Dalanzadgad - capital city and sum (district) of Ömnögovi Aimag, Mongolia

Dalanzadgad is the capital of Ömnögovi province, 575 km south from Ulaanbaatar. This town ofv25,000 people (2017) is the base for explorations into the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. With black smoke coming from the power station, and its dusty roads, it's not a very interesting town, but it's a good place to stock up with food for your excursion into the desert.

Understand

Get in

There is a pretty fast and efficient daily bus from Ulaanbaatar at 08:00 and 16:00 (about 10 hours, 28,000 ₮ (as of January 2015)). It leaves at the Bayanzurkh bus station which you can reach by the Electrobus #4 or City Bus #30 from Chinggis Square (Blue Sky Tower). Ask a bus worker to let you know when to get off.

Minibuses ("Porgons" and "Mikrs") leave from the Ulaanbaatar "Black Market" (Narantuul Zakh) when they are full (that means, really full: 16 people!), usually in the afternoon between 12:00-17:00 and cost around 30,000 ₮. Expect frequent breakdowns and up to 24hr traveling time.

By plane

The airport serves workers at several large mines nearby and generally uses larger planes than other domestic flights in Mongolia. The paved runway is the 2nd longest in Mongolia after Chinggis Khaan International.

• AeroMongolia, +976 11 330373 (Ulaanbaatar), +976 9606 0666 (Dalanzadgad), dalanzadgad@aeromongolia.mn. M-F 09:00-18:00. It is generally cheaper, but uses older planes. Charges foreigners double the local rate. Flights everyday of the week during summer.
• Hunnu Air, +976 7000 1111 (Ulaanbaatar), +976 7053 4422 (Dalanzadgad), info@hunnuair.com. Formerly Mongolian Airlines. Flights to Ulaanbaatar everyday of the week during summer, and M W F during winter.

Get around

There is a taxi service that will take you anywhere inside Dalanzadgad for 1000 ₮ (+976 19001565 - there is a 500 ₮ charge added onto your total fee if you call). Fare to the bus station: 2000 ₮; to the airport: 5000 ₮.

See

• Dalanzadgad Temple
• Ömnögovi Aimag Museum
• Ömnögovi Aimag Children's Park
• The Khermen tsav canyon is 450 km from Dalanzadgad. It is an alluring red looking canyon that stretches for 15-20 km. 65-250 million years ago Khermen Tsav was an ocean bed. After it dried out, millions of years wind and water erosion formed this majestic looking canyon with moon surface like shapes. The site is known not only by its beauty of natural formation, but also by its findings of dinosaur fossils and eggs. The first full skeleton of a dinosaur was found from there.

Do

• Camel riding can be arranged with some locals if you negotiate well or even some locals offer you cheap good camel rides depending on different hotels premises.

Buy

• Nearby hotels sometime random local gift shops open and sell unique local souvenirs.

Eat

There are a few good restaurants in town. Most hotels will have a restaurant. There are a few good supermarkets as well.

Some non-hotel restaurants:

• Marvel Pub
• Gobi Restaurant

Drink

Draft beers are only available at Marvel Pub. The cocktail or mixed drink selection at the hotels will be very limited.

Sleep

These are the major hotels.

• Dalanzadgad Hotel
• Khaan Uul Hotel
• Gobi Sands

You can find smaller hotels around the city.

Go next

There are two daily buses to Ulaanbaatar at 08:00 and 16:00 (about 10 hr, 22,900 ₮ (as of 2015)). It leaves from the northern edge of town, next to the children's park and is probably the fastest overland option. Porgons to Ulaanbaatar leave from the market and from Nomin supermarket.