How to Take the Ulaanbaatar to Beijing Train (My Honest Review in 2026)
Learn exactly how to take the Ulaanbaatar to Beijing train, including how to get tickets, departure info, and my personal tips and review on the experience.
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I have dreamed about taking the international train from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing for YEARS.
But for one reason or another I never actually did it. What a mistake that was.
One of the main reasons I didn’t take the Ulaanbaatar to Beijing train until now as that I thought getting a Chinese visa would be an extremely complicated process. I’m an American citizen, which means I need a visa to visit China, and I always assumed that meant invitation letters, booking expensive tours, and a lengthy visa approval process.
Turns out, I was completely wrong. Getting a visa to China as an American was so easy I actually feel stupid I was overthinking it so much.
In the end, the scariest part of that entire process was booking non-refundable train tickets before knowing if my visa would be approved. In order to apply for the visa I needed to have all my travels planned and booked, including roundtrip tickets and hotel confirmations in hand. Thankfully they’ve lifted the requirement to have an official invitation letter, so I didn’t need that to apply for my visa.
I was sure to book refundable hotels through Trip.com, which seems to be the preferred booking engine for traveling in China. Just my train tickets weren’t refundable. If I didn’t get my visa, I’d be out of $560 USD.
Once I applied online, paid the also non-refundable visa fee of $139 in cash to a bank here in Ulaanbaatar, and finalized my online application, it took about two weeks to hear back.
After seeing my status change in the online portal to “go to the Embassy,” I knew I was in. I dropped off my passport on a Friday afternoon and picked it back up that following Wednesday afternoon with a freshly pasted Chinese visa inside. Talk about relief!
In the guide below, I’ll get deeper into what my personal experience on board the train was like, along with how to buy tickets, when the train leaves Ulaanbaatar, which cabin I booked, and more.
If you’ve ever taken one of the Trans-Mongolian train routes, or plan to take this Ulaanbaatar to Beijing international train, let me know about it in the comments.
Everything you Need to Book for When You Land in Ulaanbaatar
Everything you need to book when you arrive in Ulaanbaatar.
🚕 Airport Transfer into the Ulaanbaatar City Center
Book your airport transfer before you land. Ulaanbaatar taxis are chaotic and this is worth the peace of mind.
🛌 Where to Stay
My picks at every budget, all within walking distance of Sukhbaatar Square:
→ Hostel One: best hostel in the city for solo travelers
→ Urgoo Hotel: locally owned boutique spot, great value and location
→ H9 Hotel Nine: steps from everything and great value (highly recommend!)
→ Best Western Premier Tuushin: 4-star hotel next to the square for a more comfortable stay and notable service (plus, a safe place to store luggage while you’re in the countryside)
👉 Make the Most of Your Time in the Capital
If you have extra days, these are the experiences I’d actually recommend:
→ Ulaanbaatar: Private Guided City Tour with Car
→ Cooking Class in a Local Home
→ Mongolian Traditional Dance & Music Concert Ticket
→ Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue & Terelj National Park
→ Ulaanbaatar: Private Nomad Horseback Ride + Homemade Lunch
Ulaanbaatar to Beijing Train Time (Once a Week Departure)
The Ulaanbaatar to Beijing train departs from the Ulaanbaatar Railway Station every Thursday morning at 7:18 am.
It takes 31 hours and 17 minutes once you depart the Ulaanbaatar Railway Station to reach the Beijing Railway Station.
One important thing to remember is that this isn’t a high-speed train. There are several stops along the 1,574-kilometer route, and this really is the epitome of slow travel.
Arrival in Beijing is the following day (Friday) at 2:35 in the afternoon.
The return train from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar departs every Saturday at 7:27 in the morning.
The train is run jointly by China Railway and Mongolia’s UBTZ, and the staff is Mongolian.
Where does the train stop?
On the Mongolian side, the train stops for 10 minutes at two places worth noting – Choir and Sainshand.
The Choir train station has a small coffee shop, while the Sainshand train station does not. In Sainshand there is only a small delguur (shop) that sits right on the platform where you can buy snacks like chips, drinks, ice cream, and even cups of ice. This is where I ended up buying my instant noodle lunch/dinner.
