Sagsai eagle Festival

1/Wednesday 12nd September—Arrival in Ulaanbaatar

Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. Transfer to your hotel. Free in the city. Tour briefing before dinner.

2/Thursday 13rd September—Arrival in Bayan-Ölgii

Likely, in the early morning we will transfer to the airport and fly 3½ hours to Ölgii or Khovd. Both towns are small towns, being capitals in their respective provinces. Both towns have a local interesting museum on its natural history. Khovd was a town already during Manchurian times, prior to 1910 and it has several ethnic minorities with a majority of Mongols. Khovd has both mosques and Buddhist temples. Ölgii is younger and with a majority of Kazakh people. Tuvans and Uriankhai peoples also live here. If we land in Khovd, there will be a nice drive of four hours with the Altai Mountains on both sides of the road, being the Hökh Serkhiin Nuruu and Tsambagarav Uul National Parks. We will use the time for sightseeing.  Check-in at Eagle’s Nest Hotel.

3/Friday 14th September—Excursion

Exploration of the surrounding countryside and Ölgii village. There is a mosque, a bazaar, a local museum. Visit go to the local museum which is worth of seeing.

4/Saturday 15th September—Opening ceremony

The Altai Eagle festival starts this day, near the village of Sagsai, which is organized in third weekend of September. It is a spectacle with eagles released from the hills, hunting for a fox skin in tow behind a horseman. Horse games such as the Central Asian game bouzkhasi, which is on horseback tug-of-war with a goat carcass. Quite wild at times. You will explore the eagle hunters’ traditional custom and culture.

5/Sunday 16th September—Eagle festival 

Explore another full day at the festival. Some shows of eagles are played. Eagles fly to the own trainers’ hand and catch the moving objects or prey while flying. Today there will be a camel race. In the evening, traditional concert of Kazakh ethnic group performed and enjoy a farewell dinner.

6/Monday 17th September—To Ulaanbaatar

Transfer to Ölgii airport and fly back to Ulaanbaatar 3½ hours.

7/Tuesday 18th September—Ulaanbaatar

A.m. Visit to Gandan Lamasery, center for the revival of Buddhism in Mongolia. Visit Sukhbaatar Square, where the Parliament Building is located as well as the statues of Sukhbaatar and Genghis Khan, Ögödei Khan and Khubilai Khan.  Visit the  National Museum of Mongolia.

8/Wednesday 19th September—Departure

Transfer to the airport for international flight out.

DATES 2018 ex Ulaanbaatar:

12 September – 19 September 2018.

PRICE 2018 ex Ulaanbaatar:

2 – 12 members: USD 2750 per person

Single supplement (7n): USD 280

Practicalities:

Transport:

This tour is supported by a jeep or minibus depending on the number of travelers.

Accommodation:

For early bookings there will be space at the only new small hotel sporting ten rooms with attached facilities. If the flight schedules are unfavourable, we will stay in a small two-star hotel in Hovd.

Operations:

Domestic flight days and times are confirmed latest in April. It means you may fly to any of Ölgii, Hovd or Ulaangom airports.

Staff:

An English-speaking Mongolian guide will accompany you at all times. Other language guides such as Russian, French, German, Italian, Korean etc. available at additional cost, upon request.

Meals:

Our cook will prepare the meals. We pride ourselves in having excellent cooks adept at both western and Mongolian cooking on our trips. There is no problem accommodating vegetarians on our trips.

Includes:

Guide. All meals outside the Ulaanbaatar. Breakfast every day in Ulaanbaatar. Domestic flight. All transfers.

Excludes:

Beverages, lunch and dinner in Ulaanbaatar. Air or train tickets in and out of Mongolia.