Genghis Khan Statue Complex – a Must in Mongolia!

Genghis Khan, the first Great Khan (or Ruler) of the Mongols, by his real name Temüjin, is considered to be the greatest Mongolian to have ever lived. He was a Mongolian warrior and ruler, one of the most famous world conquerors who joined Mongolian nomadic tribes and extended his empire to the Adriatic Sea, the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea,  and the Pacific coast of China. The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in history, measuring 23 million square kilometers! Yeah, and Genghis Khan is Mongol national hero. In Mongolia, you will find the Genghis Khan statue in the main – Sukhbaatar Square, and – if traveling by air, you’ll land at Chinggis Khaan International Airport. Genghis Khan’s image can be seen all around the country, and on the currency as well!

By the way – an awesome movie to see: Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007). It’ll tell you this man’s life story. It is incredible!

If you’re in Mongolia, Genghis Khan Statue Complex is a must!

The Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue is considered to be the world’s largest equestrian statue! It was built in that specific place around 55 km from the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar as per legend that says it was the spot where Genghis Khan found a golden whip which by Mongolians is considered to be a great luck.

40-meter-tall statue of Genghis Khan on a horse was made of 250 tons of stainless steel. The base of the monument consists of 36 columns, representing 36 great Khans (Khan is a title given to rulers and officials in central Asia).

After entering the statue complex, you will see a giant boot – one of the world’s biggest traditional boots with a height of 9 meters – and portraits of the Khan clan. The main attraction would be going up the building where you can exit on the head of the horse that is made as an observation deck. From there, a panoramic view of the surrounding steppe is revealed.

This statue complex is quite new, built in 2008, with the main thought of becoming the representative attraction of all of Mongolia. The cost of this complex was 4.1 million USD to construct. The statue is symbolically pointed East, towards the location of Genghis Khan’s birthplace. By the way, if you follow the gaze of the great warrior’s statue, you should see another statue, built just up the road, and that is Genghis Khan’s Mother, waiting for her son.

Entrance Fee: 30,000 Mongolian Tugriks which is around 8 euros.

Opening Times: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ulaanbaatar to Genghis Khan Statue Complex

Unfortunately, there is no public transport going to this place, located around 55 km from Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Your best option is to hire a driver. If you take a tour, it will be ridiculously expensive. Check out our article on Terelj National Park which you can visit as well, as it’s on the way.

To save a bit of money, we’d recommend getting on the public bus that would bring you out of the city first, and then get a cab in a smaller town, closer to the statue complex.

1. First, you have to reach the capital city of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. You’ll see there is the main road, called Peace Avenue. Along this street, there are several public bus stops. You have to take a bus that goes to the East of the city, to Офицеруудын ордон station (or Tenger Plaza – as location). Just ask locals, and they’ll point you at the right bus and tell you whether the specific bus goes as far or not. Google shows only a couple of buses that go there but, in reality, there are so many more. The ticket (per person) is 500 Mongolian Tugrik. So the first step – from Ulaanbaatar centre get to the East of the city. Peace Avenue, AH-3 road.
2. Next step – next bus. From your last stop near Tenger Plaza (Офицеруудын ордон station) get on the next bus to the closest town to Ulaanbaatar, named Nalaikh in Mongolian. Mongolian people would pronounce this differently but still – you can use the map on your phone to show the driver your destination. Remember, you’re already at the last stop of the city public bus route. Now the only thing you need to do – is get the bus that goes outside Ulaanbaatar. Intercity buses are also quite frequent, and this last stop of the city buses is their first one on their way to Nalaikh. There will always be somebody around to help you get on the right bus, so don’t worry! This will be a bit longer ride, so the price of the ticket is 1000 Mongolian Tugrik.
3. Third and the last step. Getting from Nalaikh to Genghis Khan Statue Complex. If you tell the Nalaikh city bus driver you’re going to the complex, he’ll drop you by the Налайх зах худалдааны төв Behind this shop complex (on the right side of it), there’s a parking lot. Taxi drivers gather there. Taxi to and back from Genghis Khan Statue Complex will cost you 40,000 Mongolian Tugriks which is around 11 euros. If there are more of you, just split the price – and that’s the lowest one you’ll get. Remember to bargain a bit!

The same way back to Ulaanbaatar! Easy!