Last Updated: September 2026

I had the most amazing 10 days in Mongolia, and it is definitely a destination I’ll be returning to in the near future. However, because there is still relatively limited information online and I didn’t know many people who had been before, there were quite a few things I wish I had known before arriving.

So, here are some of the things I wish someone had told me about Mongolia before my trip.

Most of these tips are specific to Ulaanbaatar, as guided tours will take care of most of the logistics once you head out into the countryside.

A quick note: This post doesn’t cover Mongolian cultural customs or etiquette. I found this guide to be accurate and helpful for learning about those before my trip.

Transportation & Traffic

1. The traffic in Ulaanbaatar is no joke

Ulaanbaatar traffic can be really heavy, especially during rush hour.

The airport is already about an hour outside the city, but once you reach Ulaanbaatar, it can easily take another hour to get to your hotel if you’re staying in the city center.

Plan accordingly when booking airport transfers or scheduling taxis, especially if you have somewhere you need to be at a specific time.

I would give yourself much more time than Google Maps initially suggests during peak traffic.

2. Getting from Chinggis Khaan International Airport to Ulaanbaatar

There is a bus from the airport into the city center that drops you near Sükhbaatar Square.

Other options include using UBCab or arranging an airport pickup through your hotel or hostel, which is what we did. Our hotel pickup cost around 100,000 MNT.

The hotel pickup was definitely more expensive than taking public transportation, but after a long flight, it was worth it to have someone waiting for us and not have to figure everything out immediately.

3. The UBCab app is a mess…but necessary

UBCab is one of those apps that can be incredibly useful while also being slightly frustrating to figure out as a foreigner.

You generally need a Mongolian phone number to use it, although it does support some international numbers, including U.S. and Russian numbers. Some British travelers I met were also able to get around the phone-number requirement by simply clicking through the app, so your experience may vary.

The bigger issue I ran into was foreign card payments.

UBCab had recently stopped accepting some foreign cards directly, but there is a workaround: you can top up the wallet in the app using a foreign Visa card.

What I did was check approximately how much the ride would cost, then top up the wallet for that amount before booking. This worked really well and meant I didn’t end up with a large balance sitting in the app.

One thing to know: there doesn’t appear to be an easy way to withdraw unused wallet funds, so I would avoid putting a large amount of money into the account at once.

The good news is that rides around Ulaanbaatar are incredibly cheap. Most of my rides were under $2 USD, and cars generally arrived very quickly.

There is also another app called Tino, which accepts foreign phone numbers and cards more easily. I used it once, but the car took much longer to arrive than my UBCab rides.

If you get completely stuck, your hotel or hostel can also arrange a taxi for you.

I personally wouldn’t recommend simply getting into random taxis driving around the city. I was warned by locals and other travelers that foreigners could potentially be overcharged, so I stuck with ride-hailing apps whenever possible.

4. Paying for the bus in Mongolia: Don’t believe everything you read online

I never personally ended up taking the bus in Ulaanbaatar, but several people I met did, and apparently the process is not quite as straightforward as some online guides make it sound.

A lot of websites recommend buying a bus card from a CU convenience store. I went to three different CU locations in the city center looking for one and couldn’t find them.

Some locals showed us an app that functions as the electronic version of the card, but we couldn’t get it to work either.

Luckily, another traveler told us that if you have exact change of 500 MNT, you can simply pay cash on the bus.

The bigger takeaway here is that things change quickly in Mongolia. Information you find online may be outdated, particularly when it comes to transportation and payment systems.

When in doubt, ask someone locally what the current process is.

And for now, it seems like cash is still accepted in many situations…for now, anyway.

Food in Mongolia

1. The portion sizes are massive

Be warned: Mongolian restaurant portions are HUGE.

Honestly, this wasn’t limited to Mongolian food either. Pretty much every restaurant we went to served enormous portions.

I would recommend ordering one thing at a time rather than ordering several dishes for yourself.

Even one meal was often enough to share between two people.

I’m from the U.S., so I’m used to large American portion sizes, but Mongolia somehow managed to put them to shame.

2. The concept of vegetables is…a little foreign

TMI, but by day three in Mongolia, I was heavily constipated.

A lot of traditional Mongolian food is very meat- and carb-heavy, and depending on where you are, it can be surprisingly difficult to find a lot of vegetables.

In Ulaanbaatar, you can definitely find restaurants with more varied menus, but when eating more traditional food, my vegetable options often seemed to be limited to things like cucumbers and cabbage.

My advice: bring some fiber with you or make a point of getting fruits and vegetables whenever you can.

I ended up getting fruit and vegetable smoothies from convenience stores, which became a lifesaver.

3. Many restaurants use QR codes or ordering kiosks

Don’t be surprised if you sit down at a restaurant and see a QR code or ordering kiosk instead of a traditional menu.

