Unleash your adventure spirit, explore Mongolia on your own terms

ALTAI EAGLE FESTIVAL 2024

5 DAYS – 4 NIGHTS (FROM $1400 )

Duration: 5 days 4 nights
Price from: 1400 USD
Arrival in: Bayan-Olgii province
Group size: 2- 8
Destination: Altai Mountains
Difficulty: Moderate, Easy
Suitable age: 15-70

Inquire Now

See Our TripAdvisor 100 Reviews

Top highlights:

Homestay at Eagle Hunter’s family
Experience their ancient culture and traditions
Take part in a real eagle hunt
Attend to Annual Eagle Festival 2024
And even more hidden moments…

OVERVIEW

Altai Eagle Festival 2024 September 17-18

The Altai Eagle Festival 2024 or the Smaller Eagle Festival will take place in the traditional village of Sagsai. This festival is being held on September 17th and 18th and has a quainter feel than the Golden Eagle Festival, but not any less exciting!

We offer you the best-planned two options for group tours at Altai Eagle Festival 2024:

Sept 15th -19th 5 Days trip for 1400 USD
Sept 12th-19th 8 Days trip for 1800 USD

At the Altai Eagle Festival, Eagle Hunters will be exhibiting the traditional Kazakh arts of eagle hunting and participating in a number of traditional nomadic horse games, camel races, and archery competitions. The Eagle Hunters show off their traditional Kazakh clothing called “shapans”, which display a number of beautiful Kazakh designs and styles

The games being played are called “kokpar”, where two men on horseback wrestle over the skin of a goat, racing through the steppe. Tyin alu, or coin taking, is where the participants race through the steppe, picking up coins along their path.

The trained eagles will be competing in the two-day festival. For the first day, the eagle will fly up the hillside and return to land on their master’s arm when they call. On the second day, the eagle will descend and grab hold of a fox skin being held by the professional eagle hunter. For the competition, awards and prizes are given to those eagle hunters and their eagles based on speed and skill.

The Discover Altai Team offers you the Altai Eagle Festival Package Tour which includes a visit to horse trekking and a stay with a nomadic eagle hunter’s family. Come and enjoy a unique experience in this remote corner of the world with the Discover Altai Team!

This is a complete package tour with a local experienced support team. The tour will begin upon your arrival in Olgii and will end with a transfer back to the airport where you will board a domestic flight to Ulaanbaatar.

Please note that the number of tickets for domestic flights is limited and it is highly recommended to BOOK your trip as early as possible!

WHY CHOOSE US

8+ years Experience

We are local experts who are based in Bayan-Olgii province.

Reasonable Price

Price effective. Best trips with the reasonable price

97+ Reviews

We offer only the best-planned tours. To see our beautiful average 5.0 point reviews on Tripadvisor

Support

Local experienced guides will support you during your visit.

Flexible

Please feel free to choose our scheduled group departure or create your own!

DAY 1: Arrive in Bayan-Ulgii Province

Our Discover Altai team will meet you upon arrival in Olgii. Meet your local team consisting of a driver, English-speaking guide, and expedition chef. Drive to the eagle hunter’s autumn place. The roads are very bumpy and will take about 3-4 hours through the Altai Mountains. Meet the nomadic eagle hunter and his family.

Nomadic Kazakhs are very hospitable and please feel free to ask any questions and take pictures. The art of eagle hunting is one of the oldest ways of hunting, historians claim that it originated more than 2-3 thousand years ago, which is confirmed by the petroglyph that belongs to the Bronze Age.

It is passed down from father to son and from century to century. And the main reason why people in our province could keep such traditional hunting is because of the nomadic way of life. The Kazakhs threaten the eagle as a family member and believe that when there is an eagle in the family, evil stays away. Enjoy traditional Kazakh milk tea with salt.

DAY 2: Be a part of real eagle hunting

Today you have the opportunity to become a real eagle hunter. We will go on horseback to the hillside where the hunter will demonstrate how he trains his eagle. If you are lucky, you may be able to witness an eagle hunting a real animal such as a fox or a rabbit.

To hunt with an eagle, you have to climb to the top of the mountain and make a strong voice, and if there is any fox hiding in the valleys, it will run down, and then you have to realize your eagle. The eagle takes a high fly and attacks the fox. Eagle hunters usually use female eagles because they are larger and more aggressive.

Ultimate eagle hunters keep an eagle for ten years and release it into the wild. It’s always an emotional moment. This is a unique relationship between men and the heavenly lord. Berkut lives 30-40 years. Return to the family and get to know their traditions based on Islam and a bit of shamanism.

DAY 3: Attend the Altai Eagle Festival – Day 1

After breakfast, we will drive to the site of the Eagle Festival. Visit the annual Altai Eagle Festival. Our team will set up our personal kitchen tent where you can enjoy hot tea and coffee at any time. Drive to the city and stay overnight at the hotel.

DAY 4: Attend the Altai Eagle Festival – Day 2

Enjoy traditional horse games. Each game has its own meaning, and our guides will introduce you in detail. Feel free to photograph and film the eagle hunters and all involved competitors. As an additional tour highlight, we will invite a local folklore group and organize a small traditional concert.

The festival ends with a prize-giving ceremony. Let’s go back to Olgii. Farewell dinner with the team!

DAY 5: Fly back to Ulaanbaatar

Thank you for coming!

Take a flight back to Ulaanbaatar.

