Duration

12 days / 11 nights

Days of riding

3 days total

Difficulty

Moderate

Price

Per person – £1,600

≥ 2 people £1,400

 ≥ 4 people £1,200

Start planning your adventure!

Dates

26th September to 7th October 2024

Introduction

An add on to our Central Mongolian tour. This tour takes you far into the west of Mongolia for the annual Golden Eagle Festival. For those who have not seen the documentary film “The Eagle Huntress” this is an opportunity for the local Kazak Eagle Hunters to show off their hunting prowess.

Itinerary

Day 1. Airport transfer and city tour.

Day 2. Drive to Kharkhorin and visit Mini Gobi and Ancient City.

Day 3-5. Meet local herders and ride across the vast steppe.

Day 6. Sit back and relax in some revitalising hot springs.

Day 7. Visit Khorgiin Togoo’s volcanic terrains and beautiful white lake.

Day 8-9. Return to Ulaanbaatar and Fly to Ulgii.

Day 10. First day of eagle festival.

Day 11. Second day of Eagle festival and fly to Ulaanbaatar (depending on domestic flights)

Day 12. Recommended extra day to explore the “Black Market”.

Per person – £1,600

≥ 2 people £1,400

 ≥ 4 people £1,200

Start planning your adventure!

Learn more +44 (0) 7955285720

Full Itinerary

Deserts and Ancient Cities

 Day 1. Airport transfer to your hotel and relax. Today we have an easy city tour of Gandan Monastery and Natural History Museum to allow you some time to settle into the new time zone.

Day 2. A short drive to the Mini Gobi or Bayan Gobi to the locals. The Bayan Gobi is an offshoot of the larger Gobi Desert and is home to many camels and wildlife typical of the larger Gobi Desert. After a stop at the Mini Gobi, we will continue to Khar Korum (Mongolia’s Ancient Capital) the location of “The Great Kuriltai” the meeting of clans that elected Chinggis Khan to supreme Khan. At Khar Korum your guide will give you a tour of the history of the colourful Erdene Zuu Monastery Mongolia’s second most important Buddhist Monastery in Mongolia. 

Horse Trekking

Day 3. Stunning views as we leave all paved roads behind and journey into the impressive country landscapes of the Mongolian Steppe to meet our nomadic family. Once we arrive you will get your first taste of traditional nomadic life as you are invited into the family’s Ger. After meeting and greeting you will be introduced to the horses.

Day 4. Experience Mongolia like a true nomad as you saddle up and ride across the vast steppe. We will be joined by our nomadic host who will take care of the horses as well as teach us how to ride like a true nomad on our journey. The Mongolian steppe is the land of horses and this landscape is absolute heaven to ride.

Day 5. Open steppe and green woodland. Today we ride through changing scenery to a secluded monetary on a remote mountain.  The varied terrain makes for a fantastic day of riding while you explore with your travel companions. 

Hot Springs and Volcanic terrains

Day 6.  After a couple of days of riding and saying our farewells to our nomadic hosts we leave for the Tsenkher natural hot springs. The hot springs are popular with tourists and locals alike and are famed for their healing properties, specifically for the joints and nerves. Here we will have some time to rest and relax or even explore the surrounding valley and woodlands. 

Day 7. A shimmering lake and an extinct volcano. Not far from the hot springs, we will be staying a Ger camp on the shores of the shimmering ‘White Lake’. The lake is surrounded by a volcanic landscape and the area is perfect for walking and trekking. The extinct volcano of Khorgiin Togoo is not far away and there are some great walks around the lake. 

Day 8. Return drive to Ulaanbaatar where you and your guide will prepare for your flight to Ulgii in Western Mongolia the site of the Golden Eagle Festival

Eagle Festival

The Kazak Eagle Hunters Festival is an annual event held at the beginning of October every year. The festival celebrates Kazak culture and heritage by holding competitions in lure-based and timed eagle-handling events with specially trained Golden Eagles, showing off the skills both of the birds and their trainers. Prizes are awarded for speed, agility and accuracy, as well as for the best traditional dress. 

Day 9. Fly to Ulgii with your guide and explore the city’s markets before heading out to a local Ger camp where we will be staying for the duration of the festival.

Day 10.  Ulgii will be filled with Eagle Hunters making their way to the spectacular lone rock that is 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 eagles released by their hunters from the lone rock, hunting for a fox skin tow behind a horseman. Other traditional horse games such as the Central Asian sport of buzkashi, which is a kind of tug-of-war on horseback will be played and displays will be set up for you to explore between competitions. 

Day 11. Eagle calling where the eagle is released by another hunter from the lone rock must return to its owner who is in the valley will be assessed by the judges today as the final competitions come to a close and a winner is announced. In addition to the eagle hunting a Bactrian Camel race is scheduled for today as well as a Kazak traditional music concert. Depending on domestic flight availability we will fly back to Ulaanbaatar today or tomorrow. 

Day 12. Back in Ulaanbaatar, your guide will show you around the famous “Black Market” to pick up a souvenir before we all get together for a final group meal in one of the cities bustling restaurants. What an adventure it has been so far and you are sure to have some stories to take home with you.

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 +5°C to +25°C in the day and -5°C to +12°C at night. Make sure you come prepared by bringing plenty of layers 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 best to come prepared just in case.

Ger camping: The traditional Mongolian yurt is called a Ger. When near towns or settlements we will be staying in Ger camps which often provide running water and on occasion 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 extreamly 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 1500m 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 hand washing. In most cases, water is available from rivers and lakes for washing. 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 its affinity for beautifully blue cloudless skies. The weather can change quickly however 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 20℃ and 30℃ but the nights can get cold and they can range as much as 5℃ to 20℃. The lower temperatures tend to occur early (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 all you need. Our local nomadic guides are expert horse handlers and have a wealth of knowledge to keep you safe during the ride and instruct you on your riding style. 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)

Drivers and horse wranglers tips (we recommend £5 – £20 depending on trip length)

Domestic flight (We will request to reserve your seat but you must book your flight)

 

Per person – £1,600

≥ 2 people £1,400

 ≥ 4 people £1,200

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.