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ALTAI eagle festival tour (Sept 17–18)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 · 63 reviews on TripAdvisor · 8+ years of authentic Altai expeditions
SAGSAI eagle festival tour
4 DAYS – 3 NIGHTS (FROM $1300 )
- Duration: 4 days, 3 nights
- Price from: 1300 USD
- Arrival in: Bayan-Olgii province
- Group size: 2- 8
- Destination: Altai Mountains
- Difficulty: Moderate, Easy
- Suitable age: 15-70
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Top highlights:
- Homestay at Eagle Hunter’s family
- Experience their ancient culture and traditions
- Take part in a real eagle hunt
- Attend the Annual Eagle Festival 2026
- And even more hidden moments…
OVERVIEW
Altai Eagle Festival 2026 September 17-18
The Altai Eagle Festival 2026, 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 no less exciting!
We offer you the best-planned group tours at Altai Eagle Festival 2026:
Altai eagle festival dates 2026
- Sept 16th -23rd, 8-day trip for 1800 USD
- Sept 16th – 19th, 4-day trip for 1300 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 displays 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 a horse trek 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
Support
Local experienced guides will support you during your visit.
Flexible
Please feel free to choose our scheduled group departure or create your own!
4 Days Itinerary
Four days in Bayan-Ölgii for the Altai Eagle Festival — meeting Kazakh eagle hunters and watching two days of festival competition.
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DAY1
Day 1DAY 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 a 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.
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DAY2Day 2
DAY 2: 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.
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DAY3Day 3
DAY 3: 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!
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DAY4Day 4
DAY 4: Fly back to Ulaanbaatar
Thank you for coming!
Take a flight back to Ulaanbaatar.
Reserve your spot
4-day Altai Eagle Festival tour · small group
8 Days Extended Itinerary
The extended eight-day version — the Altai Eagle Festival plus Khoton & Khurgan Lakes, a hiking day and a horseback trek through the Altai.
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DAY1
Day 1DAY 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!
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DAY2Day 2
Day 2: 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.
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DAY3Day 3
Day 3: 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 the famous throat singer Bataa to perform traditional throat singing. Tonight we will return to the city of Olgii. Farewell dinner with the whole team. Overnight at a hotel (or tourist camp with a traditional yurt)
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DAY4
Day 4Day 4: 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.
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DAY5Day 5
Day 5: 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 in 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.
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DAY6Day 6
Day 6: 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.
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DAY7Day 7
Day 7: Drive back to Olgii
Drive back to Olgii and transfer to the local hotel. Farewell dinner at the restaurant
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DAY8Day 8
Day 8: Fly Back to Ulaanbaatar
Reserve your spot
8-day extended Eagle Festival tour · small group
Everything You Need To Know
Tour information
Tour Price includes
Tour price excludes
Please Come & Enjoy the Best-planned Mongolian Adventure
Tour Price & Scheduled dates:
Tour Price
2 PAX –2000 USD p/p
3 PAX- 1800 USD p/p
Join the group- 1400 USD p/p
Scheduled dates:
Join the group only for 1300 USD !!! (seats are limited)
Our Discover Altai group departure “Altai Eagle Festival 2026” start on 16th September
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 to the 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 2026 in the far western corner of Mongolia. The tour will start on 16th 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!
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Suggested Blogs:
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The Mongolia Eagle Festival in Bayan-Ölgii runs in late September and early October at elevation 1,710 metres, where October average…Sagsai vs Golden Eagle Festival 2026: Which Mongolia Eagle Festival Should You Attend?
Mongolia hosts two distinct Kazakh eagle festivals each autumn in Bayan-Ölgii Province, the country’s western Kazakh-majority region. The Sagsai Golden…Burkitchi Apprenticeship: How a Kazakh Boy or Girl Becomes an Eagle Hunter
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FAQ
When is the Altai (Sagsai) Eagle Festival 2026?
