Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar
The world's coldest capital, and the gateway to the steppe, with Naadam's wrestlers and archers every July.
Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia's capital and home to nearly half its people, a sprawl of Soviet blocks, glass towers and hillside ger districts in a valley ringed by steppe mountains. Almost every trip into the country starts here. Gandan Monastery, the Buddhist temple museums and Sukhbaatar Square fill a day or two, and every July the city hosts Naadam, the national festival of wrestling, archery and horse racing. Open grassland and the national parks begin barely an hour out of town.
Suggested stay
2–3 days
Language
Mongolian
Currency
MNT
Timezone
UTC+8
Why you'll love Ulaanbaatar
Living Buddhism Gandan's monks chant beneath a towering golden statue, and the Choijin Lama temples keep masks and art that survived the 1930s purges
Naadam every July the city fills for wrestling, archery and child jockeys racing horses across the steppe, Mongolia's biggest celebration
Steppe on the doorstep an hour out, the city gives way to granite valleys, ger camps and herders' horses
Nomad culture on stage throat singing, the horsehead fiddle and contortion shows keep ancient traditions loud and alive
Best time to visit
Jun-Sep
Warm · 17-24° days
47.919° N, 106.918° E
UTC+8 · Asia/Ulaanbaatar
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Weather & when to go to Ulaanbaatar
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Jun-Sep
Conditions Jan-Feb Extreme cold · Mar Cold · Apr Cold & windy · May Mild spring · Jun Warm · Jul Naadam + warm · Aug Warm & green · Sep Cool & clear · Oct Cold nights · Nov Cold · Dec Extreme cold
Watch for Nov-Feb smog risk · Nov-Mar extreme cold risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Ulaanbaatar
November to March is brutally cold, often far below freezing for weeks, and coal smoke from the ger districts leaves the valley under some of the world's worst winter smog. Tsagaan Sar, the lunar new year, falls in that cold stretch and is a warm welcome if you can bear the chill. June to September is the travelling season, with July busiest around Naadam.
Top things to do in Ulaanbaatar
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Gandan Monastery - morning chanting and the giant Janraisig
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedMongolia's most important working monastery sits on a hill west of the centre. Come in the morning when monks chant in the main halls, then see the tall temple housing the gilded Migjid Janraisig statue, rebuilt after the original was lost in the Soviet era. Walk clockwise and spin the prayer wheels as you go.
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Sukhbaatar Square - the Government Palace and Chinggis Khaan
history 👍 PopularThe vast central square is the city's stage, with a statue of the revolutionary hero Sukhbaatar on horseback at its centre and a huge seated Chinggis Khaan on the front of the Government Palace. The opera house, museums and the main avenue all start here.
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Choijin Lama Temple Museum - Buddhist art among the towers
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedA cluster of early 20th-century temples, now a museum, stands among the office blocks south of the square. The halls hold ritual masks, thangkas and sculpture, including work from the school of Zanabazar, Mongolia's great 17th-century artist and first spiritual leader.
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Bogd Khan Winter Palace - home of the last living Buddha king
history culture artsThe palace compound of the Bogd Khan, Mongolia's last theocratic ruler, survived the purges intact. Its gates and temples hold his thrones, robes, a ger lined with snow-leopard skins and a collection of stuffed animals he kept, a strange and fascinating glimpse of the old court.
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Zaisan Memorial - the view over the whole valley
scenic history 👍 PopularA Soviet-era monument on a hill at the south edge of the city, reached by a long flight of steps. The circular mosaic honours Soviet and Mongolian soldiers, but most people come for the sweep across the city, the river and the ger districts on the far slopes.
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Naadam - the opening ceremony and the three manly sports
culture arts history 👍 PopularHeld each July, Naadam opens with a parade and pageant at the National Sports Stadium, followed by days of wrestling bouts, archery contests and long-distance horse races ridden by children on the open steppe outside town. Seats for the opening ceremony go early, so plan ahead.
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Tumen Ekh - throat singing and the horsehead fiddle
culture arts nightlife musicThe city's folk ensembles stage evening shows of khoomii throat singing, long song, the morin khuur horsehead fiddle, costumed dances and startling contortion. Tumen Ekh is the best-known company and the easiest way to hear these traditions live.
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Buuz, khuushuur and airag - eating Mongolian
foodMongolian food is built on mutton and dough: steamed buuz dumplings, fried khuushuur pasties and tsuivan, fried noodles with meat. Sweet milk tea comes salted, and in summer you can try airag, fermented mare's milk. Canteens serve the classics fast, and the city also has good Korean and Russian food.
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Cashmere and the State Department Store
shoppingMongolia produces much of the world's raw cashmere, and the city's factory outlets and brand shops sell sweaters and scarves well below Western prices. The State Department Store on Peace Avenue is a Soviet-era landmark with an upper floor of cashmere, felt and souvenirs.
