[ViajeroUK]

Visited Mongolia in June last year on a leisure trip, last two nights spent in Ulaanbaatar, pollution is awful, the smog is visible well before you enter the city (our group travelled into UB by road from Gobi desert) and traffic congestion is pretty bad as well. When it rains the streets very quickly fill with water, it appears that there are no drains, or if there are they are totally ineffective. We stayed at Springs Hotel, a small tourist hotel near central Sukhbaatar Square.

I would recommend one tourist site to visit on outskirts of UB, the Equestrian Statue of Genghis Khan, totally unique and well worth seeing if you do visit Mongolia

[Neuron]

Ulaanbaatar is definitely worth a trip and a unique place to travel.
Significant issues are air pollution and traffic. Be sure to plan extra time for intra-city travel (the streets are severely congested).
The former soviet era is still visible in most buildings of the city.
UB is also known as the coldest capital in the world. Be prepared for temperatures as low as -40 degrees centigrade in the wintertime.
All international flights arrive/depart at Chingiis Khan Airport, which is fairly modern terminal-wise but flight operations are limited because of terrain. The opening of the new airport (same name, who wonders…) further outside of the city has been re-scheduled several times and is currently again delayed because of ongoing construction of highway to the airport. Be sure to check if you are one of the first passengers to arrive/depart at the new place.
Most convenient Star Alliance options from SIN would be with Air China (via PEK, Boeing 737) or (seasonally) with Asiana via Seoul (Airbus A330). MIAT (no alliance, B737+B767) and Korean (skyteam, A330) are other options via Seoul/HKG. Turkish Airlines from Istanbul (via Bishkek, B737) and Aeroflot from Moscow (B737, sometimes A330) are further options from Europe.
Western standard hotel options are: Shangri-La (with adjacent shopping mall and within walking distance to the major downtown attractions, it also houses a good restaurant with western food options and a bar), Holiday Inn, Kempinski and some more.
Enjoy your stay!

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K1ngston

[K1ngston]

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Thank you Neuron, the best flights by far for me are the Asiana flights already see that, I now wait for invitation letters and the “politics” to work out …. Thank you everyone

[stuartv]

My Son and I drove across Mongolia in 2016 as part of the Mongol Rally. We stayed in UB for four days to renew a Russian Visa before driving on to Siberia.
UB is VERY polluted, but had the largest number of Prius cars I’ve ever seen but it’s an interesting city to explore, and well worth driving into the countryside to see the yurts etc.

We stayed in the centre at the Ramada which was fine, a good restaurant and bar and great location.

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K1ngston

[TonyR]

As others have said, not a lot to a Russian architecture inspired city but there are some things worth seeing. Definitely go to the Natural History Museum on the main square to see the dinosaurs if nothing else – the Gobi Desert has been a rich source of their fossils. And worth a trip outside the city to the National Park if you have the time. Not expensive to hire a car and driver and I wouldn’t want to drive there – some of the “roads” once you start to leave the city are pretty dire dirt tracks. Suggest Gorkhi-Terelj National Park as its near the city and visit Turtle Rock, go camel or horse-riding or just enjoy the scenery. If you have longer there is tourist Ger (Yurt) glamping but for a real experience if you don’t mind roughing it you can home-stay in a ger with a local nomadic family. Very basic, great experience and fun and you help support them financially. The arrangers will provide a 4×4 and driver as they tend to camp in places with no roads.

I never worried for our safety beyond the usual pickpocket etc risks that you have even in London and found them a very hospitable and courteous people. But check the FCO site for the latest. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mongolia/safety-and-security

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K1ngston

[DoorsToManual]

I was there three weeks ago. It was totally fine, safe and the worst thing is the traffic, for such a small city the traffic is horrific. That having been said, the Shangri-La is FANTASTIC. The staff are amazing and the rooms very tasteful. It has a great Executive Lounge and the breakfast spread in the restaurant is outstanding.
Yes, it’s cold there so wrap up warm! Have a wonderful trip.

[Author]

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