Chinggis Khaan Statue

Chinggis Khaan Statue

It is a statue like no other! It is the larges equestrian statue in the world according to Guinness World Records! and it surely fits such a great emperor and warrior… The Chinggis Khaan Statue! Although Mongolia is famous for its nomadic life and stunning nature with vast open spaces, no visit is complete to this land without visiting this statue and paying tribute to one of the greatest conquerors in the history of mankind.

The Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex is located 54 km outside of the capital city “Ulanbaatar” (UB) and you would be forgiven to think that it’ll be straightforward to go there; however, as the public transportation in Mongolia is a bit limited outside UB and whenever you ask about how to go there, people will tell you that the only way is going with a tour group which costs at least $40!! That didn’t make sense to me as, for sure, the land of free-roaming nomads can’t depend on tour companies to visit one of its landmarks. So I did my research before my trip and found out that I can go On My Own and On Budget, but still I needed to figure out the exact route when I arrive there. Using the way that I’ll describe below to visit the statue will immerse you with the locals and make you venture into the unknow; yet confident in your planning skills:)

The independent trip to the statue complex is a two-legged trip; first you’ll take a bus from UB, then a local taxi. Since there is no direct public bus from UB to the statue, you’ll need to take the bus going to a village called Naliakh. Finding the right bus, and the right bus stop, is a challenge in itself. I, myself, had to go to two 3 different stops, ask the drivers of 2 different buses, and seek the help of the friendly locals to know which is which! So, for the spirit of the discoverer in you, I won’t reveal these details here; but, in case you want the exact directions, just drop me an email and I’ll be happy to help…for free of course:) (click to request info)

When you are on the bus, ask the driver to tell you when the bus reaches Naliakh as there are no signs to point that out for you. Arriving at Naliakh, the bus will drop you at an intersection and you’ll find a shopping center to your left (click to request info) for the exact signs of this shopping center. Here you’ll find some local taxis, although unofficial, that will take you to the statue safely. Expect to haggle the price with the driver, but not too much as their starting price will be already cheap compared to the $40 option. The driver will take you to the statue complex, wait for you till you finish exploring and enjoying the site with no rush, and then take you back to Naliakh. It is a truly amazing experience to visit this emperor’s statue in his homeland with his own people, and the best part of it is that the total cost of the entire trip from UB is no more than $10!!:) and will take you maximum an hour each way.

The statue is part of a complex with museums and shops. You’ll start seeing the mighty Chinggis Khaan riding his horse from afar and it is really impressive.

Soon you’ll enter through a care gate with the name of Chinggis Khaan engraved on it…Yes you are there:)

When you first arrive, you’ll not be able to hide your excitement…this is really a unique statue in a unique land. The first close view of the statue will be from the side and you’ll start taking lots of pictures then realize that there are still 360 degrees views of the statue and still lots of pictures:)

Start walking the circular trail around the statue’s base, I bet you’ll do it multiple time:), and OH MY…here is the face of the statue and how impressive and detailed is that…amazing 

And the back…it is a real horse!!

But wait! That is not all! You can go up the horse!! Pay your entry ticket at the complex’s entrance and go inside. First, you’ll find some souvenir shops and you can take pictures in traditional Mongolian costumes. Next, and saving the best for last, go downstairs to the museum which has many artifacts belonging to the mighty emperor, himself.

Now… Are you ready!! Head up the big circular stairs, then there will be an elevator and narrower set of stairs. From my excitement, I could not wait for the elevator and ran up the stairs in a second:) and now I’m up in the head of the horse and OH MY!!

Behind me is the mighty man himself and infront of me are stunning green views, so take your breath and take multiple pictures with Chinggis Khaan up close and personal.

It’ll be tough to go down and leave this great man, but there is still one more treat for you! Across the street from the complex’s gate is another statue of Chinggis Khaan’s mother, so ask your driver to take you there, which he will happily do. Yes, it is not as impressive, but still a nice statue and a great way to end your day trip.

Now that you are done, your driver will take you back to Naliakh, which is 20-30 min away, where you’ll take your bus back to UB all proud of yourself that you visited the great emperor…ON YOUR OWN!