Naadam is Mongolia’s national festival of “the three games of men” — wrestling, horse racing, and archery — held nationally from 11 to 13 July. Bayan-Ölgii Province, Mongolia’s Kazakh-majority region in the far west, holds its own provincial Naadam in July, smaller and more local than the famous Ulaanbaatar event. In Bayan-Ölgii the festival blends the Mongol national sports with the surrounding Kazakh community, so visitors see wrestling and horse racing alongside Kazakh dress, music, and the occasional eagle hunter. For travellers, the provincial Naadam offers an authentic, uncrowded alternative to the packed Ulaanbaatar stadium — and pairs naturally with an Altai trekking or eagle hunter trip.
Key Takeaways
- Naadam is Mongolia’s national festival, held nationwide from 11 to 13 July
- The “three games of men” are wrestling, horse racing, and archery
- Naadam was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010
- Bayan-Ölgii holds its own smaller provincial Naadam — local, uncrowded, authentic
- Horse-race jockeys are children aged 5 to 13; races run 15–30 km across open steppe
- The Bayan-Ölgii Naadam blends Mongol sport with the province’s Kazakh culture
- It pairs well with a July Altai Tavan Bogd trek or an eagle hunter visit
What Naadam Is
Naadam is the national festival of Mongolia and the country’s most important traditional celebration. Its full name, “eriin gurvan naadam,” translates as “the three games of men.” The three games are Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery.
The festival has deep historical roots. The three standard sports of wrestling, horse racing, and archery are recorded in the 13th-century book The Secret History of the Mongols, and the festival began to be held annually in 1639. Historically the games doubled as military training — the skills of a wrestler, a horseman, and an archer were the skills of a Mongol soldier. Today they are a celebration of national identity and nomadic heritage.
In 2010, Naadam was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It is one of Mongolia’s UNESCO-recognised living traditions, alongside falconry — which means a traveller in Bayan-Ölgii in July can witness two UNESCO heritage practices in one trip.
The Three Games Explained
Each of the three games has its own rules, traditions, and atmosphere.
Wrestling (bökh). Mongolian wrestling is the heart of Naadam. A single-elimination tournament of 512 or 1,024 wrestlers runs over nine or ten rounds. A wrestler loses if he touches the ground with any part of his body other than his feet or hands. Winners earn rising titles — “zaan” (elephant) at stages 7-8, “arslan” (lion) at stages 9-10, and “avraga” (titan) for a two-time lion. There are no weight classes, so a smaller, faster wrestler may face a giant.
Horse racing. Naadam horse racing is cross-country, not track racing. Races run 15 to 30 km across open steppe, with the distance set by the age class of the horses — two-year-olds race 16 km, seven-year-olds race 27 km. The jockeys are children aged 5 to 13, chosen for their light weight and trained in the months before the festival. The races celebrate the horse as much as the rider — winning horses are praised in song.
Archery. Archers compete in teams of ten, each shooting four arrows. Men shoot from 75 metres, women from 65 metres, at a target of small woven or wooden cylinders stacked three high. Archers wear leather bracers to the elbow and traditional dress. Unlike wrestling, archery has always included women competitors.
| Game | Format | Who competes |
|---|---|---|
| Wrestling (bökh) | Single-elimination, 9-10 rounds, no weight classes | Men |
| Horse racing | Cross-country, 15-30 km by age class | Child jockeys aged 5-13 |
| Archery | Teams of 10, 4 arrows each, 65-75 m | Men and women |
How Bayan-Ölgii’s Naadam Differs from Ulaanbaatar’s
The Naadam most travellers have heard of is the National Naadam in Ulaanbaatar, held 11-13 July in the capital’s stadium — a large, formal, heavily attended event. But Naadam is celebrated everywhere in Mongolia, and regional celebrations happen across July and August.
Bayan-Ölgii’s provincial Naadam is a different experience:
- Scale: Hundreds of spectators, not tens of thousands. You stand close to the action, not in a stadium tier.
- Setting: Often held on open ground near Ölgii rather than in a built stadium — the steppe itself is the venue.
- Atmosphere: Local and communal. Families come to watch neighbours and relatives compete. It feels like a county fair, not a national broadcast.
- Cultural blend: Bayan-Ölgii is Mongolia’s Kazakh-majority province. The provincial Naadam mixes the Mongol national sports with the surrounding Kazakh community — you’ll see Kazakh traditional dress, hear the Kazakh language in the crowd, and the line between Naadam and a Kazakh community gathering blurs.
- Access: No tickets, no crowds, no booking months ahead. You simply attend.
For travellers who want to see Naadam without the Ulaanbaatar crowds — and who are heading west anyway for the Altai — the Bayan-Ölgii provincial Naadam is the authentic version.
When and Where the Provincial Naadam Happens
National timing: Mongolia’s National Naadam runs 11-13 July, a public holiday across the whole country.
Provincial timing: Bayan-Ölgii’s provincial Naadam is typically held in July, around or shortly after the national dates. Regional Naadams across Mongolia run through July and August. Exact provincial dates shift year to year and are confirmed locally — a tour operator with western Mongolia knowledge can give you the current year’s dates.
