans-Mongolian line of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Ulaanbaatar-bound trains leave Beijing once a week, on Wednesday, and seats can only be reserved at the International Hotel in Beijing, a ten-minute walk north of the main rail station. The journey takes about 30 hours. Packing a face mask is a good idea as sandstorms in the Gobi desert may cause difficulty in breathing. Shorter-haul trains also run to the Chinese border towns of Erlian and Jining 3-4 times a week. Ulaanbaatar's is on Narni Zam road, about 3 km west of the city centre. The cheapest option is the daily 18:05 departure to Zamyn Uud on the Mongolian side of the Chinese border. You can buy a connecting bus ticket from Zamyn Uud to Erlian on the Chinese side for 10000₮ in the railway office in Ulaanbaatar. After COVID-19 related suspending for 3 years, train service between China and Mongolia was restored, but only between Ulaanbaatar and Erenhot.

In Moscow, trains to Ulaanbaatar depart Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (the latter two are express runs), for a journey that lasts 100 hours or a little over 4 days. There's also a daily train to/from Irkutsk, which can also be reached from Vladivostok at the eastern end of the Trans-Siberian.

By car
What few paved roads exist in Mongolia generally go to and from Ulaanbaatar. Thus, getting to UB from elsewhere in Mongolia on a paved road is very easy, because all you have to do is just follow the pavement. However, if you're driving one of the dirt tracks that characterize the majority of the country's road network, it pays to have a map.

Coming from the north, the paved road starts at the Russian border at Sühbaatar. Coming from the south, the paved road starts at the Chinese border at Zamyn-Üüd, passing through the vast Gobi Desert along the way. Coming from the northeast, the paved road starts at Bulgan. Finally, from the west, the road starts in either Bayanhongor in the southwest or Tsetserleg further north.

By bus
Once in the country, it should not be difficult to find a bus going to UB, at least from larger towns. However, bus stops are difficult to locate, with buses usually just stopping in populated areas. Furthermore, Mongolian buses are notorious for being late — in some cases by a day or more. Buses from Russia, the west, north and south usually go to Dragon Center, while those from China and the east go to Bayanzurkh bus station, just east of the Officer Monument at the east end of Peace Avenue.


 * Expect long journeys. The 600km kilometre journey to Murun takes 12-14 hours, and when you look on Google Maps it seems you have barely moved from Ulaanbaatar, given the size of the country.

From Russia, there are also UB-bound buses from Ulan Ude, leaving at 07:30 from the old bus station (Старый Автовокзал) via the Altanbulag border crossing. The trip usually takes about 12 hours, including customs processing — much faster than the train — and tickets cost ₽1800 one-way. Night buses leave on Fridays and Sundays at 19:00. Buses arrive and depart from the Dragon Bus station. Any travel agency should be able to book tickets or you can buy them at either bus station.

Get around
Street names are rarely known by Mongolians, and they usually only appear on maps and official addresses. Official addresses list the district, microdistrict (usually a large block bounded by major streets), and the building number. However, since blocks can have dozens of buildings, with more continuously being squeezed in between existing ones, addresses are not very helpful for navigation. Instead, it's best to have directions for major landmarks using lots of descriptions (i.e. "turn right at the first traffic signal west of the State Department Store"). Some major streets to know are Peace Avenue, UB's main road which runs west-to-east in front of Chinggis Square; Chinggis Boulevard, running north-to-south on the east side of the square, then veering west toward the airport in front of Bogd Khan Winter Palace; and Seoul Street, which runs west from Chinggis Boulevard just south of Chinggis Square.

By taxi
If you stand in the street and hold out your arm, usually within seconds somebody will have stopped to pick you up. This system can be quick and reliable, especially during the cold winter, but it can cause problems as many drivers will only speak Mongolian. Taxis are cheap: the going rate is around 1000₮ per kilometer, but if you're a foreigner, they'll overcharge you and there's really no way to get around it completely. (In extreme circumstances, opportunistic younger drivers have been known to try to hold passengers or their luggage at ransom until they pay extraordinary amounts of money!) A good tip is to carry a small written note with an amount in tögrög (500₮, 1000₮, 1500₮, etc.) and show them exactly what you are willing to pay before you get on. If the driver does not seem aggressive, you can get yourself out of this situation by knowing a few local words - particularly yes, no, and any numbers. Remember, even if you pay 4000 tögrög for a journey, though this is a higher fare than a local would pay, it is still only just over $1. So use your judgement.

