Best time to visit Ulan Bator
The best time to visit Ulan Bator is June–July and September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Ulan Bator, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -16.6 °C / 2 °F | -28.3 °C / -19 °F | 1 mm / 0.1 in | neither best nor good |
| February | -11.8 °C / 11 °F | -25.3 °C / -14 °F | 3 mm / 0.1 in | neither best nor good |
| March | -1 °C / 30 °F | -14.9 °C / 5 °F | 8 mm / 0.3 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 8.2 °C / 47 °F | -4.8 °C / 23 °F | 13 mm / 0.5 in | neither best nor good |
| May | 14.8 °C / 59 °F | 1.1 °C / 34 °F | 32 mm / 1.3 in | good month |
| June | 20.5 °C / 69 °F | 8 °C / 46 °F | 53 mm / 2.1 in | best month |
| July | 22.6 °C / 73 °F | 11.6 °C / 53 °F | 67 mm / 2.6 in | best month, for Naadam Festival. The weather alone makes it good. |
| August | 20.4 °C / 69 °F | 9.4 °C / 49 °F | 66 mm / 2.6 in | good month |
| September | 15.3 °C / 60 °F | 2.7 °C / 37 °F | 31 mm / 1.2 in | best month |
| October | 5.5 °C / 42 °F | -6.3 °C / 21 °F | 14 mm / 0.6 in | neither best nor good |
| November | -6.3 °C / 21 °F | -17.5 °C / 1 °F | 8 mm / 0.3 in | neither best nor good |
| December | -15.3 °C / 4 °F | -25.8 °C / -14 °F | 3 mm / 0.1 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: neither
- MMay: good
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: good
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- June–July, September
- Good
- May, August
A short comfortable season runs June to September, with June and September's cool, dry, sunny days best for exploring and July lifted to best by the Naadam Festival despite being the rainiest month; October through May are too cold, bottoming out in a brutal, dark December-February.
Why these months
May · good
In its favour: precipitation 32 mm / 1.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 80%, wet days 6 days, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, average daily high 14.8 °C / 59 °F, relative humidity 48%.
Against: feels like (high) 10.8 °C / 51 °F, average daily low 1.1 °C / 34 °F.
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.4 °C / 65 °F, average daily high 20.5 °C / 69 °F, precipitation 53 mm / 2.1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 78%, relative humidity 57%, average daily low 8 °C / 46 °F.
Against: wet days 8.9 days, days with heavy rain 1.6 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 48%.
July · best
Good weather, made best by Naadam Festival.
In its favour: feels like (high) 21.6 °C / 71 °F, average daily high 22.6 °C / 73 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 74%, average daily low 11.6 °C / 53 °F, relative humidity 65%.
Against: wet days 10.8 days, days with heavy rain 2.1 days, precipitation 67 mm / 2.6 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 48%.
Watch out for: Naadam accommodation crunch.
August · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.9 °C / 66 °F, average daily high 20.4 °C / 69 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, average daily low 9.4 °C / 49 °F.
Against: wet days 10.6 days, days with heavy rain 2.4 days, relative humidity 69%, precipitation 66 mm / 2.6 in.
September · best
In its favour: precipitation 31 mm / 1.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 82%, days with heavy rain 0.8 days, wet days 6.3 days, average daily high 15.3 °C / 60 °F, relative humidity 63%.
Against: feels like (high) 11.9 °C / 53 °F, average daily low 2.7 °C / 37 °F.
Hiking and trekking
Cool enough to climb in, dry enough to enjoy, long enough days.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: neither
- MMay: best
- JJune: best
- JJuly: good
- AAugust: good
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- May–June, September
- Good
- July–August
May, June and September are the prime cool, dry, bright months for trekking; July and August stay good despite being warmer and wetter, while the rest of the year is too cold for comfortable hiking.
Why these months
May · best
In its favour: average daily high 14.8 °C / 59 °F, precipitation 32 mm / 1.3 in, wet days 6 days, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, share of daylight that is sunny 80%, daylight per day 15.2 h, feels like (high) 10.8 °C / 51 °F, average daily low 1.1 °C / 34 °F, wind (daily max) 20 km/h / 12 mph.
June · best
In its favour: average daily high 20.5 °C / 69 °F, precipitation 53 mm / 2.1 in, feels like (high) 18.4 °C / 65 °F, average daily low 8 °C / 46 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 78%, daylight per day 16 h, wind (daily max) 16 km/h / 10 mph.
Against: wet days 8.9 days, days with heavy rain 1.6 days.
July · good
In its favour: average daily high 22.6 °C / 73 °F, average daily low 11.6 °C / 53 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 74%, daylight per day 15.6 h, wind (daily max) 14 km/h / 9 mph.
Against: wet days 10.8 days, days with heavy rain 2.1 days, feels like (high) 21.6 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 67 mm / 2.6 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 48%.
Also on: Naadam Festival.
Watch out for: Naadam accommodation crunch.
August · good
In its favour: average daily high 20.4 °C / 69 °F, feels like (high) 18.9 °C / 66 °F, average daily low 9.4 °C / 49 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, daylight per day 14.3 h, wind (daily max) 15 km/h / 9 mph.
Against: wet days 10.6 days, days with heavy rain 2.4 days, precipitation 66 mm / 2.6 in, relative humidity 69%.
September · best
In its favour: average daily high 15.3 °C / 60 °F, precipitation 31 mm / 1.2 in, wet days 6.3 days, days with heavy rain 0.8 days, feels like (high) 11.9 °C / 53 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 82%, daylight per day 12.6 h, average daily low 2.7 °C / 37 °F, wind (daily max) 16 km/h / 10 mph.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Гора Соболиная (Sobolinaya), 447 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | -21.5 °C | -17.1 °C | -6.2 °C | 3.3 °C | 10.8 °C | 18.4 °C | 21.6 °C | 18.9 °C | 11.9 °C | 1.1 °C | -11.2 °C | -20.2 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0.1 days | 0.7 days | 1.6 days | 2.1 days | 2.4 days | 0.8 days | 0.1 days | 0.1 days | 0 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 8 pm | 6 am | 6 am | 3 pm | 6 pm | 5 pm | 4 pm | 5 pm | 4 pm | 7 am | 8 pm | 9 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 7.9 h | 9.3 h | 10.6 h | 11.3 h | 12.2 h | 12.5 h | 11.5 h | 11.2 h | 10.3 h | 9.2 h | 8 h | 7.3 h |
| Relative humidity | 74% | 69% | 56% | 46% | 48% | 57% | 65% | 69% | 63% | 62% | 70% | 74% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 40.8 µg/m³ | 29.6 µg/m³ | 18.6 µg/m³ | 12.1 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | 10.1 µg/m³ | 8.1 µg/m³ | 8.8 µg/m³ | 15.7 µg/m³ | 24.3 µg/m³ | 45.6 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 76 µg/m³ | 61.1 µg/m³ | 40.4 µg/m³ | 27 µg/m³ | 20.1 µg/m³ | 17.5 µg/m³ | 18.5 µg/m³ | 15.7 µg/m³ | 19.4 µg/m³ | 35 µg/m³ | 52.2 µg/m³ | 82.4 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Naadam Festival Major
11–13 July
Worth knowing before you go
- Winter coal-smoke air pollution
January, February, March, November and December
- Naadam accommodation crunch
11–13 July