Tour Highlights
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and settle in. Depending on your arrival time, explore the city centre — Sukhbaatar Square, the State Department Store, and the local markets are all within walking distance. Your guide will meet you in the evening for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant to brief you on the days ahead. (Hotel / D)
Fly to Bayan-Ölgii
Early morning flight from Ulaanbaatar to Ölgii (approximately 2 hours) with MIAT or Hunnu Air. Your guide meets you at Ölgii airport and transfers you to your hotel. After lunch, visit the Regional Museum of Bayan-Ölgii — a well-curated collection covering the history of the Kazakh people, traditional instruments, eagle hunting equipment, and ceremonial costumes. In the afternoon, drive up to Boken Mountain (2,700 m) for panoramic views over Ölgii town and the surrounding Altai peaks. Evening dinner at a local restaurant. (Hotel / B,L,D)
Meet an eagle hunter family
Drive out of Ölgii into the countryside to visit a Kazakh eagle hunter at their home. This is a private visit — not a staged show — and one of the most memorable parts of the tour. Your guide translates as the hunter explains how eagles are trapped as chicks in the wild, trained over years, and hunted with. You will have the chance to hold the eagle on your arm, photograph it up close, and watch a short demonstration of the hunter's call. Spend time inside the family ger, share tea and traditional snacks, and learn about daily nomadic life. (Ger / B,L,D)
Eagle hunting in the Altai mountains
Today you join the hunter for a real eagle hunting outing in the open Altai landscape — not a festival performance, but the genuine practice. Ride or drive into the mountains at dawn, watch the hunter work with the eagle across open terrain, and photograph the bird in full flight against the Altai backdrop. Back at the family ger, take part in daily nomadic tasks: milking animals, making traditional dairy products, and helping herd livestock. This is unhurried, unscripted time with a family whose way of life has remained largely unchanged for generations. (Ger / B,L,D)
Drive to Ölgii — city day
Return to Ölgii in the morning. The afternoon is free to explore at your own pace — browse the Kazakh craft market for felt rugs, embroidered wall hangings, and handmade eagle hoods, or visit the local bazaar. Your guide can arrange a visit to a felt-making workshop where Kazakh women demonstrate traditional shyrdak carpet weaving. Dinner at a restaurant in town. Tonight you stay in a hotel — your last comfortable night before the festival. (Hotel / B,L,D)
Golden Eagle Festival — Day 1
Drive 15 km to Shar Nuur for the opening day of the Golden Eagle Festival. Arrive before 8 am to find the best position before the crowds. The day opens with a procession of all eagle hunters riding in together on horseback — one of the most cinematic moments of the whole trip. The main competition is the eagle speed descent: hunters release their birds from a high ridge and the eagle must fly down and land on the handler's arm in the valley below. Speed, precision, and obedience are all scored. Day One also includes traditional costume judging — an opportunity to photograph hunters in full ceremonial dress up close. Our team sets up a warm kitchen area with hot tea and food throughout the day. In the evening, attend a Kazakh cultural concert in the town theatre. (Hotel / B,L,D)
Golden Eagle Festival — Day 2
Return to Shar Nuur for the second and final day of the festival. Today's programme includes the accuracy contest — eagles must strike a dragged fox-fur target from a galloping horse — and the full programme of traditional horseback games: Kiz Kuar (girl chasing), Tiyn Teru (coin picking at full gallop), and Kokpar (team tug-of-war on horseback over a goat carcass). Stay for the closing awards ceremony, where the champion eagle hunter is announced — a moment of deep emotion and family pride. Your guide provides live commentary throughout so you understand every result as it happens. (Hotel / B,L,D)
Fly back to Ulaanbaatar
Morning flight from Ölgii back to Ulaanbaatar. The afternoon is free — a good opportunity to visit the Mongolian National Museum, pick up last souvenirs at the State Department Store cashmere section, or simply rest. Farewell dinner together in the evening. (Hotel / B,L,D)
Departure
Transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport for your onward flight. Your guide sees you off. Safe travels. (Hotel / B)
✓ What's Included
- ✓All accommodation (hotel + ger)
- ✓Domestic flights (UBN–ULG–UBN)
- ✓All ground transport
- ✓English-speaking local guide throughout
- ✓Festival entrance tickets (both days)
- ✓All meals as listed (B,L,D)
- ✓Private eagle hunter family visit
- ✓Cultural concert tickets
- ✓Airport & hotel transfers
✕ Not Included
- ✕International flights
- ✕Travel insurance (required)
- ✕Sleeping bag (recommended for ger nights)
- ✕Excess baggage fees on domestic flights
- ✕Personal expenses & tips
| Group | Price pp |
|---|---|
| 2 | $3,200 USD |
| 3-4 | $2,500 USD |
| 5-12 | $2,100 USD |