From Wikitravel
Orhon : Erdenet
Revision as of 06:44, 2 January 2010 by Henri de Solages (Talk | contribs) (Train)

Jump to: navigation, search
Fraternity monument



  • Erdenet Mining Co., [1].

There is also a carpet factory.

Get around


It is possible to visit the open copper mine, the biggest copper mine in Asia. There is also a museum of the mine.
If you are there before Naadam, go and see the archers training in Naadam's field, south of the city centre. There are also a few trainings after Naadam. No training if it rains. In winter, hardly no training and, when they take place, it's inside. In springtime there are usually once a week, intensifying as national Naadam is approaching.
Enjoy the soviet city centre built from nothing for the sake of the mine in the 1970's. Many buildings colors and many trees are posterior to the soviet period, as well as a few buildings with glass-wall (usually banks).
There is a musical fountain in the city centre (set in 2009), with music at certain times.
See one of the 2 small temples in the North of the city centre, if you've not seen any before.
The countryside is close by. Just walk 20 min to the North of the city, and you'll hopefully see sheep, goats, a shepherd on horse. If, instead of 20 min, you walk 40 min, the probability not to see any is low (except at night). The so-called "ger districts", with more houses than gers, is also nearby. Some families live there a semi-urban semi-rural life: following the cattle on the evening, you'll be lead to a small farm in a street. If you're lucky, you may find someone bringing back home something heavy from the city centre at day fall: propose to help him/her and you're likely to be invited to drink a tea (specially if it's an adult): an opportunity to see one of these small houses with no running water but with electricity.




You can rent tourism material (but no vehicle) at, a small company managed by a French. It's possible to give back in Ulaanbaatar the things your rented.






Get In




Get out


You can go to Russia or China from Èrdènèt by train via the town of Blacksmith (Darkhan (city)) or by different means via Ulaanbaatar.


An experimental web site giving train schedule is timetable. You are supposed to be able to order online, but it doesn't always work.
One daily train to Ulaanbaatar (leaving at 19:00, arriving at 07:10 in summer, leaving at 19:40, arriving at 07:40 in winter) and many stops in between, first class to Ulaanbaatar is USD 20 on the train, there are lower classes for less, bus is less than the first class train. 6 800 MNT, 3rd class, in January 2010. This train reaches the town of Blacksmith (Darkhan (city)) by night at 23:50 in summer, 0:35 in winter, for 5 000 MNT (3rd class, December 2009). You can take there an international train to Russia or China, or a national train to Northern Mongolia.
Trains go each and every day of the year, including on national holidays, except if the government has decided a temporary ban on public transportation against any epidemic (last one against the propagation of virus H1N1, lifted in November 2009). The train station is 8 km East of the city. You can buy your train ticket there or in another ticket office downtown near the coach station. The latter charges 200 extra MNT. To go to the station, be at any bus stop in the main avenue (Сүхбаатар гудамж, Sùhbaatar street) at least 40 min before the train departure and wait for a mini-bus with someone shouting "Вокзал, вокзал" ("Vokzal, vokzal": "Station, station"). They will charge 700 MNT (January 2010).
Èrdènèt's coach station is at East of the city centre, at the extremity of Sùhbaatar street, in Builders square (Барилагчдын талбай, Barilagčdyn talbai).


Four daily coach services to Ulaanbaatar, coach service to Bulgan City. Èrdènèt's coach station is at East of the city centre, at the extremity of Sùhbaatar street, in Builders square (Барилагчдын талбай, Barilagčdyn talbai).
There are days with no coach, correlated with national holidays but not exactly the same. They undergo about the same government temporary bans as trains against epidemics (last one lifted in November 2009).

Microbuses and cars

MicroBuses and cars (public "taxis") to Ulaanbaatar and Darhan, with no schedule: they leave when full.
Microbus to Darhan: 8 000 MNT/person (Autumn 2009), car to Darhan: 10 000 MNT/person (Summer 2009).
Car to Ulaanbaatar: 20 000 MNT/person (November 2009).
Microbuses and official taxis undergo about the same government temporary bans as trains and coaches against epidemics (last one lifted in November 2009).