Accommodation in Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar Accommodation Services

In Ulaanbaatar, tourists have the option of staying in hotels or guest houses that are cheaper than hotels. However, these accommodations usually have shared rooms, shared bathrooms, and a common room. Unlike in Europe, there are no youth hostels or holiday apartments in Ulaanbaatar. Most hotels in Ulaanbaatar are clean, and while tap water is undrinkable, there is hot and cold water, and the toilets are fine. However, things are different once you leave the city. Often, there is only cold water or no water at all, and the toilets are not always clean. Most tourists prefer to sleep in their tents in nature or ger camps in the countryside since hotels outside of Ulaanbaatar are generally not highly recommended.

Booking and Prices

Accommodation prices in Ulaanbaatar range from about 20 euros per night for the cheapest to 40 euros for the middle class. High-priced accommodations are also available, with luxury accommodations being open-ended like everywhere else. During the high season (July and August), both guest houses and hotels in Ulaanbaatar are fully booked, so it’s a good idea to book your accommodation as early as possible, preferably in spring. You can either write to hotels or guest houses yourself via email or reserves through relevant booking portals or travel agencies on the Internet.

Best 5 Star Hotels in Ulaanbaatar:

• Best Western “Tuushin’ Hotel
• Shangrilla Hotel
• Kempinski Hotel
• Ramada Hotel
• Bayangol Hotel
• Chinggis Hotel
• Continental Hotel
• Corporate Hotel
• Khovsgol Hotel
• Soyol Hotel
• Puma Imperial Hotel

Ger Camps

Ger (yurt) camps, which are set up especially for guests and mostly run by locals, offer a good option for accommodation. In national parks, these ger camps are often the only place to stay, apart from sleeping in your own tent. Nomadic families also often invite tourists into their homes as guests and are extremely hospitable. In the countryside, ger camps are preferable to hotels since they are cleaner, have a nicer atmosphere, and the operators usually know the needs of tourists quite well. Ger camps usually cost from 55 euros upwards, and you typically get three meals with that.

The individual yurts are usually equipped with two to four beds, a table and stools, and sometimes a sink without running water and a small container filled with water. There is often a permanent building with showers and toilets. Another building or a large yurt serves as a restaurant offering good food. Towels are also rarely found in ger camps, so apart from the price range from 50 euros per night, you have to bring them from home.

Ger camps are usually occupied by tour operators in summer, so as an individual traveler, there is hardly any possibility of accommodation except in your own tent. It’s also advisable to book accommodation through a tour operator during the Ice Festival. In general, if you book through a tour operator, you usually stay in ger camps and tents. Most tourist ger camps are closed in winter.

Tenting in Nature

There are no designated campsites in Mongolia, so the motto is wild camping. If you do not want to be in the middle of nature and want to settle down near a yurt settlement or in a village, you should ask the residents and nomads in the vicinity for permission beforehand. Rarely is the request denied.

Of course, you should take your rubbish with you afterward and dispose of it in the next town. When camping in nature, do not urinate or brush your teeth near water. Soap should be biodegradable, and you can buy it at home. You are not allowed to set up your tent near a tourist ger camp, and of course, you are not allowed to use its sanitary facilities unless you agree on this with the camp.