Best Mongolian Souvenirs to Buy & Bring Back from Mongolia

Mongolia is not the first country that comes to mind when people think of shopping destinations. No luxury malls, no sprawling night markets, no fast fashion strips. What it has instead is something far more interesting, goods that are deeply tied to one of the world's last surviving nomadic cultures. The cashmere here is some of the finest on the planet. The leather boots are made by the same craftsmen who supply herders on the steppe. The dried snacks in the supermarket are the same ones Mongolian children grow up eating.

This guide covers what is actually worth buying, where to find it, how much to spend in both USD and Mongolian tögrög (MNT), and what to watch out for, whether you are shopping in Ulaanbaatar or crossing into Inner Mongolia on the Chinese side of the border.

What to Buy in Mongolia

Cashmere and Wool Products

Mongolia is the world's second-largest producer of raw cashmere, and the reputation is earned. The extreme cold that Mongolian goats endure through winter produces a finer, longer undercoat than goats raised in milder climates, and because the supply chain between the animal and the finished product is shorter here than almost anywhere else, you get better quality for less money than you would pay in Europe, the United States, or even most of Asia.

The most practical purchase is a cashmere scarf. Lightweight, packable, useful in any season, and genuinely different from department store cashmere back home. A good one costs between 85,000 and 200,000 MNT ($25 to $60 USD) at a reputable store. Sweaters and cardigans run 270,000 to 680,000 MNT ($80 to $200 USD) depending on weight and brand. Gloves, socks, shawls, and blankets are all available in the same range.

The trap to avoid is fake cashmere. Synthetic blends get labeled as 100% cashmere regularly, especially at Narantuul Market and street stalls. A burn test is the simplest check, real cashmere smells like burning hair and leaves a crushable ash; synthetic fibers melt into a hard plastic bead and smell chemical. If you are spending serious money, buy from Gobi Cashmere or the State Department Store's 6th floor where authenticity is guaranteed.

Traditional Clothing

The deel is Mongolia's traditional outer garment, a long wraparound robe fastened at the shoulder and side with a fabric sash. It is not a costume. Mongolians wear it daily, particularly in rural areas, and it is engineered for steppe life: warm, wind-resistant, and practical on horseback. Summer deels are made from cotton or silk; winter versions are lined with wool or sheepskin.

A ready-made deel from Narantuul Market costs 100,000 to 270,000 MNT ($30 to $80 USD). Custom-made versions from a UB tailor run 270,000 to 510,000 MNT ($80 to $150 USD) and take two to three days, factor that into your itinerary if you want one made to your measurements. The fit on a bespoke deel is noticeably better and worth the wait if your schedule allows.

Mongolian boots, called gutals, have a distinctive upturned toe, a functional design that prevents the boot from snagging in a stirrup during a fall. A quality pair from Narantuul Market costs 135,000 to 410,000 MNT ($40 to $120 USD). Traditional hats vary by region and occasion and are available at the market and souvenir shops for 34,000 to 135,000 MNT ($10 to $40 USD).

    

             

    

        

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Felt Products

Felt is not a craft material in Mongolia, it is a building material. The walls, floor, and ceiling insulation of a traditional ger are made from compressed wool felt, and the same techniques that produce those panels produce the bags, rugs, slippers, and decorative pieces sold in shops across UB.

For travelers, felt slippers are the most practical buy. Known as esgii gutal, they are genuinely used by Mongolian families at home, warm, lightweight, and easy to pack. They cost 27,000 to 68,000 MNT ($8 to $20 USD). Felt coin purses, bags, and small ger-shaped ornaments cost 10,000 to 85,000 MNT ($3 to $25 USD) and are available almost everywhere.

Quality varies significantly. The best felt goods in the country come from social enterprises like Mary & Martha Mongolia, which employs local women artisans and uses natural dyes. Their products cost more than market stalls but are constructed to a different standard, tighter stitching, better dye stability, and designs that hold up outside of a souvenir drawer.

Silver Jewelry and Accessories

Mongolian silverwork sits at the intersection of Buddhist iconography and shamanist tradition. Filigree earrings, rings set with coral or turquoise, ornate hair pieces, and belt buckles with geometric knotwork are all characteristic. The aesthetic is heavier and more architectural than Chinese silver styles, and the motifs, horses, endless knots, lotus flowers, are specific to Mongolian visual culture.

