ALTAI EAGLE FESTIVAL 2022 

Altai Eagle Festival of Mongolia is one of the rarest festivals in the world. Over 60 Kazakh Eagle hunters and Kazakh nomads participate to showcase their traditional culture. One of last remaining autenthic culture of Kazakhs’ takes place in the western Mongolia. These hardy Turkic speaking people are Sunni Muslim nomads and they hunt foxes and other small mammals with domestic Golden Eagles.

The eagle festival marks the start of the eagle hunting season, which is throughout the winter in the surrounding Altai Mountains. Hunting with eagles seems to be ancient, dating back some 6000 years. These traditions have been revived over the past two decades following the democratization in Mongolia. Now there are such festivals in March, September and October in various communities.

Notes on safety

Following are few tips to keep in mind to ensure safety of your own and travel companions, while participating in this extraordinary festival. Eagles are not pets and we ask you take extra precaution when getting in close contact with the eagles.

1. When you are in the competition field, please make sure to stand only in the designated public viewing areas,
2. It’ better not to wear any clothing that has an animal fur such as hat or sleeves and any loose or bright colored clothing as they might attract eagles,
3. During the competition when eagles are released from the mountain, avoid running in the same field as it might distract the birds,
4. If you have children, please do not let them wander on their own,
5. While the competition is on, leaving designated areas to get a closer photo shoot of the eagles is not recommended

• Prices: As we’ll customize your journey based on your preferences and needs, please note that this indicative price is just a rough estimate. Prices may vary depending on season, type of accommodation and activities/experiences chosen (private vs. shared) etc.
• This journey outline is by no means conclusive. It is just a guideline and can be tailored according to your comfort level, interests and preferences for every detail from accommodation to activities.
• Health: Travellers to Mongolia should ensure that they are up-to-date with routine vaccination courses and it may be advised that further vaccines are sought. Please talk to a health professional 4 – 6 weeks before travelling. It is recommended that most travellers are vaccinated for Hepatitis A and Tetanus but it is also worth discussing Hep B, Typhoid, Meningitis, Tuberculosis, Tick-borne Encephalitis and Rabies.
• Long bumpy rides: Be prepared for some epic long car rides in some old school furgons (Russian UAZ vans). As few of the vans have speakers or a method of playing music, you might like to bring along your own portable speakers and an MP3 player (but bear in mind others may like to enjoy the serenity!) It is not unheard of for people to feel a little travel sick, so if you are prone to this, remember to bring your tablets and feel free to ask your guide/driver to stop as frequently as you wish.
• Guide:
  An English speaking Mongolian guide will accompany the group at all times. The guide will be a native Mongolian person with great local knowledge who can deal with any requests and ensure that your holiday to become one of the most unforgettable experiences of your life.
• Occupancy: Single $210
  You can stay in a single, twin or double room/ger/tent (where applicable). Single occupancy may not be possible during the Naadam festival (July 5th -15th) at ger camps. At community-based camps and ger homestays, single occupancy is subject to availability. Single and twin/double occupancy at ger camps require an extra supplement.
• The best time to make this trip
  May to September is the best season, with the peak season in July for the Naadam Festival. July and August are also the wettest months of the year, but be assured, our climate is such that you will still have many sunny days at this time.
• Accommodation:
  We believe that comfortable, welcoming accommodation is vital to the enjoyment of your trip. You will be stay in a standard 3-4 star hotel in Ulaanbaatar and a tourist ger camp (traditional dwelling) with currency (220V), shower and other useful services (2 to 4 people per ger) in the countryside. All accommodation offered by Blue Wolf is personally checked by our staff to ensure high standards.
• Meals:
  In Ulaanbaatar, you will be dining at fine European and Asian cuisine restaurants. Mutton, beef, rice and noodles form the basis of the Mongolian diet, so your meals will be based around this. However, the trail rations may include vegetables, eggs, peanut butter, cheese and sometimes yak! On some days there will be lunchboxes from tourist camps. It is good food and our experience has been that guests are happy with this arrangement. Please let us know in advance if you are a vegetarian. Alcohol is not provided on the trip but tourists are free to bring their own.
• Transport:
  We use the highest level, most comfortable, air-conditioned private vans or 4WD vehicles for the maximum comfort on your touring days. A day’s drive in the countryside will be approx 200-250km.
• ​Personal things to bring with you:
  Binoculars, sunscreen, a hat, gloves, long underwear for travel in the high mountains, comfortable footwear, lip balm, sanitary hand wipes, sunglasses, prescription medications (if needed),pills for motion sickness, rain gear, flashlight, universal plugins for charger.