The train stops for an extended period in Zamiin-Uud on the Mongolian side for immigration and customs and in Erlian on the Chinese side. Everyone disembarks in Erlian for immigration and customs, while passengers don’t get off in Zamiin-Uud.
Once you enter China there are several stops on that side. From my cabin window, none of the platforms looked particularly interesting, so I didn’t end up getting off to stretch my legs at any of those stops.
Ulaanbaatar to Beijing Train Ticket Price
The price for an Ulaanbaatar to Beijing train ticket is between $182 and $277.
For this trip I chose to book a Deluxe Coach seat, which is the best seat you can book on the train.
I decided to book this seat because I like my sleep and I’ll be honest, 31 hours felt like a long time to travel in a cabin with three other strangers and one communal toilet for an entire car. When I thought about brushing my teeth or trying to wash my face in a bathroom shared with a car full of other travelers, that was my limit.
I could have bought the other seat in my cabin to ensure I had the entire cabin to myself, but I took a risk and didn’t. Luckily, because I was traveling during Mongolia’s fall shoulder season, I lucked out and no one else had booked the other seat. I had the entire cabin to myself, which made the whole experience much better.
I probably wouldn’t take this gamble if I was making this trip in July or August, Mongolia’s busiest travel months for tourists.
Here’s the difference between booking the $277 Deluxe Coach (the cabin I booked) and the cheaper $182 Compartment Coach:
Deluxe Coach: 994,300 tugriks ($277) per person
If you’re traveling 1 – 2 people, Deluxe Coach tickets are the way to go.
Deluxe Coach cabins sleep two people each (there are upper and lower bunks) and you share a bathroom with one other cabin. There is a lounge chair and a small table in the cabin, making it the most comfortable option.
The space is small, but the privacy is unmatched.
Compartment Coach: 654,800 tugriks ($182) per person
If you’re traveling with up to 4 people, or you’re traveling on a budget, the better option is to book Compartment Coach tickets.
Compartment Coach cabins have four beds (two upper and two lower bunks), but the downside is there’s no private bathroom.
How do I book a train ticket?
To book a train ticket, visit the UBTZ.mn website →
I didn’t have any problems when I went to book my ticket, but I have heard of other foreigners having issues when trying to book their tickets.
The online booking process goes like this:
- Once you decide which departure date and cabin type (they call it a wagon) you’d like to book, you’ll be asked to create an account on the UBTZ website. Do this and make sure you’re logged in before you start trying to book anything.
- Provide your travel details: name, passport number, date of birth, gender, nationality, email address, and phone number.
- Choose your wagon and your seats. You can also add a tea service to your ticket for 5,600 tugrik. The tea service is a paper cup of hot water, black tea bag, 3-in-1 instant coffee packet, and instant milk tea mix when you board the train. It’s not really worth it, but then again for $1.56, it’s also not not worth it.
- Now you’re ready to check out. The options to pay will say Golomt Bank, Khaan Bank, or Qpay. Choose the first option for Golomt Bank, enter your credit card details or pay with Apple Pay (yes, Apple Pay!). This option should work if you’re a foreigner.
- Once you pay, you’ll receive your tickets by email and you’re all set. You can print your ticket or show them a copy of your ticket on your phone when you board.
How early should I get to the train station before boarding?
I couldn’t believe how simple it was to board this train.
There were no security screenings, no passport control, no intense ticket checks. I literally got out of my taxi, walked up the ramp to the platforms, and spotted the train. From taxi to train door, it was less than one minute.
That being said, boarding starts at 7:00 am and I would still recommend getting there about 6:45 am, just to be safe.
I arrived at 6:45 am because I wanted to buy a large bottle of water for the ride and my stomach was starting to growl for some breakfast.
The CU convenience store inside the train station terminal was closed this early in the morning, but there was another small restaurant inside that was open at this time. I grabbed a few waters from there before boarding.
Are meals included on the Ulaanbaatar to Beijing train?
No, meals are not included.
