Ulaanbaatar - Post Report Question and Answers
What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Hustai national park. Skiing at Sky Resort is great for families and very affordable. The Fat Cat Jazz club is always good. There are several temples in and around UB worth visiting. The monastery in Kharkhorin is amazing but it’s a bit of a drive. - Jan 2024
Hustai National Park is an amazing place to visit! The area is beautiful and you can see Takhi (the only truly wild horse in the world), red deer, and the fattest little marmots. Its only a 3 hour drive from Ulaanbaatar and there is a comfortable ger camp that you can stay at. - Aug 2022
Get out and camp. UB is a big city, but once you're just a few kms out of it, you are in vast, beautiful spaces. You can literally go wherever you want. - Jan 2022
The gobi gets really great reviews. I love just driving outside the city to hike or camp. COVID has limited in country travel for me though. - Sep 2020
There is a beautiful national park a short drive from the city, Terelj, where you can picnic, hike, and stay in a traditional Mongolian ger. - Aug 2020
Head to Terlej park (about 1 hour drive) for horse-back riding, hiking, exploring or sledding in the winter. We even went dog sledding on the frozen river in the winter, an unforgettable experience for sure.
Hike around the Observatory or Bogd Khan mountain south of the city; go skiing and sledding at Sky Resort in the winter; spend some time at the amazing National Museum; warm up with coffee and treats at favorite coffee shops like Millie's and Code.
Or just hop in the car and drive anywhere outside of UB for a change in scenery and fresh air. - Oct 2016
Mostly travelling around the vast country which is highly diverse. - Feb 2015
The museums are good and there are plenty of historical sites. Horseback riding is fun, cheap and a great insight into Mongolian culture. Opera and theater and good and not expensive. Shopping is okay for selected items. The ski resort in Ulaanbaatar is surprising good for its small size; very inexpensive and well run. - May 2012
Food. - Feb 2012
Interact with other Americans and expats. No, really, it can be quite fun. There is a large Peace Corps presence and many PC volunteers enjoy meeting embassy employees. Aside from the outdoor activities during the summer, there is hardly anything to do in the winter. - Feb 2011
Visit the remaining monasteries that Stalin's thugs did not destroy. Go to the opera. Enjoy the beautiful countryside, especially camping, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. This is a wonderful country if you love being in the outdoors! - Jan 2009
Horseback riding, camel riding, yak Riding. Camping out in the country side. Fly to remote parts of the country. Basically anywhere out side the city is good. - Oct 2008
