9 Days • 8 Nights
Eagle Hunters of the Altai
Tour Includes
About the Trip
You'll fly to Bayan-Olgii, meet the eagle hunters and watch them work with their magnificent birds, stay with Kazakh families in their beautifully embroidered gers, ride and hike among the glaciers and lakes of the Altai, and (in early October) attend the spectacular Golden Eagle Festival. Nomadic culture, dramatic mountains and rare traditions fill the days.
With comfortable ger stays, expert guides and the flights arranged, it is one of the most authentic and remarkable journeys in Asia.
Trip Highlights
- The Kazakh eagle hunters and their golden eagles
- The snow-capped Altai mountains and glaciers
- A stay with a Kazakh nomad family
- Beautifully embroidered gers and textiles
- Horse riding and hiking in the Altai
- The Golden Eagle Festival (early October)
- Alpine lakes and dramatic scenery
- A rare and remote cultural journey
Day by Day
A detailed day-by-day plan for this 9-day journey.
Arrive in the capital and settle in, with a welcome dinner of Mongolian flavours.
The Gandan Monastery, the National Museum and a cultural show, before heading west.
Fly across Mongolia to Bayan-Olgii in the far west, home of the Kazakh people, settling into a ger amid the dramatic Altai foothills.
Spend the day with a Kazakh eagle-hunting family, watching them work with their golden eagles on horseback and learning about this ancient, protected tradition.
Ride and hike into the Altai — alpine lakes, glaciers and sweeping valleys — visiting nomad families and their embroidered gers.
A day immersed in Kazakh culture — horse riding, traditional music and crafts, and the daily life of the high-mountain herders.
Explore the lakes and dramatic scenery of the Altai, watching for wildlife and soaking up one of the wildest corners of Asia.
Fly back across the country to the capital for a final evening, with time for the cashmere shops.
A final breakfast before your transfer to the airport.
Where You Will Travel
What's inside the package?
Inclusions
- Private airport transfers and a private guide and driver throughout
- 2N Ulaanbaatar, 6N in the Altai (ger camps and Kazakh family stays)
- Daily breakfast, a welcome dinner and full board in the Altai
- An Ulaanbaatar city tour and the National Museum
- Round-trip domestic flights to Bayan-Olgii
- An eagle-hunter experience and Kazakh family stays
- Horse riding and hiking among the Altai mountains and lakes
- All park and activity fees per the itinerary
Exclusions
- International airfare to and from Mongolia
- Any visa fees where applicable
- Travel insurance (essential, with evacuation cover)
- Golden Eagle Festival tickets (if attending in October)
- Meals not mentioned in the itinerary or inclusions
- Drinks unless specifically stated
- Optional activities and horse riding where not stated
- Personal expenses, tips and gratuities
- Anything not specifically mentioned under Package Inclusions
Know when to go.
- Visa: Many nationalities can now visit Mongolia visa-free for up to 30 days; others need an eVisa or visa in advance. Your passport should be valid at least six months — we can advise
- Currency: The currency is the Mongolian Tugrik. Cards work in Ulaanbaatar, but the countryside is a cash economy with almost no ATMs, so carry enough cash for the whole trip beyond the capital
- Best season: Mongolia is a summer destination — June to September brings warm days and green steppe. The famous Naadam festival is in mid-July; winters are extremely cold and most camps close
- Ger camp life: You stay in traditional felt gers (yurts) with beds and a wood stove. They are comfortable but simple, with shared or private bathroom blocks; bring layers, a headlamp and a sense of adventure
- Long distances: Mongolia is vast and roads are often rough tracks, so expect long, scenic overland drives, with domestic flights for the Gobi and the far west, all arranged for you
- Big temperature swings: Even in summer, days can be warm and nights cold, so pack warm layers, a windproof jacket, sturdy shoes, sunscreen and sunglasses
- Nomadic etiquette: When visiting a nomad family's ger, enter with your left foot, never step on the threshold, accept offered food or drink with your right hand, and move clockwise inside
- Connectivity: Mobile signal is limited or absent outside Ulaanbaatar and the main towns — embrace the digital detox and the vast, silent landscapes
- Health: Drink bottled or boiled water, and note that facilities are basic in remote areas. Comprehensive travel insurance with evacuation cover is essential
- Power: Ger camps often have limited, generator or solar electricity for a few hours a day, so bring a power bank and a universal adapter (Mongolia uses type C/E plugs at 220V)
Frequently Asked Questions
What meals are included?
Daily breakfast is included throughout, with full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) at the remote ger camps where there are no restaurants, plus a welcome dinner in Ulaanbaatar. It is hearty, home-style cooking.
Are transfers and touring private?
Yes — you travel with your own guide and a 4WD driver across the countryside, with domestic flights for the Gobi and far west, all arranged for you.
Do I need a visa for Mongolia?
Many nationalities now visit visa-free for up to 30 days; others need an eVisa or visa in advance. We confirm the requirements for your passport before you travel.
When is the best time to visit?
June to September is the season — warm days, green steppe and open camps. The Naadam festival falls in mid-July, and the Golden Eagle Festival in early October. Winters are extremely cold.
What is a ger camp like?
A cluster of traditional felt tents (gers) with real beds, rugs and a wood stove, plus a central dining ger and a shared or private bathroom block. Comfortable and atmospheric, if simple — a magical way to sleep on the steppe.
Can the itinerary be customised?
Absolutely. Durations, regions, camps and experiences can all be tailored, and we can add the Naadam festival, eagle hunters, Lake Khovsgol or a luxury camp. Just tell us what you have in mind.
How much driving is involved?
Mongolia is huge with few paved roads, so expect long, scenic 4WD journeys across the steppe and desert, broken by stops. Domestic flights cover the longest legs to the Gobi and the west.
When is the Golden Eagle Festival?
The famous Golden Eagle Festival is held in Bayan-Olgii in early October, when eagle hunters compete on horseback with their birds. We can time this trip around it, though the eagle-hunter experience is available in other months too.
Is the far west hard to reach?
Bayan-Olgii is remote, reached by a domestic flight of a few hours from Ulaanbaatar, which we include. The effort is richly rewarded by a landscape and culture few travellers ever experience.
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