Ulaanbaatar and Terelj
Ulaanbaatar & Terelj
Ulaanbaatar hums with traffic, prayer wheels and new ideas, yet the city gives way to open country faster than you would think. Within ninety minutes the road climbs into Terelj, where granite towers stand over quiet river meadows and herders still move their flocks between valleys with the seasons.
Start in a fast-changing capital of monasteries and markets, then trade traffic for the larch forests and granite tors of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park.
Places to know
Highlights
- 01Morning chanting at Gandan Monastery
- 02Standing on the head of the Chinggis Khaan statue
- 03Walking among granite tors in Gorkhi-Terelj
- 04The climb to Aryabal Meditation Temple
- 05A first night in a ger within easy reach of the capital
Best months
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May, recommended
- June, recommended
- July, recommended
- August, recommended
- September, recommended
- October
- November
- December
Getting there
Most international flights land at Chinggis Khaan International Airport, about an hour south of the city centre. Terelj is roughly 1.5 to 2 hours' drive from central Ulaanbaatar, depending on traffic.
Adventures in Ulaanbaatar & Terelj
Things to do here
Horse Riding
Ride sturdy Mongolian horses across open steppe, river valleys and forested hills with local horsemen.
The Naadam Games
Wrestling, horse racing and archery: the three manly games at the heart of Mongolia's summer festival.
Throat Singing and the Morin Khuur
Hear khöömei, the overtone singing of the steppe, and the morin khuur horsehead fiddle, both UNESCO-listed traditions.
Ulaanbaatar & Terelj, your way
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