Mongolia Golden Eagle Festival

4.3Based on

Image 1 of 8

Image 2 of 8

Image 3 of 8

Image 4 of 8

Local culture Cultural, religious and historic sites Festivals and events Guided and Escorted

Carbon neutral

17 daysDuration

Small Group TourUsually 8-12 participants, maximum 18 travelers

16 peopleMaximum group size

16 - 99 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Moderate

Involves sustained activity requiring a reasonable level of fitness and endurance.

Starts

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Ends

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Highlights

Attend the Eagle Festival in the remote Altai Mountains

Explore the vast wilderness of the steppe and Gobi Desert

Experience traditional nomadic culture

Mongolia Golden Eagle Festival

Get Trip Brochure & Exclusive Discount

Download a detailed PDF brochure and unlock an exclusive discount for this tour

Tour Availability

Select your preferred departure date and secure your spot

Loading availability...

Good to Know

Cancellation

Payment

Travel Insurance

Visa

Do you need help from our trip consultants?

If you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Our travel experts are ready to help.

Jane Andersen

Sine

Rasmus Juul Olsen

Why Book with Bookmundi

Earn USD 257+ in travel credits.

Best price guaranteed.

No credit card or booking fees.

100% financial protection.Bookmundi is a member of the Danish Travel Fund which guarantees for any payment made via us. Our guarantee covers all travelers, irrespective of nationality.

Carbon neutral tours.Algorithms and machine learning enables Bookmundi to calculate the carbon footprint for each tour. We then subsequently offset carbon emissions for all tour bookings on Bookmundi via investments in carbon reduction projects to help combat climate change.

25,000+ trip reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.

What are customers saying about Bookmundi

4.66/5

Excellent based on 805 customer reviews from

Karen

Excellent booking process. Easy to do online - simple and straightforward plus the 1 query I did have was quicckly solved due to customer service being on hand to help

17 hours ago

Similar Tours You Might Like

Discover our top tours similar to Mongolia Golden Eagle Festival that you might like.

Journeys: Discover Mongolia trip - alternative tour available

Journeys: Discover Mongolia

5.0(12 reviews)

14 days

Cycling in Mongolia - Naadam Festival trip - alternative tour available

Cycling in Mongolia - Naadam Festival

5.0(1 review)

17 days

Discover Mongolia - Eagle Festival trip - alternative tour available

Discover Mongolia - Eagle Festival

4.5(10 reviews)

17 days

Cycling in Mongolia trip - alternative tour available

Cycling in Mongolia

5.0(7 reviews)

15 days

Mongolian Tavan Bogd Trek trip - alternative tour available

Mongolian Tavan Bogd Trek

5.0(6 reviews)

11 days

Gobi Desert Explorer trip - alternative tour available

Gobi Desert Explorer

13 days

Naadam Adventure trip - alternative tour available

Naadam Adventure

8 days

Itinerary

Vast steppes, singing dunes, and golden eagles—Mongolia Golden Eagle Festival is a 17-day odyssey unveiling the land’s wild spirit and ancient traditions. Ideal for seniors and culture lovers, this small group trip traverses Mongolia’s diverse landscapes, from the Gobi Desert to the far-western provinces. Attend the legendary Eagle Festival, where Kazakh hunters showcase their bond with majestic eagles, and immerse yourself in nomadic life, from ger camps to herding goats on horseback. Experience the unique blend of Buddhist and Animist customs, marvel at dinosaur fossil sites, and sample Mongolia’s distinctive cuisine. The festival itself—a rare glimpse into a centuries-old tradition—is the tour’s crowning jewel, making your journey truly one-of-a-kind.

day 1 - Arrive in Ulaanbaatar

The adventure begins in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. We have a trip briefing with our tour leader this evening followed by a welcome dinner. But if you arrive early and wish to explore, perhaps visit some of the city landmarks, including Sukhbaatar Square (the main square), the National Museum and the State Department Store.

Meals:Dinner

Accommodation:Bayangol Hotel (or similar)

day 2 - Drive to Terelj National Park via the Genghis Khan statue

After breakfast, we transfer to Terelj National Park (approximately a two-hour drive), home to fascinating rock formations and green meadows carpeted with wildflowers. On the way, we visit the Genghis Khan statue. Standing 130ft (40m) tall and made of stainless steel, it’s the tallest equestrian statue in the world and quite a sight. We spend the day exploring these and visit the Aryabal Meditation Temple, which offers great views over the park. After lunch at our camp, we make a short trip to visit a local nomadic family to see how they live and hear about the nomadic way of life. Here, we also enjoy a tasting experience of homemade dairy products, such as yoghurt, cheese, curds and traditional salty milk tea.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 3 - Fly to Dalanzadgad; travel through rocky plains of Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park

