Altai Eagle Festival

The Kazakh – a Turkish word meaning ‘free man’, ‘adventurer’, ‘separated from the herd’ – originally belonged to a confederation of Uzbek tribes from which they separated to from a political unit in northeast Turkestan. The Mongol Kazakh are though to come from the Hereit and Naiman tribes, who are mentioned in the Mongol chronicle, the Secret History of the Mongols. At the end of the 1860s, part of the Kereit settled down on the northern slope of the Altai, and nomadised along an affluent of the Khovd River, in the present Bayan-Ulgii Aimag. After the 1921 Revolution and the agreement over the establishment of frontiers between China, Mongolia, and Russia, the Kazakh herders continued to travel from one country to another, ignoring these new demarcations, until the creation in 1940 of a territory intended specifically for them.

Day 1: Ulaanbaatar
Upon your arrival at the Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport in Mongolia, you will meet the Khan summit crew and transfer to the Bayangol hotel, conveniently situated in downtown Ulaanbaatar. After freshening up from your trip, we will spend the day with a walking tour of some of the capital’s most noteworthy sites starting out at the heart of Ulaanbaatar, Sukhbaatar Square. Here we will see the statue of Sukhbaatar, the hero of
the Mongolian revolution, the Parliament house, National Opera, and City Hall. Afterwards we’ll visit Zaisan Hill, which offers great views of the city. Before dinner, you will attend a performance of traditional dancing and singing. Mongolia is best known for the traditional form of throat singing, khoomii, and the horse-headed fiddle that accompanies many traditional songs. Overnight in hotel (L, D)

Day 2: Ulgii / Sagsai area
After a four-hour early flight to Ulgii, the capital of Mongolia’s westernmost province, situated amongst the majestic Altai Mountains, we will be met by our drivers at the airport and taken to the Tsengle area, home to a population of Kazakh nomads. Overnight in ger camp (B, L, D)

Day 3: Altai Tavan Bogd Mountain
The first part of this day will be spent driving west to Tavan Bogd National Park. On the way we will see many peaks of the Altai range and some of the province’s most beautiful natural sites. The national park is named for the 5-peak Tavan Bogd Mountains, the tallest in Mongolia. Along the base of these 4,370 meter peaks is Mongolia’s longest glacier and great views into Russia and China. We will spend the night at the end of the road near the
peaks. Overnight in ger camp (B, L, D)

Day 4: Altai Eagle Festival
The first day of this uniquely western Mongolia festival features the fascinating history and techniques of traditional Kazakh eagle-hunting. Highlights of the day include an eagle-call competition, knucklebone and archery contests, eagle trapping, an exhibition of richly ornamented Kazakh wall hangings, and exclusive interviews with eagle hunters. Overnight in ger camp (B, L, D)

Day 5: Altai Eagle Festival
The second day of the Altai Eagle Festival has events showcasing the diversity of local traditions. There are more contests among the eagle hunters as well as various Kazakh games played on horseback – the “Bushkashi” competition, in which opponents attempt to fight on horseback for a goat skin; Kyz Kuar, a race between man and woman; and Tiyn
Teru, in which riders race to gather coins from the ground. The Festival concludes with an exotic Kazakh traditional dress event, followed by the Closing & Awards Ceremony and a group dinner featuring traditional Kazakh folk performances.
Overnight in ger camp. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Kazakh family
We will spend the day travelling throughout the surrounding area visiting nomadic Kazakh households to experience the atmosphere of an authentic Kazakh ger (yurt), with its spacious yet cosy interior and richly colourful handmade rugs. Kazakh culture in Mongolia is entirely distinct from Mongolian culture, and considered to be the most traditional of any Kazakh population in the world - even Kazakhstan Overnight in ger camp (B, L, D)

Day 7: Ulaanbaatar
We fly back to Ulaanbaatar, and spend our last day touring the city. We’ll stop by the center of Mongolian Buddhism, Gandan Monastery to learn a little about Buddhism in Mongolia and see the spectacular 25 meter, 20 ton statue of the Megjjd Janraysig Buddha. After that we’ll tour the Natural History Museum which has several exhibits on the flora and fauna of Mongolia plus a room of dinosaur skeletons discovered in Mongolia.
Overnight in hotel (B, L, D)

Day 8: Departure
Our adventure together ends with your transfer back to the Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport for your departure.