Ulaanbaatar is the world's highest capital city and home to over 40% of the Mongolian population. It's a quickly-evolving city where old and new collide and, somehow, coexist. You will see people wearing traditional deels (long coats worn by herdspeople) walking past youngsters in the latest K-pop street fashions. Russian jeeps, Priuses and G Wagens share the road with jam-packed buses in a chaotic ballet that will mystify any westerner. But travel just 30 minutes outside the city and you will see the Mongolia that most of us imagine: grazing herds of animals and open, grassy steppe from horizon to horizon.
See:
• International Intellectual Museum: This is a museum of puzzles. Yes, puzzles. It's amazing!
• Gandan Monastery (pictured above): Feed the pigeons in the courtyard and view the 25 meter tall statue of Magjid Janraisig inside.
• National Museum of Mongolia: Beautiful collection of historic artifacts and textiles.
Tour:
• Black Ibex Expeditions: Professional, friendly, and very helpful. Black Ibex secured a ticket for the second leg of my Trans-Siberian train adventure for a very reasonable price.
• Golden Gobi: Highly recommended by a friend who I consider the best tour driver in all of Mongolia.
• Mongolei: Caters to English and German tourists and can create an adventure to suit your interests.
Shop:
• Chojin Lama Temple Shop: Small, tightly-packed shop benefits needy children. Take your time to look closely at their wares — there are a lot of treasures to be found.
• Gobi Cashmere Factory Store (pictured above): Cashmere is a huge Mongolian export. Here, you can find lovely blankets, yarn and woven fashions.
• Naran Tuul Market: Also known as the black market, this is where the locals shop for everything from food to horse saddles to furniture and traditional Mongolian clothing.
Eat:
• Luna Blanca: Mongolia is not known for its cuisine (Mongolian barbeque is, in fact, Chinese), but Luna Blanca translates "Mongolian National Foods" such as buuz and khuushuur into vegetarian versions (normally they'd be filled with mutton). Since every other meal you're likely to have will be heavy on meat, get your fill of delicious vegetables here.
• Los Bandidos: Perfectly attentive service, lovely hand painted Indian scenes on the wallpaper and a menu that serves Mexican and Indian food. Sounds strange, I know, but three out of four in our party were perfectly happy with our meals. And the strong margaritas!
• Millie's Cafe (pictured above): Features dependable Western and Mongolian menus, and offers the best expat breakfasts in the city. The perfect place if you're jonesing for wifi and an all-too-rare strong cup of coffee while in UB.
Drink:
• Blue Sky Lounge (pictured above): Located in the Blue Sky Tower Hotel, this lounge is the ultimate place to grab cocktail and people watch.
• View Lounge: This revolving rooftop bar is a great place to view the city lights
• Ismuss: With a 7 meter statue of Stalin at its center — even if you aren't the clubbing type, this is worth a look.
Stay:
• Hotel Blue Sky Tower (pictured above): The most striking building in the UB skyline also boasts one of the most well-appointed hotels, as well as trendy bars and fine dining.
• Ulaanbaatar Hotel: This is the grandfather of stately hotels in Ulaanbaatar. Where many heads of state and diplomats have stayed.
• Steppe Nomads Tourist Eco Camp: Stay in the "glamping" version of a traditional Mongol ger (round like a yurt, but not a yurt).
Please help us out and add to the guide in the comments — what are your recommendations for Ulaanbaatar?
(Images: 1 - 3, 5, 7. Michelle Chin, 4. Gobi Cashmere, 6. Blue Sky Lounge)
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Beatriz's Fun & Functional Workspace
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Sheex Bedding
How to Cook Rice on the Stove
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
This is good. I have always wanted to visit Mongolia. Is it safe for a girl to travel alone there?
Me too always wanted to visit after seeing a documentary called The State of Dogs - Dogs are sacred in Mongolia...
Very cool. I remember as a tween I was always dreaming of exotic places to go. I liked Ulaanbaatar because I knew if I went, it would feel like another planet; I would know I wasn't in Kansas anymore Alas, I have yet to go.
@CACTINA - I traveled alone from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar on the Trans-Siberian. I met friends who live in UB, but the first two times my friend (a woman) traveled there, she was alone. I met a lovely South African woman in front of the statue pictured at the top and she had been traveling solo for over a year. The guide companies I listed are great and the folks at Black Ibex speak and write very good English. There are a couple hostel-type places where a lot of Westerners stay. Zaya's Guesthouse is the nicest of them because she doesn't put up with rowdy shenanigans. Zaya can also help connect you with tour guides to take you to the country...since that's where all the real beauty is.
in the past year, i met four different people that traveled through mongolia by taking a train from beijing to siberia. they all loved it.
@Creativevoyage Mongolian Shepard Dogs are said to have "four eyes" (the brown dots on their foreheads look like a second set of eyes), which is considered auspicious.
Mongols will stop for animals in the road, but not people. They think people should be smart enough to get out of the way!
@ mchin: Thank you so much! Your post is so serendipitous, my dream of traveling to Mongolia has also always included going there from Moscow by the Trans Siberian express! I am almost treating this post as a sign that I should start planning a trip to Mongolia soon :-)
@cactina i think it IS a sign :D
I went in mid-May just before high tourist season started and it was lovely. But had to pack lots of layers in case of snow flurries (which I encountered) up to 80 degrees (fahrenheit).
Though, I've been told that experiencing the Doctor Zhivago winter landscape is just as captivating and something I'd also like to see one day.
Highest capital city? No way. It is about 4300 feet elevation. Quito is at about 9,350 and La Paz (administrative capital) is over 12,000 feet.
I just point this out because I get altitude sickness but of course, had no issues in Ulaan Baatar. 10 years ago it was a bit dodgy, lots of minor street crime and not much for tourists at all. Looks like things are changing for the better.