Duration
13 days / 13 nights
Days of riding
4 days total
Difficulty
Beginner to Intermediate
Price
Per person – £2,595
≥ 2 people £2,495
≥ 4 people £2,400
Dates
7th to 19th September 2026
Introduction
This tour takes you to the far west of Mongolia for the annual Golden Eagle Festival. The festival is an opportunity for the local Kazak Eagle Hunters to show off their hunting prowess before the winter hunting season. It is one of the best ways to see this human-eagle hunting relationship in action and has become a popular attraction in Mongolia. During the festival, we will stay with a local hunter who is competing during the festival and his family to learn about their unique culture and way of life.
To not interfere with our host’s training and because the weather in the Altai mountain region, in which the Kazak people live is often too cold or unprdicatble for horse trekking trips at this time of year. We will instead be adapting our central Mongolia trip to maximise your comfort and enjoyment. The trip includes all the cultural experiences and incredible scenery of our Central Mongolia trip, but replaces the wild camp with stays in the various Ger (Mongolian yurt) camps in the area. Including the Tsenker Hot Springs. Due to the positions of the Ger camps and losing the flexibility of wild camping, the total distance covered per day is slightly reduced compared to our standard Central Mongolia trips, keeping it accessible for new riders. See itinerary for details.
Itinerary in Brief
24 hrs before the tour. Airport transfer to your hotel or guesthouse is included.
Day 1. Drive to Kharakhorin, Mongolia’s ancient capital. On the way, stop to ride two humped Bactrian Camels in the dunes of the Mini Gobi.
Day 2. Explore Kharakhorin, Mongolia’s ancient capital and home to Mongolia’s largest Buddhist monastery. In the afternoon, we travel into the countryside to stay in a traditional nomadic Ger camp.
Day 3. Meet our nomadic hosts and their horses as we ride to the Red Falls. In the evening, visit our host and their family at their Ger and enjoy a traditional Mongolian BBQ to celebrate the start of our horse trek.
Day 4. Ride beside the beautiful Orkhon river on the edge of a picturesque plain, next to towering volcanic stone cliffs, ending at our Ger camp for the evening.
Day 5. Leave the Orkhon valley behind for easy riding in the grassy valleys between rolling hills.
Day 6. A change of terrain as we head into tree-covered hills to visit a remote monastery. On the other side, we follow a sacred valley to its head and say goodbye to our nomadic host as we head to the Tsenker Hot Springs.
Day 7. Rest and relax after a busy few days in some revitalising hot springs.
Day 8. Drive to the Hustai National Park, the home of the Przewalski horses, and stay in a local Ger camp, ready to visit the park in the morning.
Day 9. Wildlife safari in the park to see the wild horses and other rare species that the park is home to. Once we are finished in the park, drive back to Ulaanbatar (UB).
Eagle Festival
Day 10. Fly to Ulgii or Khovd (depending on flight availability).
Day 11. First day of Eagle festival with displays and Eagle retrieval competition.
Day 12. The second day of the Eagle festival. Mock hunt and horseback wrestling.
Day 13. Fly back to UB and final meal together.
24hr after tour. Our guides or drivers will be available to help you with airport transfers, travel or staying on in Mongolia. We wish you a safe onward journey. Thank you for travelling with us.
Per person – £2,595
≥ 2 people £2,495
≥ 4 people £2,400
Full Itinerary
Camel Riding and Ancient Capitals
Day 1. Pick-up is 07:00 am from your hotel or guesthouse in Ulaanbaatar (UB) city. We aim to get out on the road early as we have a long drive, roughly 5hr 30mins to reach Kharakhorin, Mongolia’s ancient capital. As we leave UB behind, you will get your first taste of the vast size of the Mongolian countryside. We will stop regularly to take photos and break the journey up. Our first stop will be a short way out of the city to pick up provisions for the week. After we leave Kharakhorin tomorrow, we will only stop in with local nomads and very small villages, so this is a great opportunity to pick up anything you have forgotten or grab some snacks for the rest of the journey or in between meals.
Four hours into the drive (around lunchtime), we reach the geological phenomenon of the Mini Gobi, an offshoot of the larger desert to the south. Here, it won’t be horses that we are riding but the native two-humped Bactrian camel as we spend an hour or so exploring the dunes of this unique landscape. After lunch, we finish the last leg of the journey to Mongolia’s ancient capital. In the evening, we can relax at the guesthouse, and we will have a trip briefing so you know what to expect during the rest of the trip.
