Guides
What to pack, by season
Information as of 2026-09-21
Ulaanbaatar's climate normals show how wide the swing is. Even in the warmest month the nights are cool, and the shoulder months have nights at or below freezing.
1991-2020 normals for Ulaanbaatar (1,303 m): July mean 19.0 C, average high 25.2 C, average low 13.5 C; May 17.8 / 3.5 C; September 17.2 / 4.1 C; October 7.7 / -4.5 C; January mean -21.3 C, average high -15.5 C, average low -25.6 C; record low -43.9 C; record high 39.0 C
Summer is also the wet season, concentrated in July and August, which is when unpaved tracks wash out.
Ulaanbaatar precipitation: July 74.5 mm, August 65.4 mm, June 47.2 mm, September 27.9 mm, January 2.1 mm; 17 rain days in July against 1.3 precipitation days in January
Ulaanbaatar's annual average temperature makes it the coldest capital city in the world, and temperature falls further with altitude elsewhere in the country.
Annual average -1.3 C in Ulaanbaatar
The travel season runs May to October, peaking in July around the Naadam holiday and in August. September is still good and much less crowded, and October is workable with warm days and chilly nights.
Best travel window May-October; July busiest
Winter travel is a real option for the Tsagaan Sar period and winter horse racing, but the advice for it is blunt: layer everything, do not walk around in the open for long, and accept that frostbite is a genuine risk.
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- Summer (June-August): breathable long sleeves and long trousers against sun and ticks, a fleece and a light down jacket for evenings, a waterproof shell, a warm hat, sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen, a brimmed hat, sturdy closed shoes, a sleeping-bag liner, insect repellent with at least 20% DEET.
- Summer extras: a dust buff or scarf, wet wipes, a 20,000 mAh power bank, a dry bag for camera gear on dusty roads, and swim gear only if your route includes a lake.
- Shoulder season (May, September, October): everything from the summer list plus thermal base layers, gloves, a proper warm hat, thicker socks and a heavier insulated jacket, because nights sit near or below freezing.
- Winter (November-March): expedition-grade insulation in layers, a down parka rated well below -25 C, insulated boots with room for thick socks, a balaclava or face covering, goggles or wraparound sunglasses against glare, chemical hand warmers, and spare batteries kept warm against the body.
- All seasons: a head torch, a universal plug adapter if you are coming from Japan, the UK or the US, rehydration salts, toilet paper and hand sanitiser, a filter bottle, cash in small notes, and a paper copy of your insurance number.
- Leave hard-shell suitcases at home; soft duffels survive a roof rack on unpaved tracks and fit inside a ger.