When to go · Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar in January
Avoid month. −20 to −30 °C, smog; Tsagaan Sar closures some years.Avoid month. −4 to −22 °F, smog; Tsagaan Sar closures some years.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- −16°C3°F / −26°C−15°F
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 1
- Crowds
- Low
- Mongolia overall
- Prices
- Low
- Mongolia overall
Verdict
−20 to −30 °C, smog; Tsagaan Sar closures some years.−4 to −22 °F, smog; Tsagaan Sar closures some years.
Weather in January
- UlaanbaatarHighs around -16 °C, lows around -26 °C, rain on about 1 dayHighs around 3 °F, lows around −15 °F, rain on about 1 day
- Ulaanbaatar and the centre, Mongolia · Ulaanbaatar, Terelj, Kharkhorin, Orkhon valleysmoke haze
Coldest capital in the world: January averages about −20 °C. Coal and ger-stove smoke make winter air among the worst anywhere Nov–Feb. Summer is 20–28 °C by day with afternoon showers in July–August.Coldest capital in the world: January averages about −4 °F. Coal and ger-stove smoke make winter air among the worst anywhere Nov–Feb. Summer is 68–82 °F by day with afternoon showers in July–August.
Long winter season
Deep cold, snow and ice, quiet museums, Tsagaan Sar in Feb.
Watch: Smog, −20 to −30 °C, ice, closed camps.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
New Year
Dec 31–Jan 1
Fireworks and lights on the square in deep cold; restaurants book out.
Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year) big impact
Feb 2027 (lunar, moves yearly — check) · Mongolia
Three official days, but many shops and restaurants close for a week; families visit elders, transport out of the city is packed.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Mongolia overall
- Low
- Prices · Mongolia overall
- Low
Mongolia overall: −20 to −30 °C and the worst smog of the year in Ulaanbaatar; city museums only.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings