Golden Eagle Festival: Altai & Sagsai
5 / 8-Day Authentic Eagle Festival
About This Trip
This is the deeper cut. Instead of the main Eagle Festival, you’re heading to Altai or Sagsai. Smaller, more local gatherings where the experience feels less like an event and more like stepping into real life in western Mongolia.
You’ve chosen properly. Fewer tourists, closer access, more time with the hunters themselves. It’s quieter, more authentic, and in many ways, better. This is where you actually feel it. Not just watch it.
YOUR JOURNEY
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar
Arrive in Mongolia’s capital and transfer to your hotel. Meet your guide for a welcome briefing and dinner. First impressions of Ulaanbaatar. Wide boulevards, Soviet architecture, and a growing modern energy. Setting the tone for the journey ahead into Mongolia’s remote west.
Hotel in Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar City & Culture
Spend the day exploring Mongolia’s capital, visiting Buddhist monasteries filled with chanting monks and incense. Walk through central squares and local streets before finishing with a traditional acrobatic performance, showcasing Mongolia’s famous flexibility, strength, and fast-paced, high-energy cultural entertainment.
Hotel in Ulaanbaatar
Fly to Altai/Sagsai – Festival Day 1
Fly west into Mongolia’s Altai region, where landscapes become vast and remote. Arrive at a smaller eagle festival, far less crowded and more authentic than the main event. Watch hunters arrive on horseback, gather in traditional dress, and begin the first rounds of competition.
Ger near festival
Festival Day 2
A full day at the festival, where eagle hunters compete in skill, speed, and control. Eagles launch from distance and return to their handlers while riders race across the steppe. The atmosphere remains local, raw, and immersive, offering genuine interaction with hunters and their families.
Ger near festival
Return & Departure
Return to Ölgii airport and fly back to Ulaanbaatar. Take in one last view of the Altai Mountains before landing in the capital. Depending on your onward plans, transfer to the airport or continue your travels after experiencing one of Mongolia’s most authentic cultural traditions.
What's Included
- All National Park Entrance Fees
- All Breakfasts
- All Domestic Flights
- Donation Supporting Local Community
- All Accommodation
- Ground Transportation
- Ulaanbaatar City Tour
- Experienced Guide 24/7
- Eagle Festival Entrance
- Some Lunch & Dinners
- Visit with Eagle Hunters
What's Not Included
- International Airfare
- Travel Insurance
- Airport Transfers
- Visas