heymongolia
Festivals

Golden Eagle Festival

Kazakh eagle hunters from across Bayan-Ölgii compete with their golden eagles, with horse games and traditional dress.

Each autumn, eagle hunters gather near Ölgii in Mongolia's far west to show off their golden eagles. Competitions include calling the eagle to the hunter's arm from a cliff, speed and accuracy contests and the eagle's handling of a lure dragged behind a horse.

Around the eagle events are traditional Kazakh horse games such as kokpar (a tug-of-war over a goat skin on horseback) and kyz kuu (a chase between a girl and a boy on horseback), along with crafts and food.

Most visitors fly from Ulaanbaatar to Ölgii and combine the festival with a stay with an eagle-hunting family.

  • When: Usually the first weekend of October
  • Where: Near Ölgii, Bayan-Ölgii province
  • Region: Altai & the west

Tips

  • Book flights to Ölgii early: they sell out for festival weekend
  • Bring warm layers: October mornings in the Altai are below freezing
  • Check the year's dates with a tour company before booking

Tours for Golden Eagle Festival

  • Golden Week – Golden Eagle (7 days · Altai & the west · Tour Mongolia (Active & Adventure Tours Mongolia) · from $2,790)
    A 7-day fly-in trip from Ulaanbaatar to Ulgii for the Golden Eagle Festival, with a homestay at a Kazakh eagle hunter family and a private hunting demonstration.
  • Golden Eagle Festival & Gobi Desert (12 days · Altai & the west · Nomadic Expeditions · from $12,350)
    A 12-day autumn group tour flying to Bayan-Ulgii for the Golden Eagle Festival at Tolbo Lake, then to the Gobi, with Terelj and Ulaanbaatar sightseeing.
  • Golden Eagle Festival (7 days · Altai & the west · Nomadic Expeditions · from $7,115)
    A 7-day group trip from Ulaanbaatar to Bayan-Ulgii for the Golden Eagle Festival, with a trek around Tolbo Lake, Kazakh family visits and ger camp stays.
  • Tolbo Lake Eagle Festival and the Gobi Desert (11 days · Altai & the west · Nomadic Expeditions · from $11,975)
    An 11-day September trip pairing the eagle festival at Tolbo Lake in Bayan-Ulgii with Terelj National Park and the southern Gobi, using domestic flights.
  • Golden Eagle Festival (8 days · Altai & the west · Nomadic Journeys · from $3,950)
    An 8-day October trip flying from Ulaanbaatar to Bayan-Ulgii for the Golden Eagle Festival, with an eagle hunter family visit and a temporary ger camp stay.
  • Golden Eagle Festival Tour 2027 (9 days · Altai & the west · Kazakh Tour · from $3,452)
    A 9-day autumn trip flying from Ulaanbaatar to Bayan-Ulgii for two days of the Golden Eagle Festival, with eagle hunter family visits, a hunting outing and a shaman ceremony.
  • Nomads & Eagle Festival Tour /SPECIAL/ (14 days · Altai & the west · Kazakh Tour · from $5,990)
    A 14-day September trip to Bayan-Ulgii combining the Golden Eagle Festival with an eagle hunting outing, a two-day horse trek, Altai Tavan Bogd and Tuvan nomad visits.
  • Spring Eagle Festival Ulaanbaatar Mongolia (1 days · Altai & the west · Kazakh Tour · from $100)
    A day trip from Ulaanbaatar in March to an eagle festival a short drive outside the city, with eagle competitions, Kazakh horseback games, archery and a camel ride.

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