Standing on an edge of a steppe, Ulaanbaatar is wild and ever moving – a city pulsating with traffic, nightlife and culture. It is easy to get overwhelmed when in Ulaanbaatar. Not only the city moves so fast you can barely keep, but the locals are so eclectic it stuns you! It‘s hard to keep up with the wild pace of the city, but with a little patience and help from your travel guide, you will be able to take in all of the sights and wonders the Ulaanbaatar homes. Between the historical culture and urban lifestyle, Ulaanbaatar is an eclectic wonder.

Not the first capital

Mongolia has had quite a few capitals – the first recorded capital was Örgöö and was around 420km away from Ulaanbaatar. The country changed it‘s capital at least three times since 1639, but after gaining its independence from China in 1924, Ulaanbaatar became the centre of political life in the country. The name of the capital means „Red Hero“. Since Mongolia was still under the influence of the Soviets, Ulaanbaatar was filled with typical Russian-style architecture – boring monolith buildings, colourful theatres and so on. But luckily those times has passed, and Ulaanbaatar is as gorgeous as ever! The best of traditional Mongolian culture is brought out by theatres, museums, clubs and restaurants.

Everything from temples to nightclubs

A tour in Ulaanbaatar will provide you with top notch experiences. Before you take off to the wild steppes, make sure to spend some time wandering the city – Ulaanbaatar is truly eclectic and offers you sightseeing places that you will remember forever. The Gandan monastery will leave you breathless and touch your spirit; a visit to the State Opera and Ballet Theatre will feed your cultural needs; history lovers will overcome with joy on a visit to the National Museum of Mongolian History. You can just take a walk in the city and gaze at the beautiful architecture – it‘s nothing like you‘ve seen before. If you‘re not too tired after your tour around the city, make sure to visit one of the many bars and restaurants. The nightlife in the capital is booming – It seems like Ulaanbaatar never rests. From culture to parties – the Mongolian capital has everything best waiting just for you.

The Mongolian cuisine – what to expect?

Since the Mongolian cuisine was created to help the survival in steppes, traditional meals are mostly made from meat and dairy. Now, vegetarians and vegans would struggle on a Mongolian tour, but there aren‘t a lot of experiences as authentic as eating some of Mongolia’s „Five Snouts“ and washing it down with Chinggis Vodka. Ulaanbaatar is great for foodies – the capital offers a vast amount of traditional Mongolian restaurants. Of course, keep in mind, that the Mongolian cuisine is not for the faint of hearts – most restaurants offer horse meat, and some of the meals might seem quite intense. For example Boodog, the Mongolian BBQ, is meat cooked from the inside. The carcas of the animal is stuffed with heated rocks, vegetables and spices. At the same time, the carcas is also being cooked from the outside to burn off the animals fur and make sure it‘s well done. Surely, restaurants offer a more refined take on this dish, but it still is very authentic. Ulaanbaatar offers you quite a few traditional Mongolian restaurants and trust me – there are a lot of dishes you just need to try out.

I don‘t know about you, but I already have my bags packed, and I‘m ready to break my piggy bank – Ulaanbaatar is a dream destination, and I‘m ready to take in everything that it has to offer!

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