Visiting Mongolia

Gers at Hotel Mongolia

Hotel Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar
Address: Bayanzurkh District, 20th khoroo, Gachuurt Village, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Phone: (976 11) 490041 (May to October), (976 11) 323762 (November to April)

Hotel Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar is a unique resort on the outskirts of the city. It is also the only resort hotel in the capital.

When you arrive in Ulaanbaatar, you will drive through the city and to the east, where the hotel is located. On the way, you will pass by basic concrete buildings, white gers, and tall skyscrapers before arriving at the oasis of a resort on the edge of Ulaanbaatar.

The hotel is comprised of a pagoda-style building complex with a large courtyard in the center. In the middle of the courtyard there are a number of gers. Guests can choose to stay in the traditional gers or in western-style hotel rooms in the buildings. All of the wooden furnishings are handmade, and there are many local touches throughout the resort.

In the middle of the complex there is a restaurant that serves everything from traditional Mongolian specialties like milk and mutton soup to Chinese dishes and Italian pasta courses. Hotel Mongolia also has a bar, a ger restaurant, and a BBQ area on the property.

Near the hotel is a lake where visitors can enjoy views of the Mongolian countryside in the distance. The resort also offers day trips for guests to explore the surrounding area and places like Terelj National Park.

Closer in, Hotel Mongolia offers conference and event spaces, a wedding venue, and a gift shop that sells traditional Mongolian cashmere. On certain days throughout the year, guests can also participate in a mini Nadaam Festival at the hotel, complete with wrestling, dancing, dinner, and music.

Rates at Hotel Mongolia start at $60 per night for single accommodation in a ger, and $80 for doubles. Traditional rooms start at $80 per night for singles and $120 for doubles. There are also suites available.

Mongolia

There is a select number of airlines that fly to Mongolia’s capital city, Ulaanbaatar (airport code ULN). These include the following airlines:

Aeroflot

Aeroflot has flights to Mongolia from Moscow.

Air China

Air China has flights to Mongolia from Beijing.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines has flights to Mongolia from Tokyo.

Korean Air

Korean Air has flights to Mongolia from Seoul.

MIAT Mongolian Airlines

MIAT has flights to Mongolia from Beijing, Frankfurt, Irkutsk, Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, Osaka Kansai Airport, Seoul Incheon Airport, and Tokyo Narita and Haneda Airports.

Ural Airlines

Ural Airlines has flights to Mongolia from Sanya and Yekaterinburg.

Whatever airline you choose, make sure to book your flight to Mongolia in advance. Capacity on airlines that fly to Mongolia is limited, and planes fill up during the peak season.

Genghis Khan Statue in Mongolia

Some of the best day trips from Ulaanbaatar are close to the city and easily accessible by car.

Genghis Khan Statue

One of the best day trips from Ulaanbaatar is to the huge metal Genghis Khan statue in Tsonjin Boldog. The statue is 131 feet tall and is the world’s largest equestrian statue.

Just 54km from the city, the statue was completed in 2009. The location is the spot that Genghis Khan supposedly found his golden whip.

The Genghis Khan statue in Mongolia features a newly-opened visitors center with a restaurant and an observation tower. Plans are in the works to build a ger camp and more restaurants nearby.

The views from the statue across the Mongolian countryside are stunning, and the statue is well worth a visit.

Terelj National Park

Terelj National Park is another of the best day trips from Ulaanbaatar. The park is only 55km from Ulaanbaatar and is a great place to go hiking, horseback riding, or to stay overnight in a traditional ger.

Terelj National Park is also home to the famous Turtle Rock, which can be climbed for views over the area, as well as a nearby monastery that can be visited.

The uniqueness of the Terelj National Park and its proximity to the Mongolian capital make it one of the best day trips from Ulaanbaatar.