Best Time to Visit Ulaanbaatar

The best time to visit Ulaanbaatar must be June to September.

To begin with, the climate of Ulaanbaatar in those months is generally pleasant, free from burning hot and severely cold. Even the highest temperature in summer usually hovers around 32 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit), no more than 35℃ (95℉). The precipitation remains pretty low though in local rainy season, resulting in limited disruptions on your travel schedule. Meanwhile, it is endowed with long daytime and abundant sunlight, which provides more available time for visitors to go sightseeing.

Furthermore, the natural scenery presents distinctive and breath-taking appearances for visitors. During this time, the grasslands and trees grow increasingly green and lush, then turning yellow and golden gradually. The streams and rivers gurgling softly wanders through the vast landscape, composing a piece of harmonious background music for your travelling.

Besides, there are many festivals held in Ulaanbaatar from June to September, including Buddha Day on June 30 in 2026, music festivals in early July, as well as the grandest Naadam Festival lasting from July 11 to 15, 2026. You have the chance to engage in the related activities to experience their local cultures and customs in person.

Peak Season & Slack Season

Peak Season

July and August welcome the largest number of visitors throughout the year, recognized as the busiest time for tourism. They come to Ulaanbaatar, the famous summer resort, to escape summer heat and appreciate the wonderful grassland.

Of the two months, middle July is the most crowded period when majority of visitors come to attend the Naadam Festival and local residents also enjoy their holidays. Meanwhile, it means much higher prices, highly demanded flight tickets and hotels, especially those around National Sports Stadium where the opening ceremony of Naadam Festival is held. For other periods of July and August, crowds of people or long queues can be rarely seen in most scenic spots. The hotel prices remain high, but it is easier for visitors to successfully book one.

Shoulder Season

June and September to October are the shoulder season of Ulaanbaatar tourism, which means less visitors, lower costs and better experiences.

The nighttime temperatures during this period are a little low and you may feel chilly even cold after the sun sets. But luckily, the daytime is generally warm in June and becomes pleasantly cool in September. In October, it is not too cold yet and generally, you can conduct long-time outdoor activities wearing proper clothes.

In June, the grasslands are light green and haven’t revived vigorously green until late June; in early September, they begin to turn progressively yellow, finally golden in late September. Such a golden autumn view normally lasts to middle October. Though most visitors prefer the luxuriant grasslands, the unique scenery of light-green landscape and colorful autumn also attract a number of visitors to visit Ulaanbaatar. You may have the chance to see snow peak of mountains in October.

Slack Season

November to next May belongs to the slack season of Ulaanbaatar mainly because of the unfavorable weather condition.

As the coldest capital in the world, Ulaanbaatar experience a long and frigid winter from November to next April. The commonly seen low temperature around -20℃ (-4℉) in winter scares away many visitors. Sudden climate changes also occur, for instance occasional snowstorm and strong winds in deep winter as well as the highly possible sandstorm in March.

Though April and May witness obvious temperature rises, it is not warm enough until middle May when the plants start to sprout. Most of the time, the ground and the mountain are brown and barren with little vegetation covered. When coming to late May, the plants are only sparsely scattered on the grassland, being palely green.

Best Time for Vibrant Grassland

July to August is widely recognized as the best time to enjoy the most luxuriant grassland in Ulaanbaatar. Terelj National Park and Bogd Khan Uul National Park are good destinations in Ulaanbaatar.

As the forests and grasslands have revived vibrant, you can see the vast green landscape extending endlessly on which widely dispersed Mongolian yurts seem like pearls dotted on an emerald blanket. What’s more, there are various interesting activities you can take participate in, such as hiking, riding horses, living in the yurts and watching stars at night. Excellent competitions like wrestling and archery are held in the grassland as well. 

Best Time for Autumn Scenery 

Best time for autumn scenery falls in September to mid-October when plants show different colors. In early September, the primary color remains green but being yellowish. Colorful autumn can be seen in middle September when yellow takes the majority alternative with light green and orange yellow. In the first half of October, it becomes totally golden and fall foliage is available, but late October is not a good time for autumn view since the tree and grass have withered and turned brown.

Best Time for Snow View

From December to February, Ulaanbaatar welcomes its best time for appreciating snow-covered landscape. Though the precipitation is scarce, with even high temperature around -13℃ (9℉) and accumulated snow from past months, snow scenery can be seen almost everywhere in Ulaanbaatar during this time. You can also enjoy ice sculptures in Sukhbaatar Square. Besides, snow cover on the grasslands and ice on Tuul River has become thick enough for winter activities such as skiing, ice skating and sleighing.