Trip Menu

The Golden Eagle Festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2019.

Fresh off the heels of the biggest and best festival to date in 2018, with over a thousand visitors from all over the world coming to take in this unique spectacle, the coming edition promises to be even better with what will surely be a record number of eagle hunters and several surprises up the organizers’ sleeves.

Tour Mongolia and join us for an unforgettable journey to this year’s festival in the Altai Mountains of Western Mongolia. Each year Kazakh hunters from near and far attend the festival with their Golden Eagles, known as Berkut, to enter them into competitions testing speed, agility, and accuracy. Ceremonies, dance performances, a parade in the provincial capital’s city square, and a Kazakh play are held in honor of the hunters and their eagles. The Golden Eagle Festival is a highlight of any traveler’s visit to Mongolia.

This annual Mongolian festival, which celebrates the golden eagle as well as the hunters’ traditional culture, is arranged by the local Kazakh community and members of the Berkut Association, a community-based conservation organization. Historically, nomadic Kazakhs have depended on golden eagles for hunting; both the Berkut Association and the Golden Eagle Festival were established by Nomadic Expeditions’s Founder and CEO Jalsa Urubshurow in 1999 to preserve this proud tradition and protect the golden eagle. All proceeds from the festival’s ticket sales ($30 per person for two days of competitions) will benefit the Berkut Association, which will use these funds to further the organization’s goals, including arranging the annual festival. This expedition into the rugged Altai Mountains also includes opportunities to visit a local mosque, town market, provincial museum, and archaeological site.

Outline Itinerary

Day 1-2 Ulaanbaatar

Begin touring Mongolia by exploring Ulaanbaatar at the Zaisan Memorial, located on a hill overlooking the city. Visit the Gandan Monastery, the Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum, and National History Museum the following day.

Day 3 Fly to Bayan-Ulgii and Visit Tolbo Lake

Fly to Bayan-Ulgii in western Mongolia and visit crystal-clear Tolbo Lake.

Days 4-5 Golden Eagle Festival

Enjoy the festivities and competition of the Golden Eagle Festival.

Day 6 Return to Ulaanbaatar

Fly to Ulaanbaatar and visit the Bogd Gegen Palace, home of Mongolia’s last theocrat.

Day 7 Hustain Nuruu National Park

Drive to Hustain Nuruu National Park, home of the last remaining species of wild horse, known as the takhi.

Day 8 Departure 

Trip Dates & Pricing

Dates:

Oct 2, 2019 - Oct 9, 2019

Pricing:

2-5 passengers:

$5,495 per person/double occupancy

6-14 passengers:

$4,550 per person/double occupancy

Internal Airfare:

$580

Single Supplement:

$1,400

Gallery