Things to do in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, is a dusty, chaotic city within driving distance of the country’s endless steppes. This is the country’s financial and business centre, making it the largest settlement with a semblance of permanence in a land inhabited by nomads.

Ulaanbaatar has its own attractions, but the true beauty of Mongolia lies in the countryside. Those who visit Mongolia do so for the sweeping landscapes, not for the cities.

The good thing about Ulaanbaatar is that you won’t have to go far to escape its traffic-choked streets and potholes. Mongolians are nomadic by nature, so even their towns aren’t completely permanent. As you drive away from the centre of Ulaanbaatar and into the outskirts, you’ll notice more tents than buildings. Outside the centre, families tend to live in large tents called yurt so that they can pack up their belongings and move anytime they want.

A visit to Ulaanbaatar will be a combination of exploring the city’s attractions as well as trips into the countryside. Here are my recommendations for things to do in the Mongolian capital.

Gandan Monastery

The full name of this 19-century Tibetan-style monastery is Gandantegchinlen, which means ‘the great place of complete joy’. This important monastery managed to escape the communist-led destruction of religious buildings in the 1930s and now houses about 600 monks, young and old. The Gandan monastery is located in the city itself, so it’s easy to get to and any of the locals will be able to tell you how to get there.

Prayer sessions begin at around 9am, where you can watch and listen to the monks chant. What I particularly enjoy are the scenes outside the chapels after prayer sessions, when the younger monks are rushing to classes or having a chat with their friends.

Address: Khoroo 16, Ulaanbaatar. Opening hours: Daily, 8.30am-7pm. Entry: 3,500 tugrik (US$2)

Sukhbaatar Square

Sukhbaatar Square is named after Damdin Sukhbaatar, who led the 1921 revolution against the Chinese. This is where pretty much everything happens in Ulaanbaatar. Sukhbaatar Square is where newly wed couples pose for photographs, where locals and tourists take photographs and where teenagers hang out to watch the world go by.

The most notable feature here however has to be the impressive monument to Chinggis Khaan at the north side of the square. Founder of the Mongol Empire and grandfather of Kublai Khan whom Venetian explorer Marco Polo met in 1275, Chinggis (also spelt Genghis), sits proudly on his throne, looking down at everyone taking photos of him.

The Flaming Cliffs

If you’re interested in fossils and dinosaur bones, a visit to the Flaming Cliffs in the South Gobi desert might be your kind of thing. The story is that 85 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period, this area was once an inland sea where life used to flourish. This came to an end when a series of massive sand slides occurred, both sweeping away and killing the dinosaurs, and preserving their remains.

The name Flaming Cliffs was given by an American paleontologist, but the Mongolian name for this area is Bayanzag. So called for the orange colour of the earth, this area is an important dinosaur fossil site. The finds have included bones of the Velociraptor, Gallimimus and Tarbosaurus (a close relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex) and eggs of the Protoceratops. Trips to Bayanzag can be booked with travel guides in Ulaanbaatar.

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Gorkhi-Terelj is only 70 kilometres away from Ulaanbaatar, making it easy to get to, although how long you would take to reach the park would depend on the condition of your ride and the traffic getting out the city. I would suggest spending at least two nights here, whether in a tourist camp or with a nomad family.

There is much to do in Gorkhi-Terelj - horse riding, hiking, rock climbing and mountain biking, to name a few. If you stay with a family you’ll be able to have a look at how they live and help around the family tent, whether it’s milking their horses, carrying firewood or cooking. Like Bayanzag, you would need a guide to bring you around the national park.

Just a few final points:

Travelling in Mongolia can be very challenging due to road conditions in developed areas as well as in the countryside. Vehicles, including those belonging to travel agents aren’t always in the best condition, so be prepared for delays and breakdowns. Finally, a lot of things in Mongolia depend on factors beyond human control, like the weather. Even livestock and horses can wander off. In short, be flexible with Mongolia and don’t rush through.

*Anis also writes at Five Foot Traveller.