🦅 Sagsai Eagle Festival & Visit Eagle hunter family 7 days tour
📍 Western Mongolia | Altai Mountains | Sagsai Eagle festival | Eagle Hunter Family
🦅 Sagsai Eagle Festival & Traditional Eagle Hunting Experience – 7 Days
📅 September 17–18, 2026
The Sagsai Eagle Festival 7-Day Tour is a deeply immersive cultural journey designed for travelers who want to experience real Kazakh eagle hunting traditions in western Mongolia. Centered around the Sagsai Eagle Festival, this tour combines living nomadic culture, traditional eagle hunting, and one of the most authentic and least commercialized eagle festivals in the world.
Unlike larger festivals, the Sagsai Eagle Festival is a community-based event, where local eagle hunters from Altai villages compete to demonstrate genuine hunting skills, eagle handling, and centuries-old nomadic traditions. Eagles are not trained for show—they are working hunting partners, respected as part of the family.
During the tour, you will stay with Kazakh eagle hunter families, learn how golden eagles are trained and cared for, and—depending on conditions—observe traditional eagle hunting on horseback. Two full days are dedicated to the festival, featuring dramatic eagle competitions, horse and camel races, archery, and traditional nomadic games, all set against the rugged landscapes of the Altai Mountains.
The journey also includes time in Ulgii, the cultural heart of Mongolia’s Kazakh population, as well as visits to champion eagle hunters, traditional meals such as Besbarmak, and exceptional photography opportunities.
With a relaxed pace, short driving distances, and meaningful local interaction, the Sagsai Eagle Festival 7-Day Tour is ideal for cultural travelers, photographers, and adventure seekers looking for an authentic, personal, and unforgettable experience in western Mongolia.
⭐ Highlights – Sagsai Eagle Festival Tour
- 🦅 Sagsai Eagle Festival – Two Full Days: Experience the authentic Sagsai Eagle Festival, a community-based festival where real Kazakh eagle hunters compete in traditional skills.
- 🏡 Stay with Eagle Hunter Families: Live with a Kazakh eagle hunter family in an Altai village and experience genuine nomadic hospitality and daily life.
- 🦅 Real Eagle Hunting Experience: Observe traditional eagle hunting and training techniques passed down through generations (weather & wildlife dependent).
- 🐎 Nomadic Games & Competitions: Enjoy horse and camel races, archery, Tenge Ily, Kyz Kuar, and Kokpar during the festival.
- 👑 Visit Champion Eagle Hunters: Meet award-winning hunters, learn advanced eagle training methods, and enjoy exclusive photo sessions.
- 🍽 Traditional Kazakh Cuisine: Taste authentic dishes including Besbarmak, shared with local families.
- 📸 Outstanding Photography Opportunities: Capture eagles in flight, hunters on horseback, colorful costumes, and intimate nomadic moments.
- 🌄 Altai Mountain Scenery: Travel through the dramatic landscapes of western Mongolia’s Altai region.
- 🕒 Easy & Well-Paced Itinerary: Short driving distances and a relaxed schedule, suitable for all fitness levels.
Itinerary:
- 🍽 Meals: Lunch, Dinner
- 🏡 Overnight: Eagle hunter family homestay
- 🚗 Distance: ~120 km | ⏱ 2–3 hours
Upon arrival at Ulgii Airport, you will be warmly greeted by your local guide and driver. Ulgii is the cultural heart of Mongolia’s Kazakh population, surrounded by wide valleys and distant snow-capped Altai peaks.
After lunch in town, begin your journey into the Sagsai countryside, driving through open steppe, grazing herds, and nomadic settlements. Along the way, your guide will explain Kazakh traditions, family structures, and the spiritual importance of eagle hunting.
🏡 On arrival at the eagle hunter family’s home, you will be welcomed with traditional hospitality. Meet the hunter, his family, horses, and most importantly, his golden eagle. Learn how eagles are kept, hooded, and cared for as respected hunting partners rather than pets.
🍽 In the evening, enjoy a home-cooked Besbarmak, Kazakhstan’s national dish, traditionally eaten by hand and shared communally.
