Sagsai Eagle Festival 2027

Fly from Ulaanbaatar to Ölgii, the capital of Bayan-Ölgii Province. Our team meets you at Ölgii Airport, and after brunch in Ölgii we drive toward Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, through spectacular mountain and steppe landscapes, to the Tavan Bogd Ranger Station. Settle into your traditional ger and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the Altai Mountains.

Explore Mongolia the way nomads do, on horseback. No riding experience needed: our wranglers pick a suitable horse and guide you, and experienced riders can ride on their own. It’s a relaxed 5–6 hour ride to Tavan Bogd Base Camp, with plenty of stops. Pass pristine alpine lakes fed by snowmelt and take in the Potanin Glacier and the snow-capped peaks around it, then ride back to the Ranger Station for another night in your ger.

After breakfast, leave Tavan Bogd and drive toward the Khoton and Khurgan lakes. On the way, stop at Shiveet Khairkhan Mountain, an important archaeological site known for its ancient Bronze Age rock art. On arrival a Kazakh nomadic family welcomes you to their traditional camp, and in the evening you share a Five Fingers feast, a communal Kazakh meal, with your hosts and the travel team.

Explore the landscapes around Khoton and Khurgan lakes, driving and hiking toward Baga Turgen Waterfall through the surrounding mountains, valleys and rivers. In the afternoon, explore the heritage around Khurgan Lake: ancient burial mounds, balbals and Turkic stone figures left by the peoples who once lived in the Altai. Return to the nomadic family camp in the evening.

Leave the lakes and drive to Sagsai Village, one of the most important areas for Kazakh eagle-hunting traditions in Bayan-Ölgii. Your host eagle hunter and his family welcome you into their traditional nomadic home and introduce you to the local eagle-hunting community. Get to know your horses and fellow eagle hunters as they prepare for the Sagsai Eagle Festival, and learn about the traditions behind Kazakh eagle hunting.

Ride on horseback with members of the local Kazakh eagle-hunting community to the festival grounds. At the Sagsai Eagle Festival, local eagle hunters gather to show their skills and celebrate their heritage, with traditional eagle-hunting competitions, horsemanship and other cultural activities. Ride back to the family camp, where your hosts show you how golden eagles are tamed, trained, fed and handled.

Return to the festival grounds for another day of competitions and cultural activities, then drive to Ölgii in the late afternoon and check into your hotel. In the evening, enjoy a special cultural farewell program: Mongolian throat singing, traditional Kazakh music and family performances, cultural entertainment and a special farewell dinner.

After breakfast, travel to Khovd Airport for your domestic flight back to Ulaanbaatar.