Istanbul – Ulaanbaatar flights on monthly payments

When to visit Ulaanbaatar

June to August is the easiest period: days are mild, evenings cool and the steppe is green. The Naadam Festival in mid July (wrestling, archery and horse racing) is the city's busiest time, so accommodation should be booked early. May and September are quiet but cool, and night temperatures can drop below freezing. Winter is long and very harsh: in January the temperature often falls below minus 20 degrees, and air pollution from coal stoves rises in the city. Even in summer, keep a warm layer to hand for Terelj and steppe trips.

Things to do in Ulaanbaatar

Gandan Monastery

Mongolia's largest and most important Buddhist monastery was founded in the mid 19th century and was one of the few not closed during the Soviet era repression. The main temple holds the Migjid Janraisig (Avalokiteshvara) statue, about 26 metres tall. In the morning you can listen to the monks chanting; the courtyard has prayer wheels and pigeons. It is within walking distance of the city centre, and an hour is enough.

Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue

About 54 kilometres east of Ulaanbaatar, at Tsonjin Boldog, the stainless steel statue is the largest equestrian statue in the world at 40 metres and opened in 2008. Legend says it stands where Chinggis Khaan found a golden whip. A lift inside takes you up to the horse's head, where a viewing deck looks out over the steppe. The visitor centre in the base has a small exhibition on the Xiongnu period and the Mongol Empire. It fits into the same day as a Terelj trip.

Terelj National Park and Turtle Rock

Gorkhi Terelj National Park, about an hour and a half by car from the city, is a valley of granite outcrops, pine forest and open pasture. Its symbol is Melkhii Khad, Turtle Rock, a giant granite block shaped like a turtle; a path climbs from nearby to the Aryapala Meditation Temple. The valley has traditional ger camps where you can stay a night, go horse riding and visit nomadic families. It is at its best in summer.

Zaisan Memorial

On a hill in the south of the city at the foot of Bogd Khan Mountain, the Soviet era memorial was built in 1971 for the Soviet and Mongolian soldiers who died in the Second World War. Mosaics on the circular wall at the top depict Soviet Mongolian friendship. Reached by a flight of steps, the hill is the best viewpoint over the Tuul River and the whole city, and is a favourite for photographs at sunset. It is a short taxi ride from the centre.

Choijin Lama Temple Museum

A few minutes' walk from Sukhbaatar Square, the temple complex was built in the early 1900s for Luvsankhaidav, the State Oracle and brother of the last Bogd Khan, and has been a museum since 1942. Its five temples display Buddhist statues, tsam dance masks and works from the school of the 17th century sculptor Zanabazar. The traditional roofs among the rising modern towers are one of the city's most photographed contrasts. The Bogd Khan Palace Museum nearby fits into the same half day.

National Museum of Mongolia

Just west of Sukhbaatar Square, the museum tells the country's story from prehistory to today in chronological halls: Stone Age finds, objects from the Xiongnu and Göktürk periods, a section on the Mongol Empire, traditional dress and the inside of a ger. For Turkish visitors the Göktürk period hall is of particular interest; the original Orkhon inscriptions raised for Bilge Kagan and Kul Tigin stand about 400 kilometres west of the city at the Khosho Tsaidam Museum in the Orkhon Valley, seen on a long day trip or with a night in Kharkhorin. Two hours are enough for the museum.

Airlines on the Istanbul – Ulaanbaatar route

Türk Hava Yolları flies Istanbul – Ulaanbaatar direct. Suso pulls live flights through Google Flights; pick the best option and spread the cost over monthly payments.

About Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar is a popular route for Mongolia (Asia). For more travel guidance, when to go and things to do, see our Ulaanbaatar destination page.

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