We have an early morning flight to Dalanzadgad, the capital of the South Gobi province, then proceed to the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park. Gobi Gurvansaikhan means ‘Three Beauties of the Gobi’ and this range marks the eastern end of the Gobi Altai mountain range. The park landscape is extremely varied, with rocky and sandy desert plains, precipitous cliffs, ravines, saltpans and oases. We visit a spectacular natural sight of this region: Yolyn Am, which is approximately 31mi (50km) or 1hr 30min drive each way. Yolyn Am means Vulture’s Mouth and is a canyon so deep and narrow that winter ice can remain on the valley floor even in the height of summer. This region is also renowned for the diversity of its wildlife and many endangered species roam here, including Mongolian wild asses, ibex, argali sheep and snow leopards. We explore the canyon before transferring to a nearby ger camp for dinner and our overnight stay.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 4 - Hiking around the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag

Today we drive 45mi (70km) to Bayanzag, popularly known as the Flaming Cliffs, and hike among colourful sands of red, yellow and orange. Bayanzag is a renowned dinosaur fossil exploration site, discovered in the 1920s by Mongolian and American palaeontologists. We are free to explore the region and may even be lucky enough to spot dinosaur fossils. After a picnic lunch, we head to our camp for the afternoon.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 5 - Visit the Singing Dunes, the largest dunes in Mongolia

We have a five-hour drive (125mi/200km) to the Khongoryn Els dunes, which stretch for 125mi (200km) and are as high as 985ft (300m) in places. They are known as the Singing Dunes, because of the beautiful sound that resonates through them on a windy day.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 6 - Explore the Singing Dunes and visit a nomadic camel-breeding family

We have a full day to explore the dunes and surrounding area. We have the opportunity to visit a camel-breeding family and learn about the life of the local nomadic herders.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 7 - Explore the region of Bayan Gobi and the Bichigt Khad petroglyphs

Our journey continues through classic Gobi Desert scenery of flat stony plains with small rocky outcrops and patches of sand across the Khatan Suudal Steppe. We stop for a picnic lunch and then continue our drive to the Bayan mountains to view the Bichigt Khad petroglyphs. The rock inscriptions and pictures here date to 3000 BCE; we see paintings including depictions of ibex, argali and men riding horses. It is possible to see some of these from the vehicles (better with binoculars) but, for those who wish, it is also possible to hike up to the cliffs for a closer inspection of these Bronze Age works of art (the main cliff is a steep climb for 195ft/60m and walking poles are required so we usually visit the smaller cliff, which is more accessible).

We are in the vehicles almost all day today and cover approximately 240mi (385km).

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 8 - Transfer to Arvaikheer via Ikh Bogd mountain

First, we drive to Tsagaan Agui (White Cave), then pass over Taats River, from where the majestic Ikh Bogd mountain (the highest mountain in the Gobi Altai range) should be visible in the distance. We stop for a picnic lunch and then skirt the eastern edge of Ikh Bogd. We then drive to Arvaikheer, the capital of Ovorkhangai Aimag, on the northern edge of the Gobi.

We cover around 260mi (415km) today – expect to be on the go for approximately 11 hours.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Hotel

day 9 - Visit Arvaikheer Museum; to Kharkhorin via Shankh Monastery

This morning, we visit Arvaikheer local market and the museum, which contains nature collections, stone figures and Turkic scripts. After lunch, we set off for Kharkhorin, stopping en route to visit Shankh Monastery, once the home of the great Mongolian theorist Zanabazar.

We arrive to camp in the evening in time for dinner.

Total driving: approximately 93mi (150km), four hours

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 10 - Visit Karakorum and Erdene Zuu Monastery; drive to the Little Gobi Desert

This morning, we visit the 13th-century capital of the Mongol Empire. It was established by Ogedei Khan and remained the Mongol power base until Kublai Khan established Beijing as the capital. Erdene Zuu (Hundred Treasures) Monastery was the largest monastery in Mongolia, built in 1586 under the direction of Abtai Khan on the ruins of the ancient capital. Much of the monastery was destroyed during Stalin’s purges of the 1930s, but an impressive wall with 108 stupas and several temples remain.