Day 2. Learn about Mongolian history and the local area as we visit Eredene Zuu Monastery, Mongolia’s largest functioning Buddhist monastery and the Kharakhorin museum. The monastery is one of the few sites that survived destruction during the communist purges. Its 108 stupas on the outer wall, three temples and some smaller buildings that survive to this day have been restored to their former glory with beautiful artefacts and colourful wall paintings. It is a must-see if you are in the area. The monastery, with its long history, gives you a glimpse of what the ancient city would have looked like under the Great Khans.
After a visit to the fabulous Kharakhorin museum and some lunch, we will set out for the Khangai Nuruu National Park and Orkhon Valley. The drive is 2hr 30 mins, and we will spend the night in a comfortable local Ger camp (traditional Mongolian tent) in the foothills of the mountains near Bat-Ultzii village. The region is renowned for its fertile rivers and a prosperous nomadic culture. The area we are staying in is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its beauty and cultural significance to nomadic people. The surrounding landscape consists of steep, rolling hills with mountains and wide meandering river valleys at their base. Many of the slopes are covered in trees, and herd animals roam freely through the landscape.
Horse Trekking
Day 3. Mongolia is the land of the horse, and there is no better way to explore this country than in the saddle. Our nomadic host will meet us at our Ger camp and join us on the roughly 20km ride to the Red Falls—Mongolia’s largest waterfall by volume. Our route takes us along the south side of the Orkhon River valley. This flat plain is broken up by formations of volcanic rock and scatterings of Siberian Larch starting to turn from green to a bright yellow colour. Today’s ride is shorter than the following days to get you accustomed to your horse and to give us extra time to explore the Red Falls. The waterfall is 24 meters high and 10 meters wide at full flow. The waterfall on its own is very impressive, but the river has also carved a deep gorge into the landscape that is accessible by a steep path. The gorge shelters many trees and wildflower meadows, making it a great place to go for a walk and explore before we go to our Ger camp a short walk from the waterfall.
The waterfall is also close to our hosts, Ger, and if his family is willing, we will visit them for a traditional Mongolian BBQ (Khorkhog). This is a great way to see how traditional Mongolian nomadic people live, learn a bit about their traditions and customs, and enjoy some local delicacies. After our meal, we will return to our ger camp and spend the rest of the evening. Relax by the fire, play games and swap stories with your fellow travellers. As night falls, you will be treated to the vast Mongolian night sky. On clear nights, you will be able to see the Milky Way as there is next to no light pollution here, and Mongolia’s elevation makes it the perfect place for stargazing.
Day 4. Starting from our host Ger, we will ride across the valley to the Northern side of the Orkhon valley. Here, the river flows, hugging and winding around towering cliffs on its northern shore. For most of the day, we will follow it downstream, enjoying the breathtaking scene as the river transitions from deeper pools to shallow rapids. Many nomads live in this valley, and we will pass many herds of grazing animals and a few Ger camps along the way. It is your typical Mongolian scene and part of a way of life that has been unbroken for thousands of years here. Our camp tonight is two kilometres south of the river’s course, but we will follow it for as long as we can before riding to our warm beds and Gers for the evening. Total riding distance today is roughly 24km.
Day 5. We briefly rejoin the Orkhon River and follow its flow until we reach a grassy valley that heads north to our next camp. A small stream runs through the valley, and rolling hills rise steeply on either side. On the Northern slopes, trees creep down the hills, but few make it to the valley’s bottom. This is a fantastic place to let loose the reins and let the Mongolian horses show you what they can do. Today’s ride is between 20km and 29km, depending on how far we follow the Orkhon and how comfortable the riders are with the longer rides.
Day 6. A change of terrain today as we leave the grassy valleys behind and head into the tree-covered hills. Our destination is the remote Tövhön Hiid Monastery. Built on a rock outcrop a the top of the mountain with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. It is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia and served as a retreat for its scholar/ artist founder Zanabazar for over 30 years. This time of year, the trees are a collage of greens and yellows, making for a mesmerising scene from the mountain and a pleasant ride to its peak.
After taking in the view and exploring the monastery, we will continue our ride into the valley on the other side of the hill. This valley is sacred as it is part of the pilgrims’ path to the monastery, and many springs well up and feed the stream that flows through this fertile valley. At the head of this valley is where we will end our ride and say goodbye to our nomadic hosts, allowing them enough time to make their ride home and us to get to the Tsenker hot springs before dark.
Hot Springs and Hustai Nature Reserve
Day 7. The Tsenker hot springs are a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, as they are believed to have healing properties and soothe the pains of joints and muscles. Perfect after 4 days of riding. There are many camps in the area as a result, and we will stay in one of these camps to use their showers, restaurants, cafes, and, most importantly, hot baths to soak and relax during the day and into the evening.
If you tire of the springs, the area is also great for hiking. Faint trails through the forest lead to panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes. We will have time to play traditional Mongolian games, such as knucklebones, compete in archery or read by the poolside. The time is yours to relax as you please, and it is a welcome change of pace after a busy and exciting few days in the saddle.