Small earrings and rings start at 34,000 to 68,000 MNT ($10 to $20 USD) from market vendors. Pieces from established jewelers near Sukhbaatar Square run 100,000 to 270,000 MNT ($30 to $80 USD) for something well-crafted. Belt buckles and larger decorative pieces can exceed 340,000 MNT ($100 USD) depending on silver content and detail.

Snuff bottles deserve a specific mention. Small decorated containers, made from enamel, carved bone, or semi-precious stone, they are part of a traditional Mongolian greeting ritual in which guests and hosts exchange and sniff each other's bottles as a form of respect. Both antique and reproduction versions are available at shops near Sukhbaatar Square and make genuinely unusual gifts.

Leather and Horse Goods

Mongolia's relationship with horses shapes the leather goods available here in a way you do not find anywhere else. These are not decorative products repackaged for tourists. They are working items, saddles stitched on-site at the market, whips balanced for practical use, boots designed for daily riding. The quality reflects that standard.

Narantuul Market is the only place to shop for these. Leather belts run 34,000 to 100,000 MNT ($10 to $30 USD). Wallets and pouches cost 27,000 to 85,000 MNT ($8 to $25 USD). A decorated riding saddle, if you have the means to transport it, costs 510,000 to 1,360,000 MNT ($150 to $400 USD) and is the kind of piece that becomes a centerpiece wherever it ends up.

Buddhist and Spiritual Items

Tibetan Buddhism arrived in Mongolia in the 16th century and became the dominant religion before Soviet suppression dismantled most of the monastery network in the 1930s. The revival since 1990 has been substantial, and the area around Gandantegchinlen Monastery in western UB is the best place in the country to find genuine spiritual goods.

Thangka paintings, detailed scroll paintings depicting Buddhist deities, mandalas, and cosmological diagrams, range from 100,000 MNT ($30 USD) for small printed reproductions to several million tögrög for hand-painted originals. If you are buying a hand-painted thangka, ask specifically about the artist and whether mineral or synthetic pigments were used, traditional mineral pigments are more valuable and more durable.

Prayer beads (mala) cost 17,000 to 170,000 MNT ($5 to $50 USD) depending on material, wood, bone, semi-precious stone, or coral. Bronze statues, incense, and singing bowls are also widely available. One note on singing bowls: many sold in Mongolia are imported from Nepal. If origin matters to you, ask before buying.

Food and Drink

Mongolian food souvenirs are one of the most overlooked categories, lightweight, genuinely local, and far more interesting to receive than a keychain. Aaruul is the one to prioritize. Sun-dried curd made from cow or yak milk, it is hard, slightly sour, and completely unlike anything sold elsewhere. It is an acquired taste, but it is authentically Mongolian in a way few souvenirs manage to be. A small bag costs 6,800 to 17,000 MNT ($2 to $5 USD) from supermarkets or street vendors.

Borts is dried meat, typically beef or horse, shredded and packed so densely that a small amount rehydrates into a full portion. It was historically the field ration of Mongolian armies and is one of the most calorie-dense foods in existence. Packaged tourist versions are available at the State Department Store food hall for 17,000 to 51,000 MNT ($5 to $15 USD).

Milk candy and dairy sweets are popular gift items throughout Mongolia. Mongolian herbal teas blended with local steppe plants cost 10,000 to 27,000 MNT ($3 to $8 USD) per box. Packaged airag, fermented mare's milk, is available in shelf-stable formats, though the flavor is considerably milder than the fresh version you might encounter at a ger camp.

Wooden and Handcrafted Items

Mongolian warrior chess sets, pieces shaped as camels, archers, horsemen, and ger structures rather than the standard Western forms, are one of the more distinctive craft purchases available. A good set costs 68,000 to 200,000 MNT ($20 to $60 USD) from souvenir shops or the State Department Store. Carved wooden bowls traditionally used for serving dairy products cost 34,000 to 100,000 MNT ($10 to $30 USD) and are genuinely usable at home.

