What to Buy in Mongolia: 12 Souvenirs Worth Bringing Home (and What to Leave Behind)

The best things to buy in Mongolia are cashmere and yak wool, felt crafts, hand-embroidered Kazakh wall hangings from Bayan-Ölgii, traditional clothing such as a deel or Kazakh hat, small silver and leather goods, and food gifts like Mongolian chocolate, tea and sea buckthorn products. Ulaanbaatar has the widest choice, but the most personal souvenirs come straight from the families who make them in the countryside. Below are 12 things worth your luggage space, rough price levels, and the few items you should not try to take home.

The 12 Best Souvenirs from Mongolia

This list mixes the obvious with the things travelers usually wish they had bought. Prices are rough guides only; they change with the exchange rate and from shop to shop.

1. Cashmere sweaters, scarves and hats: the classic Mongolian gift. A scarf is the easiest choice if you are unsure of sizes. Scarves, beanies and socks are the best-value cashmere buys.
2. Yak wool and camel wool: warmer and rougher than cashmere and often cheaper. Yak wool socks and blankets are practical buys.
3. Felt goods: slippers, small ger models, toy animals, bags and phone covers made from sheep’s wool felt.
4. Kazakh embroidery (tus kiiz): large, colorful hand-stitched wall hangings from Bayan-Ölgii. More on these below.
5. A deel or Kazakh hat: a real piece of clothing rather than a costume. Read about the deel and traditional dress first.
6. Leather and silver: knife sets, snuff bottles, belts and silver bowls, from simple tourist pieces to expensive craftsman work.
7. Mongol zurag paintings: paintings in the traditional style, often showing nomadic life in fine detail. Good student work is affordable in Ulaanbaatar galleries.
8. Musical instruments: a small morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) or a Kazakh dombra. Ask for a travel case.
9. Shagai (ankle bones): sheep ankle bones used in traditional dice games. Cheap, light and full of stories.
10. Food and drink: Mongolian chocolate, salty milk tea mix, sea buckthorn juice or jam, and bottles of Mongolian vodka (check your home country’s allowance).
11. Books and music: CDs or vinyl of throat singing and Mongolian folk bands, and photo books of the steppe.
12. Small everyday gifts: postcards, fridge magnets, embroidered pouches and felt keyrings for friends at home.

Kazakh Embroidery and Felt from Bayan-Ölgii

If your trip takes you to the Altai, the best shopping is in the far west. Bayan-Ölgii is Mongolia’s Kazakh province, and its women still make tus kiiz, large embroidered wall hangings that decorate the inside of every Kazakh ger. They are stitched by hand over many weeks with bright flowers, horns and geometric patterns, and they are often made as part of a bride’s dowry. You will also see syrmak, thick felt carpets with bold inlaid patterns.

In the provincial center you can find embroidery and felt in small shops and at the market; our guide to Ulgii city explains the town. The most memorable way to buy, though, is from a family you have stayed with, who can tell you who made the piece and what the patterns mean. The Kazakh clothing guide covers the embroidered hats and coats you will see.

A large old hanging can be a family treasure and is priced like one, while new, smaller pieces are much more affordable. Take your time, ask about age and materials, and never push a family to sell something that is clearly in use.

Where to Shop in Ulaanbaatar

Most travelers do their main shopping in the capital before flying home. Our guide to the Mongolian capital covers the city itself. The main options are:

• The State Department Store: central and easy, with a souvenir and cashmere floor. A good place to compare prices in one visit.
• Cashmere brand stores and factory outlets: Gobi, Goyo and other brands have shops in the center, and factory stores often run seasonal discounts.
• Narantuul market (the ‘Black Market’): huge, cheap and chaotic, with deels, boots, felt and household goods. Watch your bag and phone.
• Art galleries and craft shops: around the city center, for paintings, silver and better-quality felt.
• Fair-trade and cooperative shops: some shops sell felt and crafts made by women’s cooperatives and herder families, with more money going to the makers.

What to Buy in Mongolia if You Are on a Budget

You do not need to spend a lot to bring home something real. The cheapest good souvenirs are:

Fixed-price stores do not haggle. In markets, gentle bargaining is normal, but keep it friendly and remember how little the margin may be for a craftswoman in the countryside.

Buying from Nomadic Families

On a homestay or a trek, families sometimes bring out felt, embroidery or handmade items to sell. There is no obligation to buy, and a polite ‘no, thank you’ is fine. If you do buy, you get a piece with a story and the money stays in the household.

Bring some cash in small notes, as there are no card machines on the steppe. Our trips such as the eagle hunter homestay give you time with Kazakh families in Bayan-Ölgii, and you can always ask your guide what a fair price looks like. For behaviour inside a family ger, read what not to do in Mongolia.

What You Should Not Buy or Take Out of Mongolia

A few souvenirs can get you into serious trouble at the airport:

• Dinosaur fossils and bones: exporting fossils is illegal, and the penalties are severe. Do not buy them, whatever the seller says.
• Antiques: old items, religious objects and cultural relics need an export permit or certificate. Reputable antique shops can arrange paperwork; ask before you pay, and get a receipt.
• Protected wildlife products: snow leopard, wolf or other protected animal skins, bones, horns and feathers cannot be exported legally, and many cannot enter your home country either.
• Eagle feathers and claws: these are protected in Mongolia and in most destination countries, even if sold at a festival.

Rules can change, so if you are buying anything old or unusual, check with the shop and with Mongolian Customs before you leave.

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