China to Mongolia Train, Timetable, Ticket Price, and Visa

China Train Introduction

Train Travel Tips

Train Travel Routes

International Trains

Train Stations and Schedules

There are two pairs of international trains running between Beijing and Ulaanbaatar, taking around 27 hours to cover 1,500 kilometers (932 miles). The Beijing – Ulaanbaatar train is available on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and departs at 07:27am from Beijing Railway Station (北京站), which is located in the middle of Beijing, close to Tian’anmen Square.

Distance: 1,500 kilometers (932 miles)
Duration: about 27 h 08 min
Train Number: K3/K23 Beijing - Ulaanbaatar; K4/K24 Ulaanbaatar - Beijing

Train Schedules

K3 Beijing – Ulaanbaatar – Moscow, depart from Beijing on every Wednesday.
K4 Moscow – Ulaanbaatar – Beijing

Beijing to Ulan Bator Train Map

Train station with a “*” means immigration inspection needed.

K3: Beijing - Ulaanbaatar - Moscow

(Updated on September 5th, 2019)

Travel Day	Station	Country	Day	Arrive	Depart
1	Beijing (北京站)	China	Wednesday		07:27
	Jining South		Wednesday	15:27	15:43
	*Erlian		Wednesday	20:18	00:59
2	*Dzamyn Ude	Mongolia	Thursday	01:25	02:40
	Ulaanbaatar		Thursday	14:35	15:22
	Suhe Bator		Thursday	21:50	23:10
	Naushki	Russia	Thursday	18:55	20:45
3	Ulan-Ude		Friday	00:53	01:38
3	Irkutsk		Friday	09:37	10:22
4	Krasnoyarsk		Saturday	03:53	04:15
	Novosibirsk		Saturday	16:00	16:20
	Omsk		Saturday	23:20	23:36
5	Tyumen		Sunday	06:29	06:49
	Yekaterinburg		Sunday	11:28	11:58
	Perm		Sunday	17:20	17:40
6	Moscow		Monday	13:58

K4: Moscow - Ulaanbaatar - Beijing

(Updated on September 5th, 2019)

Travel Day	Station	Country	Day	Arrive	Depart
1	Moscow	Russia	Tuesday		23:55
2	Perm		Wednesday	19:54	20:14
3	Yekaterinburg		Thursday	01:16	01:44
	Tyumen		Thursday	05:59	06:19
	Omsk		Thursday	13:36	13:52
	Novosibirsk		Thursday	21:03	21:23
4	Krasnoyarsk		Friday	08:39	09:01
5	Irkutsk		Saturday	02:13	03:08
	Ulan-Ude		Saturday	10:00	10:45
	Naushki		Saturday	14:57	16:47
	Suhe Bator	Mongolia	Saturday	22:29	00:14
6	Ulaanbaatar		Sunday	06:50	07:30
6	*Dzamyn Ude		Sunday	18:50	20:35
7	*Erlian	China	Monday	21:00	02:00
	Jining South		Monday	06:37	06:55
	Beijing (北京站)		Monday	14:35

K23 Beijing – Ulaanbaatar
K24 Ulaanbaatar – Beijing

Train station with a “*” means immigration inspection needed.

K23: Beijing - Ulaanbaatar

(Updated on September 5th, 2019)

Station	Country	Arrive	Depart
Beijing (北京站)	China		07:27
Jining South		15:27	15:43
*Erlian		20:18	00:59
*Dzamyn Ude	Mongolia	01:25	02:40
Ulaanbaatar	Mongolia	14:35

K24: Ulaanbaatar - Beijing

(Updated on September 5th, 2018)

Station	Country	Arrive	Depart
Ulaanbaatar	Mongolia		07:30
*Dzamyn Ude	Mongolia	18:50	20:35
*Erlian	China	21:00	02:00
Jining South		06:37	06:55
Beijing (北京站)		14:35

Details on the Trains

Train Number	Runtime	Train Type	Type of sleeper class	Facilities on the train
K23	every Tuesday from June 4th, 2019 to May 26th, 2020	newly built Chinese train	soft and hard sleeper: 4 berths in a compartment, with a lockable door; 8 compartments in a carriage deluxe soft sleeper: 2 berths in a compartment, with a lockable; 8 compartments in a carriage	1. A dining car 2. All the coaches are air-conditioned 3. Power socket in each coach 4. Each deluxe soft sleeper compartment is equipped with an independent western-style toilet and a shower 5. Each hard/soft sleeper carriage share a western-style toilet
K23	Every Monday from June 17th, 2019 to October 7th, 2019	Newly built Mongolian train	hard sleeper: 4 berths in a compartment, with a lockable door; 8 compartments in a carriage deluxe soft sleeper: 2 berths in a compartment, with a lockable door; 8 compartments in a carriage	1. A dining car 2. All the coaches are air-conditioned 3. Power socket in each coach 4. Two deluxe soft sleeper compartments share a western-style toilet, no shower 5. Each hard sleeper carriage share a western-style toilet
K3	Every Wednesday	Old-style train	hard sleeper: 4 berths in a compartment, with a lockable door; 8 compartments in a carriage deluxe soft sleeper: 2 berths in a compartment, with a lockable door; 8 compartments in a carriage	1. A dining car 2. Only deluxe soft sleeper coaches are air-conditioned 3. Power socket in each coach 4. Two deluxe soft sleeper compartments share a washbasin, no shower 5. A western-style toilet available at the end of each hard/deluxe soft sleeper carriage

