6-Day Budget Golden Eagle Festival by Bus
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Ulaanbaatar β Ulgii by Bus
We pick you up from your accommodation at 11:00 and transfer you to the bus station for the long ride west to Ulgii, about 1,760 km and 24 hours on a paved road. With two seats reserved for each traveler, you have room to stretch out, nap, and watch the country roll past. The route crosses almost the entire width of Mongolia, from the central steppe past the Khangai Mountains and the lake-studded basins of the west toward the snowcapped Altai. Meals aren't served on the bus, so bring snacks and drinks for the ride. Overnight on the bus.
Arrive in Ulgii
Arrive in Ulgii, the capital of Bayan-Ulgii, Mongolia's westernmost province. Your local guide and driver meet you at the bus station and transfer you to your hotel to rest and freshen up. Bayan-Ulgii is the heartland of Mongolia's Kazakh community, and the town has a distinctly different feel from the rest of the country: you'll hear Kazakh spoken in the streets, see a mosque and colorful embroidered wall hangings, and taste Kazakh dishes. It is also home to the 'berkutchi,' the eagle hunters who have trained golden eagles for generations to hunt foxes and other game in the Altai winters, passing the art from father to son and, nowadays, to daughters too. Overnight in the hotel.
Eagle Festival: Opening Parade & Eagle Call
After breakfast, drive about 30 km on a dirt road to the festival site, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Altai Mountains. The first day of the festival opens with a parade of Kazakh eagle hunters in full traditional regalia: fox-fur hats, embroidered coats, and decorated saddles, each mounted on horseback with one arm outstretched and a golden eagle perched on it. Then comes the eagle-calling competition, which tests each hunter's ability to call his eagle from a distant ridge to land on his arm on horseback. Judges score the eagles on speed and accuracy, and the hunters on their gear and their bond with the bird. Before dinner, drive about 30 km back to Ulgii. Overnight in the hotel.
Eagle Festival: Hunting Contests & Horseback Games
After breakfast, drive again about 30 km on a dirt road to the festival site. On the second day, the eagles' hunting ability is put to the test in the fox-skin competition, the real measure of a hunter's skill: the eagles must catch a fox skin dragged behind their trainer's galloping horse. After lunch, the traditional horseback games take over. In Bushkashi, riders wrestle for a goat skin in a tug of war on horseback; in Kyz Kuar, a man and a woman race each other on horseback; and in Tiyn Teru, riders lean from the saddle to pick coins up off the ground at full gallop. During the afternoon the points are tallied, and the winners are announced at the award ceremony. In the evening, drive about 30 km back to Ulgii. Overnight in the hotel.
Ulgii β Ulaanbaatar by Bus
After breakfast, enjoy a relaxed morning at the hotel. We pick you up from your hotel at 12:00 and transfer you to the bus station for the ride back to Ulaanbaatar, about 1,760 km and 24 hours on a paved road. Again you have two seats each, so you can rest as the mountains of the west give way to the central steppe; bring snacks and drinks for the ride. Overnight on the bus.
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar after your journey across the country. Our driver meets you at the bus station and transfers you to your accommodation. The end time depends on the bus arrival, but it's usually in the afternoon.