🦅 Altai Eagle Festival & Altai Tavan Bogd National Park 8 Days Tour
📍 Western Mongolia | Altai Mountains | Altai Eagle festival | Eagle Hunter Family
🦅 Eagle Hunters, Glaciers & the Wild Heart of the Mongolian Altai
📅 Altai Eagle Festival Dates: September 12–13, 2026
This 8-day adventure combines one of the world’s most authentic cultural festivals with Mongolia’s most dramatic mountain landscapes. The Altai Eagle Festival & Altai Tavan Bogd National Park Tour takes you deep into western Mongolia, where ancient Kazakh eagle-hunting traditions meet remote glaciers, alpine lakes, and untouched wilderness.
The journey begins in the Altai Mountains, exploring Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, home to Khuiten Peak, the country’s highest summit, and the vast Potanin Glacier. You will visit crystal-clear lakes such as Khoton Lake, hike to scenic waterfalls, and discover ancient petroglyphs and Turkic stone monuments that tell the story of early nomadic civilizations.
The cultural highlight of the tour is attending two full days of the Altai Eagle Festival (September 12–13, 2026), where real Kazakh eagle hunters compete in traditional skills, horse and camel races, archery, and nomadic games. Staying with a genuine eagle hunter family offers rare insight into daily nomadic life, eagle training, and centuries-old hunting traditions still practiced today.
Designed with a balanced pace, this tour is ideal for travelers seeking authentic culture, remote nature, and outstanding photography opportunities, all far from mass tourism. It is a unique chance to experience both the wild landscapes and living traditions of the Mongolian Altai in one unforgettable journey.
⭐ Highlights – Altai Eagle Festival Tour
- 📅 Altai Eagle Festival Dates: September 12–13, 2026
- 🦅 Altai Eagle Festival – 2 Full Days (Sept 12–13, 2026)
- Attend the authentic Altai Eagle Festival, where real Kazakh eagle hunters compete in traditional skills, nomadic games, and colorful cultural ceremonies.
- 🏔 Altai Tavan Bogd National Park
- Explore one of Mongolia’s most remote and spectacular wilderness areas, known for glaciers, alpine valleys, and dramatic mountain scenery.
- ⛰ Khuiten Peak & Potanin Glacier Views
- Enjoy breathtaking views of Mongolia’s highest mountain and largest glacier from remote Altai viewpoints.
- 🌊 Khoton Lake & Ancient Petroglyphs
- Relax beside crystal-clear alpine lakes and discover ancient rock carvings and Turkic stone monuments.
- 💦 Baga Turgen Waterfall Hike
- Hike to one of the Altai region’s most beautiful waterfalls, surrounded by forested valleys and mountain landscapes.
- 🏡 Stay with a Real Eagle Hunter Family
- Live with a Kazakh eagle hunter family and experience authentic nomadic life and hospitality.
- 🐎 Eagle Training & Hunting Experience
- Observe traditional eagle training and hunting practices on horseback (weather and wildlife permitting).
- 📸 Outstanding Photography Opportunities
- Capture eagles in flight, hunters on horseback, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, and untouched Altai landscapes.
- 🌍 Authentic & Less Crowded Experience
- A perfect blend of wilderness adventure and living culture, far from mass tourism.
Itinerary:
- 🍽 Meals: Lunch, Dinner
- 🏕 Overnight: Nomadic ger camp / yurt / tent
- 🚗 Distance: ~200 km | ⏱ ~5 hours
✈️ Arrive in Ulgii, the cultural center of Mongolia’s Kazakh community. Meet your experienced local guide and driver, then enjoy lunch in town.
🚗 Begin your scenic drive toward Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, one of Mongolia’s most remote and pristine protected areas. Along the way, pass through wide steppe valleys, glacial rivers, and towering Altai ridges.
🏕 Arrive near the park gate and settle into a traditional nomadic ger camp or tented camp under vast open skies.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏕 Overnight: Ger camp / yurt / tent
🚙 Today you travel off-road deep into the mountains (15 km, approx. 2 hours one way) to a spectacular high-altitude viewpoint.
👀 From the viewpoint, enjoy breathtaking panoramas of:
- Khuiten Peak (4,374 m), Mongolia’s highest summit
- Potanin Glacier, stretching across the Russian border
🥪 Picnic lunch surrounded by glaciers, moraine fields, and alpine tundra.
📸 Excellent opportunities for mountain and landscape photography before returning to camp in the afternoon.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏕 Overnight: Ger camp / yurt / tent
- 🚗 Distance: ~160 km | ⏱ ~4 hours
🚗 Drive toward the turquoise waters of Khoton Lake, one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in western Mongolia.
🗿 En route, stop at:
- Ancient Turkic standing stones
- Nomadic burial mounds dating back over a thousand years
🏞 Upon arrival at Khoton Lake, enjoy free time to relax along the shoreline, observe grazing yaks and horses, and photograph the reflections of surrounding peaks.
🪨 Visit nearby petroglyph sites, ancient rock carvings depicting hunting scenes, animals, and early nomadic life.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏕 Overnight: Ger camp / yurt / tent
🚗 Short drive to the trailhead for Baga Turgen Waterfall.
🥾 Enjoy a 1.5-hour hike through forested valleys, wildflower meadows, and rocky terrain to reach the cascading waterfall hidden deep in the Altai wilderness.
📸 Time for photography and nature exploration before returning to camp in the afternoon.
🔥 Evening at camp, sharing stories and enjoying the quiet of the mountains.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏡 Overnight: Eagle hunter family homestay
- 🚗 Distance: ~200 km | ⏱ ~5 hours
🚗 After breakfast, leave the high mountains and travel toward an Altai village, home to traditional Kazakh eagle hunters.