The current price of gasoline is $5/gallon, 3710₮/litre, so you can judge whether some of these prices are realistic given market conditions.

UB also now has a fleet of new white cabs with large LCD-screen fare meters on the dash. Always negotiate the fare in advance, don't be fooled by tricks like "I meant 3000₮ for each of you", and avoid random cars that offer taxi service.


 * Download UBCab to order taxis quickly to your location. You do not enter the destination into the app, but simply order the cab and then instruct the driver where to go once you get in.
 * Download UBCab to order taxis quickly to your location. You do not enter the destination into the app, but simply order the cab and then instruct the driver where to go once you get in.
 * Download UBCab to order taxis quickly to your location. You do not enter the destination into the app, but simply order the cab and then instruct the driver where to go once you get in.

By bus
Buses in UB come in several different varieties. At the top of the scale, regularly scheduled municipal buses operate on a widespread network that extends right to the outskirts of town, for a flat rate of 500₮. As well, there's an almost equally extensive network of microbuses charging from 300-500₮, distinguished by a person hanging out the window at each stop and shouting the name of the destination in rapid-fire Mongolian. Finally, there is also a cheaper (300₮) but slower and less extensive network of electric trolleybuses. To use the municipal and trolleybuses you need a U card, which can be purchased at many kiosks and shops for 3000₮. You load credit and touch it to the reader when entering the bus. If you touch it on the reader when getting off you can get a second ride for free if you board within 30 minutes.

As in any city, be wary of pickpockets on the buses, especially when the buses are crowded.

By foot
Within the quite compact city center, walking is a viable option. Ulaanbaatar stretches from east to west along the aforementioned Peace Avenue, making navigating the center a cinch. Outside the center, in the ger districts, it's a different story entirely: a good city map, available at the airport or the Mongolian Government Map Shop, is a must if you plan to go off the beaten path. You'll find the map shop directly on the Ikh Toiruu ring road: head west three blocks from the State Department Store, then turn right (north) at the first traffic light and proceed for about half a block. The Map Shop is behind the blue and yellow Elba Appliance store.

See
Most tourist sites have a separate camera/video fee (typically 5000-10,000₮) in addition to the entrance fee.

Monasteries




Monuments and memorials


Despite news about the removal of Lenin's statue, Ulaanbaatar still boasts a wealth of other interesting statues and public art beyond what's mentioned above. Prominently, former Communist leaders Choibalsan and Tsedenbal are memorialized north of the Government House, as is Sanjaasürengiin Zorig, leader of the 1990 democratic revolution, at a location southwest of Chinggis Square. There are also many lesser-known statues scattered through the city: there's a bust of Stalin inside a beer garden south of Chinggis Square, some old Soviet murals on the side of apartment buildings north of the Bogd Khan Winter Palace, and you'll even see The Beatles and the villain from the movie Predator holding court in front of the State Department Store and in front of a small office building 100 m northeast of there, respectively.

Outdoors

 * Bogd Uul, the mountain ridge south of town, is a great place for a hike. To get there, take the #7, #33 or #43 bus from in front of the Bayangol Hotel to the south end of the line. From there, the road continues south about 100 m, whereupon you'll come to a checkpoint. Proceed, bear left when the road forks, and you'll soon find yourself in a ger camp with a small stream flowing north. This is where the hiking path itself begins, on the left (east) side of the stream. At the top of the ridge, veer west and proceed through the woods for an easy amble of about two or three hours (you'll come to a high point about 500 m past the turn). At the end of that stretch, you have the option of either branching off to the west or else continuing straight and slightly east to Bogd Uul Mountain (this path is marked with orange paint marks on the trees). That part of the trip is quite long — about 10 km one-way — and more challenging, with varying elevations.



Miscellaneous

 * Get an inexpensive massage at one of the many massage spas on Peace Avenue.

Learn
The (ACMS) provides in-depth insight via an academic approach into Mongolian culture. The center has a study room and library of Mongolia-related material, with Internet access. It is on the campus of the Mongolian National University, on the third floor of Building #5.

As well, there are several Mongolian-language schools throughout the city.

On Facebook look for various learning clubs or English-learning local clubs offering local meetups and you may attend some of them to learn local culture or to participate in interesting local activities.