🌌 Overnight with the family, experiencing the quiet rhythm of nomadic life under the vast Altai sky.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏡 Overnight: Eagle hunter family homestay
Today is dedicated to understanding the art of eagle training, a tradition passed down from father to son for centuries.
🦅 Activities include:
- Morning care of the eagle: feeding, hooding, and handling
- Explanation of how young eagles are captured, trained, and eventually released
- Demonstration of calling techniques and bonding between hunter and eagle
- Learning about hunting seasons and wildlife of the Altai region
📸 Extended photo session with the hunter and eagle in traditional Kazakh clothing, ideal for portraits and lifestyle photography.
The afternoon is relaxed, allowing time to walk around the village, observe daily chores, and interact with the family.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏡 Overnight: Eagle hunter family homestay
- This is one of the most memorable days of the journey.
🐎 After breakfast, accompany the eagle hunter on horseback into the surrounding hills and valleys. Experience how hunters read the landscape, wind, and animal tracks.
🦅 Witness a real eagle hunting demonstration (subject to weather and wildlife conditions). Eagles traditionally hunt fox, corsac fox, and rabbits—skills that historically provided fur and food for nomadic families.
📸 This day offers exceptional action photography: eagles in flight, hunters on horseback, and dramatic Altai scenery.
In the evening, return to the family home for dinner and storytelling by the stove.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast
- 🏨 Overnight: Local hotel or ger camp / yurt
After breakfast, travel toward Sagsai village, joining eagle hunters riding to the festival grounds with their birds perched proudly on their arms.
🎉 The first day of the Sagsai Eagle Festival focuses on ceremony, heritage, and traditional aesthetics.
Festival Program – Day 1:
- Registration and credential verification of eagle hunters
- Official opening ceremony with cultural performances
- Competition for best Kazakh traditional costume
- Best eagle and horse harness competition
- Horse races
- Eagle handling and adaptation competition
- Tenge Ily – traditional coin-grabbing game on horseback
- Uriankhai archery competition
- Best Kazakh costume competition for couples
- Evening folk concert in Ulgii town
This day is perfect for cultural and portrait photography, capturing vibrant costumes and proud hunters.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast
- 🏨 Overnight: Local hotel or ger camp / yurt
- The second festival day is the most thrilling and competitive.
Festival Program – Day 2:
- Shyrga Tartu – eagles released from hilltops to catch a fox or rabbit-skin lure
- Camel races across the open steppe
- Kyz Kuar – traditional horseback chasing game
- Kokpar (Kukhbar) – intense goat-skin tug-of-war on horseback
- Award ceremony honoring the best eagle hunters
- Official closing ceremony
Celebrate alongside local families as champions are announced.
- 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- 🏨 Overnight: Local hotel in Ulgii
Visit the home of a champion Sagsai eagle hunter, offering deeper insight into advanced training techniques and family heritage.
🦅 Learn:
- How champions prepare eagles for competitions
- Differences between hunting and festival training
- Generational knowledge passed within families
📸 Enjoy a special photo session with the champion hunter and eagle.
🍽 Lunch with the family, featuring traditional Kazakh dishes including Besbarmak.
In the evening, return to Ulgii city for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
- 🍽 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 Timing: The Sagsai Eagle Festival takes place annually in late September. Exact dates are confirmed closer to the event by local organizers.
- ✈️ Early Booking Is Essential: Flights to Ulgii and accommodation in the region are limited during festival time and often sell out months in advance.
- 🏡 Accommodation Style: Expect a mix of eagle hunter family homestays, local hotels, and traditional ger camps. Facilities are basic but clean and culturally authentic.
- 🌦 Weather Conditions: Late September brings cool, dry autumn weather. Daytime temperatures are comfortable, but mornings and evenings can be cold.
- 🚗 Road & Travel Conditions: Travel includes paved and unpaved roads. Driving times are approximate and may vary due to weather or road conditions.
- 🦅 Eagle Hunting Activities: Eagle hunting demonstrations depend on natural conditions, weather, and wildlife availability and cannot be guaranteed every day.