After lunch, we drive (for about two hours) to the Mongol Els, or Little Gobi Desert as it is known, a unique belt of dunes in the steppe. We check into a nearby ger camp and head out to explore the region. It is an incredible sight to witness the bactrian camels wandering the desert dunes while horses graze on the green steppe nearby. We also visit Khogno Khan mountain, a small temple at its base. This region is also renowned for its birdlife, including steppe eagles.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 11 - Transfer to Khustain Nuruu National Park trek to see wild horses

In the morning, we drive for three hours (125mi/200km) to Khustain Nuruu National Park, famous for the re-introduction of Mongolia’s wild horse. The Przewalski’s horse (or takhi horse) almost became extinct, but thanks to the efforts of several Mongolian and international organisations, these magnificent wild horses now roam the steppes of the park. We visit the Project Information Centre and take a guided hike to see the wild horses.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 12 - Drive to Ulaanbaatar

After breakfast, we drive back to Ulaanbaatar city. You have the afternoon free to relax or explore the city. In the evening, we have the option to see a live performance of traditional Mongolian song and dance. Performed by the Tumen Ekh dance troupe, we see throat singers, contortionists and Tsam dancers.

Total driving: Approximately 130mi (210km), four hours

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Bayangol Hotel (or similar)

day 13 - Fly to Olgii; visit a nomadic Kazakh village

In the morning, we fly to Olgii in western Mongolia, from where we drive offroad for about an hour to Sagsai village. Here, we visit a Kazakh family home. We spend the day seeing how they go about daily life, taking care of and milking the cows, goats and sheep. We can also sample their traditional food and taste homemade yak cheese and yogurt. This is a great opportunity to understand the life of a nomadic family and to experience their friendliness and hospitality. In the afternoon, we return to Olgii and stay overnight at a ger camp.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 14 - Eagle Festival

Today we attend the Eagle Festival. For the first day of the festival, we see the competition for the best Kazakh costume, horse racing and archery. In the evening, we enjoy a cultural performance in the local theatre.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 15 - Another day at the Eagle Festival

Today we have another chance to witness the competitions and events of the Eagle Festival. We can see a demonstration from the eagles and their hunters, a camel race and the lively sport of kukhbar (in which two horseback riders wrestle over the possession of a goat skin). After enjoying the festivities, we return to camp for dinner.

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Ger camp

day 16 - Fly to Ulaanbaatar; free time in the city

After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for a mid-morning flight to Ulaanbaatar, arriving midday. We transfer to the hotel and freshen up before a light lunch. This afternoon is free for last-minute sightseeing or souvenir shopping around UB – cashmere, leather goods and traditional handicrafts are all good options and the guide can recommend the best places to go for these. Night owls may want to sample the Ulaanbaatar nightlife!

Meals:Breakfast

Accommodation:Bayangol Hotel (or similar)

day 17 - End in Ulaanbaatar

The tour ends after breakfast today and we begin our return journeys home, full of tales and magnificent photos to share.

Meals:Breakfast

A

AnonymousVerified Traveler

Oct 28, 2022

5.0

5.0 out of 5

Enthralling Adventure

Fantastic trip. We travelled (admittedly some long drives) through the flat landscapes, dodging large herds of goats and sheep as well as horses and camels. Four visits to various nomad families gave us insights into their ways of life, and we sampled fermented cows', mares', and camels' milk. We watched one family milk the mares, and rode camels near the sand dunes. Visits to Buddhist temples and museums gave us additional insights. The bronze age petroglyphs were a highlight, particularly those of tigers. The best bit was at the end of the trip, when we attended the Golden Eagle Festival. Watching men and women interact with their eagles was amazing, as were the other events, such as the tug-of-war with a goat skin.

A

AnonymousVerified Traveler

Oct 14, 2019

4.0

4.0 out of 5

Eagle Festival

Advice given by Exodus regarding the transfer in Beijing was inadequate. Much more detail is needed. Many lost souls were wandering the airport for some time. Perhaps a step-by-step description ? Chinese airport personnel were generaly rude, and less than helpful. The whole trip was generally fine. Exodus were advisied that one of us was gluten-free, but this information was not given to the tour guide beforehand, which Exodus stated it had been. Probably did not make a huge difference in the end as Gluten free food is largely unknown in Mongolia (not entirely unexpected).

A

AnonymousVerified Traveler

Oct 11, 2019

5.0

5.0 out of 5

Excellent trip.

Just returned from.this Mongolia trip. It was a wonderful holiday. Mongolia is vast and fascinating. The holiday was made more enjoyable and informative by our guide MG. The Eagle Festival was unbelievable. 120 eagle hunters with their beautiful Golden Eagles.

A

AnonymousVerified Traveler

Jan 30, 2017

3.0

3.0 out of 5

Mongolia adventure 15th - 29th August

An exciting trip to a remote region of the world. Met some wonderful people both on the trip and locals in the ger camps who are living the nomadic life still.....but with a few mod cons like satellite dishes and solar panels which drive the TV, twin tub and freezer box.. !!! A real experience to see the open spaces of the steppes and the different landscapes, but realised that I only scratched the surface of it as Mongolia is such a vast country. I would definitely like to go back to see more.