The 2026 Altai Eagle Festival, also known as the Sagsai Festival or ‘Smaller Eagle Festival’, takes place September 17-18, 2026 in the traditional Kazakh village of Sagsai in Bayan-Ölgii Province, western Mongolia. It is held two weeks before the larger Golden Eagle Festival (September 30 – October 1, 2026) in Ölgii city. Our 4-day tour runs September 16-19 and our 8-day extended tour runs September 16-23.
What’s the difference between the Sagsai Festival and the Golden Eagle Festival?
The Sagsai Festival is the smaller, more traditional village festival with 60-80 eagle hunters competing before roughly 200 visitors. The Golden Eagle Festival is the larger spectacle held two weeks later, with 150+ eagle hunters and 1,500-2,000 visitors in Ölgii city. Sagsai is community-organized and intimate; Golden Eagle is highly photographed and tourist-heavy. Both feature the same traditional events (eagle-to-arm calling, fox-fur retrieval, kokpar horseback tug-of-war, coin-picking) but Sagsai offers closer access and more authentic interaction with hunter families.
How do I get to the Sagsai Eagle Festival from Ulaanbaatar?
From Ulaanbaatar, fly 2.5 hours to Ölgii (Bayan-Ölgii Province) on Hunnu Air or Aero Mongolia. From Ölgii, Sagsai village is a 40-kilometer drive on gravel road — roughly 1 hour by 4×4. We include this domestic flight and all ground transport in both our 4-day and 8-day tour packages. Direct flights from outside Mongolia are not possible; most international travelers connect through Ulaanbaatar from Seoul, Beijing, or Istanbul.
What happens at the Sagsai Eagle Festival?
The 2-day festival features six traditional Kazakh eagle hunting competitions: (1) eagle calling — hunters release their golden eagle from a cliff and call it back to their arm; (2) fox-fur retrieval — eagles swoop to pick up a lure dragged behind a galloping horse; (3) kokpar — traditional horseback tug-of-war with a goatskin; (4) tenge alu — coin-picking from the ground at a full gallop; (5) bushkashi mounted competition; (6) costume and eagle-condition judging. Between events there are Kazakh music performances, traditional food, and handicraft markets.
Is the Sagsai Eagle Festival authentic or staged for tourists?
The Sagsai Festival is authentic — it was founded by the local Sagsai Sum Eagle Hunters Association to preserve Kazakh falconry traditions and remains primarily a community event for local hunters, not a tourist show. Most participants are working eagle hunters (burkitshi) from the surrounding Altai villages who use their birds for real winter hunting of foxes and hares. Tourism at Sagsai is limited to around 100-200 visitors per day, most of whom are photographers and cultural travelers. For contrast, the larger Golden Eagle Festival in Ölgii has become more tourist-oriented.
What should I bring to the Sagsai Eagle Festival?
Essential packing: warm layers (September daytime 10-15°C, nights -5°C), a windproof shell, insulated boots, sunglasses, SPF50 sunscreen (high-altitude UV), and a camera with a 70-200mm telephoto lens for festival action plus a wide-angle for landscapes. Bring extra camera batteries — cold drains them fast. We provide all accommodation (hotels in Ölgii + homestay nights with Kazakh families), meals, and 4×4 transport. A full packing list is emailed 30 days before departure.
Can I meet the Kazakh eagle hunters personally during the tour?
Yes — our tour includes direct cultural exchange with eagle hunter families. On our 4-day tour you spend one night as a homestay guest with a Kazakh eagle hunter family in their ger (traditional felt tent). On our 8-day tour you spend two nights across two different hunter families. You watch the hunters train their eagles, share meals, and learn about Kazakh nomadic life. English-speaking local Kazakh guides translate throughout. This is not available at the larger Golden Eagle Festival where interaction is limited to festival-ground encounters.
How far in advance should I book the Sagsai Eagle Festival tour?
We recommend booking 4-6 months in advance for September 2026 departures. Both Sagsai tour dates (September 16-19 for 4-day, September 16-23 for 8-day) have limited capacity — typically 8-12 travelers per departure — and usually sell out by mid-July. A $600 deposit secures your spot with the balance due 60 days before departure. International flights to Ulaanbaatar are cheapest when booked 6+ months ahead. Late bookings (within 30 days) are accepted only if availability permits.