Where: The provincial Naadam takes place near Ölgii, the capital of Bayan-Ölgii Province. Ölgii is reached by domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar. Smaller soum-level (district) Naadams also happen in towns across the province — these are even more local and intimate.
Planning note: Because the provincial dates move and soum-level events are not widely published, Naadam in Bayan-Ölgii is best treated as a wonderful bonus that a knowledgeable guide can build into a July itinerary, rather than a fixed event you book a trip around. If catching Naadam is a priority, tell your operator at booking and they will time your western Mongolia travel accordingly.
What to Expect as a Visitor
A few practical notes for attending the Bayan-Ölgii Naadam:
- Dress and weather: July in Bayan-Ölgii is warm by day (20-25°C) but the open steppe is exposed — bring a sun hat, SPF50, sunglasses, and a windproof layer. Afternoons can turn windy fast.
- Timing: Wrestling and archery happen at the festival ground through the day; horse races start out on the steppe and finish near the ground. Ask your guide for the day’s schedule — it is rarely posted formally.
- Photography: Excellent and unrestricted. The wrestlers’ costumes, the child jockeys, the archers in traditional dress all make strong images. A 70-200mm lens covers most of it; a wider lens captures the crowd and steppe setting.
- Etiquette: This is a community event, not a tourist show. Watch how locals behave, don’t crowd competitors, and ask before close-up portraits — your guide can interpret.
- Food: Expect khuushuur (fried meat pastries), the traditional Naadam snack, plus Kazakh dishes in this province. Bring small cash.
- No infrastructure: There are no ticket booths, grandstands, or tourist facilities at a provincial Naadam. Come as you would to a countryside gathering.
The reward for the lack of polish is authenticity. A provincial Naadam in Bayan-Ölgii is the festival as Mongolians actually live it — not a performance staged for visitors.
Combining Naadam with an Altai Trip
Naadam’s July timing aligns perfectly with the western Mongolia summer travel season. July and August are the prime months for Altai Tavan Bogd trekking — high passes are snow-free and rivers are safe to cross. A traveller in Bayan-Ölgii in mid-July can combine:
- The provincial Naadam — one or two days at the festival ground
- An Altai Tavan Bogd trek — the glacier-and-peak high country, July’s best window
- An eagle hunter family visit — meeting Kazakh berkutchi families away from the autumn festival crowds
- Nomadic family stays — summer is when herders are at high pastures, the most scenic season for homestays
This combination — UNESCO-listed Naadam plus UNESCO-listed falconry culture plus glacier trekking — is the strongest argument for a July trip to western Mongolia. The autumn eagle festivals (Sagsai in September, Ulgii Golden Eagle in October) are spectacular, but July offers Naadam, the best trekking weather, and green summer pastures.
For travellers building a July western Mongolia itinerary, our Mongolian Eagle Hunter Tour and Mongolian Nomadic Life Tour both run in summer and can include the provincial Naadam if dates align, while the 6-Day Best Of Altai Tavan Bogd tour covers the trekking high season. Ask your operator to time your trip around the local Naadam dates.
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When is Naadam held in Bayan-Ölgii?
Mongolia’s National Naadam runs 11-13 July nationwide. Bayan-Ölgii’s provincial Naadam is typically held in July, around or shortly after the national dates, with smaller soum-level (district) events also held through July and August. Exact provincial dates shift each year and are confirmed locally — a western Mongolia tour operator can tell you the current year’s schedule.
What are the three games of Naadam?
Mongolian wrestling (bökh), horse racing, and archery — together called “eriin gurvan naadam,” the three games of men. Wrestling is a single-elimination tournament with no weight classes; horse racing is a 15-30 km cross-country event with child jockeys; archery is a team event shooting at stacked cylinder targets.
How is the Bayan-Ölgii Naadam different from the Ulaanbaatar one?
The Ulaanbaatar National Naadam is a large, formal, heavily attended stadium event. Bayan-Ölgii’s provincial Naadam is small, local, and held on open ground near Ölgii — hundreds of spectators rather than tens of thousands, no tickets, no crowds. It also blends the Mongol national sports with the province’s Kazakh culture, since Bayan-Ölgii is Mongolia’s Kazakh-majority region.
Is Naadam a UNESCO heritage event?
Yes. Naadam was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Falconry — central to Bayan-Ölgii’s Kazakh eagle hunting tradition — is also UNESCO-listed, so a July visit to the province can take in two UNESCO heritage practices.
Can I plan a trip specifically around the Bayan-Ölgii Naadam?
It is best treated as a bonus rather than a fixed anchor. Provincial and soum-level Naadam dates move year to year and are not widely published in advance. If catching Naadam matters to you, tell your tour operator at booking — they can time your western Mongolia travel to coincide with the local festival.
Why visit western Mongolia in July?
July combines three things: the provincial Naadam festival, the best Altai Tavan Bogd trekking weather (snow-free passes, safe river crossings), and green summer pastures when nomadic families are at their high camps. The autumn eagle festivals are spectacular too, but July is the strongest all-round window for a western Mongolia trip.