Things to Do at Narantuul Market
Complete Guide to Narantuul Market in Ulaanbaatar
About Narantuul Market
Narantuul Market, still called the Black Market by most locals and expats in Ulaanbaatar, is Mongolia's largest open-air bazaar. It hits you before you fully process what you're seeing. The scale staggers: row after row of corrugated metal stalls and shipping containers stretch across a large compound in the Khan-Uul district, selling everything from hand-stitched deel robes and horsehair fiddle bows to truck tires and satellite dishes.
The air smells of leather, engine grease, and mutton fat from the food stalls clustered near the eastern entrance. Underfoot, the ground shifts between cracked concrete and packed dirt depending on where you wander. On weekend mornings the crowd noise builds to a low roar punctuated by vendors calling out in Mongolian and the occasional clang of someone testing cookware.
The name has nothing to do with anything illicit. It traces back to the Soviet era, when goods were traded informally on the margins of state-controlled commerce, and the label stuck long after the market went legitimate. Today Narantuul is where ordinary Ulaanbaatar residents come to outfit a ger, stock a kitchen, or buy school supplies in bulk.
For travelers, it is an unfiltered window into Mongolian daily life, far removed from the curated feel of souvenir shops along Peace Avenue. You'll see herders in from the countryside loading felt panels onto trucks alongside teenagers scrolling phones between sales. It overwhelms. That rawness is the entire point.
What to See & Do
Cashmere and Wool Section
Tucked into the western wing of the market, vendors sell locally sourced cashmere scarves, blankets, and sweaters piled in soft heaps that you can run your hands through to judge the weight and weave. The quality varies enormously. Feeling the material matters more than reading tags. Some of the best cashmere at Narantuul comes from herders selling direct, their goods folded in simple plastic bags rather than branded packaging. The smell of raw wool hangs in the air here, earthy and faintly animal.
Traditional Clothing and Deel Stalls
Several concentrated rows sell traditional Mongolian deel in silk, cotton, and brocade, along with the sashes, boots, and pointed hats that complete the outfit. The colors arrest: deep cobalt blues, oxblood reds, and golds that catch whatever light filters through the stall roofing. Vendors will hold garments up against you to eyeball sizing, and if you ask, many can point you toward a tailor operating nearby who does alterations on the spot. These stalls get busy ahead of Naadam festival season.
Hardware and Ger Supply Area
The northern reaches of Narantuul are given over to the industrial side of Mongolian life. You'll find stove pipes, felt insulation panels, wooden lattice frames for gers, and heavy iron cookstoves that families use through the bitter Ulaanbaatar winters. The metallic tang of fresh-cut steel carries on the breeze here, and the sounds shift from haggling voices to the thud and scrape of heavy goods being loaded onto hand carts. Most visitors skip this. Walking through gives you a sense of how self-sufficient ger life demands people to be.
Food Court and Snack Vendors
Near the main entrances, small canteens serve up buuz (steamed dumplings stuffed with mutton and onion), khuushuur (fried meat pastries with crisp golden edges), and bowls of milky suutei tsai that warm your hands as much as your stomach. The sizzle of dumplings hitting hot oil and the steam rising from giant pots create a haze you walk through on cooler mornings. The buuz at market stalls often tastes better than what you'll get at sit-down restaurants in central Ulaanbaatar, possibly because turnover is so high that nothing sits around.
Antiques and Curiosities Corner
A smaller, easy-to-miss section along the southern perimeter sells Soviet-era memorabilia, old Mongolian coins, snuff bottles carved from agate, and occasionally Buddhist artifacts. The stalls here feel quieter than the rest of the market, almost contemplative, with vendors who tend to be older and happy to talk about what they're selling if you show genuine interest. Export restrictions apply to genuine antiques. Anything that looks legitimately old might cause problems at customs.
Practical Information
Opening Hours
Narantuul Market operates daily, though the fullest experience comes on weekends when the outdoor sections expand and more independent sellers set up. Weekday hours typically run from around nine in the morning until six in the evening. Saturday and Sunday see activity starting earlier, sometimes by eight, with things winding down by late afternoon. Some of the permanent indoor sections keep slightly longer hours. But the outdoor stalls, which are much of the draw, pack up once foot traffic drops.
Tickets & Pricing
There is no entry fee. You walk in freely from several access points around the perimeter. No advance booking. No tickets. No queues to get inside. The market is completely open access, which is part of why it feels so different from more tourist-oriented shopping in Ulaanbaatar.
Best Time to Visit
Weekend mornings, ideally arriving by nine or so, offer the widest selection and the most atmospheric experience, though the trade-off is significantly larger crowds and tighter navigation through the stall rows. If you prefer breathing room, a weekday mid-morning visit still gives you access to the permanent sections with far fewer people. Summer months are more comfortable for the outdoor areas. But winter visits have their own appeal: vendors bundled in fur-lined deel, breath fogging in the cold air, and a sharper urgency to the commerce.
Suggested Duration
Plan for at least two hours if you want to do more than skim the surface. Serious browsers or anyone looking for cashmere, traditional clothing, or ger supplies should budget three hours or more, factoring in time to compare quality across stalls and eat something from the food vendors. The market is large enough that you likely won't cover every section in a single visit.
Getting There
Narantuul Market sits in the Khan-Uul district, southwest of central Ulaanbaatar. A taxi from the city center takes roughly fifteen to twenty minutes depending on traffic, which in Ulaanbaatar can be unpredictable. Taxis are the most straightforward option and relatively inexpensive compared to most capital cities. Several local bus routes also serve the market.
The stop is well known to drivers, so simply saying Narantuul or Black Market will get a nod of recognition. If you're coming from the Sukhbaatar Square area, expect the bus to take longer but cost a fraction of a cab. Ride-hailing apps work in Ulaanbaatar and tend to be the easiest way to avoid any language barrier with taxi drivers.
On weekends, traffic near the market entrance can bottleneck, so having your driver drop you a block or two away and walking in saves time and frustration.
Things to Do Nearby
A Soviet-era memorial perches on a hill south of the city center with a wide panoramic view of Ulaanbaatar spread out below. The climb up the steps is worth it. The painted mural ring at the top depicts Mongolian and Soviet friendship. It pairs well with a Narantuul visit because both sit on the southern side of the city, so you can combine them without backtracking.
The former residence of Mongolia's last king sits in a quieter part of the city with temple buildings and personal artifacts on display. The contrast with Narantuul's raw commerce is striking. The palace gives useful context for the traditional clothing and artifacts you might have just been browsing at the market.
Located closer to the city center on Juulchin Street, this museum covers Mongolian history from the Stone Age through the Mongol Empire and into the Soviet period. If Narantuul sparked curiosity about deel, ger construction, or nomadic tools, this museum fills in the historical background. It tends to be less crowded on weekday afternoons.
Ulaanbaatar's largest functioning Buddhist monastery is home to a towering gilded statue of Migjid Janraisig. The scent of juniper incense and the low murmur of monks chanting offer a sharp sensory reset after the intensity of Narantuul. It's a short taxi ride north from the market area.
Tips & Advice
Tours & Activities at Narantuul Market
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Narantuul Market.
See All Narantuul Market Tours on ViatorReady to plan your trip to Ulaanbaatar?
Now that you've got the research covered, here's where to go next.