I really messed this part up on my trip. I brought snacks, but I didn’t bring meals.
This was something I couldn’t find much information on before departing, so I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect. I knew there would be a restaurant car on the train, so I figured I would just eat lunch, dinner, and breakfast there.
That was a mistake. I have to be honest here, the food onboard is not very good. Just take a look at my 30 yuan ($4.50) breakfast from the Chinese restaurant car below.
At the border the restaurant car changes, so you have a Mongolian restaurant car on the Mongolian side and a Chinese restaurant on the China side. In the Mongolian restaurant payment is accepted by credit card or tugriks. In the Chinese restaurant, payment is only accepted by WeChat or Alipay. You’ll need these set up before you board.
The Mongolian restaurant served very mediocre wine for about $6 a glass, but no beer or other alcohol was available.
Instead of dining in the restaurant cars (and being disappointed like I was), I suggest bringing meals on board with you. Anything you can reheat with hot water, like instant noodles, dehydrated camping meals, or oatmeal, are ideal. Be sure to also pack instant coffee if you’re a coffee drinker, they were only serving sweet 3-in-1 coffee in the restaurant cars.
Is there drinking water onboard?
Yes! There is free filtered drinking water (room temperature and hot) available in each car. Bring a reusable bottle or mug with you so you can refill along the route for free.
What are the Deluxe Coach toilets like?
The toilets in the Deluxe Coach cabins are small but functional. Two cabins share one bathroom between them and there is a nifty little locking system, so you don’t accidentally walk in while your neighbor is doing their business.
It’s a tight fit inside the toilet area, and toilet paper, hand soap, paper towels, and air freshener are provided. I did notice there is also a shower head in the toilet area, but I wouldn’t recommend using it during your trip. I have a sneaking suspicion that if you’d shower the water won’t drain properly and you (and your neighbors) will be left with more of a mess than it’s worth.
What is passport control and immigration like?
This was by far the most annoying part about taking the train across borders.
Mongolia Side
Mongolian immigration and customs was pretty seamless, we didn’t even have to leave our cabins.
Local Mongolian officials came on board, checked our documents, searched our cabins thoroughly, and that was it. We sat at the Zamiin-Uud station from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm before crossing the border into China.
China Side
Around 9:00 pm we reached Erlian on the Chinese side.
At this point every passenger had to get all of their belongings and exit the train.
First is passport control followed by a customs check where they scan all of your bags. It was actually a pretty quick and simple process. I made it through in about 30 minutes.
After clearing passport control and customs, we were all ordered to wait in a large seating area. While we were waiting, the gauges on the train were being changed. Mongolia and China use two different types of wheels, so they have to physically change them at this stop. As you can imagine, it’s not a very quick process.
Inside the waiting area there was a gentleman selling beers, instant noodles, drinks, and other snacks.
All in all, we ended up waiting around four hours and we were finally able to get back on the train at 1:00 am.
When you get back on you’re free to go to bed, but the bathroom will be locked until around 1:30 am. I was eager to go to bed so I just left my cabin door unlocked so the attendant could come in and unlock it while I was sleeping.
Would I take this train again? My Final Ulaanbaatar to Beijing Train Review
Despite the terrible food and annoying customs process, I would absolutely take the Ulaanbaatar to Beijing train again.
The fall colors in October were a huge bonus for traveling this time of year and I’m glad I chose to travel this way over booking a direct flight to Beijing. Roundtrip flights are about half the price of roundtrip train tickets, but that’s not the point of traveling this way.
The train’s route goes through the east part of the Gobi Desert, and the landscape transforms from flat steppe to savannah the farther you head south. You don’t see any dunes on this route but it’s still quite serene and beautiful watching the endless terrain roll by.
I did ride the train back from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar and I have to say I preferred the Ulaanbaatar to Beijing direction a lot more.
Author: Breanna Wilson
Hi! Sain uu! I’m Breanna, an American travel writer and adventurer living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for more than 9 years. I’ve written for and been featured in Condé Nast Traveler, CNN, Forbes, and the New York Times, among others. Read more of my Mongolia travel articles here.
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