Buy


Cash is becoming less and less common, with many shops, eateries, and even street vendors and taxi drivers accepting bank transfer (using SMS or banking apps), QR code payment (multiple systems in use), and debit/credit cards. As a visitor, have cash and a paywave-enabled card.

It's relatively easy to find an ATM to withdraw cash. Most ATMs accept foreign credit and debit cards to withdraw tögrög (the local currency) as long as you have informed your bank ahead of time as to your Mongolian travel plans; most will charge you a foreign currency conversion fee of about 3%. Besides Visa, other card types are also accepted, but not as widely: for example, the machines in the Central Post Office and along the main street will not accept foreign MasterCards, although they bear the logo. The only ATM that accepts Cirrus cards is the one at the airport.

UB also has many banks and exchange offices where tögrög can be obtained. Golomt and TDB are the most reliable banks for currency exchange, the former of which can give up to US$500 per day cash advance on MasterCard and Visa and also accepts American Express. Exchange offices can mainly be found along Peace Avenue in the city center, including one on the ground floor of the State Department Store. However, you'll find better rates at the one on the second floor of the Flower Center, on Peace Avenue one block west of the Post Office. Lastly, major hotels like the Ulaanbaatar Hotel will exchange money 24/7 at the reception, which may be your only option if you arrive very late in the day. Keep in mind that you'll need a form of ID to exchange foreign currency - a passport will do.

See Mongolia for exchange rates for the tögrög.

Souvenir shops
Ulaanbaatar has a host of souvenir shops aimed at both Western and East Asian tourists, mostly along Peace Avenue west of Chinggis Square. Traditional clothes, boots and hats, cashmere garments, jewelry, leather wall hangings, miniature gers, bow-and-arrow sets, and paintings are among the typical inventory. While the quality of the goods varies, prices are usually high.



Eat
Ulaanbaatar has a good range of options serving Mongolian, Asian (particularly Korean and Chinese), and Western cuisine — and at decent prices. For instance, you can get perfectly good pizza for 5000₮, and even a night out at a fancy French cafe shouldn't pass 30,000₮. Consider splurging on a couple of good meals here, especially if you're headed for a long trek into the country where fresh vegetables and the like are often hard to come by and prohibitively expensive. Best of all, UB's rapidly growing wealth has meant a steady procession of ever newer, ever higher-quality restaurants, as well as the appearance of international chains like KFC, Round Table Pizza, and Cinnabon.

Vegan
Mongolia's Buddhist history means that vegan and vegetarian restaurants are plentiful, and quality is high. Traditional Mongolian foods like buuz (steamed dumplings) and khushuur (fried dumplings) have vegan versions available at vegan restaurants; if you have dietary restrictions, you won't have to miss out on traditional food. In the city centre around the Sukhbaatar Square

Budget
Throughout Ulaanbaatar are many small canteens (Гуанз) and coffeeshops (Цайны Газар). Try one of these for cheap Mongolian food. Buuz usually costs 400-600₮. As well, most universities (particularly the Mongolian National University and the Mongolian University of Science and Technology) have good cheap cafeterias with meals from 1800₮ to about 2500₮.

Khaan Buuz (Хаан Бууз) serves up set meals of Mongolian favorites (buuz is a Mongolian meat dumpling) from 5000₮, just look for the lime green facades.

CU and GS25 are ubiquitous Korean-style convenience stores that offer good cheap fast food and eating space at their stores; prices range from 2000-8500₮. Be circumspect of frozen foods, check for freezer burn, and products tainted from power failures and spoilage.

Splurge
It's hard to spend outrageous sums of money eating out in Ulaanbaatar: the most expensive meals in the city will be around 60,000₮ a person. That is, unless you're drinking: whiskey or any other non-vodka liquors can be a bit pricey.
 * Caucasia: Just behind the circus. Serving Armenian and Georgian cuisine. Excellent quality.
 * Chojin: In front of the Chojin Lama Museum on the ground floor of an office building. Serves a small but excellent selection of Mediterranian dishes. Very popular business dinner location for the locals. Reservation recommended.
 * Hana Japanese Restaurant. On Chinggis Avenue next to the National Library, on the first floor of an office building. Impossible to spot from the outside, just go in and ask at the reception. You get advised to follow a fire security stairway up. Despite the non-glamorous arrival, the Hana is a high-end Japanese restaurant. Elegant atmosphere. Excellent Japanese dishes including udon soups, sushi and barbecue. Meals up to 30.000 T. Including starters and drinks, be prepared to spend 50.000-60.000 T.
 * Zoma
 * Route 22
 * Veranda
 * Namaste
 * Torres
 * Zoma
 * Route 22
 * Veranda
 * Namaste
 * Torres
 * Torres

