Ulaanbaatar
Half of Mongolia lives in its capital, on the Tuul River at 1,350 metres, with a forested mountain to the south and the steppe at the end of every avenue.
- Arrival
- Chinggis Khaan International · UBN
- To the city
- About 50 km south of the centre
- Private jets
- At UBN, open around the clock
- Best time
- June to August
The city
A monastery that became a capital.
Ulaanbaatar began in 1639 as Örgöö, a Buddhist monastic camp that moved with the seasons, and only settled on its present site in 1778; it took its current name in 1924. Today some 1.8 million people, almost half the country, live between the Tuul River and Bogd Khan Uul, a forested, protected mountain rising to 2,250 metres. At the centre, Sükhbaatar Square faces the Government Palace, and at Gandan Monastery a golden statue of Migjid Janraisig stands 26.5 metres tall.
It is the coldest national capital in the world, and the travelling year is short. From June to August days reach the low twenties, the festival season opens and Naadam fills the city in July; by November highs are below freezing again.
Arriving
A new airport on the southern steppe.
Chinggis Khaan International opened in July 2021, about 50 km south of the centre, and replaced the old city airport at Buyant-Ukhaa. Its single runway of 3,600 metres handled more than 2.1 million passengers in 2024.
- Beijing 1 h 50
- Seoul 2 h 55
- Hong Kong 4 h 05
- Ho Chi Minh City 5 h 40
- Dubai 6 h 55 long-range jet
When to go
June to August.
A high, dry continental climate with long, hard winters. Summer, June to August, brings highs of 21 to 22 °C and most of the year’s rain, in short showers. From November to March daytime highs stay below freezing.
- -16° J 3
- -12° F 4
- -3° M 6
- 8° A 15
- 16° M 25
- 21° J 71
- 22° J 86
- 21° A 86
- 15° S 42
- 7° O 15
- -5° N 8
- -14° D 4
What to see and do
Days in and around Ulaanbaatar.
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Landmark
Chinggis Khaan Museum
Opened in 2022, the largest museum in the country, with original weapons and relics of the empire.
-
Landmark
Bogd Khan Palace Museum
The residence of the last king, Bogd Khan, kept with its royal objects and Buddhist treasures.
-
Landmark
Terelj National Park
Granite outcrops such as Turtle Rock, horses and gers, about an hour’s drive from town.
-
Culture
Gandantegchinlen Monastery
Founded in 1809 and still home to monks, with a statue of Avalokiteshvara about 26 metres high in its main temple.
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Culture
National Museum of Mongolia
Over 57,000 objects in a chronological walk from prehistory to the 20th century, including traditional dress and the Genghis Khan era.
-
Culture
Zaisan Memorial
A Second World War memorial unveiled in 1971 on a hill south of the city, reached by about 600 steps, with a view over the capital.
-
Culture
Mandshir Monastery
A monastery on the slope of Bogd Khan Mountain, built in 1733 and partly rebuilt after 1990, with rock paintings behind its main temple.
Where to stay
Around Sükhbaatar Square.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar The largest hotel in the city, with 290 rooms looking either north to the square or south to Bogd Khan Uul.
- Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace Four restaurants and bars, a sushi bar among them, and a Kempinski spa.
- The Blue Sky Hotel and Tower One hundred and thirty-seven rooms in the blue glass tower on Peace Avenue, with an indoor pool and the Sky Lounge.
- Best Western Premier Tuushin One hundred and ninety-eight rooms a few steps from the main square, some of them looking over it.
- Ayan Zalaat Thirty-two rooms on almost fourteen hectares where the city gives way to hills, with a rooftop lounge, a pool and one MICHELIN Key.
Where to dine
A hotel table.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Mongolia. Nagomi is the Japanese restaurant of the Kempinski, cooking with ingredients imported from Japan.
- Nagomi Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace restaurant Japanese Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace, near Sükhbaatar Square
Elsewhere in Mongolia
More reasons to come.
Flying to Ulaanbaatar?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.