Miniature ger kits, small working models with a wooden lattice frame and felt covering that actually assembles and disassembles, cost 51,000 to 170,000 MNT ($15 to $50 USD) and make the most structurally interesting souvenir in the country. Decorative morin khuur replicas (the horsehead fiddle central to Mongolian music) are available from music shops on Peace Avenue for 68,000 to 270,000 MNT ($20 to $80 USD).

Art and Collectibles

Mongolian landscape painting reflects a specific visual tradition, vast steppe panoramas, horse herds at full gallop, portraits of nomadic families against open sky. Small works start around 68,000 to 170,000 MNT ($20 to $50 USD) from artist markets near Sukhbaatar Square. Gallery-quality pieces from established artists cost considerably more and are worth the investment if you find something that moves you.

Shagai, the traditional Mongolian game played with sheep ankle bones, each of four sides representing a different animal, is one of those purchases that surprises people when they get home. Sets cost 17,000 to 68,000 MNT ($5 to $20 USD) and come with enough cultural context to make them genuinely interesting to explain. Collectible Mongolian stamps and coins are available at philatelic shops near the central post office for 17,000 to 170,000 MNT ($5 to $50 USD) depending on age and rarity.

    

             

    

        

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Where to Buy in Mongolia

Narantuul Market (The Black Market)

Do not let the name throw you. Narantuul earned its nickname from the underground economy era, not from anything happening there today. What it actually is, and what no other place in Ulaanbaatar can replicate, is the closest thing to shopping alongside actual Mongolians going about their actual lives.

The scale hits you immediately. This is not a curated souvenir strip. It is a genuinely vast open-air market organized into loose sections by category, school supplies and uniforms in one corner, rugs and carpets in another, plumbing fittings, camping gear, bicycles, power tools, saddles being stitched on-site, traditional clothing, raw fabrics, shoes, all of it spread across dusty unpaved paths that demand you watch your footing. Nothing is priced. There is no English signage. Download Google Translate before you arrive and keep it open.

What makes Narantuul irreplaceable is the range of genuinely functional Mongolian goods that tourist-facing stores simply do not stock. Horse saddles are hand-stitched in the same stall where they are sold. Riding boots come from craftsmen who make them for herders, not for visitors. The fabrics available here are the same ones Mongolian tailors use to make deels. Prices run approximately 50% lower than the State Department Store for comparable items, a deel that costs $80 USD at a fixed-price store might go for $35 to $50 USD here after bargaining.

One sizing note that will save you confusion: Mongolian shoe sizes run approximately two EU sizes smaller. If you wear EU 47, ask for Mongolian size 45. Several visitors have reported significant confusion, and genuine laughter from vendors, by asking for their European size without knowing this.

There is also a cashmere and wool section worth finding. MT Cashmere, a local brand operating here for over 30 years, hand-crafts 100% Mongolian cashmere beanies, hats, and scarves made for real cold weather. This is not airport souvenir cashmere.

Practical notes: Arrive mid-morning on a weekday, many vendors are still setting up at 10 AM and the best stalls are not fully open. Most stalls are cash only. Food inside the market is sparse and hard to locate, so eat before you go. Wear closed-toe shoes, the paths are uneven and dusty. Carry only the cash you plan to spend and keep your bag in front of you in crowded sections. Coming with a Mongolian friend or contact dramatically changes the prices you are quoted.

Best for: Deel, gutals, leather goods, horse tack, raw fabrics, felt products, MT Cashmere woolens, and the experience of a market that exists for locals first.

State Department Store (Ikh Delguur)

If Narantuul is where Mongolians shop, the State Department Store is where Mongolia presents itself to the world, and it does so from inside a seven-story Soviet-era building on Peace Avenue that has been the city's most organized retail destination since the socialist period. The Soviet architecture is still visible in the bones of the building. The contents have moved considerably since then.

The layout rewards knowing it in advance because the floors are not self-evident and people regularly miss what they came for.

The ground floor houses the Nomin Supermarket, a full-scale grocery store that is genuinely comparable to a mid-range Western supermarket in size and organization. This is your best single stop for food gifts: aaruul, borts, milk candy, herbal teas, packaged airag, local dairy snacks, and a well-stocked bakery. Bring a tote bag, plastic bags cost around 1,000 MNT extra and are not automatically provided. There is also a strong alcohol section if Mongolian vodka is on your list.

