Mongolia Travel Guide

Social Conventions

Religious customs should be respected. Mongolia has a large number of customs and traditions although Mongolians are generally not offended when foreigners break custom.

Photography: Permission should be granted before entering temples and monasteries. A fee is payable for photography in protected areas, although this regulation is often not enforced. Caution should be exercised when photographing government buildings, military establishments and border crossings.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

The national airline is Mongolian International Air Transport (MIAT) (OM) (www.miat.com).

Departure Tax

Included in the price of the ticket.

Main Airports

Ulaanbaatar (ULN) (Chinggis Khaan) is 20km (12 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Buses run to the city center (journey time - 30 minutes). Taxis are also available (journey time - 20 minutes). Facilities: Bank, duty-free shops, internet, car hire, post office and a restaurant.

Getting There By Rail

Ulaanbaatar is linked to the Russian Federation and China by the Trans-Mongolian Railway. An express train runs between Moscow, Ulaanbaatar and Beijing. Trains on international routes have sleeping and restaurant cars. There are also other trains from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing and Ulaanbaatar to Moscow. Local trains also operate to the border towns.

Getting There By Road

There are several international road links; the principal route is via Irkutsk (East Siberia) to Ulaanbaatar. A daily bus travels between Ulaanbaatar and Ulan Ude. Travelers are not normally allowed to enter Mongolia by road unless they obtain prior permission from the Mongolian authorities.

Duty Free

Overview

The following goods may be imported into Mongolia without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars and 250g of tobacco.
• 1L of vodka and 2L of wine and 3L of beer.
• Personal effects.
• Goods up to a value of US$1,000.

Note: (a) Every tourist must fill in a customs declaration, which should be retained until departure. This allows for the free import and re-export of articles intended for personal use for the duration of stay. (b) Visitors intending to export antiques and fossils must have official permission. Some shops will supply the necessary documents upon purchase; otherwise, permission should be obtained from the Center of Cultural Heritage (Tel: 7011 0877) in the Cultural Palace.

Prohibited Imports

Any publications, records, films and drawings critical of Mongolia; palaeontological and archaeological findings without special permission; collections of various plants and their seeds; birds and wild or domestic animals; wool, raw skins, hides and furs without permission from the appropriate authorities.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Internal flights are operated by EzNis Airways (www.eznisairways.com) and AeroMongolia (www.aeromongolia.mn). Mongolian International Air Transport (MIAT) (OM) (www.miat.com) operates international flights only.

Getting Around By Rail

The main line runs from north to south: Sukhbaatar-Darkhan-Ulaanbaatar-Sainshand. A branch line serves the city of Erdenet.

Getting Around By Road

The national highway system is rudimentary and most of the roads in the countryside are little more than jeep tracks. A national highway running east to west across the country was initiated in 2000 but is still in the early stages of development.

Bus: Regular bus services are limited. Some cities (with the exception of those in the far west) have one or two bus connections per day. When no public bus service is available, transport can be made in privately-owned and operated minivans which do not have a fixed schedule.

Car hire: Available through tourism companies. Nearly all come with a driver due to the poor driving conditions. Self-drive cars are available through Drive Mongolia (www.drivemongolia.com).

Alternative transport: Jeeps, camels or horses are available for trekkers and special-interest travelers. Cycle touring is also popular but travelers should bring all their own equipment.

Getting Around Towns and Cities

There are bus and trolleybus services in Ulaanbaatar.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Ulaanbaatar to other major cities/towns in Mongolia.

	Air	Road
Erdenet	0.45	7.00
Dalanzadgad	1.20	12.00
Darkhan	-	4.00
Khovd	4.00	4/5 days