🏡 Arrive at a real eagle hunter family, where you will be warmly welcomed. Meet the hunter, their family, horses, and golden eagle.
🦅 Learn about:
- Eagle training techniques
- Nomadic Kazakh traditions
- The spiritual importance of eagle hunting
📸 Photo session with eagle hunters and their birds.
🍽 Dinner and overnight stay with the family, experiencing true nomadic hospitality.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast
- 🏡 Overnight: Eagle hunter family homestay
🦅 After breakfast with the family, travel together to the festival grounds to attend the opening day of the Altai Eagle Festival.
Festival Program – Day 1
- Registration and credential verification of eagle hunters
- Opening ceremony
- Best Kazakh traditional costume competition
- Best eagle and horse harness competition
- Horse races
- Eagle adaptation and obedience tests
- Tenge Ily (coin-grabbing game on horseback)
- Uriankhai archery competition
- Best Kazakh costume competition for couples
- Evening folk concert in Ulgii
🎯 Support your host eagle hunter as they compete.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast
- 🏨 Overnight: Hotel in Ulgii
- 🚗 Distance: ~120 km | ⏱ ~2–3 hours
🦅 Attend the second and most dramatic day of the festival.
Festival Program – Day 2
- Shyrga Tartu – eagle speed and accuracy competition
- Camel race
- Kyz Kuar horseback chasing game
- Continuation of nomadic sports
- Kokpar (Kukhbar) – goat-skin competition
- Award ceremony
- Closing ceremony
🚗 After the festival, drive back to Ulgii and check in to your hotel.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast
🚐 After breakfast, transfer to Ulgii Airport.
✈️ Flight back to Ulaanbaatar and end of the tour with unforgettable memories of Mongolia’s eagle hunting heritage.
ℹ️ Tour Notes – Altai Eagle festival tour
- 📅 Festival Dates: September 12–13, 2026
- 📌 Early booking recommended – Flights and hotels in Ulgii are limited during festival time.
- ✈️ Domestic flights between Ulaanbaatar and Ulgii are weather dependent.
- 🏕 Accommodation is a mix of ger camps, tented camping, eagle hunter family homestays, and hotels.
- 🌦 Weather is generally dry and cool; nights can be cold, especially in the mountains.
- 🚗 Roads include off-road and unpaved sections; travel times may vary.
- 🥾 Activity level: Easy to moderate with light hiking and walking.
- 🦅 Eagle hunting activities depend on weather and wildlife conditions.
- 📸 Photography is excellent; please ask permission before photographing people.
🌍 Why Choose the Altai Eagle Festival?
- 🦅 Altai Eagle Festival (Sept 12–13, 2026) – Experience the authentic Altai Eagle Festival with real Kazakh eagle hunters.
- 🏔 Two Icons in One Tour – Combine the Altai Eagle Festival with the wild beauty of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park.
- 🏡 Stay with an Eagle Hunter Family – Live the real nomadic lifestyle and learn about eagle training and hunting traditions.
- ⛰ Mongolia’s Highest Landscapes – See Khuiten Peak and Potanin Glacier, sacred lakes, and alpine valleys.
- 📸 Outstanding Photography – Eagles in flight, hunters on horseback, glaciers, lakes, and untouched Altai scenery.
- 🌍 Authentic & Less Crowded – A remote, cultural, and nature-focused journey far from mass tourism.
🎒 What to Bring
- 🧥 Warm layered clothing – Thermal base layers, fleece, insulated jacket
- 💨 Windproof / waterproof jacket – Essential for mountains and festival grounds
- 🧢 Cold-weather accessories – Warm hat, gloves, scarf / neck gaiter
- 👟 Footwear – Comfortable hiking shoes or boots with good grip
- 🧦 Warm socks – Wool or thermal recommended
- 👖 Outdoor pants – Comfortable for hiking, driving, and horse riding
- 🎒 Daypack – For daily hikes, festival days, and sightseeing
- 📸 Camera & accessories – Extra batteries & memory cards (cold drains batteries)
- 🔌 Electronics – Power bank, charging cables, travel adapter
- 🧴 Personal items – Toiletries, sunscreen, lip balm, wet wipes
- 💊 Medications – Personal medicine & basic first-aid kit
- 📄 Documents – Passport, visa (if required), travel insurance copy
- 💵 Cash – Limited ATMs outside Ulgii
❓ FAQs – Altai Eagle Festival Tour
- 🦅 What is the Altai Eagle Festival?
- The Altai Eagle Festival is a traditional Kazakh festival where real eagle hunters compete in hunting skills, costume contests, and nomadic games.
- 📅 When is the festival?
- September 12–13, 2026.
- 📍 Where does the tour take place?
- Western Mongolia, around Ulgii and Altai Tavan Bogd National Park.
- ✈️ How do we get to Ulgii?
- By domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar. Flights are limited during festival season.
- 🏕 What accommodation is used?
- A mix of ger camps, tented camping, eagle hunter family homestays, and hotel stays in Ulgii.
- 🥾 How difficult is the tour?
- Easy to moderate. Includes off-road driving, light hiking, walking, and optional horse riding.
- 🦅 Is eagle hunting guaranteed?
- Festival competitions are guaranteed. Hunting demonstrations depend on weather and wildlife conditions.
- 🌦 What is the weather like?
- Cool and mostly dry. Cold mornings and evenings, especially in the mountains.
- 📸 Is the tour good for photography?
- Yes—excellent opportunities for wildlife, culture, landscapes, and action shots.
- 💰 When should I book?
- As early as possible. Flights and accommodation sell out quickly for festival dates.