ALTAI EAGLE FESTIVAL 2025 SEP 13th-14th

ALTAI EAGLE FESTIVAL 2025 SEP 13th-14th

$950/Person
 ALTAI  EAGLE FESTIVAL 2025 SEP 13th-14th
Duration 5 DAYS
Travel season SEP 13-14
Tour highlight

Altai Eagle Festival 2025 September 13-14

The Altai Eagle Festival 2025 or the Smaller Eagle Festival will take place in the traditional village of Altai. This festival is being held on September 13th and 14th and has a quainter feel than the Golden Eagle Festival, but not any less exciting!


On the western Mongolian Falconry Tour, you will travel to Bayan-Ulgii province, where the national minority Kazakhs or MONGOLIAN falconer people live. You will take a return flight to Bayan-Ulgii to discover the unique life of the Mongolian Falcon Hunter. Mongolian falcon hunters have kept their traditions and custom at their origin for hundreds of years. Among their traditions, eagle training and eagle hunting are the most fascinating and attractive things. In Bayan-Ulgii, you will visit and stay with an eagle-training Kazakh family, travel to the mountains on horseback to see how the Kazakhs train the eagles and hunt with them, enjoy the natural scenery and sightseeing Ulgii town.

The Discover Kazakh Nomads Ream  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 Kazakh Nomads 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!



Itinerary
Day 1: Fly to Ulgii, Visit eagle hunting family in Altay
Day 1: Fly to Ulgii, Visit eagle hunting family in Altay

Day 1- Sep 12th Fly to Ulgii, Visit eagle hunting family in Altay

The driver meets you at the hotel and transfers you to the airport for a flight to Ulgii, a central town of Bayan-Ulgii. Bayan-Ulgii is a province where the national minority Kazakhs reside. The Kazakhs are the only Muslim people in Mongolia and are well-known that they have been keeping their traditions at their origin compared to the Kazakhs of other countries. You will land in Ulgii after a 2.5-hour flight. Arrive in Ulgii where you will be met by your English speaking guide, cook and driver and start driving towards Altay Region The journey continues to an eagle-training Kazakh family's home. Discover their unique lifestyle, try Kazakh foods and stay with the Kazakh family.

Accommodation: Eagle Hunter family stay Meals:  Lunch, Dinner. Total distance: 130km, ~3hrs.

DAY 2: Attend the Altai Eagle Festival – Day 1
DAY 2: Attend the Altai Eagle Festival – Day 1


Explore another full day at the festival. Some shows of eagles are played. Eagles fly to the own trainers’ hand and catch the moving objects or prey while flying. Today there will be a camel race. In the evening, traditional concert of Kazak ethnic group performed and enjoy a farewell dinner.

  1. Competition of how eagles adapted to hunters "Shyrga Tartu" (the eagles will be qualified how fast and smoothy catch a lure that made of fox or hare skin).
  2. "Kyz kuar" game show (Traditional horseback riding fun game for youth, boys whipped by girls if they reached by them).
  3. Lunch break at 12:00 o’clock
  4. Continuation of the game
  5. Kukhbar competition (Traditional horseback riding game fight over for the goat skin).
  6. Horse race- 100 horse expected
  7. Award ceremony for winners of festival
  8. Closing ceremony. 

After closing ceremony we’ll drive back to Olgii.

Overnight accommodation will be in a Ger (B-L-D) 

Eagle Calling Event

The first day is mostly reserved for eagle hunters to demonstrate various aspects of eagle training and hunting skills. The first event is a calling competition.

The field is marked by three circles, each with a different number of points - 6, 8, and 10. The eagle is led to the top of a nearby hill, while its hunter stands in a circle on his horse.

The eagle is released, flying directly towards and landing on the hunter's arm. The higher the point, the further the ring. Several confident hunters approach circle number ten.

Many of their eagles fly straight to their prey, while others take a detour, checking nearby rocks for small rodents or even disappearing high in the sky.

During competition, some eagles get loose, fighting among themselves or landing on a hunter's arm with another. As they hone their calling skills, younger hunters prefer to use lower numbers.

The first day is primarily dedicated to eagle hunters demonstrating various aspects of eagle training and hunting skills. The first competition is a calling contest.

Shyrga Tartu – Lure Grabbing

The next event will similarly summon the eagles from the mountain's summit. Instead of landing on the hunter's arm, the birds must grab a piece of rabbit fur tied to the rope and leave it trailing behind the horse. The horses used to pull actual dead rabbits or foxes in previous years, but the most recent version only uses the fur. With the horse galloping at full speed, the more experienced pairs of eagle-men hunters would succeed. Less capable riders would keep their horses still and wait for the eagle to land on the fur.

