🦅 Altai Eagle Festival & Altai Tavan Bogd National Park Tour – 9 Days
📍 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 9-day immersive journey brings together Mongolia’s most dramatic mountain wilderness and one of the world’s last living hunting traditions. The Altai Eagle Festival & Altai Tavan Bogd National Park Tour takes you deep into western Mongolia, combining high-altitude landscapes, sacred lakes, and authentic nomadic culture with two unforgettable days at the Altai Eagle Festival.
You will explore the remote beauty of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, home to snow-capped peaks, glaciers, and alpine valleys, including views of Khuiten Peak and the vast Potanin Glacier. Along the way, visit crystal-clear Khoton Lake, hike to Baga Turgen Waterfall, and discover ancient petroglyphs and Turkic stone monuments that reveal the deep history of nomadic civilizations.
A true highlight of this tour is staying with a real Kazakh eagle hunter family, where you experience daily nomadic life, eagle training, and traditional hospitality. At the Altai Eagle Festival, held near Ulgii, you will witness powerful golden eagles in flight, hunters in traditional dress, horse and camel races, and vibrant cultural ceremonies.
Balanced in pace and rich in experience, this 9-day tour is ideal for travelers seeking authentic culture, remote landscapes, and outstanding photography opportunities—far from mass tourism and deep in the heart of the Mongolian Altai.
⭐ Highlights – Altai Eagle Festival Tour
- 📅 Altai Eagle Festival Dates: September 12–13, 2026
- 🦅 Altai Eagle Festival – 2 Full Days
- Experience the authentic Altai Eagle Festival, watching real Kazakh eagle hunters compete in traditional hunting skills, nomadic games, and cultural ceremonies.
- 🏔 Altai Tavan Bogd National Park
- Explore one of Mongolia’s most remote and dramatic wilderness areas, known for glaciers, alpine valleys, and untouched mountain landscapes.
- ⛰ Khuiten Peak & Potanin Glacier Views
- Witness Mongolia’s highest mountain and largest glacier from breathtaking high-altitude viewpoints.
- 🌊 Khoton Lake & Sacred Landscapes
- Relax beside crystal-clear alpine lakes, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and grazing yaks.
- 💦 Baga Turgen Waterfall Hike
- Enjoy a scenic hike to a hidden waterfall deep in the Altai Mountains.
- 🪨 Ancient Petroglyphs & Turkic Stones
- Discover rock carvings and standing stones that reveal the history of early nomadic civilizations.
- 🏡 Stay with a Real Eagle Hunter Family
- Live with a Kazakh eagle hunter family and learn about eagle training, daily nomadic life, and traditions passed down for generations.
- 🎶 Uriankhai Throat Singing Experience
- Visit a Uriankhai ethnic group family and experience traditional Altai throat singing.
- 📸 Exceptional Photography Opportunities
- Capture eagles in flight, hunters on horseback, dramatic mountain scenery, lakes, waterfalls, and authentic cultural life.
- 🌍 Authentic & Remote Experience
- A rare combination 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 heart of Mongolia’s Kazakh culture. Meet your experienced local guide and driver, then enjoy lunch in town.
🚗 Begin your scenic drive toward Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, traveling through wide steppe valleys, river crossings, and increasingly dramatic mountain scenery. Herds of yaks, horses, and sheep are common along the route.
🏕 Settle into a traditional nomadic camp near the park gate. Enjoy dinner under open skies and your first night surrounded by the silence of the Altai.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏕 Overnight: Ger camp / yurt / tent
🐎 Today you travel by horse trail toward a panoramic viewpoint (approx. 12 km / 3 hours one way), following routes used by local herders for generations.
👀 From the high ground, enjoy breathtaking views of:
- Khuiten Peak (4,374 m)
- Potanin Glacier, stretching across the border region
🥪 Picnic lunch in an alpine setting surrounded by glaciers, moraine fields, and tundra vegetation.
📸 This day offers some of the most dramatic landscape photography of the entire tour.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏕 Overnight: Ger camp / yurt / tent
- 🚗 Distance: ~160 km | ⏱ ~4 hours
🚗 Travel deeper into the park toward the turquoise waters of Khoton Lake, one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in Mongolia.
🗿 Along the way, stop at:
- Turkic standing stones
- Ancient burial mounds and tombs dating back over a millennium
🏞 Spend the afternoon relaxing by the lake, walking along the shoreline, watching grazing yaks, and photographing reflections of snow-capped peaks.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏕 Overnight: Ger camp / yurt / tent
🚗 Short drive to the trailhead of Baga Turgen Waterfall.
🥾 Enjoy a 1.5-hour hike through forested valleys and mountain streams to reach the cascading waterfall hidden in the Altai wilderness.
🏡 Lunch with a local Kazakh nomadic family, learning about herding life, seasonal migration, and hospitality traditions.
