What To Buy In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

what to buy in ulaanbaatar
Nina
Nina 
Updated
| 4 min read

Welcome to the country of Genghis Khan, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia! Ulaanbaatar is the capital and the largest city of Mongolia, so if you’re looking for action and experience and a true Mongolia escapade, Ulaanbaatar is the place to be. If you’re looking for a traditional clothing, horse riding gear, and unique souvenirs - you should visit the Naran Tuul Market. The finest and best quality cashmere can be found in the State Department Store, while handmade traditional handicrafts, from toys to jewelry to Kazakh wall hangings are available at Mary & Martha Mongolia. Indeed, Ulaanbaatar has something for everyone, whether if you’re looking for a pair of shoes, an impressive dress, unique delicacies, and even authentic and traditional carpets to make your grandma happy. Fortunately, we have the list of the best souvenirs in this place, read more and discover what to buy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

1. Mongolian clothing

Mongols clothes man and woman
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user [Unknown] used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Mongolian clothes are a combination of style and comfort. It comprises of a hat, thick cotton or wool deel, and fabulous accessories. Everything the Mongols wear is made for an active life and allow you to move freely. They have clothes for all kinds of weather be it summer or winter. They are affordable, comfortable, and stylish, so if you want to look cool and be fabulous all the way, these traditional clothes are a must buy.

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2. Traditional carpets

Varamin Carpet
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Pouyakhani used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Even today, our elders are strongly inclined towards carpets, especially in Asian families, agree? If you want to make them happy and if you happen to be in Mongolia, good news for you! Mongolia is fast becoming popular for supplying unique and traditional carpets. These carpets are made of 100 percent wool from grazing sheep. These carpets come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They are good quality purchases and are elegant, thus making your home more beautiful.

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3. Horse-riding gear

Mongolian saddles
Source: Needpix

Mongolians love their horses and horseback riding is their way of life. This country is the home to more than 3000000 horses - that’s why it’s not really surprising to find the best horsemen and high-end horse-riding gear in this place. Mongolian saddles have a unique design but they can be customized. Plenty of stores selling a basic set of equipment for horse-riding are available here, from a saddle to a girth to the bridle with reins to clothes and boots. If you happen to be here, don’t miss the opportunity to buy one.

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4. Suutei Tsai (tea with milk)

Suutei tsai at Inner Mongolia Jinjiang International Hotel (20171007092308)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user N509FZ used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Suutei Tsai (tea with milk) is a traditional and unique Mongolian beverage. It is made of simple and healthy ingredients like water, milk, tea leaves (green or black tea), butter, and salt. Mongolian milk is fresh and whole milk, which comes from camel, cattle, horses, yaks, goats, and sheep. If you are a milk tea lover, why not try something new, unique, and refreshing in Mongolia. It is the perfect drink and best paired up with some Mongolian snack together with your Mongolian friends.

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5. Dried beef jerky

Jerky (1)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Larry Jacobsen used under CC BY 2.0

Dried meat is part of Mongolian history. It is prepared using cow meat or donkey meat and served with rice. It can be cooked in a traditional manner by air drying or by modern methods which involve drying it in the oven. The dried beef jerky has an interesting texture. The more you chew, the more flavorsome it gets. It is affordable and a good choice to bring back home, don’t worry, it is allowed at the airport.

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6. Kumis

Kumys-bottle
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user A.Savin used under CC BY-SA 3.0

If you want to try and buy something unique, then “kumis” must be on your list to buy in Mongolia. Kumis is a dairy product, which came from the mare’s milk (female horse). The milk has high sugar levels and is mildly alcoholic. If you’re wondering about the taste of mare’s milk, now, here is your chance to fulfill your curiosity.

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7. Cashmere and wool garments

Woman holding cashmere
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Adrianrowe used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Mongolia is the second largest cashmere producer in the world, so it’s not surprising to find the warmest, finest, and the most stylish cashmere here. What’s more, Mongolia has tons of department stores that sell cashmere products, which are 10 times cheaper than the world market, that’s good news, right? Or, you can also try camel, sheep or yak wool products, which are also comfortable, warm, stylish, and safe on the human body. It’s now time to buy one!

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8. Kazakh wall hangings

Kazakh Tuskie
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Altaihunters used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Proudly produced in Western Mongolia, tuzkeez or Kazakh wall hangings are made by native women. Kazakh wall hangings symbolize special events in the household. Making these wall hangings is a very complicated and meticulous process. In fact, it takes long hours to make just one wall hanging. These wall hangings are costly, but, really worth buying.

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9. Organic body products

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

With over 60 million livestock to offer natural and unique ingredients, Mongolia is now becoming famous as one of the top producers in high-quality organic skin care products, which are totally safe to use and bring no harm to the human body. Forget your products which contain a high amount of substances and chemicals. Lhamour is a popular brand in Mongolia. Its products contain sea buckthorn as a key ingredient.

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10. Handmade Mongolian musical instruments

Nature Ganganbaigal artist photo
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Naturezhang5 used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Mongols love music as much as they love their horses. If you’re musically inclined, Ulaanbaatar has tons of musical instruments that will entice your musical sensibilities. Traditional Mongolian instruments are a must buy here. They have handmade ones which are full of detail and depict the rich Mongolian culture and tradition, like violins and flutes. Why not buy one and learn some Mongolian songs. Brilliant idea, right?

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Discover trendy and unique things in Ulaanbaatar

what to buy in ulaanbaatar | discover trendy and unique things in ulaanbaatar
Source: Pixabay

With tons of interesting things to buy in Ulaanbaatar, from musical instruments, traditional clothing, milk tea, organic products - the list just goes on and on. You can say that this place is a shopping mecca for every traveler. It’s now time to explore and discover trendy and unique things in Ulaanbaatar. Go through our list of carefully curated items above and decide for yourself.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Nina aspires to live life to its fullest and yearns to journey abroad with her loved ones. She believes in her inherent artistic nature and embraces the motto that "God is good all the time" as her...Read more

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