Districts · Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar by district
Everything a first visit needs sits along an east-west corridor: Sukhbaatar Square and the museums in the centre, Gandan hill 2.5 km north-west, and the Bogd Khan Palace and Zaisan hill 3–5 km south, across the Tuul river valley. The airport is an hour south. Traffic, not distance, is the constraint.Everything a first visit needs sits along an east-west corridor: Sukhbaatar Square and the museums in the centre, Gandan hill 1.6 mi north-west, and the Bogd Khan Palace and Zaisan hill 1.9–3.1 mi south, across the Tuul river valley. The airport is an hour south. Traffic, not distance, is the constraint.
About these names
- Sükhbaatar (centre)seesleepeatSuits: First stay, museums, restaurants on footSukhbaatar Square, the museums, the State Department Store and most restaurants. Busy and noisy, but it is the only part where you can do a lot on foot.4 sights · 4 eats · 1 sleep areaDistrict guide →
- Chingeltei (Gandan hill)seeSuits: A morning at the monasteryGandan Monastery and the streets around its gate, on a hill north-west of the centre. Hilly and dusty; cold in the shade.1 sights · 1 eatsDistrict guide →
- Khan-Uul (south)seesleepSuits: Palace visit, Zaisan, quieter nightsThe Bogd Khan Palace Museum, the Zaisan hill and the mountain trailheads. More space and less noise; every outing is a car ride.2 sights · 1 eats · 1 sleep areaDistrict guide →
- Bayanzürkh (east)eatSuits: Café and Korean-food eveningsSeoul Street and the newer malls and restaurants east of the centre; car or long walk from the square.Short entry only: too little in this guide for a full page yet.
- Bayangol and Songinokhairkhan (west)skip as a baseSuits: Railway station and marketsThe railway station, the Naran Tuul market and bus stations. Useful for onward travel, not a first-visit stop.Short entry only: too little in this guide for a full page yet.
- Ger districtsskip as a baseSuits: Not for sightseeingHillside districts ringing the centre with coal-burning stoves. They cause the winter smog and are not set up for visitors.Short entry only: too little in this guide for a full page yet.
Hover, tap or tab to an area to see what it is like. Pins are sleep areas; arrows at the edge point to the airport.
Off the map: Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN) (70–120 min by the usual route).
Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Bayanzürkh (east), Bayangol and Songinokhairkhan (west), Ger districts. See the table above.
Where’s what, as a list:
- Sükhbaatar (centre): Sukhbaatar Square, the museums, the State Department Store and most restaurants. Busy and noisy, but it is the only part where you can do a lot on foot. Suits: First stay, museums, restaurants on foot. Price band $$.
- Chingeltei (Gandan hill): Gandan Monastery and the streets around its gate, on a hill north-west of the centre. Hilly and dusty; cold in the shade. Suits: A morning at the monastery.
- Khan-Uul (south): The Bogd Khan Palace Museum, the Zaisan hill and the mountain trailheads. More space and less noise; every outing is a car ride. Suits: Palace visit, Zaisan, quieter nights. Price band $$.
- Bayanzürkh (east): Seoul Street and the newer malls and restaurants east of the centre; car or long walk from the square. Suits: Café and Korean-food evenings.
- Bayangol and Songinokhairkhan (west): The railway station, the Naran Tuul market and bus stations. Useful for onward travel, not a first-visit stop. Suits: Railway station and markets.
- Ger districts: Hillside districts ringing the centre with coal-burning stoves. They cause the winter smog and are not set up for visitors. Suits: Not for sightseeing.
- Sleep area South side (Bogd Khan Mountain view): suits Palace visit, Zaisan, quieter nights, price band $$.
- Sleep area Sukhbaatar Square area: suits First stay, museums, restaurants on foot, price band $$.
- Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN), 70–120 min by the usual route.