Upper floors carry clothing, electronics, shoes, jewelry, appliances, and housewares. The jewelry counters are positioned right at the entrance on the way in and are worth a look for silver pieces at mid-range prices. Coffee shops and small eateries are scattered across the building, one floor below ground level has a café that most visitors miss entirely.

The sixth floor is where most travelers should go first: it is almost entirely dedicated to Mongolian cashmere and traditional souvenirs. Multiple cashmere brands are represented side by side, which makes it the best place in the city to compare quality and price in one visit. Prices are higher than the market but fixed and reliable. Souvenirs here lean toward the pricier end, comparable items cost less at street-level shops on Peace Avenue, but the convenience and quality assurance are real.

One practical note: clothing floors use a separate cashier system that is not obvious. If you want to buy something from a rack, ask a staff member where to pay rather than looking for a till at the item itself, it is elsewhere on the floor and easy to miss.

Card payments are accepted throughout. Security is present on every floor. The building is well-lit, clean, and centrally located, Sukhbaatar Square is a short walk away on the same street.

Pricing reference: Cashmere scarves on the 6th floor run 80,000 to 150,000 MNT ($23 to $44 USD). Felt crafts start around 10,000 MNT ($3 USD) for small pieces. Food gifts at Nomin are among the most affordable you will find anywhere in the city.

Best for: One-stop shopping, food gifts, mid-range cashmere comparison, silver jewelry, and anyone who wants fixed prices and card payment without the market experience.

Gobi Cashmere Flagship Store

Gobi was founded in 1981 and is now one of the world's largest vertically integrated cashmere producers, meaning the company controls the process from raw Gobi Desert fiber to finished garment. The production factory sits immediately next door to the flagship store on Peace Avenue. When you buy here, you are buying Mongolian cashmere made in Mongolia by the company that has been doing it longer than anyone else in the country.

The store itself feels closer to a European luxury retail environment than a typical Mongolian shop, spacious, professionally staffed, products displayed with room to examine them properly. There is a café inside. On busier days, the store runs in-house fashion shows to showcase new collections, which several visitors have noted as a genuinely unexpected highlight of the experience.

The range covers men, women, and children across every category: scarves, sweaters, cardigans, socks, gloves, shawls, underwear, and accessories. The organic cashmere line deserves specific attention, sold in its natural undyed beige, it is noticeably softer than the colored pieces because the dyeing process slightly affects fiber texture. If maximum softness is your priority, go undyed. Colored pieces are still excellent by any standard.

Pricing: Socks cost around 70,000 MNT ($20 USD). Scarves start at 100,000 MNT ($30 USD) and reach 300,000 MNT ($88 USD) for heavier weights. Sweaters run 250,000 to 700,000 MNT ($73 to $205 USD) depending on style. There is a standing promotion of buy 5 scarves, get the 6th free, useful if you are buying for multiple people.

Tax-free for foreigners: Purchases over 500,000 MNT (approximately $147 USD) qualify for a VAT refund. Bring your passport. Confirm the current threshold in-store as it has varied. Sale sections with up to 50% off are available seasonally.

One honest caveat: Multiple customers have noted the socks and stockings wear through at the toes and heels faster than the quality of the rest of the garment would suggest. Worth knowing if you are buying socks for regular use. Scarves and sweaters carry no such complaints.

Best for: Guaranteed authentic cashmere, the widest product range under one roof, ethical sourcing, tax-free shopping, and a retail experience that matches the quality of what you are buying.

    

             

    

        

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Chinggis Khaan International Airport (Duty-Free)

The airport itself is genuinely impressive for Mongolia's scale, new, clean, well-organized, and smoother through immigration than most travelers expect. The duty-free section sits after security in the international departure area and carries cashmere scarves, small souvenir pieces, packaged food gifts, liquor, and cosmetics.

The straightforward truth: prices here run 30 to 50% higher than comparable items at the State Department Store or Peace Avenue shops. The cashmere is genuine but the selection is narrow, and the souvenir range is limited to the most generic options. Shop in the city first. Use the airport as a backup only.