- 📸 Photography & Etiquette: Photography is welcomed. Please always ask permission before photographing people, especially inside homes.
- 🧳 Luggage Recommendation: Soft bags or duffel bags are recommended due to limited vehicle space and off-road travel.
- ⚠️ Program Flexibility: Festival schedules and daily activities may change slightly depending on local decisions and weather.
🌍 Why Choose the Sagsai Eagle Festival?
- 🦅 Most Authentic Eagle Festival Experience: Attend the Sagsai Eagle Festival, a community-based festival where real Kazakh eagle hunters compete—less commercial, more traditional.
- 🏡 Live with Real Eagle Hunters: Stay with a genuine Kazakh eagle hunter family and experience daily nomadic life, hospitality, and traditions that still exist today.
- 🦅 Real Eagle Hunting, Not a Show: Observe traditional eagle hunting and training practices in the Altai countryside (weather and wildlife dependent).
- 🎉 Two Full Festival Days: Enjoy the complete festival program including eagle competitions, horse & camel races, archery, and nomadic games.
- 📸 Perfect for Photography: Close access to hunters, eagles, and festival activities provides outstanding photo opportunities.
- 🌄 Spectacular Altai Scenery: Travel through the dramatic landscapes of western Mongolia’s Altai Mountains.
- 🕒 Easy & Well-Paced Itinerary: Short driving distances, light walking, and a relaxed schedule suitable for all fitness levels.
- 🌍 Less Crowded, More Personal: A quieter alternative to larger eagle festivals, offering deeper cultural connection and genuine interaction.
🎒 What to Bring
- 🧥 Warm layered clothing – Thermal base layers, fleece, insulated jacket
- 💨 Windproof / waterproof jacket – Weather can change quickly in the Altai
- 🧢 Warm hat & gloves – Cold mornings and evenings in late September
- 👟 Comfortable walking or hiking shoes – Uneven ground at villages and festival sites
- 🧦 Warm socks – Wool or thermal recommended
- 👖 Comfortable outdoor clothing – For daily activities and riding
- 🎒 Small daypack – For festival days and short outings
- 📸 Camera & spare batteries – Cold weather drains batteries fast
- 🔋 Power bank & charging cables
- 🧴 Personal toiletries – Wet wipes and hand sanitizer are useful
- 💊 Personal medication & basic first-aid kit
- 📄 Travel documents – Passport, visa (if required), travel insurance copy
- 💵 Cash – Limited ATMs outside Ulgii
Optional: Sunglasses, thermos for hot drinks, scarf/neck warmer, small gifts for host families.
❓ FAQs – Sagsai Eagle Festival Tour
- 🦅 What is the Sagsai Eagle Festival?
- The Sagsai Eagle Festival is a traditional Kazakh festival where real eagle hunters compete in eagle-handling skills, hunting demonstrations, and nomadic games. It is smaller and more authentic than larger eagle festivals.
- 📅 When is the festival held?
- The festival is usually held in late September each year. Exact dates are confirmed closer to the event.
- 📍 Where does the tour take place?
- The tour takes place in Sagsai village and Ulgii, in western Mongolia’s Altai region.
- ✈️ How do I get to Ulgii?
- By domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar. Flights are limited during festival season, so early booking is recommended.
- 🏡 What type of accommodation is provided?
- A combination of eagle hunter family homestays, local hotels, and traditional ger camps. Facilities are simple, clean, and culturally authentic.
- 🥾 How physically demanding is the tour?
- The tour is easy-paced, with short drives, light walking, and optional horse riding. No trekking experience is required.
- 🦅 Is eagle hunting guaranteed?
- Festival competitions are guaranteed. Hunting demonstrations depend on weather, wildlife conditions, and local decisions.
- 🌦 What is the weather like in September?
- Cool and mostly dry. Days are comfortable, but mornings and evenings can be cold.
- 📸 Is this tour suitable for photographers?
- Yes. The tour offers outstanding opportunities for cultural, portrait, and action photography.
- 💰 When should I book?
- Early booking is highly recommended due to limited flights and accommodation during festival time.