11 Things to do in Ulaanbaatar: From Cultural Sites to Shopping

When visiting Mongolia, most people tend to leave Ulaanbaatar for tours to Central Mongolia or the Gobi Desert. You never really hear anything related to Ulaanbaatar outside maybe Naadam, the huge festival that takes place every year. We spent two full days in Ulaanbaatar. I say we scratched the surface. We didn’t get to all the museums I wanted to visit or other attractions but we really enjoyed exploring this city. I want to share some of my recommended things to do in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

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Things to do in Ulaanbaatar

If you have plans to visit Mongolia and looking for things to do in Ulaanbaatar, I have listed a few of my recommendations and popular attractions in Ulaanbaatar. Whether you are looking for free attractions, things to do at night, or places to eat, I have you covered.

1. Sukhbaatar Square and Parliament of Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar’s central square is Sukhbaatar Square and is considered to be one of the largest in Asia. Named after Damdin Sükhbaatar, a revolutionary war hero. He even has an equestrian statue at Sukhbaatar Square.

The Parliament Building of Mongolia is also located here. There is a large statue front and center of Genghis Khan. On one side of the Parliament Building is a statue of Kublai Khan and Ögedei Khan on the opposite side.

Today, Sukhbaatar Square is a public area where you can see families gatherings, school children, and tourists. I assume there are events staged here, concerts, and any large gathering. Every time we walked by Sukhbaatar Square, there were people riding bicycles and electric scooters.

2. Ghinggis Khaan National Museum

The Chinggis Khaan National Museum is a block or so from Sukhbaatar Square and is well worth a visit.

The Chinggis Khaan National Museum is a newer museum that has over 10,000 artifacts and various exhibits. You can find artifacts here from the Hun Dynasty and Mongolia’s first nomadic state to items from the 20th century.

About 85% of the artifacts in the museum are original.

Oddly enough, there isn’t a whole lot about Ghinggis Khaan at the museum. I guess it makes sense though sense they’ve never found his burial site.

I recommend visiting this museum in Ulaanbaatar because there are so many artifacts and things to learn here about Mongolia’s past.

For more information to include visiting hours, admission, and exhibits, I recommend visiting the Chinggis Khaan National Museum Website.

3. Gandantegchinlen Monastery

One of my most recommended things to do in Ulaanbaatar is visiting the Gandantegchinlen Monastery or Gandan Monastery for short.

During our 5-Day Central Mongolia Tour, our guide mentioned this attraction in Ulaanbaatar because of the 26.5 meter tall Buddha Statue. The Buddha Statue is of Megjid Janraisag.

There is a fee to enter the Temple that houses the giant Buddha but it is well worth it.

The monastery and grounds are beautiful. If you get here around 9:00 am, you can potentially see monks performing services.

4. Narantuul Market

An interesting place to visit in Ulaanbaatar is the Narantuul Market. Originally I expected to find fun food and stuff to try here but found out it’s more of a local market selling clothes, house goods, yurt supplies, and produce.

Nonetheless it was interesting to walk around and see the cheap goods being sold. Honestly, if you came to Mongolia unprepared, you might find cheap clothes and other items here like gloves, beanies, sweaters, etc.

Doing research online, you get a mix of reviews about Narantuul Market being unsafe. We walked around for a solid hour and felt just as safe here then anywhere else in Ulaanbaatar. Just use your common sense and you’ll be fine!

5. Sample Mongolian Food

There are a lot of great dining options in Ulaanbaatar. Now a days, you can find a wide range of restaurants in Ulaanbaatar from burger joints to vegan restaurants.

I’ll be honest, after spending 5-days in Central Mongolia eating mutton and goat, it was refreshing to eat western food in Ulaanbaatar.

We ate delicious burgers at Black Burger Factory and even had a Hawaiian Pizza at MB Beer Plus.

But, there are still plenty of local restaurants in the big city. Whether you are staying in Ulaanbaatar briefly or just love Mongolian food, there are plenty of options.

Modern Nomads is a good restaurant where you can try Tsuivan or Khuushuur.

6. MB Beer Plus

For the beer lovers out there like me, Mongolia does have decent beer and there are breweries in Ulaanbaatar.

Not far from Sukhbaatar Square is MB Beer Plus, a restaurant and brewery. They specialize in western food but also have Mongolia food like Tsuivan and Khuushuur.

Food wise, we needed a change and ordered a Hawaiian Pizza and it was surprisingly good.

