Mongolia is a special tourist destination. A very unusual history and culture make this country a unique place to visit compared to its Asian neighbors. The capital of Ulaanbaatar is the only city in the country with over 100,000 people, making it the primary tourist destination. It is also the coldest capital in the world, so come with us to see what we can do during winter in Ulaanbaatar!
We decided to go to Mongolia and Ulaanbaatar in winter. I know, Mongolia?! In the winter?!? With my tight work schedule, I like to take advantage of all the national holidays I have off. We looked at all the countries nearby and ruled out everywhere we hadn’t been, and Mongolia was the winner. It’s 3 hours away from Korea direct flight. Before we left I knew nothing about Mongolia besides the recurring joke of the Mongols in Crash Course World History.
We went to Mongolia during Lunar New Year which was in early February this year. It is Mongolia’s biggest holiday. I can’t recommend visiting during this time because most things are closed. I know this itinerary may be simple but keep in mind there were ungodly amounts of traffic, many stores were closed, and Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world so we took things slow. Here is what we were able to do on our first day.
When researching what to do in Mongolia we didn’t find much. There is only one major city, the capital Ulaanbaatar. I thought it would have similarities to Korea because it’s so close. While it had a lot of Korean convenience stores and restaurants, overall it was quite different. Ulaanbaatar is a very modern city as far as developing Asian nations go. There is some soviet influence from the founding of the modern city, but it is colorful with a modern layout and many distinct neighborhoods. There are a lot of familiar stores, large malls, and interesting buildings. The city is spread out, with a dense core and the outer suburbs being made of endless neighborhoods of Mongolian gers and tents rather than houses.
Winter in Ulaanbaatar
When we arrived at the airport we were prepared to use a ride-hailing app called UBCab but due to the holidays, we couldn’t get anyone to pick us up. Luckily the airport has a taxi with a flat rate of $30 USD to take you anywhere in the city which is about 45 minutes away. It’s important to know that Chinggis Khan International Airport is literally in the middle of nowhere and it is essential to have a way to get into the city. We also got our SIM card at the airport which was a simple process. For having such a small airport, it had all the essentials and was very nice.
TIP: From our experience, it doesn’t seem like Mongolia has a robust ride-sharing program, and taxis are not overly abundant. Many locals will taxi people around for a universally accepted rate. Because public transit isn’t amazing in Ulaanbaatar, we highly recommend negotiating rides before coming. The city is decent to walk in even in the winter but to get anywhere outside the city you will need to drive. Hotels and stays often offer rides or can point you in the right direction.
As we departed from the airport the first stop was to our Airbnb. It has a great view and it wasn’t too far. We dropped off our stuff, put on our layers, and headed to our first coffee shop which wasn’t too far of a walk. The city is safe and comfortable to walk in, just make sure to be careful with your belongings as always.
We don’t mention it in this article, this was taken in front of The National History Museum of Mongolia, in Liberty Square.
Ulaanbaatar Coffee Culture
I found this shop on a deep dive through Instagram. Don’t be alarmed if the room looks dark, it was really cold outside and most of the windows were frosted over. We learned during winter in Ulaanbaatar everything is coated in a thick layer of ice and snow because nothing gets the chance to melt off.
Michael got a latte which has beautiful latte art and the milk was steamed to perfection. I ordered a smoothie because I’m a non-coffee drinker and that sounded appetizing. I originally ordered a shake, but they didn’t have it available. They also didn’t have any bowls available, so we didn’t get to taste much on the menu. The space was wide open, crisp clean white walls, and rather quiet.
Gandantegchinlen Monastery
Religious practice in Mongolia is a rich and complex topic. As we learned on our Semi Gobi tour, Mongolia is a traditionally shamanistic country in ancient times, with Buddhist influences coming into the region in the 14th century. Our tour guide explained to us that about half of the population is Buddhist, and the other half is non-religious, although many people continue to have a family shaman. Because of this, Buddhism has become the primary religion in the country, with a unique Mongolian style.
Gandantegchinlen is the largest monastery in the country, located a 20-minute walk from downtown. The complex is beautiful and historic. Usually, you must pay a small fee to enter the building which is quite busy. Due to the holiday, it was free entry and very empty. Inside is a breathtaking 6-story Buddhist statue, surrounded by shrines. We aren’t qualified to say anything about the significance of the monastery, but the temple workers were very nice to us and it was beautiful in the winter snow. If you happen to come during the Lunar New Year, you have the added bonus of viewing it by yourself.
This is one of the main tourist attractions in the city. We recommend scheduling your day around the temple as it’s out of the way and could be busy in the summer. And of course, be respectful of dress codes and religious practices. Usually, Buddhist temples have a rule against exposed shoulders, upper arms, and legs. In the winter this isn’t an issue but be prepared in the summer to follow the temple rules.
Nowadays the temple complex is surrounded by housing and dense buildings, but only 100 years ago Mongolia had less than 1 million people compared to its current 3.5 million. Ulaanbaatar only started expanding with modern infrastructure in the mid-1900s when its population was a mere 70,000. Check out this photo of the monastery from 1913 compared to our visit in 2024.
By Stéphane Passet (1875-1942) – http://article.yeeyan.org/view/212040/286071, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28608590
Root of Coffea
We weren’t initially planning to visit this coffee shop. Originally we wanted to go to Modern Nomads, a popular chain restaurant, but it was closed. There was a specialty coffee shop nearby, so we thought why not? When we went in it had a vintage vibe with vinyl records on the wall, some of which were Mongolian bands.
Michael ordered a pour-over with Brazilian beans and I had a hot chocolate. They didn’t have a lot of non-coffee options which was okay, but I was not expecting the BEAUTIFUL latte art on my hot chocolate! Michael also loved his pour-over. I would estimate spending an hour there, it’s a very cute and cozy vibe.
Sükhbaatar Square
This is the main square of Mongolia. It is a great open space, and since we went during the holiday there was no one there. On one end is the parliament building, with a huge statue of Chingis Khan, flanked by two of his generals (yes, it’s Chingis, not Genghis. You can learn more about him in the first tour blog).
In the center of the square, there is a statue of Damdin Sükhbaatar riding a horse. The next day that he is a famous communist revolutionary who helped usher in the predecessor to the modern Mongolian government, and the square is of course named after him. During the winter there are ice slides and an ice maze. Of course, we couldn’t resist going down. We liked this area a lot, there are lots of pretty buildings and we can easily imagine it being much busier during the warmer months.
Shangri-la Mall
This is the biggest mall in Mongolia. We were very cold and we wanted to go to a mall to warm up. What we saw first was GODIVA chocolate. We were spoiled when we went to Belgium and now we can’t ignore a Belgian chocolate brand when we see one. After we got our chocolate, we explored the mall which was very nice with lots of familiar brands. Because of the holiday, almost all of the shops were closing early as we came in. We were so hungry, and the food court was closed, but thankfully one restaurant called Chili was still open so we went in while we had the chance.
Final Thoughts on Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is an amazing city. We didn’t know much when we arrived, and even though we walked all day in the -1°F temperature we had a great time. It has a cozy vibe in the winter and enough to do for several days. Of course, many people come to Mongolia for nature tourism in the steppes and Gobi desert, but UB has a lot to offer as well. Had it not been Lunar New Year it would have had even more for us. We plan on visiting Mongolia in the summer if we have the chance, we know it would feel like a different country.