🪨 In the afternoon, explore nearby petroglyph sites, ancient rock carvings depicting hunting scenes, animals, and early nomadic life.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏡 Overnight: Eagle hunter family homestay
- 🚗 Distance: ~200 km | ⏱ ~5 hours
🚗 Leave the high mountains and travel toward an Altai village, home to traditional Kazakh eagle hunters.
🏡 Upon arrival, meet your host family, their horses, and their golden eagle. Learn about:
- Eagle training techniques
- Daily care and handling
- The spiritual meaning of eagle hunting in Kazakh culture
📸 Extended photography time with the eagle, hunter, and family.
🍽 Dinner and overnight stay, sharing stories and traditional food.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast
- 🏡 Overnight: Eagle hunter family homestay
🦅 Travel with your host family to the festival grounds for the first day of the Altai Eagle Festival.
Festival Program – Day 1 includes:
- Registration and credential verification of eagle hunters
- Opening ceremony
- Best Kazakh traditional costume competition
- Best eagle & horse harness competition
- Horse races
- Eagle adaptation competitions
- Tenge Ily (coin grabbing on horseback)
- Uriankhai archery competition
- Best Kazakh costume for couples
- Evening folk concert in Ulgii
🎯 Support your host hunter throughout the competitions.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast
- 🏨 Overnight: Hotel in Ulgii
- 🚗 Distance: ~120 km | ⏱ ~2–3 hours
🦅 The most exciting festival day, featuring:
- Shyrga Tartu – eagle speed & accuracy test
- Camel races
- Kyz Kuar horseback chasing game
- Kokpar (Kukhbar) goat-skin competition
- Award ceremony and closing celebrations
🚗 After the festival, drive back to Ulgii and check into your hotel.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏨 Overnight: Hotel in Ulgii
🏡 Visit a Uriankhai ethnic group family, one of the indigenous peoples of the Altai.
🎵 Experience traditional throat singing (Khoomei) and learn about Altai musical instruments and beliefs.
🏙 Free time in Ulgii to visit the local market, souvenir shops, or museum.
- 🍽 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
- 📅 Festival: Altai Eagle Festival (September)
- 📌 Early booking recommended – Flights and hotels in Ulgii are limited.
- ✈️ Flights between Ulaanbaatar and Ulgii are weather dependent.
- 🏕 Accommodation: Ger camps, tented camping, eagle hunter family stays, and hotel in Ulgii.
- 🌦 Weather: Cool and mostly dry; cold nights in the mountains.
- 🚗 Roads: Off-road and unpaved sections; travel times may vary.
- 🥾 Activity level: Easy to moderate with light hiking and walking.
- 🦅 Eagle activities: Subject to weather and local conditions.
- 📸 Photography: Excellent; please ask permission before photographing people.
🌍 Why Choose the Altai Eagle Festival?
- 🦅 Two Full Days at the Altai Eagle Festival – Experience the authentic Altai Eagle Festival with real Kazakh eagle hunters.
- 🏔 Explore Altai Tavan Bogd National Park – Discover glaciers, alpine lakes, and Mongolia’s highest peaks.
- 🏡 Stay with a Real Eagle Hunter Family – Live the nomadic lifestyle and learn eagle-hunting traditions first-hand.
- 🌊 Sacred Lakes & Waterfalls – Visit Khoton Lake, Baga Turgen Waterfall, and ancient petroglyph sites.
- 🎶 Rich Cultural Encounters – Meet Kazakh and Uriankhai families and experience throat singing.
- 📸 Outstanding Photography – Eagles in flight, hunters on horseback, and dramatic Altai landscapes.
- 🌍 Remote & Authentic – A rare, less-crowded journey far from mass tourism.
🎒 What to Bring
- 🧥 Warm layered clothing – Thermal layers, fleece, insulated jacket
- 💨 Windproof / waterproof jacket – Essential in the Altai Mountains
- 🧢 Warm hat & gloves – Cold mornings and evenings
- 👟 Hiking shoes or boots – Good grip for trails and uneven ground
- 🧦 Warm socks – Wool or thermal recommended
- 👖 Comfortable outdoor pants
- 🎒 Daypack – For hikes and festival days
- 📸 Camera & spare batteries – Cold drains battery power
- 🔋 Power bank & charging cables
- 🧴 Personal items – Toiletries, sunscreen, lip balm, wet wipes
- 💊 Personal medication & basic first-aid kit
- 📄 Travel documents – Passport, visa (if required), 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 event where eagle hunters compete in hunting skills, costumes, and nomadic games.
- 📅 When is the festival held?
- September 12–13, 2026
- 📍 Where does the tour take place?
- Western Mongolia—around Ulgii, Altai villages, and Altai Tavan Bogd National Park.
- ✈️ How do we reach 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 a hotel 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 nights, especially in the mountains.
- 📸 Is this tour suitable for photography?
- Yes—excellent opportunities for wildlife, culture, and landscapes.
- 💰 When should I book?
- As early as possible. Flights and accommodation sell out quickly in September.