Private jet charter and flights to Ulaanbaatar
Images of Mongolia are often of vast deserts, remote landscapes dotted with yurts, and untouched ways of life. So it might come as some surprise that its capital is an ultra-modern city where an ever-growing number of glittering skyscrapers cast shadows over temples, palaces and more austere Soviet buildings. Ulaanbaatar, or simply UB, is packed with sights, entertainment venues and a dining scene that’s starting to make international waves. Experience it all, charter a private jet today.
Ulaanbaatar’s heart is the vast Sukhbaatar Square – one of the largest of its kind in Asia – dedicated to Damdin Sukhbaatar, the man who declared Mongolia’s independence from China in 1921. At the centre of the square is a statue of this ‘hero of the revolution’ astride his horse while along the northern edge is the State Parliament House where you can see statues of Ghengis Khan, Ogedei Khan and Kublai Khan. Just to the south of here is Peace Avenue, the main street
To the west of the square – about 20 minutes on foot – is one of the city’s main sights, the Gandantegchinlen Monastery. The monastery has three temples, the largest of which houses a 26-metre tall statue of Avalokiteśvara the bodhisattva of compassion. It’s the second statue of its kind here, the first was lost during the Communist period in the first half of the 20th Century. There are also two further temples, four colleges of Buddhist philosophy and a university in the monastery grounds.
As you’d expect in any capital city, there is a selection of museums throughout UB including the National Museum of Mongolia, a fascinating spot which showcases the country’s culture throughout time. The exhibits include gold treasures, Stone-Age finds, traditional costumes and headwear through the ages and Soviet-era relics. The Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan is another must-see sight for culture lovers. This turn-of-the-20th-Century building was the home of Mongolia’s last king, often known as the Bogd Khan, and is now a museum.
Other places worth visiting – all of them uniquely Mongolian – include The Zaisan Memorial, where you can see unique Soviet mosaic images as well as far-reaching views out over the city; the International Intellectual and Puzzle Museum, a place to discover Mongolia’s puzzling history; and the Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs which houses hundreds of fossils that have been found in the Gobi Desert.
Away from the often smog-coated UB (which is particularly bad during the winter), there’s plenty of fresh air to be found. Approximately 30 miles away, Gorkhi Terelj is the most accessible national park from the city. It’s a surprisingly verdant park with dense Alpine forests, grasslands, other-worldly rock formations and ger camps where visitors can stay overnight and experience the nomadic life, perhaps in more luxury and with more modern conveniences than is traditional. Perhaps the most visited part of the park is the 40-metre-high stainless steel statue of Chinggis (Gengis) Khan on his horse which you can climb up and in to.
Summer is the best time to visit the city as winters can get frigidly cold with temperatures dropping as low as -40 degrees Celsius or lower in January and February. Thankfully summer days can get wonderfully warm (mid -20s on average) and there are some unique cultural events. The Naadam Festival is the highlight on the Ulaanbaatar calendar. Over a few days in mid-July, people from all over the country converge on the Central Stadium and Khui Doloon Khudag to take part in or watch the ‘three games of men’ – Mongolian wrestling, archery and archery. It’s also the festival of national pride so expect parades, theatre and dance events to be taking place around this time.
Currently, the city is served by the Chinggis Khaan International Airport to the north-east of the city. This will be replaced by the New Ulaanbaatar International Airport which is scheduled to open in 2020. Simply contact one of our team and we can arrange everything you need to charter a private jet to Ulaanbaatar.