Day 8. Today is the penultimate day of our trip in Central Mongolia, and we must make our way back towards Ulaanbaatar and its domestic airport. We now leave the dirt tracks and horse trails of Khangai Nuruu National Park behind and regain the paved roads on our way back to the city. The trip, however, is not over, and we will stop at a Ger camp near Hustai National Park, home to the rare Przewalski horses.
Make sure to get some rest tonight, as we will be setting off early in the morning to increase our chances of spotting other wildlife such as wolves, Mongolian gazelle, lynx, ibex, red deer and marmots, to name a few.
Day 9. We will set off as soon as the park rangers open the gates, giving us the best chance of seeing some of the more elusive inhabitants. However, the Przewalski horses are the main attraction for the park and are what made it famous. Their reintroduction in 1990 after becoming extinct in the wild has been a massive success, and they are now a common sight here. The horses are distinct from other horse species as they are believed to have never been domesticated, splitting from domesticated horse breeds 38,000 to 160,000 years ago. After spending a few hours wildlife-spotting, we will head back to our ger camp to collect our things and depart for UB – a 2-hour drive.
Eagle Festival
The Kazak Eagle Hunters Festival is an annual event held at the end of September and beginning of October every year. The festival celebrates Kazak culture and heritage by holding competitions in retrieval and mock hunt eagle-handling events. With specially trained Golden Eagles, showing off their natural hunting ability with their trainers. Prizes are awarded for speed, agility and technique, as well as for the best traditional dress.
Day 10. Fly to Western Mongolia and spend the night in Ulgii city. Depending on flight availability we will either fly to Ulgii or Khovd (3hrs drive). The landscape here is very different as we are in the foothills of the Altai mountains and if we have to take the 3hr drive from Khovd it is no bad thing as the landscapes are spectacular.
Day 11. Ulgii will be filled with Eagle Hunters making their way to the spectacular lone rock, 7km from the province capital Ulgii. The first event is the opening ceremony and parade, in which the competing Eagle hunters will show off their best traditional clothing to the judges. The rest of the day will be filled with eagle calling where the eagle is released by another hunter from the lone rock and must return to its owner in the valley below. Other traditional horse games such as the Central Asian sport of buzkashi, a kind of tug-of-war on horseback will be played during the festival. Stalls will also be set up for you to explore between competitions. In the evening we will stay with a local Eagle hunter whose family will look after us during our stay and may give us a private Eagle showing.
Day 12. Day two of the festival starts with mock hunts. A hunter will releases their eagle while another drags a fox or hair carcass behind their horse. The hope is the eagle will spot the carcass and swoop down to attack it. The hunters get more points for the speed, agility and unique technique their bird displays. It is an impressive display of what these huge birds can do and you can capture some epic photos.
Day 13. Depending on flight availability, we return to Ulaanbaatar. The famous “Black Market” is open today so if you can brave the traffic and want to pick up some souvenirs from here then this is your best chance during the trip. It will likely be closed tomorrow as it closes every Tuesday but will reopen on Wednesday. In the evening we will all come back together to meet for a final meal. Say goodbye to most of our support staff, recount stories with your fellow travellers and prepare for your onward journey.
Day 14. We have nothing planned for today, but we will be available to provide airport transfers as well as help and information with onward travel and staying longer in Mongolia should you need it.
Important information
Domestic flights. We do not include domestic flights as part of this trip as the flight calander does not come out until July and can be unpredictable. As a result we recommend not booking your international travel until you have domestic flights booked. Buying your domestic flight is your responsibility however we do request the airlines reserve seats for us and we can help you with this process if you need it. Your deposit with us is also fully refundable until your domestic flights are booked. A return flight from UB to Ulgii or Khovd is usally around £200 – £275 during this time of year, although prices can change and you should factor this into your budget when booking this trip.
Arrival and onward travel. Whenever booking a domestic flight in Mongolia, we recommend allowing for an extra day or two either side of the trip you have booked. This is to give you extra time in case we have to adapt travel plans to suit changes to domestic flight plans. We will not be held responsible for you missing any onward travel or the Eagle festival due to delays or cancellations from domestic airlines. We can, however, provide additional transport in-country or adapt the itinerary to make it to the festival if you are let down by a domestic airline. The additional transport and other costs to adapt the itinerary will be an additional fee but it will be at the cost of providing those services. We will not include an additional fee for organising those services for you.
If all goes to plan, the extra day or two is a good opportunity to pick up souvenirs such as cashmere at the “Black Market” or the various factory shops around the city. We can also offer day trips to the Giant Chingish Khan statue and Terelj National Park a couple of hours from the capital if you would prefer something more active.
