The Best Places to Get a Massage in Ulaanbaatar

I’ve lived in Ulaanbaatar since 2018, ever since I first fell in love with the country on a visit to the Tsaatan tribe. Like many other first time visitors to Mongolia, I landed in Mongolia having no idea what to expect from this strange and unfamiliar capital city.

I knew I would struggle with the language barrier, like many people do, but what about the etiquette and traditions? Mongolians deeply respect their traditional and ancient culture, they are an extremely proud people, and their Buddhist beliefs guide their everyday lives. After stumbling my way through their traditions and rituals, I quickly realized they were also patient and kind people who appreciated my efforts, not my execution.

The drastic temperature swings and sudden summer storms also took me some time to get used to. Not to mention the fact that Ulaanbaatar is most famous for being the coldest capital in the world. Despite this, my respect for the locals grew even more after I realized this didn’t stop them from living their lives. They simply carried on with what they normally do, just in a lot more layers and clothing!

To this day the architecture in the capital doesn’t do much for me. It’s an incongruent mix of Soviet blocks and modern high rise buildings that perfectly reflect the country’s struggle to hold onto their past while rushing into the future. I wouldn’t compare Ulaanbaatar to cities like Seoul or Hong Kong, but I would go so far as to compare it to a smaller, less populated Kathmandu.

You’ll see the city’s named spelled several different ways, such as Ulan Bator. Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia’s largest city and it’s where the majority of the population lives. The Trans-Mongolian train stops here and many people travel here to for the first time seeking an unforgettable adventure in the least densely populated country in the world.

Ulaanbaatar is not an expensive city to travel to or live in, but like anywhere, traveling in Mongolia can get expensive quickly. Read this article for more advice on what to budget for a trip to Mongolia.