Ulaanbaatar Walking Tour & Home Cooking Class in a Mongolian Home
Description
This is not a tour. It’s a half day in Ulaanbaatar, ending around a family table with Tsuivan — the dish I miss most whenever I leave Mongolia. We begin at Chinggis Square and walk into residential neighborhoods where daily life unfolds beyond tourist routes. In a city known for traffic, we slow down, passing markets, schools, and morning routines most visitors never see. After the walk, we arrive at a Mongolian home in a local apartment overlooking the city. We drink herbal tea, play Shagai (a traditional ankle bone game), then cook Tsuivan from scratch, rolling the dough, cutting noodles, and cooking side by side, the way it’s made in homes across Mongolia. By the time we sit down to eat, you’ve made it entirely with your own hands. You leave with a recipe, a full stomach, and a perspective on Ulaanbaatar most visitors never find — not as a tourist, but as a guest in a local home.
Tour Options
Itinerary
MEET ME AT CHINGGIS SQUARE I’ll be waiting at the Sukhbaatar statue holding a Serey Travel sign. We’ll meet and begin our walk. WALK THROUGH THE CITY I GREW UP IN About 7 km through neighborhoods most visitors never see, passing local markets, schoolyards, a park I’ve known since childhood, and the railway district where I sold soda as a kid. Every street has a story. COME INSIDE MY HOME We arrive at my tenth-floor apartment overlooking the city. We slow down with herbal tea and play Shagai, a traditional Mongolian ankle bone game. COOK TSUIVAN WITH YOUR OWN HANDS Into the kitchen. You’ll roll the dough, cut the noodles, and cook alongside me, the way Tsuivan is made in Mongolian homes across the country. EAT WHAT YOU MADE By the time we sit down, the meal on the table is entirely yours. We share it together. HEAD BACK WHENEVER YOU’RE READY You’ll leave with a full stomach, a recipe to take home, and a perspective on Ulaanbaatar most visitors never find.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- The walk is approximately 7 km on mostly flat, paved streets — suitable for anyone in reasonable health and comfortable on their feet
- Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather — Ulaanbaatar’s climate changes quickly, so check conditions before your morning
- Children aged 10 and above are welcome, provided they are comfortable walking the full distance
- A vegetarian version of Tsuivan is available — please mention at time of booking
Reviews(3)
My walk and cooking experience with Ider was perhaps my favorite thing I did in Mongolia! His tour of Ulaanbaatar is a beautiful, personal look at urban life in this country, and I enjoyed the opportunity to listen to his memories and perspective around the city. The second half of this experience, cooking a homemade meal, is wonderful. If you're someone who truly enjoys cooking for the love of ingredients, connections, and community, you'll love cooking Tsuivan with Ider. As a solo female traveller, I felt so comfortable conversing with Ider, and it quickly felt like hanging out with an old college friend. Learning about Mongolian culture through a game and about the local cuisine by cooking from scratch is the perfect way to add depth to your visit to this beautiful country. It's a relaxing, slower-paced day that lives up to Ider's company name (ask him about it)! Please support this small business by booking this lovely experience with Serey Travel!
Ellie, Reading this truly made my day. It was such a pleasure spending the day with you, walking through the neighborhoods, making Tsuivan together, and sharing stories over lunch. You brought so much curiosity and warmth to every part of the experience, and that made it memorable for me too. Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review and for sharing your beautiful photos. Looking through them brought back so many wonderful memories of our day together. I wish you all the best with your research and future travels. If your adventures ever bring you back to Mongolia, there will always be a place at our family table waiting for you. Warmly, Ider
My walk and cooking experience with Ider was perhaps my favorite thing I did in Mongolia! His tour of Ulaanbaatar is a beautiful, personal look at urban life in this country, and I enjoyed the opportunity to listen to his memories and perspective around the city. The second half of this experience, cooking a homemade meal, is wonderful. If you're someone who truly enjoys cooking for the love of ingredients, connections, and community, you'll love cooking Tsuivan with Ider. As a solo female traveller, I felt so comfortable conversing with Ider, and it quickly felt like hanging out with an old college friend. Learning about Mongolian culture through a game and about the local cuisine by cooking from scratch is the perfect way to add depth to your visit to this beautiful country. It's a relaxing, slower-paced day that lives up to Ider's company name (ask him about it)! Please support this small business by booking this lovely experience with Serey Travel!
Ellie, Reading this truly made my day. It was such a pleasure spending the day with you, walking through the neighborhoods, making Tsuivan together, and sharing stories over lunch. You brought so much curiosity and warmth to every part of the experience, and that made it memorable for me too. Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review and for sharing your beautiful photos. Looking through them brought back so many wonderful memories of our day together. I wish you all the best with your research and future travels. If your adventures ever bring you back to Mongolia, there will always be a place at our family table waiting for you. Warmly, Ider
Myself and a friend booked a personalised full day tour with Eider a round Ulaanbaatar and is easily exceeded our expectations. From the start when he confirmed what we wanted to do through to making and eating traditional dishes in his home everything was brilliant. I couldn’t recommend him enough and I’d be surprised if you don't have as good a time as we did. Thanks Eider from Russ and Sponge.
Russ and Sponge, thank you so much for this. It genuinely made my day reading it. Having you both was a real pleasure from start to finish. Your energy, curiosity, and the way you both threw yourselves into everything, especially the cooking, made that day one I will always remember. That Tsuivan we made together was something special. I am so glad the experience exceeded your expectations and I hope our paths cross again someday, whether in Ulaanbaatar or elsewhere in the world. Thank you for taking the time to share this. It means more than you know. Happy trails, Ider
