Golden eagle festival 2025 – western Mongolia

Golden eagle festival photography tour

The Golden Eagle Festival, also known as the Eagle Hunters Festival, is an exciting celebration of the eagle hunting tradition practiced by the nomadic Kazakh tribe in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia. Held annually in October, this unique two-day festival showcases traditional games and the eagle contest, where eagle hunters from nearby villages and mountains compete to show off their birds’ prowess for the upcoming hunting season. To experience this festival, you’ll need to travel to Ulgii town in Western Mongolia, as eagle hunting is specific to the Kazakh nomad people who inhabit the far western corner of the country.
Every year, around one hundred eagle hunters participate in the festival, with some traveling for two days on horseback to reach the event. In addition to the eagle contest, the festival features other traditional games such as camel racing, archery, coin picking while riding a horse, and tug of war. This adds to the vibrant and festive atmosphere of the event. During your visit, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take photographs and explore the various handicrafts and souvenirs sold by local vendors.
If you’re looking for a more immersive experience, our Golden Eagle Festival 2025 tour offers an incredible opportunity to stay with a genuine eagle hunter family. Besides, you’ll get to witness firsthand the magical activity of eagle hunting and gain insight into the lives of these mountain nomads. As a highlight of this tour, you’ll even have the chance to go hunting alongside the eagle hunter, taking in the breathtaking scenery of the countryside and visiting the majestic Altai Tavan Bogd mountains.

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Theme: Eagle Festival

Available: September October

Duration: 10 days / 9 nights

2025 fixed departures

10 Day Tour
October 01- October 10

8 Day Tour
October 03 – October 10

Booking Has Started

Dates for golden eagle festival 2025

Featuring incredible displays of nomadic hunting skills and the majestic golden eagles, the Golden Eagle Festival 2025 takes place in four different locations at different times and promises a unique and captivating experience for everyone who attends. Here listed only top three.

The golden eagle festival named Altay Nomads game will kick off the season for 2025 on 13th and 14th of September in Altai village, western Mongolia. This festival is always organized on top level so it is advised not to miss if you have the chance.

Following Sagsai Golden Eagle Festival will take place in Sagsai village on September 17th and 18th, 2025. This festival is a must-see festival as well. Sagsai village is the closest village to Ulgii town and located by the road to Altai Tavan Bogd national park so you can stop for it on your way back to Ulgii.

Lastly, the Golden Eagle Festival 2025 (the main and the biggest) will provide an enchanting finale to this series of events on 4th and 5th October, 2025. Below are the our tour itineraries for the main festival.

8 DAY ITINERARY

Fly to Ulgii town in western Mongolia for the golden eagle festival. Upon arrival at Ulgii airport, we will greet and escort you to your hotel where you can relax and rest. Afterward, we will have lunch at a local restaurant and then visit the town museum to learn about the culture, flora and fauna, and famous people of the region. Before returning to the hotel, we will take a leisurely walk up to a hilltop lookout point where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the town.
#Accommodation: Hotel
#Meals: B+L+D

After breakfast, you will drive to Falconry Hill, where the festival will take place. It’s just a 15-minute drive away. The festival is not only popular among travelers but also attracts locals from Ulgii town. You’ll have the opportunity to mingle with the locals and witness this unique festival of eagle hunters who look like ancient time warriors. The festival kicks off with a grand parade, where eagle hunters gathered from nearby villages and mountains proudly display their impressive golden eagles.The main event of the festival is a thrilling contest amongst the eagle hunters to test the abilities of their specially trained eagles. The contest consists of two rounds, eliminating those who performed poorly. In addition, there will be various traditional games on display, such as archery, coin pick while galloping, and camel races. You’ll have the chance to enjoy all of these activities throughout the day at Falconry Hill. Dinner at a restaurant.
#Accommodation: Hotel
#Meals: B+L+D
#Driving time: 15min.

Drive to Falconry Hill for the second day of the festival to see the winners of the contest. If you have a plan to buy a souvenir, this is the place where you will find the colourfully embroidered Kazakh handcrafts. The second day is a bit more interesting than the first because today golden eagles try to catch a fox’s skin dragged by a hunter and the eagle which catches the skin in the shortest time gets the highest score. A traditional game (tug of war over a goat carcass while on horseback) will be displayed today. The dinner will be served at a restaurant in town. Overnight.
#Accommodation: Hotel
#Meals: B+L+D

Today we will drive into the mountains to meet a true eagle hunter and his family. The family lives in the mountains close to a village called Altai (110km). Surrounded by mountains that are full of foxes and hares, the area is a perfect place for hunting with a golden eagle. We will be staying at this humble, hospitable nomad family during our falconry trip tasting their hospitality. The family lives in a small wooden house in winter and a yurt in summer.
#Accommodation: yurt or wooden house
#Meals: B+L+D
#Driving time: 4 hour

In the mornings we will mount on our small Mongolian horses and go to nearby mountain tops to experience this amazing hunting activity, an old tradition of the steppe people. Hunting real animals will require days sometimes. Return in the late afternoon. Enjoy the evenings with the family sitting at their expansive dinner table along with local music (throat singing included). While staying with this family you will have the opportunity to observe the daily lifestyle of mountain nomad people.