If you have any questions regarding domestic flights or want some help with international flights please let us know. Luke is always happy to help and can provide tips on getting good deals and where to fly to get them. You can call him on WhatsApp @ +44 (0) 795528572
Tour Details
Temperature in Sep to Oct: The day and night time temperatures in Mongolia drop quite quickly after the end of summer and temperatures can vary widely between days. The range can be 0°C to +17°C in the day and -5°C to +8°C at night. The range can sometimes be lower during the Eagle festival as we are in the Altai mountains and due to the altitude (around 2000m to 2500m) the temperature can drop. We advise you to come prepared by bringing plenty of warm clothes and suitable sleeping equipment. Mongolia is the Land of Blue Sky with low annual rainfall most of which occurs in June, July and August. September and October see far less rainfall but come prepared just in case.
Ger camping: The traditional Mongolian tent is called a Ger. When near towns or settlements, we will be staying in Ger camps which often provide running water and on occasion showers and clothes washing services although this is not a guarantee. The Ger is the perfect home for a nomad because it can be taken down and erected extremely quickly. They provide enough space for a family and are well-insulated. A single wood burner can make one feel like a sauna if the logs are piled on enough and provide a family with a place to cook.
Wild camping: We will be spending a lot of time in remote areas during this tour and for most of the trekking sections we will be wild camping. Wild camping is one of the top reasons to visit Mongolia as it is completely free to roam meaning we can pitch our tents anywhere and pick only the best places to stay. There is also almost no light pollution, very little cloud cover and most of the country is at over 1000m which makes Mongolia one of the best locations on earth for stargazing. While wild camping food will be cooked for you by our chef on the campfire. The campfire will be kept lit into the night for you to stay up and see the stars or tell stories with your fellow travellers. Tents are provided but please bring your own sleeping bags and roll mats.
Washing and water: Modern washing facilities in the Mongolian countryside can be limited therefore we opt for the more traditional style of washing. In most cases, water is available from rivers and lakes. This water can be heated up on the fire for basic body and clothes washing or you can go for a swim. If you do swim we ask that you don’t use any products as they can change the chemical make-up of the waterway. If you are using water collected from rivers you can use products but please check the label and bring soaps and detergents that are natural and biodegradable. Many of Mongolia’s rivers and lakes are so clean they are considered safe to drink by UK standards without treatment, so we would like to keep it that way. For travellers, we supply bottled water and despite the access to mostly clean water we recommend filtering or boiling any water you drink from waterways for at least 1 minute before you drink it. We cannot guarantee it is safe without testing and we don’t want anyone to get sick. Like in many countries drinking tea is popular for this reason.
Temperatures and Weather: Mongolia is known as “The Land of Blue Sky” due to its low annual rainfall and fondness for beautifully blue cloudless skies. Saying this the weather can change quickly and the summer months of June, July and August do see more rainfall so we still recommend waterproofs as we will be spending a lot of time outdoors. More often than not the weather is glorious but best be prepared. Daytime temperatures during the summer range between 15℃ and 26℃ but the nights can get cold and they can range as much as 5℃ to 18℃. The lower temperatures tend to occur (May-June) and late in the season (August-September) and altitude is a factor. We recommend bringing a four-season sleeping bag and roll mat with you in case the nights do get chilly. We often bring extra bedding for anyone who does get cold but please do not rely on this.
Horse Riding: Riding experience is not necessary. A sense of adventure and a can-do attitude is more important. Our local nomadic guides are expert horse handlers and have a wealth of knowledge to keep you safe during the ride. If you tire of riding we have a support vehicle on hand which will carry all our equipment and pick you up should you require it. We aim to ride for about 6 hours a day and cover about 20-30km which may sound like a lot but is easily achievable even for beginners at a horse-walking pace. For more experienced riders there is plenty of opportunity to explore the surrounding wilderness and we always hire some extra local guides so you can break off and feel the wind in your hair if you choose.
Nature ♦♦♦♦◊
Culture and people ♦♦♦♦♦
Adventure ♦♦♦♦◊
Includes:
Hotel guest house in Ulaanbaatar (optional)
Overnights in Gers and tents
Three meal a day
English speaking guide
Support staff
Permits and Festival entry
All activities
Excludes:
International flight
Travel Insurance
Personal sleeping bag (for the trek and family visit)
Role mat (for the trek and family visit)
Domestic flight (We will request to reserve your seat but we can not make the booking)
Per person – £2,595
≥ 2 people £2,495
≥ 4 people £2,400
If you would like to know more about this tour please give us a call. We are always happy to answer your questions. The best person to call is Luke on +44 (0) 7955 285 720, who is available on WhatsApp.