Bars
Nightlife in Ulaanbaatar is surprisingly wild, especially on Wednesday, Saturday, and (above all) Friday nights, when finding a seat is nearly impossible. If you like raving the night away to trance, techno, electronica, and house music, this is the scene for you. Beer in clubs costs about 3500₮, while other drinks such as vodka are sold by quantity: for example a 100g vodka costs about 4500₮. According to state law, all clubs and pubs (bars) must stop serving alcohol after midnight and close at 03:00, but some clubs stay open (and continue serving!) until 04:00. On the other hand, the prohibition against serving alcohol on the 1st of each month is universally adhered to, even if it falls on a weekend.

Especially after dark, and especially on the aforementioned three busiest days of the week, it's best to go out clubbing in groups rather than alone: not only will you be less likely to run afoul of shady characters, but authorities take a hard line against public intoxication, and the Mongolian drunk tank is not a pleasant place to be. As well, the clubs in the 3rd district and the Sansar microdistrict are best avoided. Be sure to apologize if you hit someone or step on their feet accidentally, because this is a rather considerable breach of local etiquette. If you step on someones feet accidentally, offer to shake their hand. This is Mongolian custom, and will also win you praise and respect amongst locals.



If clubbing isn't your thing, UB also has its share of more sedate pubs to choose from.



Cafes
Ulaanbaatar's coffee scene is exploding, with multiple Korean coffee chains as well as more boutique offerings available throughout the city.





Sleep
During the annual Naadam festival in July, it's almost impossible to get any kind of accommodation in UB without prior reservations.

Budget
Nowadays, budget accommodation in Ulaanbaatar tends to give the best deals for a traveller. Usually a bed in a clean dormitory costs US$5-10 and a double room should be under US$30 a night.

Beyond what's listed below, another option for budget travellers who want a taste of authentic Mongolian culture yet are in a hurry or don't want to do longer trekking trips is a ger homestay with a herder family living in the countryside outside UB. Usually it is possible to participate in their daily life, e.g. milking cows or chopping wood. Horseback riding might be offered as well. Some travel agencies are able to establish contact with families, including Stone Horse Mongolia and Ger to Ger.



Mid-range
Ulaanbaatar has plenty of options for budget travellers and big spenders, but not so much for those in the middle.



Connect
On Peace Avenue at the southwest corner of Chinggis Square, Ulaanbaatar's not only sells stamps but also a wide variety of reasonably priced postcards (though they may take up to two months to reach their destination!) Also check out their large collections of decorative stamps.

Mobile phone operators around town offer prepaid GSM SIM cards, handset rentals (Mobicom), and extensive roaming options. As well, prepaid cards such as BodiCom are another convenient and relatively inexpensive way to make an international call.

Internet cafes are scattered around the city; the going rate is about 400-800₮ per hour. Also, many restaurants and coffeehouses offer free WiFi.

Crime
While crime rates in Ulaanbaatar are said to be among the highest of any Asian city, this generally applies less to the city center than the underdeveloped ger districts on the outskirts of town: poorly lit shantytowns crisscrossed by maze-like dirt alleys and row upon row of fences; not the kind of place most tourists would be interested in to begin with. Nonetheless, it might be a good idea to avoid going out at night alone (though it's usually perfectly fine to do so in groups). This goes double for relatively deserted areas away from major routes, and for rowdy nightlife districts. Although most large buildings have security guards, they're only there to keep drunks and homeless people out, so don't expect much help from them if a crime is committed against you.

Unfortunately, xenophobia and violence towards foreigners is common. Alcoholism is a huge social problem and Mongolia has some of the highest rates of liver cancer in the world. Do not acknowledge or approach any Mongolian man under the influence of alcohol. Many foreigners who go to bars and clubs at night report assault and general aggression.

While muggings, assaults, and taxi scams all occasionally occur, the main crime for foreigners to be concerned about is pickpocketing. This is especially a problem at the Naran Tuul market, at the bus stops close to the State Department Store, and on crowded buses in general. If you've been attacked or pickpocketed, take time to make a deposition at the district police station, and let your country's embassy know.

