Weekend Excursions In Ulaanbaaatar

The Peaks Surrounding Ulaanbaaatar: Four mountains - Tsetseegum, Chingeltei, Songino Khairkhan and Bayansurkh - lie, almost according to the cardinal points, around Ulaanbaaatar. These four peaks are considered sacred by the locals. The mountains are cloaked with grasslands and larch forests, and have a fair amount of wildlife - ibex, sable and lots of bird. Tsetseegum is the highest and the most spectacular of all the peaks. You’ll need to get a permit, which can be obtained at the gate of the Bogd Khan National Park, about 15 km from Ulaanbaaatar. There are two main routes up Tsetseegum - the pictureque but tough Zaisan and the by way of Manzshir Khiid, along which lies the 18th century monastery of Manzshir. There were originally 20 temples but only one has survived the ravages of time and the destructive communist regime -  and that one now is a museum.