Urianhai Archery Competition

While the main event takes place in the arena, an archery competition takes place in the middle of the day. These archers put on quite a show with their heavy bows and long arrows.

The day began with a call to action. On the final day of the Golden Eagle Festival, only the best displays of Kazakh horsemanship and hunting from the first day compete.

Tenge Ily – Coin Grabbing
A coin is thrown during this game, and riders pick it up from the ground while still on horseback. It's incredible to see the riders throw themselves to the ground, pick up a tiny object, and continue riding at full speed.

Kyz Kuar – Girls Chasing and Whipping Boys
Also known as the "Girl Chase," both a man and a woman race side by side on their horses. The man tries to flee the wrath of the women who relentlessly whips him. Some men are better than others at avoiding whipping. Some women are better at "beating" than others, or at least more eager to do so. This event is hilarious, and you can tell that each couple is having a good time.

Kukhbar –Competition for Goat Skin

The game is a tug of war between two riders on horses over a goat carcass. It used to be a real dead goat, but recent events have used a woolen decoy. This game is most likely the most competitive of all the contests. Each participant pulls the "carcass" with their entire committee. Disputes arose on a few occasions, with participants appearing on the judging platform and angrily complaining. Another rider would occasionally join in the debate. The trio would then push, pull, gallop, turn, and twist their way through the crowd. Alternatively, restart the horses at full speed, racing side by side,while the men pull the carcass.Two riders are in a tug of war over a goat carcass.

Traditional Kazakh Food

You will eat your lunch in a kitchen tent at the festival site, and you will come to the tens to warm up with coffee or tea during the celebration.

DAY 3 Attend the Altai Eagle Festival – Day 2
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 ALTAI NOMAD GAMES will crown the champions in different disciplines such as Hunting with eagles, some Kazakh traditional horseback games.

The ALTAI NOMAD GAMES-aim to preserve and celebrate nomadic traditions.

It is a spectacle with eagles released from the hills, hunting for a fox skin in tow behind a horseman. Horse games such as the Central Asian game bouzkhasi, which is on horseback tug-of-war with a goat carcass. Quite wild at times. You will explore the eagle hunters’ traditional custom and culture.

  1. Registration of credential eagle hunter
  2. Opening ceremony of annual golden eagle festival with parade of all participants
  3. Competition of best kazakh costume, eagle and horse harness
  4. Lunch break at 12:00 o’clock
  5. Competition of how eagle adapted to hunters. While the eagles were perched high on the mountain side, the hunter would call for the eagle to come and join him on horseback.
  6. Tenge ilu competition (traditional coin grabbing game while riding a horse)                                                                                                                                                  The festival ends with a prize-giving ceremony. Let’s go back to Olgii. Farewell dinner with the team!

Overnight accommodation will be in a Ger. (B-L-D) 

Day 4 & Day 5  Exploring Altai Tavan Bogd NP
Day 4 & Day 5  Exploring Altai Tavan Bogd NP

After breakfast, you will depart for the day's journey to Tavanbogd Nat'l Park, passing through ever-changing wilderness scenery as expansive Rockey plains give way to green valleys, rugged Altai peaks, and the stunning wilderness terrain of Tavanbogd Nat'l Park.

  • Drive to Shiveet Khairkhan Sacred mountain and stop to explore numerous petroglyphs. Shiveet Mountain, with its stunningly beautiful blue lakes, 4000 m high snow-capped mountains, a glacier, and rich archaeological sites. The best Petroglyphs in the area can be found on this mountain.Bayan-Ulgii’s rich archaeological remains are a reminder of the Bronze Age civilization and the Hun and Turkic invasions.
  • The area around Sacred Mountain is home to a large number of ibex or wild goats. There is also a large Ovoo, a shrine of sorts that is important to the local Tuvans and their shamanistic faith.
  • On the arrival at the campsite tonight, on the edge of the National Park boundary, you will meet Tuvan people near White River valley. / Tsagaan Gol /
  • You will see beautyof the snow-capped Tavan Bogd Massif and impressive Potanin Glacier.
  • Evening return to Ulgii,  evening visiting Zaisan top.                                                                                                                                                                                           Back in Ulgii, is our chance to sleep in a Kazakhger(yurt), and we will celebrate the end of our adventure with cold beers and a tasty Kazakh meal. Alternatively, you can spend the night in our own Guest House
Day 6 Return flight to Ulaanbaatar
Day 6 Return flight to Ulaanbaatar

Take a return flight to Ulaanbaatar. 

Tour price includes/ Tour price excludes

Tour Price includes

Tour price excludes