Ulaanbaatar Travel Guide

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 around 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

Getting to the airportfrom the city center takes about 50-100 minutes depending on traffic. Public transport buses run from 6:20 AM to midnight, but taxis and the 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. There are also shared taxis for 30,000MNT. There are two routes for the airport shuttle, which are from 5 Shar bus stop and Sukhbaatar Square bus stop. Fee from/to the 5 Shar bus stop (route X:

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 a

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 underdevelopedgerdistricts 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 doubl

During the annualNaadam festivalin July, it's almost impossible to get any kind of accommodation in UB without prior reservations.