Tolbo Eagle Festival 2027

Fly from Ulaanbaatar to Ölgii, the capital of Bayan-Ölgii Province. Our local team meets you at Ölgii Airport and takes you into town for brunch before you check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax after your flight or explore Ölgii at your own pace.

After breakfast, drive from Ölgii toward Tolbo Lake, one of the most scenic areas in Bayan-Ölgii Province, for the Tolbo Eagle Festival: a spectacular celebration of Kazakh culture and the ancient tradition of golden eagle hunting. Watch skilled eagle hunters show what their trained golden eagles can do, with traditional Kazakh horsemanship, competitions and cultural activities. In the evening, settle into the lakeside camp.

Spend another day at the Tolbo Eagle Festival, watching traditional eagle-hunting competitions in the vibrant atmosphere of this important Kazakh celebration. In the afternoon, drive back to Ölgii for a relaxing evening in town.

After breakfast, leave Ölgii and drive through the spectacular landscapes of Western Mongolia into Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, 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 travel to Sagsai Village, one of the most important areas for Kazakh eagle-hunting traditions. Your host Kazakh eagle hunter and his family welcome you into their traditional nomadic home. Spend the afternoon getting to know the eagle hunter, his family and his trained golden eagle.

Ride into the surrounding countryside with your host for an authentic Kazakh eagle-hunting demonstration on horseback, and see how Kazakh eagle hunters work with their trained golden eagles in the open landscape, a tradition passed down through generations. Then drive back to Ölgii. 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 we drop you at Ölgii airport for your flight back to Ulaanbaatar.