Dates
February 26th to March 9th 2023
Introduction
A rare opportunity to experience three of Mongolia’s unique cultures. Combining three Winter festivals this is an opportunity to immerse yourself in some of the most interesting and vibrate cultures alive today. The Khovsgol Ice festival celebrating Northern culture with the Tsataan reindeer herders and their strong shamanic traditions. The Golden Eagle Festival where Kazakh’s from the far West of the country show off their skills of hunting with Eagles and finally the Ten Thousand Camel Festival a celebration of the humble Bactrian Camel and life on the Gobi desert.
Feb 28th. Airport transfer and city tour.
March 1st. Fly North and settle into your traditional Winter Ger (Yurt) with hot tea and Mongolian treats.
March 2nd. Try your hand at horse sledding on Mongolia’s largest frozen lake ahead of the celebrations tomorrow.
March 3rd to 4th. A fantastic display of Northern Culture. Khovsgol Ice Festival Opens with shamanic ceremonies, dancing, Sporting competitions, and artistic displays.
March 5th. Be amazed by the Kazak’s Eagle Hunter showing off their symbiotic hunting techniques riding on horseback with their giant eagles by their side during the Spring Golden Eagle Festival.
March 6th to 7th. Fine living in the Gobi Desert with locals for The Ten Thousand Camel Festival. A display of fine garments and camel related sports including camel polo
March 8th. We return to Ulaanbaatar to celebrate our adventure with one last meal together.
£1,400 per person
£1,100 for groups ≥4
Full Itinerary
(Sorry no pictures yet. This is a new tour and we haven’t had the chance to take some photos but there are plenty on the internet to get you excited.)
Settling in and Horse Sledding
Feb 28th. Your guide for the trip will pick you up and take you to your hotel so you can drop off your bags. Today we have planned a leisurely city tour starting with Gandan Monastery that is just around the corner from your hotel. Your guide will then show you around the city while visiting various historic and cultural sites. There are no obligations to join today’s city tour if you would rather rest after a long flight you are welcome to join the tour later or visit the Monastery in your own time.
March 1st. Fly North and explore the frozen Lake Khovsgol. From Chingish Khan International airport we fly to Moron City, 1h 30mins. From Moron it’s an hour drive through vast Mongolian landscapes to the remote village of Hatgal on the Southern tip of the frozen Lake Khovsgol. In Hatgal we will have some time to settle into our traditional Winter Gers (Yurt) and meet with some of the local herders for tea and Mongolian treats.
March 2nd. Today our new local friends will treat us to a day on the ice. While preparations continue for tomorrow’s celebrations we will be trying our hand at one of the most popular events for locals, horse sled racing. While racing is up to you, horse sledding is a preferred method of travel this time of year as it’s the perfect way to explore Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake by volume 480.7km³ and second-largest by area 2,760 km².
Khovsgol Ice Festival
March 3rd to 4th. The Khovsgol Ice Festival is a celebration of Northern Mongolian culture. The frozen lake allows locals to get around easier over the thick ice and the event is held every year to celebrated everything that the lake and surrounding landscape provide as well as being an opportunity for local tribes and people to come together before the summer melt. Being one of the biggest celebrations of the year for local people many will come dressed in their best and most colorful traditional clothing which often carries representations of their region or clan know as their aimags.
The festival kicks off with traditional music and dancing as well as Shamanic ceremonies by local spiritual leaders including that of the Tsataan tribe a group of reindeer herders from the remote mountain plateaus of the Russian border whose form of shamanism is believed to be one of the oldest alive today. Once the festival is underway there is a range of competitions and displays to keep you busy including an international ice skating competition, horse sled racing (of course), ice sumo wrestling, tug of war, ice Ger (nomadic dwelling) displays, and elaborate ice sculpting. Hot drinks and food are provided by local residents and there is a range of local delicacies to try including the famously delicious horse milk vodka some of the best vodka you will ever try.
During the event, you will be free to explore at your own pace. Mongolians are very welcoming to travelers, it is ingrained in the culture due to the nomadic lifestyles they lead and you will likely bump into many of the local herders you already know and be introduced to many more.
Golden Eagle Festival
March 5th. Near the capital Ulaanbaatar, Kazakh’s from the West of Mongolia gather to show off their breath-taking bird handling skills by demonstrating the hunting abilities of their huge Golden Eagles. The spectacle is a celebration of Western Kazakh Eagle Hunting culture and competitors will compete for best trainer, fastest eagle, and best hunter. There will also be a best-dressed category with Kazakh competitors adorning their finest outfits for the judges all while mounted on horseback and carrying an eagle with an 8-foot wingspan. It makes for quite a display. The event is also full of music, sports competitions, and traditional food.
Ten Thousand Camel Festival
March 6th to 7th. In the Umnugobi region of the Gobi Desert, we join celebrations honouring the humble Bactrian camel, an essential part of life in the Gobi for nomadic herds people. The celebration will be full of the ornate costumes you have come to expect in Mongolian events as well as camel racing, polo and lassoing completions there will also be parades and a wool fashion show. Like all Mongolian events, this is an opportunity for nomadic people to come together socialise, compete and have fun all to the awesome backdrop of the Gobi desert.
March 8th. We return to Ulaanbaatar to celebrate our adventure with one last meal together. Please tell your guide when your departure date is so we can organise airport or train station transfers and say our farewells.
Tour Details
This is the best time of the year to experience such a variety of Mongolia culture. All three festivals are so unique and it is a wonderful opportunity to experience some of Mongolia’s most fascinating nomadic cultures.
The Mongolian winter can be very cold and temperatures at the Khovsgol ice festival can range between highs of -7°C and lows of -23°C. The Winter Ger’s we stay in are incredibly insulated and can get quite toasty with the fire on. When staying in the Ger’s we do ask you to bring your own sleeping bag to sleep in as not all nomads or Ger camps have enough additional bedding. Always best to come prepared. Remember to bring plenty of warm clothing with you, we will provide some additional clothing and bedding if required but best bring your own.
These festivals really bring people together and to be part of it is a truly unforgettable experience.
Nature ♦♦♦♦◊
Culture and people ♦♦♦♦♦
Adventure ♦♦♦◊◊
Includes:
Overnights in Gers and guest houses
Three meal a day
English speaking guide
Support staff
Permits and Festival entry
All activities
Excludes:
International flight
Travel insurance
Personal sleeping bag (for staying in Gers)
£1,400 per person
£1,100 for groups ≥4