Where the airport earns its place in this guide is on the arrivals floor, which is more useful than most travelers realize. ATMs, money changers, Mobicom and Unitel SIM card vendors, and a Carrefour supermarket are all on the ground floor immediately after baggage claim. A tourist SIM card with 20GB data valid for one month costs around 20,000 MNT ($6 USD), pick one up here if you did not sort it in the city. The Carrefour and CU convenience store carry food items at more reasonable prices than the duty-free shops upstairs, making them worth a stop for last-minute aaruul or milk candy.

Getting to and from the airport: The airport is 1 to 1.5 hours from central UB depending on traffic. Public bus X19 runs every 30 to 60 minutes for 15,000 MNT ($4.40 USD), new, air-conditioned, and a legitimate option for those not overloaded with luggage. Official taxis from the counter behind the elevators after baggage claim cost 80,000 to 100,000 MNT ($23 to $29 USD) and are strongly recommended over the unsolicited drivers near the exit doors. Baggage storage is available 24/7 for 10,000 MNT ($3 USD) per 24 hours. Free Wi-Fi covers all areas of the terminal.

Best for: Last-minute gifts on departure, practical arrivals services, and SIM card pickup. Not the place to do your primary Mongolia shopping.

Shopping Tips Before You Go

Carry both USD and MNT. USD is accepted at cashmere stores, the State Department Store, and most souvenir shops. MNT is necessary at Narantuul and local food stalls. Card acceptance has improved significantly in central UB but remains inconsistent outside established retail.

Bargain at Narantuul and informal stalls, it is expected. Do not bargain at Gobi Cashmere or the State Department Store, prices are fixed. A reasonable opening offer at the market is 60 to 70% of the quoted price.

If your trip falls in July, the Naadam Festival brings the largest concentration of artisan vendors and craft pop-ups of the year. It is the single best time to find handmade items that do not appear in permanent shops.

On export restrictions: genuine antiques require documentation to legally leave Mongolia. Wildlife-derived products, certain furs, protected animal parts, are illegal to export regardless of what a vendor claims. Do not buy them.

Final Thoughts

The best things to buy in Mongolia are not the most packaged or the most prominently displayed. They are the things Mongolians actually use, cashmere from goats that survived a steppe winter, boots designed for stirrups not sidewalks, dried curd that has been a travel food here for centuries. That is what makes shopping in Mongolia different from most places. The goods have a real life behind them, and that context comes home with you in a way a generic souvenir never does.

Buy the cashmere. Try the aaruul. And if you find a silver snuff bottle in an antique shop near Sukhbaatar Square that catches your eye, it probably has a story worth the price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Shopping in Mongolia comes with a few questions that can make or break your experience, especially if it is your first time navigating Narantuul Market or buying cashmere without knowing what to look for. Here are the ones that come up most.

Is cashmere cheaper in Mongolia?

One of the most common questions travelers ask before visiting, and the answer is worth knowing before you pack an extra bag.

Yes. A quality cashmere scarf costs $25 to $60 USD in Ulaanbaatar compared to $150 to $300 USD for the same grade in Western retail. Mongolia is the world's second-largest cashmere producer, so you are buying close to the source. Stick to Gobi Cashmere or the State Department Store for guaranteed authenticity.

Is Narantuul Market (Black Market) safe to visit?

The name alone stops a lot of travelers. Here is what it is actually like on the ground.

Generally yes, as long as you take basic precautions. Visit on weekday mornings, carry only the cash you plan to spend, keep your bag in front of you, and stay aware in crowded sections. The market is busy but not hostile, most visitors leave without incident. The bigger practical challenge is the language barrier, so have Google Translate downloaded and ready before you arrive.

What should I NOT buy in Mongolia?

Knowing what to skip is just as useful as knowing what to buy, especially at the border.

Avoid anything suspiciously cheap labeled as cashmere, synthetic blends mislabeled as 100% cashmere are common at market stalls and easy to spot only if you know what to look for. Skip products made from protected wildlife, certain furs, big cat pelts, eagle feathers, which are illegal to export regardless of what a vendor tells you. Genuine antiques require official documentation to leave the country legally, so buy only from reputable dealers who can provide the paperwork before you commit.