Beer wise, I tried the Weizen and a Schwarzbier. They specialize in German beers. Everything I tried was good, so I’d say it’s a solid brewery in Ulaanbaatar.

7. State Department Store and Malls

Surprisingly, Ulaanbaatar has a lot of large and modern shopping malls. On the outside, they look like old worn out buildings but the inside is a different story.

One of the best and most convenient shopping malls in Ulaanbaatar is the State Department Store. On the 6th floor, you can find souvenir shops. The other floors host a wide variety of shops from electronics to outdoor gear. Not to mention there is a grocery store that has a lot of great treats to bring home.

The malls are also a great place to use a bathroom if you are walking around the city all day.

8. Buy Cashmere at GOBI Galleria Store

I’m not much of a shopper and know nothing about Cashmere. But Jill is and knew that Mongolian Cashmere is of high quality and relatively cheap compared to other destinations.

One of the best places in Ulaanbaatar to buy cashmere is at GOBI Cashmere Galleria Store. It’s right by Sukhbaatar Square.

You can find sweaters, scarfs, jackets, and so much more. All made of high quality Mongolian cashmere.

9. Nature and City Parks

Sometimes you just need a break from city life and the horrendous traffic in Ulaanbaatar. I found there to be quite a few nature escapes and city parks.

Some major roads have parks with walkways dividing the road. This was a nice escape from walking alongside the road. There are also parks scattered throughout the city with playground equipment, so something for the little ones.

For nature escapes there is always Bogd Khan Uul outside the city. If you are looking for a day trip from Ulaanbaatar, Terelj National Park is a beautiful mountainous area with so much to see and do.

10. Bogd Khaan Palace Museum

Bogd Khaan Palace Museum is another must visit tourist site in Ulaanbaatar. It’s a bit outside the city center but well worth the effort.

This is the winter residence of VIII Bogd Gegeen. After his death in 1924, the temple and his residence was turned into a museum.

Today, visitors can walk the temple grounds and go inside the western-style home where the actual museum is. Here you can see what life was like for Mongolia’s last Khaan. Relics here include royal clothes that he and his queen wore, sculptures, paintings, and religious objects.

11. Zaisan Monument

Another popular attraction in Ulaanbaatar that is outside the city center is the Zaisan Memorial.

This memorial is on a hilltop and depicts various scenes with people from the USSR and Mongolia.

The memorial is interesting but I recommend coming here mainly for the views. You get great views of the city of Ulaanbaatar and the surrounding hills.

Additional Information and Tips for Visiting Ulaanbaatar

Traffic is horrendous in Ulaanbaatar. Out of all the places I’ve visited, I’ve not seen traffic as bad as in Ulaanbaatar. Buyant Ukhaa International Airport is only 18 km from the city center and it took us more then 3 hours to get to our hotel from the airport. Plan ahead and allow for plenty of time to get from Point A to Point B.
Mongolia has a great relationship with South Korea, so you will find a lot of Korean restaurants and even convenience stores throughout Ulaanbaatar.
Buying alcohol in Ulaanbaatar seemed to be complicated and honestly, I still don’t understand it. We visited Ulaanbaatar in October, there was some type of election going on and alcohol sales were banned that weekend. Apparently they are worried that citizens will get to drunk and forget to vote. After the elections, I tried buying a few beers from a convenience store and was denied. The person never gave me an explanation why and I couldn’t find anything online. So I guess, don’t be surprised if you can’t buy alcohol in Ulaanbaatar during certain times.
I read a lot about crime in Mongolia, mainly petty crimes and minor offenses. We felt completely safe, even while browsing the markets or walking around at night. That being said, always be on your guard and use common sense, it goes a long way.
It is recommended to book an airport shuttle service to take you to your hotel. There is no public transportation in Ulaanbaatar outside of private hires and taxis. We found an airport shuttle service and they picked us up from the airport and got us to our hotel safely and cheaply. We booked in advance here.
Electric Bikes and Scooters are a popular way to get around Ulaanbaatar.

Conclusion

If you are looking for things to do in Ulaanbaatar then there is plenty here to keep busy for a day or two. We spent about two days in Ulaanbaatar and could easily have spent one more day visiting some of the museums and attractions on the outskirts of the city. But sometimes, a day or two is all we have. If you have anymore recommendations or must visit places in Ulaanbaatar, feel free to comment below.

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