Step1
Tell us what you care about
History, Buddhism, Soviet architecture, contemporary art, food, cashmere, or simply a good walk. The city supports all of them and cannot do all of them in a day.
A day in Ulaanbaatar
One day, properly spent.
A private guide and vehicle for a full day in the capital — built around what you actually want to see rather than a fixed circuit.
Ulaanbaatar holds nearly half the country’s population and almost none of its reputation. Most travellers pass through it in a night and leave thinking it is a place to get past, which is a shame and, more practically, a waste of a day you have already paid for in flights.
This is a private day with a guide who can explain the twentieth century as well as the thirteenth: the monastery that survived the purges, the museums that hold what was recovered, the Soviet planning still visible in the street grid, the cashmere industry, the ger districts on the hillsides and how a nomadic country ended up with a city of 1.6 million people.
What you get.
Set out clearly, so you know exactly what is arranged.
Included
- Private English-speaking guide for a full day
- Private vehicle and driver
- All entrance fees for the sites you choose
- Bottled water
- A route planned with you beforehand, not handed to you on the morning
- Lunch recommendations at every price level, and a booking if you want one
Not included
- Meals and drinks
- Shopping and personal purchases
- Gratuities
- Airport transfers, which can be added
Pricing.
Quoted for your dates and party size, and confirmed in writing before anything is booked.
Private guide, vehicle, driver and all entrance fees for the sites you choose. Half days and specialist guides — art, architecture, archaeology — are available on request.
Prices are confirmed in writing before anything is booked. Payment by bank transfer or on invoice; we do not take cash in the vehicle.
How it works.
You tell us what interests you; we build the day around it.
Step2
We propose a route
Sent the day before, with timings, and adjusted until it is the day you want. Gandan monastery, the National Museum, the Bogd Khan Winter Palace, the Choijin Lama Temple, Zaisan, the black market and the ger districts are all on the table.
Step3
Your guide meets you at your hotel
With the vehicle. Nine in the morning is standard; earlier or later is fine.
Step4
The plan bends as the day goes
If one museum turns out to be the thing, you stay. You can stay as long as a place holds your interest.
Worth knowing.
The details that decide whether this goes smoothly.
People, not tape recorders
Our city guides are chosen for what they know and how they explain it. Ask for a specialist — art, history, architecture — and we will find the right one if we have notice.
Museums vary
Some museums close one day a week and hours shift seasonally. We check the week of your visit rather than trusting a printed list.
Shorter, still worth it
Daylight is limited between November and February and outdoor sites are cold. The day gets rebuilt around interiors rather than cancelled.
Also available
If you only have a morning before a flight, say so. A well-chosen half day beats a rushed full one.
Questions.
Asked often enough to answer here.
Can this be done on a layover?
If you have more than eight hours between flights and a visa position that lets you leave the airport, yes. Tell us your flight times and we will say honestly whether it is worth it.
Is the black market worth visiting?
Naran Tuul is a genuine working market and interesting for it. It is also crowded and known for pickpocketing. We go with you or we skip it — your choice, made with the facts.
Can you arrange a throat singing or traditional music performance?
Yes, with a few days’ notice. There are tourist-oriented shows and there are serious performances; we will tell you which is which.
We are travelling with children. Does this work?
Yes, with a different route. Museums get traded for the Chinggis Khaan statue, open space and something to climb.
Do not write off the city.
Tell us what interests you and we will show you the day it could be.
Request this serviceOther services.
Most travellers book two or three together, which is simpler for everyone.