Duration
13 days / 13 nights
Days of riding
4 days total
Difficulty
Beginner to Intermediate
Price
Per person – £2,295
≥ 2 people £2,195
≥ 4 people £2,100
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, where the Kazak people live, is often too cold or unpredictable for horse trekking trips at this time of year, we will be hosting this part of the trip in Central Mongolia. 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 warm ger (Mongolian yurt) camps along our route. Marvel at the colours of the changing season as the trees turn a golden yellow. The beauty of the Orkhon Valley is enhanced by the collage of green and yellow trees in the shadow of snow-crested peaks. It is a wonderful time of year to visit this beautiful region.
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 – £2,295
≥ 2 people £2,195
≥ 4 people £2,100
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 golden yellow. 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.
Our nomadic host’s camp is not far from where we are staying, and we will join 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, while enjoying some local delicacies. After our meal, we will relax by the warmth of the fire, play games and swap stories with one another. 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’s 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. 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 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 group is with a longer ride.
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 at 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 golden yellows, enhancing the already mesmerising scene from the mountain 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. The grass here is allowed to grow long for winter grazing, and many springs well up to feed the stream that flows through this fertile valley. Take it all in, as 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. Ready to leave for the Eagle festival the next day!
Eagle Festival
The Kazak Eagle Hunters Festival is an annual event held at the end of September and the 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 provincial 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 and ride towards the spectators with their eagles. 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 one of the Eagle hunters whose family will look after us during our stay. They will put up beautifully decorated spare gers for us to sleep in and will help cook and prepare local delicacies for us to enjoy during our stay.
Day 12. Day two of the festival starts with mock hunts. A hunter will release their eagle while another drags a fox or a hair carcass behind their horse. If the eagle spots the carcass and swoops down to attack it, the hunter gets points. The hunters get more points for the speed, agility and unique technique their bird displays. It is an impressive display of how fast and agile these huge birds can be, and you can capture some incredible photos if you are quick enough.
At the end of the day, after the winner is annonced we will have some time to take some more incredible photos as we head back to the gers for a private eagle handling session with our host. During the session, you will be able to hold the family’s eagle and try on some of the fine fur clothing our host was wearing during the festival. After the eagle handling, we will have some dinner and then be joined by a local musician and friend of the family who will put on a private performance of traditional music for us. Many of the songs are popular folk tales, so don’t be surprised if members of the family, especially the kids, join in. Your guide will be able to tell you what the songs are about, as many have deeper messages about what it is like to live in the mountains as nomadic people.
Day 13. We must say goodbye to your Kazak host as we head back to Ulgii or Khovd for our flight back to UB. Once back in UB, we will have a final meal together to celebrate our adventure and say goodbye to one another. Thank you for joining us, and we hope you had a good trip.
24 hours after the trip. 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 a result, we recommend not booking your international travel until you have domestic flights booked. Buying your domestic flight is your responsibility; however, we can request that the airlines reserve seats for us, and we can help you with this process by poinitng you in the right direction or putting you in touch with trusted agents who can book flights for you. Your deposit with us is fully refundable until your domestic flights are booked and the trip is confirmed. A return flight from UB to Ulgii or Khovd is usually around £200 – £300 during this time of year, although prices can change and you should factor this into your budget when booking this trip.
As a group, we want to try to book the same flights. There is only one flight a day between UB and Ulgii and UB and Khovd. The UB to Ulgii route is the best as Ulgii is closer to the festival. We will only book the UB to Khovd route if the Ulgii flight gets booked up.
Flight to book:
Flight out. UB to Ulgii: OM067 / 16/09/2026 / Departure: 06:45 / Arrival: 08:05 / No stops
Flight back. Ulgii to UB: OM068 / 19/09/2026 / Departure: 08:55 / Arrival: 12:05 / No stops
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: Mongolia is a mountainous country, and temperatures at this time of year are extremely variable. For this reason, we host our horse-riding part of the trip on the lower plains of Central Mongolia, where it tends to be a bit warmer, though still very variable. It is not uncommon to find that one moment you are in a T-Shirt enjoying the sun, the next you could be wrapped up in multiple layers as a cold wind picks up, bringing a flurry of snow. By the end of the day, you might be back to a T-shirt again. The range during this time of year can be as much as 0°C to +20°C in the day and -5°C to +10°C at night. During the Eagle festival, as we are in the Altai mountains and at an even higher altitude (around 2000m to 2500m) temperatures tend to be a few degrees lower during the day, and nighttime temperatures on this trip have been as low as -10°C. We advise you to come prepared for anything by bringing plenty of warm clothes and suitable sleeping equipment just in case. Our support vehicles will be on hand throughout the riding and festival days, should you need to pick up a jacket or take one off.
Weather in Sep and Oct: Mongolia is known as “The Land of Blue Sky” due to its low annual rainfall and tendency for beautifully blue cloudless skies. Saying this, the weather rarely stays the same in the mountains, and it can change quickly and often during the day. June, July and August are the warmest and rainiest months of the year. September and October tend to be dryer but again, it is best to come prepared. A decent pair of waterproofs and plenty of warm layers are recommended, as we have had snow this time of year.
Ger camping: The traditional Mongolian tent is called a ger. On this trip, we will be staying in ger camps for the duration of the trip. Meaning every evening you will have a nice warm bed to arrive at, and no need to set up a tent. Ger camps often provide running water and, on occasion, showers and clothes washing services, although this is less likely in more remote areas and may be limited to only a few hours a day.
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. They are normally equipped with a wood burner for keeping the ger warm and providing a place to cook for its occupants. Despite the wood burner, we still recommend bringing a warm four-season sleeping bag as the fire will go out overnight if it is not tended (a service some camps offer), and the ger can be cold in the morning.
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 makeup 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.
Horse Riding: Riding experience is not necessary. A sense of adventure and a can-do attitude are 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 can help but you must book them)
Per person – £2,295
≥ 2 people £2,195
≥ 4 people £2,100
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.