Saying goodbye to the family ou will drive back to Ulgii. Once there, Have a lunch at arestaurant and check into our hotel. Enjoy a hot shower. Afterwards, you can take a leisurely stroll in the town center and explore the shops for colorfully embroidered Kazakh handicrafts. In the evening, we’ll gather together for a farewell dinner.
#Accommodation: yurt or wooden house
#Meals: B+L+D

You will be tranferred to the airport for your flight back to the capital.
#Meals: B
#Driving time: 15 min.

Tour Price Includes:

English speaking tour guide
Russian 4×4 van(s) + gasoline
All airport transfers
Tour cook
Meals (B+L+D) + snacks
Hotel stay ( 4 overnights)
Home stays ( 3 overnights )
Festival tax
Camping and cooking equipment (tent, kitchen tent, table, chairs, mattress etc.)
Eagle hunters’ fee
Horses
Wrangler
Entry fee (national park)
Border area permit
Drinking water

Tour Price Excludes:

Everything in Ulaanbaatar
Domestic flight tickets (we can book your tickets for you upon request)
Travel insurance
Alcoholic drinks
Gratuities

This festival is one of the most popular events of the year, drawing hundreds of tourists. As a result, flights can quickly sell out, even though there are three daily flights to both Ulgii and Khovd towns around the festival time. Hotels also tend to fill up months in advance. If you’re serious about attending this unique event, we highly recommend contacting us as soon as possible to book your flights and secure your place on the tour.

10 DAY ITINERARY

Drive to to the western corner of Altai Tavan Bogd national park where majestic Tavan Bogd mountains are situated. In the morning your journey starts with a scenic drive over desert mountain landscapes to Altai Tavan Bogd NP. The destination is the beautiful Tsagaan Gol (Milk River) valley, the gateway to the Tavan Bogd mountains. Resided by the nomad Tuvan (ethinc group) herder people, the valley gives you the true picture of the nomadic life. Overnight is at this valley.
#Accommodation: Yurt (felt tent)
#Meals: B+L+D
#Driving time: 6-7 hour

In the morning take a horseback ride into the world of snow and glacier to view the Potanin glacier and roof of Mongolia ,Tavan Bog peaks. After 2-3 hour horseback hike up mountain you will be rewarded with high Alpine mountain panorama. Enjoy and photograph the landscape. Return to the camp. Enjoy a walk by Milk River.
#Accommodation: Yurt
#Meals: B+L+D

Full of mountain fresh air and saying farewell to herder Tuvan family who provided us with horses, you will take your journey back to Ulgii town. Arrive in town in late afternoon and check in your hotel. Take good rest till dinner.

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Top 5 reasons to visit Mongolia for Eagle Hunters festival

Unique Cultural Experience and Exchange: The Golden Eagle Festival allows you to witness and immerse yourself in the rich and ancient tradition of Kazakh eagle hunting, a form of falconry that has been practiced for centuries in Mongolia. Besides, the festival provides an opportunity to interact with the local Kazakh people and learn about their culture, traditions, and way of life. You can engage in conversations, witness traditional performances, and gain a deeper understanding of their customs.
Majestic Golden Eagles and Photographic Opportunities: You will have the opportunity to see and photograph magnificent golden eagles up close, watch them in action during hunting competitions, and even have a chance to hold and interact with these beautiful birds. Either before or after the festival, on our tours you will visit the true eagle hunters to capture them in action. In short, you will have the chance to capture incredible moments.
Exciting Competitions: The festival features several thrilling competitions, including eagle hunting competitions, traditional horse racing, archery competitions, and traditional music and dance performances.
Photographic Opportunities: The festival, surrounded by the stunning Mongolian landscapes, offers endless opportunities for breathtaking photographs. Whether it’s capturing the eagle hunters in action or the vastness of the Mongolian steppe, you will have the chance to capture incredible moments.
Delicious Local foods: Traditional local dishes like buuz (steamed dumplings), bes parmak (boiled meat lumps and bones), and sirne. You can taste these traditional delicious dishes on our tours prepared by our tour chefs to give you authentic Mongolian flavors.