These can be convenient, but sometimes they require a Mongolian phone number or local payment method, which can make things difficult for foreigners.

If the QR code or kiosk doesn’t work, don’t panic.

Just wave over a waiter and ask for help. In my experience, they were happy to take the order directly.

Other Things I Wish I Had Known

1. Consider using ByteSIM for your eSIM

I used ByteSIM for my Mongolia eSIM and had a really good experience.

One of the biggest advantages for me was that the Mongolia plan included a phone number, which made using UBCab and other apps much easier.

I also found that my service worked surprisingly well outside of Ulaanbaatar, which was especially useful when traveling around the countryside.

If you’re planning on using ride-hailing apps or need to stay connected outside the capital, having an eSIM with a phone number can be really convenient.

Get a $3 off to use on your first purchase at ByteSIM with the following link: https://bytesim.com/user/signUp?referral_code=V6BKA&source_type=member_plugin_referral&slt=member_plugin_referral

2. Mongolia is EXTREMELY dry

I’m not sure why I didn’t realize this before arriving, but Mongolia is incredibly dry.

By day three, my cuticles were cracking and my hair felt like it had completely lost all moisture.

Locals told me that some women wear makeup partly as protection from the wind and dry conditions, which I thought was interesting.

Bring a good, heavy-duty moisturizer.

Seriously. Your skin will thank you.

3. Check Trip.com for accommodation deals

I was surprised by how often Trip.com had some of the best accommodation prices in Mongolia.

With the large number of Chinese tourists visiting Mongolia, Trip.com seems to be particularly popular in the region, and I found some accommodation deals there that weren’t available on other booking platforms.

It’s worth checking multiple booking sites before reserving your hotel or hostel.

4. Google Translate works surprisingly well with Mongolian

After visiting several countries where Google Translate sometimes works worse than my own intuition, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it handled Mongolian.

I was able to point my phone at Cyrillic text and get surprisingly accurate English translations.

Before leaving Ulaanbaatar, I would recommend downloading the Mongolian language pack for offline translation. I also downloaded Russian as a backup.

Cell service can become limited once you leave the city, so having offline translation available is definitely worth it.

5. Always carry wet wipes and/or tissues

This is one of those travel tips that sounds insignificant until you desperately need them.

A lot of restaurants didn’t have napkins, and some bathrooms didn’t have toilet paper, paper towels, or even soap.

Luckily, tissues and wet wipes are readily available at most convenience stores and markets.

Just keep some in your day bag at all times.

You won’t regret it.

Money & Purchasing in Mongolia

1. Most ATMs I used didn’t charge a transaction fee

I personally didn’t encounter any ATM transaction fees when withdrawing money with my Visa debit card from ATMs such as TDB.

There are ATMs throughout Ulaanbaatar, so finding one wasn’t difficult.

I personally used the ATMs in the basement of Grand Plaza because it was close to my hostel and there were several different ATM options in one place. Having four or five machines to choose from was convenient in case one didn’t accept my card.

That said, always check the ATM screen before confirming a withdrawal, as fees and exchange rates can change.

2. Carry cash, but you may need less than you think

I expected Mongolia to be much more cash-dependent than it actually was.

Many businesses, including convenience stores and supermarkets, accept credit or debit cards, and this was often the case even outside Ulaanbaatar.

Smaller mom-and-pop shops may still be cash-only, so I would always keep some Mongolian tögrög with you just in case.

I primarily ended up using cash for things like tipping tour guides and paying for smaller tickets or purchases.

Overall, though, I used my card much more than I expected.

3. Tax-free shopping is available at some stores

If you’re planning on doing some shopping in Mongolia, it’s worth asking whether the store participates in the tax-free shopping program.

For example, I purchased cashmere from Gobi Cashmere and was able to claim a tax refund at the airport.

My purchase was over 500,000 MNT in a single transaction, which qualified for the refund. I received approximately 10% back, and my refund was paid in cash in USD.

The exact requirements and refund amount can vary, so make sure you ask the store about the process when making your purchase and keep any necessary receipts or documentation for the airport.

Final Thoughts

Mongolia ended up being one of my favorite trips, and I would absolutely go back.

The country is still a little harder to travel around independently than many other popular destinations, which is part of what makes it such an adventure. But that also means that some of the most useful information isn’t necessarily the stuff you’ll find in a standard travel guide.

My biggest piece of advice is to stay flexible and ask locals when you’re unsure. Transportation systems, payment methods, and apps can change quickly, and information online isn’t always up to date.

Hopefully these tips save you from at least a few of the minor headaches I experienced during my 10 days in Mongolia!

And if you’re heading there soon, have an amazing time — Mongolia is worth it.

Check out my other guides on Mongolia:

What to do in Ulaanbaatar

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