Erlian - Ulaanbaatar Trains

Erlian - Ulaanbaatar trains numbered 4652/ 4654 in China and 33/ 34 in Mongolia have been in service again since early in 2024. They are running between Erlian Railway Station and Ulaanbaatar Railway Station, departing every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday with the travel time of about 14-17 hours. On every Thursday and Sunday, train no. 686 also leaves from Ulaanbaatar to Erlian; on every Monday and Friday, train no. 685 runs for the return trip. 

Erlian - Ulaanbaatar Train

 (Last update on November 11, 2024)

Train No.	Departure Date	Departure - Arrival	Travel Time
4652/ 33	Every Tue. & Sat.	17:10 - 10:25 +1	17H15M
685	Every Mon. & Fri.	17:10 - 10:25 +1	17H15M

 (Last update on November 11, 2024)

Train No.	Departure Days	Departure - Arrival	Travel Time
34/ 4654	Every Mon. & Fri.	20:22 - 10:25 +1	14H3M
686	Every Thu. & Sun.	20:35 - 10:25 +1	13H50M

 Notes:
1. “+1” means the second day.
2. The time mentioned in the above table is the local time.
3. The timetable is only for reference.
 For Mongolia trains, only second class with 4 berths in each cabin are available, and the ticket fare is listed as below:
 

Soft Sleeper	Hard Sleeper
Erlian - Ulaanbaatar by China Train
CNY 1,130 (USD 157)	CNY 791 (USD 110)
Erlian - Ulaanbaatar by Mongolian Train
-- -	CNY 845 (USD 118)

 Kind Reminders: 
1. TravelChinaGuide offers hassle-free ticket booking service for Ulaanbaatar to Erlian trains. Please rest assured of placing an order and we will handle the rest for you.
2. The tickets from Erlian to Ulaanbaatar can only be bought at Erlian Railway Station with the passenger's original passport. 
3. The data above is the official full price; discounts are offered sometimes.
 

Change Wheels before Passing the Border

1. Check if you need a visa or not to travel to Mongolia before taking the trains. If a visa is required, please make sure your visa for Mongolia is valid when passing through the China-Mongolia border.

2. When the train to Ulaanbaatar stops at Zamyn Uud in Mongolia, the Mongolia’s customs will take your passport away and return it with the entry stamp of Mongolia.

Erlian Railway Station is only 5 km (3 mi) away from China – Mongolia border. A taxi ride to the China National Gate scenic area costs about CNY 10 - 15.
 

Located in the southwest of the city, Ulaanbaatar Railway Station is the largest railway station in Mongolia and the center of Mongolia’s railway network. It not only has trains to/from other places in the country, but also has several trains to/from Moscow in Russia and Hohhot in China. There is a Mongolian Railway Museum outside the station and 6 trains are displayed in the open air for tourists to visit. From the station, there is city bus no. T4 to Genghis Khan's Square and buses no. 6 and 42 to Dragon Bus Terminal. 
 

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Since the direct trains from Erlian to Ulaanbaatar are not available every day, if they cannot fit your schedule, you can also make a transfer in Zamyn-Uud, a city on Mongolian border. Direct trains to Ulaanbaatar depart there every day. 

In this way, you need to take a bus from Erlian to Zamyn-Uud first, and then head to Ulaanbaatar by train. 
 

(Last update on Mar 24, 2025)

Origin Station	Erlian International Bus Station
Departure Time	At 09:00, 09:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:30, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30 every day
Duration	About 1.5 – 2 hours; varying according to the customs clearance time
Destination	Zamyn-Uud Bus Station
Ticket Price	CNY 50/person
Ticket Booking	At Erlian International Bus Station only

Note: Bus departing from Erlian at 14:00 is recommended for catching the connecting train.
 

1. Prepare your passport and visa;
2. Get onboard at Erlian International Bus Station, and get off at Erlian Customs at the border with all your belongings to clear customs; at the same time, the bus will move to the designated area to wait for passengers;
3. Go back to your bus and continue the travel;
4. Get off again with all your luggage at Zamyn-Uud Customs to go through immigration;
5. Go on the bus travel, and finally arrive at Zamyn-Uud Bus Station, adjacent to Zamyn-Uud Railway Station where you can buy train tickets and take the train to Ulaanbaatar.
 

(Last update on Mar 24, 2025)

Origin Station	Zamyn-Uud Railway Station
Departure - Arrival	18:05 – 09:20+1 (every day)
Destination	Ulaanbaatar Railway Station
Ticket Price	Second class seat	Adult: CNY 153 Child: CNY 60
	Hard seat	Adult: CNY 54 Child: CNY 15
	Hard sleeper	Adult: CNY 92 Child: CNY 44
	Soft sleeper	Adult: CNY 277 Child: CNY 120
Ticket Booking	At Zamyn-Uud Railway Station

Note: "+1" indicates the second day.

From Ulaanbaatar to Erlian, just travel along the opposite route:
 

(Last update on Mar 24, 2025)

Origin Station	Ulaanbaatar Railway Station
Departure - Arrival	16:40 – 07:20+1 (every day)
Destination	Zamyn-Uud Railway Station
Ticket Price	Second class seat	Adult: CNY 153 Child: CNY 60
	Hard seat	Adult: CNY 54 Child: CNY 15
	Hard sleeper	Adult: CNY 92 Child: CNY 44
	Soft sleeper	Adult: CNY 277 Child: CNY 120
Ticket Booking	At Ulaanbaatar Railway Station

 

(Last update on Mar 24, 2025)

Origin Station	Zamyn-Uud Railway Station
Departure Time	At 07:40, 07:45, 07:50, 07:55, 08:00, 08:05, 08:10, 08:15, 08:30, 09:50
Duration	About 1.5 - 3 hours; varying according to the customs clearance time
Destination	Erlian International Bus Station
Ticket Price	CNY 50/person
Ticket Booking	At Zamyn-Uud Bus Station;  Through official website

 

1. The ticket counter at Erlian bus station opens at around 08:00 and only sells the same day bus tickets.
2. Remember to take your passport, and prepare local currency to buy tickets. 
3. Be sure to remember the bus number, and avoid getting on the wrong bus after clearing customs. You can take a photo of the bus for peace of mind.
4. Long Zamyn-Uud - Ulaanbaatar trains have around 30 carriages; you are advised to get onboard as early as possible.

 See also Beijing to Erlian Train

Other International Trains between China and nearby Countries

K23/K24: Beijing - Ulaanbaatar	K27/K28: Beijing - Pyongyang	T8701/T8702: Nanning - Hanoi
4652/4653: Hohhot - Ulaanbaatar	Z5/Z6: Beijing - Hanoi	K9795/K9796: Urumqi - Almaty K9797/K9798: Urumqi - Astana
K19/K20 Beijing - Manzhouli - Moscow	K3/K4 Beijing - Ulaanbaatar - Moscow	D87/D88: Kunming - Vientiane

 International railways under construction/planning from China to: