🦅 Sagsai Eagle Festival 5-day Tour
📍 Western Mongolia | Altai Mountains | Sagsai Eagle festival | Eagle Hunter Family
🦅 An Authentic Kazakh Eagle-Hunting Experience in Western Mongolia
📅 September 17–18, 2026
The Sagsai Eagle Festival Tour offers a rare opportunity to experience one of Mongolia’s most authentic and traditional eagle-hunting festivals, held in the heart of the Altai Mountains. Centered in Sagsai village, the birthplace of many legendary eagle hunters, this tour focuses on real working Kazakh hunters and living nomadic traditions rather than staged performances.
During the festival, you will witness golden eagles soaring from mountain ridges, hunters competing in traditional skills, and vibrant nomadic games including horse and camel races, archery, and cultural contests. Beyond the festival grounds, the tour includes meaningful encounters with champion eagle hunter families, traditional Kazakh cuisine, and time in Ulgii, the cultural center of western Mongolia.
Short, well-paced, and deeply cultural, the Sagsai Eagle Festival Tour is ideal for travelers seeking an intimate, less-crowded festival, rich photography opportunities, and genuine connection with Mongolia’s Kazakh nomadic heritage.
⭐ Highlights – Sagsai Eagle Festival Tour
- 🦅 Authentic Sagsai Eagle Festival
- Experience the Sagsai Eagle Festival, one of the most traditional and community-based eagle festivals in Mongolia, held in the heart of eagle-hunting country.
- 🎉 Two Full Festival Days
- Enjoy all major competitions: eagle hunting skills, horse and camel races, archery, traditional games, colorful costumes, and award ceremonies.
- 🏡 Visit a Champion Eagle Hunter Family
- Spend time with a local champion eagle hunter family, learn about eagle training and care, and enjoy warm Kazakh hospitality.
- 🍽 Traditional Kazakh Cuisine
- Taste authentic Kazakh food, including the famous Besbarmak, shared with local families.
- 🏙 Explore Ulgii City
- Discover Ulgii, visit Friendship Hill, the local museum, and browse souvenir and antique shops.
- 📸 Outstanding Photography Opportunities
- Capture eagles in flight, hunters on horseback, vibrant festival scenes, and intimate cultural portraits.
- 🌍 Short & Easy-Paced Cultural Tour
- A perfect 5-day itinerary combining culture, festivals, and local life—ideal for travelers with limited time.
- 🧭 Less Crowded & Highly Authentic
- Smaller and more local than larger eagle festivals, offering a deeper and more personal cultural experience.
Itinerary:
- 🍽 Meals: Lunch, Dinner
- 🏨 Overnight: Local hotel or ger camp / yurt
- 🚗 Distance: ~40 km | ⏱ ~1 hour
✈️ Arrive at Ulgii Airport, the gateway to western Mongolia and the cultural center of the Kazakh community. Meet your professional local guide and driver.
🏙 Begin with a gentle introduction to the region:
- Visit Friendship Hill, offering a panoramic view over Ulgii town, surrounding valleys, and distant mountains
- Explore the local museum to learn about Kazakh migration history, nomadic life, eagle hunting traditions, and Altai culture
- Free time to browse local markets and souvenir shops selling Kazakh handicrafts, felt items, and traditional clothing
🚗 In the afternoon, drive to Sagsai village, widely regarded as the cradle of eagle hunting in Mongolia. Many of the country’s most famous eagle hunters come from this area.
🏕 Check in to your accommodation and enjoy dinner while learning about the upcoming festival program.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast
- 🏨 Overnight: Local hotel or ger camp / yurt
🦅 After breakfast, travel to the festival grounds together with eagle hunters arriving on horseback, carrying their golden eagles on their arms.
The first festival day focuses on tradition, beauty, and ceremony.
Festival Program – Day 1:
- Registration and credential verification of eagle hunters
- Grand opening ceremony with speeches and cultural performances
- Competition for best Kazakh traditional costume
- Competition for best eagle and horse harness
- Horse races featuring local riders
- Eagle handling and adaptation competition
- Tenge Ily – traditional coin-grabbing game while riding at full speed
- Uriankhai archery competition
- Competition for best-dressed Kazakh couples
- Evening folk concert in Ulgii town
📸 This day is ideal for portrait photography, colorful costumes, and cultural storytelling.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast
- 🏨 Overnight: Local hotel or ger camp / yurt
The second day is the most exciting and competitive, focusing on speed, skill, and teamwork between hunter and eagle.
Festival Program – Day 2:
- Shyrga Tartu – eagles are released from hilltops to catch a lure made of fox or rabbit skin
- Camel races across the open steppe
- Kyz Kuar – traditional horseback chasing game between young men and women
- Kokpar (Kukhbar) – dramatic goat-skin tug-of-war on horseback
- Final scoring and award ceremony
- Official closing ceremony of the Sagsai Eagle Festival
🎉 Celebrate alongside local families as champions are crowned.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏨 Overnight: Local hotel or ger camp / yurt
🏡 Travel to the countryside to visit the family of a champion Sagsai eagle hunter.
