Ulaanbaatar public buses are the primary transportation system in the city and the cheapest way to travel in Ulaanbaatar. The 1200 daily buses of 21 companies serve the people on 79 routes in the capital city.
Besides, Mongolia has a network of long-distance buses to other provincial cities and towns from Ulaanbaatar city.
Public transportation in Ulan Bator is not that complicated to use, the only option is actually to take a bus. It is fairly accessible with numerous bus stops but you might be overwhelmed at first by the number of buses going in every direction. Their destinations are always written on the side of the bus, but unless you don’t know the Mongolian it’s quite complicated to catch the right bus to the right destination.
Related: Tours of Ulaanbaatar City
BUS – Buses are the main source of public transportation in the city. These buses only accept special cards called U-Money. The card is sold at some of the bus stops, at grocery stores and at newspaper stands, where they have the U-Money sign.
However, there might be a language barrier when you try to buy them from these sites, so we advise you to head to U-Money’s official office on the 3rd floor of Ulaanbaatar City Bank.
Tariffs: U-Money card – MNT 3600, Single trip – MNT 500
The fee is a flat rate of MNT 500 – that is, the price will be the same regardless of distance between destinations. When you charge the card, please be sure to calculate your trips and match the cash value. It is virtually impossible to get your money back if you lose your card. A round trip from the city center to Zaisan should be covered by MNT 1000.
* If you don’t have a card, but urgently need to travel by bus, there is an option to give cash to the bus driver.
* You can pay for several bus trips with a single card. You will need to explain the number of trips to the driver. The driver will make adjustments to the cash machine and let you use the card.
* Beware of pickpockets.
* The bus station’s names are in Mongolia. We therefore recommend you to ask for help from other passengers.
It’s easier for tourists to find directions based on the bus numbers. To transit between buses for a discount
- Re-use the card at the exit door.
- Within the next 30 minutes, take the next bus and use the card at the entry door.
- Re-use the card at the exit door of the transit bus. This will allow you to re-apply this discount within 4 hours that day.
TROLLEYBUS – The price of a trolleybus single trip amounts to MNT 300. Although trolleybuses are the cheapest form of public transportation, there are comparatively fewer routes compared to the municipal bus. Trolleybuses also accept U-Money cards.
Have a good day 🙂
Related: Tours of Ulaanbaatar city