Though unmarked taxis are common and generally nothing to fear, it's probably a good idea to get a local to serve as an interpreter and explain the fare system, and to keep an eye on where the taxi is taking you. Sometimes unmarked taxi drivers will try to take people, especially drunk tourists, down a dark alley and demand their cell phone or cash.

Hotel scams
Vacation home hosting is common in UB, foreign investors, locals, and real estate developers list available apartments on the usual booking sites. The frequency of fraud or crime with these listings is probably just as common as in established hotels elsewhere in the world, but there are some additional things to look out for, when an established hotel might seem to otherwise provide safety in numbers.

Vacation rentals might be apartments in locations that have been caused to be otherwise unliveable due to nuisance conditions created with the intention of driving tenants or owners out. New construction in some areas is shoddy with thin walls and no privacy, projects are colonized by organized criminals gangs, retail spaces nearby might be venues for organized trafficking in persons. New buildings as elsewhere in Asia, are liable to be financed by organized crime groups from the usual places, largely unoccupied, unsecured and wholly thrown open for arbitrary use within international trafficking rings.

Irregular hotels operated by noncitizens may be located in mixed use buildings or apartment complexes with persistent crime presence. In areas with high methamphetamine drug use, it might be difficult even to determine the nature or intent of the criminal actors.

Road and traffic hazards
Walking on the streets at any time is a hazardous affair, as there are open manholes, reckless drivers, and (from October to March) ice on the roads to contend with. The automobile culture in UB is too new for safe driving systems and habits to have taken root among the public: if you're crossing the street, even at a designated crosswalk and even if in theory you have the right of way, don't expect anyone (even buses and police) to stop or even slow down for you. You will get honked and shouted at, however.

Child beggars
This is a common sight on the streets of UB that may tug at the heartstrings of well-off Western tourists, but the reality is a bit more complicated than it may appear. Any money you give will often go straight into the pockets of their teenage "pimps", so your donation may not help the kids. It also pays to be on your guard when they operate in groups, as this is often a setup for a pickpocketing operation.

Children and the elderly are frequently present in the areas where organized prostitution is taking place. Sex trafficking in Asia invariably involves call centers, and often family members or fellow travelers, taking direction from a handler in related crime activities. The objective is to obtain money, it is not to sell sex.

General
In winter, be mindful of the cold at all times. Even being outside for a couple of minutes in -35 can cause problems very, very quickly.

In bars, many people may want to approach you and talk to you out of interest. This is usually well-meaning, though it can be annoying. As a general rule, the more drunk a person will be, the more annoying they will be too. If you are open to conversation, then go ahead. Mongolians are interesting and interested, and it can lead to great connections, memories and stories. However, remember to be wary.

Some Mongolian men do not take too kindly to foreign men speaking to Mongolian women (especially young women). Be wary of this, especially in busy bars, and where copious amounts of alcohol is involved.

Newspapers
The weekly UB Post is the principal English-language source for cultural, economic, and political goings-on in Mongolia.

Embassies

 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇨🇺 Cuba
 * 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇮🇳 India
 * 🇯🇵 Japan
 * 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
 * 🇰🇼 Kuwait
 * Laos
 * 🇰🇵 North Korea
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇷🇺 Russia
 * 🇰🇷 South Korea
 * 🇹🇷 Turkey
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * Vietnam

Go next
Except for those just passing through on the Trans-Mongolian Railroad or transiting through Ulaanbaatar Airport, most people come to Mongolia to witness the beauty of the endless steppes and deserts of Central Asia, populated by the nomadic descendants of Genghis Khan. Ulaanbaatar is an excellent homebase to explore Mongolia with its many museums, monasteries, and cultural experiences, but don't confine yourself to UB: you can't really get to know this place without going to the countryside for at least a few days.


 * Gorkhi-Terelj National Park — scenic, forested mountain valleys a mere three-hour bus ride from UB
 * Bogd Khan National Park — the world's largest equestrian statue of Genghis Khan and the ruins of a large Buddhist monastery destroyed by the communists in 1937 are the showpieces of this massive mountain park South of town
 * Karakorum — the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire in the beautiful Orkhon River valley, a day's bus ride to the west
 * The Gobi Desert — nomadic camel herders and dinosaur fossils
 * Western Mongolia — where the old Kazakh tradition of eagle-hunting lives on in the snow-capped Altai Mountains