🦅 Activities include:
- Learning how golden eagles are trained, fed, and cared for
- Understanding the lifelong bond between hunter and eagle
- Dressing in traditional Kazakh clothing for photos (optional)
- Extended photo session with eagle hunters and their birds
🍽 Enjoy a traditional Kazakh lunch of Besbarmak, prepared by the host family and shared together in a nomadic setting.
🚗 In the evening, return to Ulgii city for dinner at a local restaurant and a comfortable overnight stay.
- 🍽 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 – Sagsai Eagle festival tour
- 📅 Festival: Sagsai Eagle Festival
- 📌 2026 Dates: September 17–18
- 📍 Location: Sagsai village, near Ulgii, western Mongolia
- ✈️ Early Booking Recommended: Domestic flights and accommodations in Ulgii are limited during festival time and often sell out months in advance.
- 🏕 Accommodation: A mix of local hotels and traditional ger camps/yurts. Facilities are simple, clean, and culturally authentic.
- 🌦 Weather (Late September): Cool and mostly dry. Daytime temperatures are mild; mornings and evenings can be cold.
- 🚗 Travel Conditions: Short driving distances, mostly on unpaved roads. Travel times may vary depending on weather.
- 📸 Photography & Etiquette: Excellent photography opportunities. Always ask permission before photographing local people, especially during family visits.
- 🦅 Festival Program Note: Festival schedules may vary slightly due to weather or local organization, but all key competitions are included.
🌍 Why Choose the Sagsai Eagle Festival?
- 🦅 Most Authentic Eagle Festival Experience: Attend the Sagsai Eagle Festival, a smaller, community-based event where real working eagle hunters compete—less commercial, more traditional.
- 🏡 Direct Access to Eagle Hunters: Visit and spend time with champion eagle hunter families, learning how eagles are trained, cared for, and hunted in daily life.
- 🎉 Two Full Festival Days: Enjoy the complete program: eagle competitions, horse & camel races, archery, traditional games, and award ceremonies.
- 📸 Exceptional Photography: Close-up access to hunters, eagles, and ceremonies makes this tour ideal for cultural and action photography.
- 🕒 Short & Easy-Paced: A well-balanced 5-day itinerary, perfect for travelers who want deep cultural immersion without long travel times.
- 🌍 Less Crowded, More Personal: Compared to larger festivals, Sagsai offers a quieter, more intimate atmosphere with genuine local interaction.
- 🧭 Ideal Add-On or Standalone Trip: Perfect as a short cultural journey or combined with other Altai or Mongolia tours..
🎒 What to Bring
- 🧥 Warm layers – Thermal base layers, fleece, insulated jacket
- 💨 Windproof / waterproof jacket – Weather can change quickly
- 🧢 Warm hat & gloves – Cold mornings and evenings in September
- 👟 Comfortable walking or hiking shoes – Uneven ground at festival sites
- 🧦 Warm socks – Wool or thermal recommended
- 👖 Comfortable outdoor clothing
- 🎒 Small daypack – For festival days and short walks
- 📸 Camera & spare batteries – Cold drains battery power
- 🔋 Power bank & charging cables
- 🧴 Personal toiletries – Wet wipes and hand sanitizer useful
- 💊 Personal medication & basic first-aid kit
- 📄 Travel documents – Passport, visa (if required), travel insurance copy
- 💵 Cash – Limited ATMs outside Ulgii
❓ FAQs – Sagsai Eagle Festival Tour
- 🦅 What is the Sagsai Eagle Festival?
- The Sagsai Eagle Festival is a traditional Kazakh eagle-hunting festival held in Sagsai village, featuring real working eagle hunters competing in hunting skills, costumes, and nomadic games.
- 📅 When is the festival held?
- Usually in late September each year. Exact dates are announced closer to the festival.
- 📍 Where does the tour take place?
- In western Mongolia, around Ulgii and Sagsai village.
- ✈️ How do I get there?
- By domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar to Ulgii, then a short drive to Sagsai.
- 🏕 What accommodation is used?
- A mix of local hotels and traditional ger camps/yurts. Facilities are simple, clean, and authentic.
- 🥾 How difficult is the tour?
- Easy. Minimal walking, short drives, and no trekking required.
- 📸 Is the tour good for photography?
- Yes. Excellent opportunities for close-up shots of eagles, hunters, traditional clothing, and festival action.
- 🌦 What is the weather like?
- Cool and mostly dry. Cold mornings and evenings; daytime temperatures are mild.
- 💰 When should I book?
- Early booking is strongly recommended due to limited flights and accommodation during festival time.