Best areas to stay in Ulaanbaatar
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Sukhbaatar Square and Peace Avenue
First-time visitors $$Central hub of hotels and guesthouses
Explore hotels in Sukhbaatar Square and Peace Avenue →
Zaisan
Longer, quieter stays $$$Upmarket apartments below the southern hills
Explore hotels in Zaisan →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Ulaanbaatar
Getting to & around Ulaanbaatar
Getting there
Fly into Chinggis Khaan International, about an hour's drive south of the city, or arrive on the Trans-Mongolian railway
Flight
Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN)
The airport sits in open country roughly 50 km south of the city, replacing the old Buyant-Ukhaa airport in 2021. Allow about an hour by taxi or hotel transfer into the centre, and longer at rush hour when the city's traffic jams build.
Train
Ulaanbaatar Railway Station
The Trans-Mongolian line runs through the city between Beijing and Russia via Irkutsk, and domestic trains head south to the Chinese border at Zamiin-Uud
Coach
Long-distance buses link the capital with provincial centres such as Kharkhorin and Murun, though most visitors travel the countryside by tour jeep with a driver
Getting around
Walking
The compact centre around the square is walkable, but pavements are rough, crossings chaotic and winters bitterly cold
Free
Taxi
Official taxis and ride-hailing apps run alongside informal cars that stop when flagged; agree the fare first and expect serious traffic jams
TBC
City bus
A wide bus network runs along Peace Avenue and out to the suburbs; crowded at peak times but easy for the main east-west axis
TBC
Day trips from Ulaanbaatar
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
1-2 daysGranite valleys and ger camps
Pine-dotted valleys, strange granite outcrops like Turtle Rock and the hillside Aryabal meditation temple make Terelj the easiest taste of the Mongolian countryside. Ride horses, hike the slopes and spend a night in a ger camp to see the stars.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5-2 hr northeast by road, by car or tour
Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue
Half dayGiant steel monument
A colossal stainless-steel Chinggis Khaan on horseback rises from the steppe at Tsonjin Boldog. Climb inside and walk out onto the horse's head for views over the grassland; it pairs easily with Terelj on the same day.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1 hr east by road, by car or tour
Hustai National Park
1-2 daysWild horse reserve
Rolling steppe where the takhi, or Przewalski's horse, was reintroduced after dying out in the wild. Herds come down to drink at dusk, the best time to see them, which is why many visitors stay the night in the park's ger camp.
Getting there
car | tour
About 2 hr west by road, by car or tour
Manzushir Monastery
Full dayMonastery ruins and forest
On the far side of the sacred Bogd Khan mountain, the ruins of a once-large monastery destroyed in 1937 sit among larch forest and boulders, with one temple restored as a small museum. Keen walkers hike over the mountain from the city side.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5 hr south by road via Zuunmod, by car or tour
A little history of Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar began in 1639 as Urga, a monastery of felt tents built for Zanabazar, the first great Buddhist leader of the Mongols. It moved along the rivers for well over a century before settling on the Tuul River in the late 1700s, growing into a trading town on the tea route between China and Russia. When Qing rule collapsed in 1911 it became the capital of an independent Mongolia under the Bogd Khan.
After the 1921 revolution led by Sukhbaatar, Mongolia became a Soviet-aligned socialist state and the city was renamed Ulaanbaatar, Red Hero. The purges of the late 1930s destroyed most monasteries and killed thousands of monks. Soviet planners rebuilt the city in concrete, and since the peaceful move to democracy in 1990 it has swelled with herders arriving from the countryside.
Urga founded as a mobile monastery for Zanabazar
The monastery town settles for good in the Tuul River valley
Mongolia declares independence from the Qing; the Bogd Khan rules from Urga
Sukhbaatar's revolutionaries take the city with Soviet backing
Mongolian People's Republic declared and the city renamed Ulaanbaatar
Purges begin that destroy most of Mongolia's monasteries
Gandan reopens as the country's only permitted working monastery
Peaceful demonstrations on the main square bring multiparty democracy
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Limited
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+976
Smog risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
Extreme cold risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
FAQs about Ulaanbaatar
▸ When is the best time to visit Ulaanbaatar?
June to September is the best time, with warm days, cool nights and the countryside green and open for touring. July is busiest because of Naadam, so book rooms and tours early. April, May and October are cold and windy shoulder months, and November to March is bitterly cold with heavy smog.
▸ How cold does Ulaanbaatar get in winter?
Very. It is often called the coldest capital city in the world, and midwinter days can stay far below freezing for weeks. Winter visits are possible with serious cold-weather clothing, and the city is quiet then, but the coal smog is a real concern for anyone with breathing problems.
▸ How many days do I need in Ulaanbaatar?
Two or three days covers Gandan, the temple museums, the square and a folk show, with a night out at Terelj if you are not heading further into the country. Most people pass through twice, at the start and end of a countryside trip.
▸ Is Ulaanbaatar safe?
Generally, yes, but pickpocketing and bag slashing are a known problem on crowded buses, around the State Department Store and in markets, so keep valuables close. Take care after dark near bars, and cross roads carefully, as drivers rarely stop.
▸ Do I need a tour to see the rest of Mongolia?
Roads outside the capital are often rough tracks and public transport is limited, so most visitors book a driver and jeep, usually a Russian UAZ van, through a guesthouse or tour company in Ulaanbaatar. Terelj and the Chinggis Khaan statue are easy on a short day tour.