Introduction

This time last year (August 2019), six months or so before the world was hit with the COVID 19 pandemic, we visited Mongolia for a month. We had a great time, documenting our trip in a number of posts: Classic Mongolia Circuit Part 1: Northern and Central Mongolia; Classic Mongolia Circuit Part 2: The Gobi; and Our Top Tips for Travel in Mongolia.

Most of our time was spent out of the capital Ulaanbataar, but the trip necessitated that we transit through the city on several occasions. We’d read less than flattering reviews about Ulaanbataar, the general tone being one of – “don’t spend too much time there as it doesn’t have much going for it. It’s cold and not particularly attractive”. However, we decided to give the city a chance and decide for ourselves what we thought of it. The result was that we were pleasantly surprised. There was plenty to do and see, it was easy to navigate on foot, and it felt safe and welcoming to travellers.

So, if you find yourself in the city many locals refer to simply as “UB” no need to rush to leave, you may find it interesting as we did. Here are a few options for how to spend a couple of days in UB*.

* Locals pronounce UB as in English ‘Yoo Bee’ and not in the Cyrillic equivalents, which is the script used to write the Mongolian language.

Sights in Central UB

Sükhbaatar Square

Start your tour of UB at the city’s heart Sükhbaatar Square. It is named after Damdin Sükhbaatar (meaning hero of the revolution) who in 1921 declared Mongolia’s independence from China at this location. But the focal point of the square is not Damdin but the imposing statue of the national hero and father of the nation Chinggis Khaan (often referred to in the West as Genghis Khan).

The square is a drawcard for Mongolians who come to pay homage to their revered khan and to take a selfie with him. It’s also popular with bridal parties.

The square is flanked by other important buildings including the Parliament (behind CK’s statue), the Mongolian National Art Gallery, and the impressive pink State Opera and Ballet Theatre.

National Museum of Mongolia

A short walk from Sükhbaatar Square is the National Museum of Mongolia. If you want a crash course in Mongolian history this is the place to go.

The museum takes you from pre-historical Mongolia, through the various tribes and empires that have dominated at different times, to the end of the communist era in 1990 and modern democratic Mongolia. It’s well set out and worth a visit.

Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs

The name says it all – DINOSAURS. Mongolia’s Gobi Desert is a cornucopia of dinosaur fossils. The museum has some excellent specimens. The star of the show in this small but fascinating museum is the 4 metre tall Tarbosaurus skeleton. Tarbosaurus was a relative of Tyrannosaurus Rex.

There are also velociraptor and protoceritops displays. Photography isn’t allowed so we bought a postcard of big Tarbo.

State Department Store

This massive department store is a compulsory stop for any would-be souvenir hunter. The whole of the top (6th) floor is devoted to all manner of Mongolian goods from clothing, hats and shoes to musical instruments, books, saddles, and the usual souvenir tack.

The lower floors have everything you’d expect in a modern department store. Definitely UB’s shopping mecca.

Beatles Square

Adjacent to the State Department Store is a small square known locally as Beatles Square. Here you’ll find bronze images of John, Paul, George and Ringo. Yes, the Fab Four in Mongolia. Why? Apparently in the 70’s under the communist regime UB’s teenagers would meet in secret to sing banned Beatles songs, with the music and lyrics smuggled in from Europe: a symbol of defiance to the strict anti-Western government, which eventually was toppled in 1990.

And More

These are just a few examples of sights to visit in Central UB. Exposure to Mongolia’s dominant religion, Buddhism is important to understanding the country’s culture and history. In UB the Choijin Lama Temple Museum and Gandan Khiid Monastery are both worth a visit. Other UB attractions include Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts, Naran Tuul Market, Zaisan Memorial, and the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan (the home of Mongolia’s last king at the beginning of the 20th century).

We’d also add Black Burger to the list, our favourite place for a hamburger in UB. We went more than once.

National Parks

There are several national parks and reserves that can be visited as day trips from UB if you only have limited time. Lots of local tour companies offer such trips.

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

This national park 55kms to the north-east of UB looks in places like a little bit of Switzerland with its pine trees and mountains. Though this image is disrupted by the many tourist ger camps and Buddhist temples.

It is a popular location for outdoor pursuits including hiking, mountain biking, horse riding and swimming (if you can cope with the cold water, as the park sits at an elevation of 1600m). Sights include Gunjiin Sum Buddhist Temple, 100 Lamas Cave, and Turtle Rock.

Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex

Close to the southern border of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park lies the imposing Chinggis Khaan Statue. At 40 metres tall it is the world’s largest equestrian statue. Inside the complex is the world’s largest Mongolian boot as well as a small museum.

The highlight is climbing up to the observation deck where you get to eyeball the big fella close-up and gaze at the surrounding countryside from between his horse’s ears.

Bogdkhan Uul

This is reputedly the world’s oldest nature reserve having been established in 1778. The reserve surrounds a 2122m high peak and is a great place for hiking and horse riding.

We actually did a three day horse trek here with the well-run local tour outfit Stepperiders. But if you just want a day out on horseback here this is also offered.

The reserve is also close to Gorkhi-Terelj.

Khustain National Park

This national park of over 500 sq kms is the home of the endangered takhi, Mongolia’s wild horse. The park was established in 1993 to provide a safe home for the takhi. It is 100 kms south-west of UB. The main reason people visit is to see the takhi. There are also red deer, wolves, lynx, marmot, and other rare wildlife in the park.

We visited as a day trip and were lucky to see a couple of groups of this rare wild horse. But they were a fair way away and the encounters were brief. Possibly an overnight or longer stay at one of the park’s tourist ger camps would’ve provided more opportunities for takhi and other wildlife viewing, which may have been a better option than a day trip.

Conclusion

At the time of writing (July 2020) international travel remains largely off limits. To date Mongolia has done well in managing the COVID 19 virus with no community transfer so far, no deaths, and all of it’s 260 cases coming from returned citizens and a few travellers. If this trend continues Mongolia should be well placed to open to visitors again when the pandemic eases globally.

hopefully it won’t be long before tourists start arriving again at chinggis khaan international airport

We were lucky enough to go there before the virus devastated the globe. We had a wonderful month, with a particular thanks to local tour operator Man of Millennium who we used for most of our tour of the country. Hopefully, many more travellers will get to experience what we did in the near future.

visiting an old monastery in bogdkhan uul

And, if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in this fascinating country, don’t dismiss UB as somewhere just to pass through, stop and take a little time to explore the capital. We reckon you’ll be pleased that you did.

Ken and Cally