Sept 12 / Thu / DAY 1: Arrive in Bayan-Olgii Province

Welcome to Western Mongolia! We are pleased to meet you upon arrival at the local Olgii airport. Our team is ready for the expedition which consists of local drivers, an expedition chef, and English-speaking guides. Drive to the place of the nomadic eagle hunter. Meet the eagle hunter and his family!

Sept 13 / Fri / Day 2: Drive to Khoton & Khurgan Lakes

Today we will take you to the southern part of the National Park. We will stay in a wooden nomad house (or a traditional yurt depending on the weather). This area is the summer place of nomads and usually, at this time of year, most of the nomads migrate to the autumn place. Enjoy delicious dishes from our chef. We share a home with family and you can experience a true nomadic lifestyle. Please feel free to take photos and videos.

Sept 14 / Sat / Day 3: Hiking day

After breakfast, we will head to the Valley of Waterfalls for a short walk where you will be able to see beautiful views and a waterfall. Lunch will be served as a lunch box. In the afternoon we will head to the Biluu hillside where you can walk up the hill and enjoy the surroundings. Here you have the opportunity to explore ancient petroglyphs dating back to the Bronze Age. Return to the nomad’s house.

Sept 15 / Sun / Day 4: Drive to Sagsai village

Meet an eagle hunter and be a guest at the nomad’s home. Western Mongolia is home to nomadic eagle hunters who have been practicing the art of eagle hunting for thousands of years. Experience their way of living and their ancient traditions!

Sept 16 / Mon / Day 5: Horseback trek

Mongolia is the only country where there are more horses than people. So, we are proud to offer you a horseback riding tour with an eagle hunter. Climb a little higher to enjoy the surrounding nature. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions about the nomadic lifestyle. They have amazing traditions with deep meaning. An eagle hunter will demonstrate how they train their eagle. You can take a memorable photo with a golden eagle.

Sept 17 / Tue / Day 6: Altai Eagle Festival day-1

On the first day of the Eagle Festival, you can enjoy the opening ceremony and parade. We will set up a kitchen tent where you can have lunch and drink hot tea at any time. The whole group will be there and the guides will talk about traditional games. Enjoy the Eagle Festival! Back to the eagle hunter’s family.

Sept 18 / Wed / Day 7: Altai Eagle Festival day-2

The second day of the festival features more traditional horse games and awards ceremonies. There will be a large number of handmade souvenirs where you can buy a couple of souvenirs for your loved ones. If you need advice please don’t hesitate. Our team will invite famous throat singer Bataa to perform traditional throat singing. Tonight we will return to the city of Olgii. Farewell dinner with a whole team. Overnight at a hotel (or tourist camp with a traditional yurt)

Sept 19 / Thu / Day 8: Fly Back to Ulaanbaatar

Everything You Need To Know

Tour information

Book Now

During the trip, you will be accompanied by local experienced guides. It includes an English-speaking tour guide, an experienced driver, and an expedition. Discover Altai team has representatives in all positions of the tour. We take excellent care of our guests.

Backpack, headlight, warm clothes, hat and gloves, waterproof jacket and pants, towel, personal medicine, cream, power bank.

During the tour, you will stay in the nomadic family’s wooden houses or traditional yourt depending on current weather conditions. And in Olgii you will stay in a hotel which is quite comfortable with the local standards. And alternatively, you can stay in a traditional ger camp.

The weather in mid-September can be very cold. So be prepared for any weather conditions.

Tour Price includes

Domestic flight round trip Ulaanbaatar-Olgii-Ulaanbaatar
Accommodation during the trip
Eat & Drink – Three times meal a day, fresh water, and snacks
All transportation (Off-road vehicle with experienced driver) + Fuel
English-speaking tour guide
Expedition cook
Visit nomadic families
Camping and cooking equipment
All national park permits and fees
Eagle Festival tickets
Horseback trekking

Tour price excludes

International airfare
Personal needs
Alcohol drinks
Excess baggage fee (15 kg domestic flights )
Travel Insurance
Gratitude

Please Come & Enjoy the Best-planned Mongolian Adventure

Book Now

Tour Price & Scheduled dates:

Tour Price

2 PAX –1600 USD p/p
3 PAX- 1500 USD p/p
Join the group- 1400 USD p/p

Scheduled dates:

Join the group only for 1400 USD !!! (seats are limited)

Our Discover Altai group departure “Altai Eagle Festival 2024” start on 15th September in Ulaanbaatar.

Please get in touch with us with more detailed information. See you at the eagle festival!

Cancellation Policy:

·        Cancellation more than two months fee would be 400 USD
·        Cancellation more than 45 days fee would be 500 USD
·        Cancellation less than a month before departure will 600 USD
·        And rest of the payments will be return back.

How to BOOK?

Confirm with our tour itinerary
Agree with terms and conditions
Set the tour departure date
Deposit 600 USD per person
Send us a copy of your passports

Discounts:

The first two travelers who join the group can get a 5% discount each.
For private group tours 5 % discount

Why join our group?

Make new friends
Best time to travel
Most experienced guide
More Enjoyable
Price effective

Please come and join our group to experience the Altai Eagle Festival 2024 in the far western corner of Mongolia. The tour will be started on 15th September and will end on 19th September.

It is a fully guided package tour where you have an opportunity to explore the true taste of nomadic life and eagle hunting traditions with your local-based team. Hope to see you!

So, Ladies and Gentlemen! The Discover Altai team is looking forward to meeting you and providing unforgettable expeditions to this remote corner of the world!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us!

Get Booking Now