How to Book the Ticket

Beijing - Ulaanbaatar international train ticket

Beijing - Ulan Bator international train ticket

International tickets can be booked up to 30 days before departure. You can buy the ticket at designated ticket offices, or at travel agencies like China Highlights. Ticket offices only accept cash (RMB) and don’t have English speaking personnel. So it would be more convenient to buy an international train ticket with China Highlights. We provide detailed and helpful English guidance and a 24/7 service. A ticket delivery service is also available.

All the passengers’ passports and photocopies of passports and visas are required when you make the booking.

Children’s tickets:

A child under 4 years old and accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket is ticket- free if they don't occupy individual berths. A child-ticket needs to be bought if you want to get a berth for the child.
Children between 4 and 12 years old need to buy child tickets.
Children over 12 years old need to buy adult tickets at full fare.

Please note: There are no open tickets for this train. If you want to hop on and off along the way, you need to buy separate tickets.

Search for train schedules and book a ticket now!

How to Apply For Visas

Documents you need for applying for visas:

1. A passport valid for at least 6 months.

2. Itineraries for Chinese and Mongolian tours.

3. International train or flight confirmation letters.

4. Application forms.

5. Visa support letters. You can get visa support letter or invitation letter from local travel agencies.

Can I Enjoy 144-hour visa exemption?

Travelers who take the international train from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing do not qualify for 144-hour visa-free transit, because the valid ports of entry in Beijing are Beijing Capital Airport and Beijing West Railway Station(北京西站). International trains between Ulaanbaatar - Beijing arrive in / depart from Beijing Railway Station(北京火车站), which is not the port for the 144-hour visa-free policy.

K3 international train

How to Board the Train

Valid certificate is required when buying a ticket AND boarding a train:

Foreign passengers: Passport or Travel Permit
Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan passengers: Mainland Travel Permit

In China, boarding an international train is basically the same as boarding a domestic train. Arrive at the train station at least 1 hour in advance - go through security – find your waiting room – find the platform – board the train.

There are only Chinese signs at train stations. If you have difficulties in finding the right waiting room or platform, ask a member of staff for help. Here is a phrase that might be helpful.

English	Chinese
Excuse me, please tell me which waiting room I should go to for the international train **. (Show your ticket)	你好，请问国际火车** 的候车室在哪里？

Luggage Policy

Free Baggage Allowance

Adult: 36 kg (79 lb) per ticket
Child: 15 kg (33 lb)

Baggage Size

The total of the three dimensions cannot exceed 200 cm (79 in).

Prohibited Items Brought on the Train

Dangerous items including all kinds of guns and knives, explosive items and toxics are not allowed to be brought onto the international train. Apart from that, bicycles (include foldable bicycles) cannot be taken onboard either. If you have a bicycle with you, you can consign it before departure.

Consignment

Take your ticket, passport to the luggage department at the train station to consign your luggage. It is recommended that you check in your luggage one day before departure. Because the luggage department for international trains works only in the morning from 09:00 to 11:30 from Monday to Friday.

Consignment fee is 14-18 CNY (US$2-3) per kilogram.

Good to Know

Soft sleeper on train K3

A Chinese dining car is attached to the international train when traveling in China, offering Chinese meals. A Mongolian dining car is attached to the train when traveling in Mongolia, offering Mongolian food.
A Chinese-style lunch and a dinner on the first day are provided for free. Other meals at the dining car are at your own cost.
It is recommended that you bring some snacks and drinks on your own. You can also buy local food as supplement at the platforms when the train stop at a station.
There are power sockets in each coach but you need to take a converter to be able to recharge your phone and camera. Voltage is sometimes too low and it may not be able to charge your laptop.
Free toilet paper is available but always runs out. So bring your toilet paper just in case.
There is free boiling water in each coach. You can take a cup with you and make a cup of coffee or tea.
US dollars are acceptable on international trains. When you are in China, you can use Chinese Yuan; when you are in Mongolia, you can use the Tugrik. Remember that only cash is accepted.
At Erlian Station, the train will stop for about 3 hours to change the wheels for a different railway line because the railway widths are different between China and Mongolia. You can either stay on the train or get off to have a walk around.