One-Day Visit to Ulaanbaatar – Overview

One-Day Visit to Ulaanbaatar 

This one-day excursion introduces the main tourist attractions of Ulaanbaatar, including the Gandan Monastery, the largest active Buddhist monastery in the country, where you will also enjoy an exquisite cultural performance. You will visit interesting museums such as the National Museum of Mongolia and the Fine Arts Museum.

The city of Ulaanbaatar has grown from a population of around 600,000 to 1.6 million over the past two decades. The city center is now a modern urban hub with numerous cafés, restaurants, and shopping opportunities, marked by skyscrapers that overshadow historic buildings. The city stretches for about 20 km along the Tuul River valley. The city tour includes Chinggis Khaan Square (formerly Sukhbaatar Square), the State Department Store, and a traditional Mongolian music concert.

The sites visited may vary depending on what is open on the day of the tour and the season.

Lunch, bottled water, hotel pick-up, and drop-off are included.

Stops During the Tour

Gandan Monastery

Built in 1809, Gandantegchinlen Monastery, also known as Gandan Monastery, is a Tibetan-style Buddhist monastery located in Ulaanbaatar. Its Tibetan name can be translated as “The Great Place of Complete Joy.”

Several hundred monks currently reside there. It houses a 26.5-meter-high statue of Megjid Janraiseg.

The original copper statue, erected in 1911, was dismantled in 1937 by Soviet troops (its remains were reportedly used to make bullets during the Siege of Leningrad). After the fall of communist regimes, it was rebuilt in 1996 with donations of gold from Nepal and Japan.

Decorated with gold and 2,286 precious stones, the statue weighs over 20 tons and is covered with nearly 100 kg of silk garments. It is now the main center of Tantric Buddhism in Mongolia.

Chinggis Khaan Square

Chinggis Khaan Square is the central square of Ulaanbaatar.

At its center stands an equestrian statue of Damdin Sükhbaatar, while a grand colonnaded monument dedicated to Chinggis Khan, as well as Ögedei Khan and Kublai Khan, dominates the northern side directly in front of the Government Palace.

Today, the square is sometimes used for gatherings, ceremonies, and even rock concerts, but it generally remains a peaceful place where photographers offer their services, and tandem bikes can be rented in summer to ride around the square.

National Museum of Mongolia

The National Museum of Mongolia is a must-see for history lovers, culture enthusiasts, and those interested in traditional costumes.

It is the largest museum in the country, with a collection of over 57,000 objects related to Central Asian and Mongolian history. Established shortly after Mongolia’s democratic revolution in 1990, it is the country’s number one history museum.

It tells the story of the fierce steppe warriors, from the Huns—who once threatened the Roman Empire—to Chinggis Khan and his cavalry, who built the largest contiguous empire in history. It also covers more recent issues involving Mongolia’s powerful neighbors, China and Russia, and the country’s return to democracy.

Bogd Khaan Palace Museum

The Bogd Khaan Palace Museum is one of the most important historical and architectural monuments in Mongolia.

Bogd Khaan, the spiritual leader of Mongolia and its last king, resided here. The Winter Palace combines European-style architecture with a series of Chinese-style pagodas.

In addition to Buddhist artworks, the museum displays a variety of taxidermied animals, unusual royal gifts, and exhibition halls showcasing Mongolian culture. The Winter Palace is located about 1.5 km south of Chinggis Khaan Square.

Tumen Ekh Ensemble

The Tumen Ekh Ensemble performs every evening at 6:00 PM from May to November.

The ensemble has won numerous international awards and is renowned for the quality of its performances, combining professionalism with respect for traditional Mongolian culture.

Artists perform various forms of Mongolian music and dance, playing traditional instruments such as the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), and performing long songs, epic chants, praise songs, shamanic ritual dances, ancient court dances, and Tsam mask dances.