Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Ulgii, visit eagle hunting Kazakhs

The driver meets you at the hotel and transfers you to the airport for a flight to Ulgii, a central town of Bayan-Ulgii. Bayan-Ulgii is a province where the national minority Kazakhs reside. The Kazakhs are the only Muslim people in Mongolia and are well-known that they have been keeping their traditions at their origin compared to the Kazakhs of other countries. You will land in Ulgii after a 2.5-hour flight. Meet your local guide and driver. The journey continues to an eagle-training Kazakh family's home. Discover their unique lifestyle, try Kazakh foods and stay with the Kazakh family.

Accommodation: Eagle Hunter family stay
Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Go to mountains and see the Eagle Hunting

You will mount on a horse (driving is available if you do not have much horse riding experience) and go to the nearby mountain to see how the Kazakhs hunt with the Eagles. Hunting animals will require days sometimes. Therefore, they use baits for the eagle hunting demonstration. Continue the nomadic eagle hunter’s lifestyle discovery, hear stories, and see how they train and treat the eagle. If you are a fit and adventurous rider, you can ride among the mountains with the eagle hunters for authentic hunting for a whole day.

Accommodation: Eagle Hunter family stay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Return to Ulgii and visit market

This morning, continue to explore Eagle Hunter’s life and the photography if required. Return to Ulgii town and refresh from the nomadic adventures. You will visit the local market and a handicraft shop in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Ulgii town tour and fly back Ulaanbaatar

In the morning, you will visit the museum and climb a hill to see the panoramic view of the town. Lunch and transfer to the airport. Our driver greets you at the airport and transfers you to your accommodation upon arrival in Ulaanbaatar.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour Price

Background

Ulgii, a central town of Bayan-Ulgii province, is located 1600 km from Ulaanbaatar. Taking an internal flight is the best way to save time and meet the Eagle Hunting People not driving far. The internal flight takes 2.5 to 3 hours in one way. The Kazakhs are nomadic people who move in search of pasture and water for their animals. Therefore, the driving distance from Ulgii to the Eagle Hunting Kazakhs may vary. Your falconer host family’s pasturelands are within 150 km distance from Ulgii at its furthest. You will ride horses when you go to the mountains for Eagle training and eagle hunting. If you do not have much horse riding experience, you can sit in the vehicle and follow the eagle hunters. Once you are in the mountains, some hiking is required to find the best place for the hunting demonstration.

Tour meals are included according to the itinerary. In Ulgii town, you will eat at Kazakh and Turkish restaurants. Meat is the main ingredient for meals and is served for lunch and dinner along with vegetables. There will be more meat in traditional Mongolian and Kazakh meals. With nomads, you will try authentic Kazakh meals and some traditional Mongolian meals. Different types of meals offered simultaneously are not customary in the Mongolian tradition. If you are a vegetarian or have other dietary restrictions, please inform us in advance, and we will make arrangements accordingly. We will supply two 0.5L bottles of water a day. Providing one large bottle (1.5 liters) of water instead of 2 small bottles is available upon request. More information on Mongolia Meals

The tour includes a 2-day stay with an eagle hunter family and one night in a hotel in the town. You may get some information about the nomadic homestay at Mongolia nomad family. WC and shower are available when you stay in a hotel but not available when staying with the eagle hunting family. This tour doesn't include accommodation in Ulaanbaatar. If you wish, we can book a hotel in Ulaanbaatar. Therefore, feel free to request us to book a hotel in Ulaanbaatar.

An English-speaking Kazakh guide of Bayan-Ulgii will serve you. Our Ulaanbaatar guides can guide you in Bayan-Ulgii, but there will be some additional fee as the guide should fly with you from/to Ulaanbaatar. The majority of our guides are English speaking. We also have German, French, Spanish, and Japanese-speaking guides. They are all professionally trained, friendly, and helpful, and most of them were born and grown in the countryside. Therefore, they have good knowledge of the country’s culture, tradition, history, and geography.

Four wheels driving Russian vans or jeeps driven by experienced, friendly, and safe mechanic drivers will serve you in Bayan-Ulgii. Sedan or 4xWD Japanese vehicles will transfer you for the internal flights. Different car types are available upon request.

The Falconry Tour in Western Mongolia is available all year round. The Eagles and the horses are not strong after the long and harsh winter. Therefore, summer, autumn, and winter are the best time to take the tour. The Kazaks or the Eagle Hunting people reside 1600 to 1700 km from Ulaanbaatar. To save time, we arrange the tour with a round-way internal flight. If you travel in the summer, we can arrange the tour overland, including some attractions and scenic places of the Gobi desert, central Mongolia, northern Mongolia, and western Mongolia. Western Mongolian temperature is approximately 5°C lower than the central or southern part of Mongolia as it is mountainous and elevated. As well as, it gets cold earlier in autumn and becomes warm late in summer. Therefore, we suggest you bring warm clothes either in the summer months. To prepare for the trip, please check discovery tour packing list if you travel in warm months and winter tour packing list if you travel in winter. For added warmth during colder months, you can borrow our traditional warm garment Deel. We will provide the deel upon request.

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