Entry Level
Activity
Transfers
9 Nights
4 - 4
Group size
Leaders
Journey into the Altai Mountains in western Mongolia to witness majestic golden eagles in action, practicing the centuries-old hunting techniques passed down through generations. Experience the warmth of Kazakh family hospitality in Sagsai village as you gain insight into the nomadic way of life. Under the guidance of skilled eagle hunters, try your hand at handling these incredible birds, forging a deeper bond between humans and eagles.
This bespoke adventure is also perfectly timed to include one of the smaller community Naadam Festivals: Join the local nomadic community in cheering on their three classic sports - horse racing, archery and wrestling, and of course have a go at joining in yourself also!
If you would like to learn more about Mongolia, you can watch our webinar here.
During the communist period in Kazakhstan, many Kazakhs fled to Mongolia and settled in Bayan-Ölgii Province, bringing with them their tradition of hunting with golden eagles. There are an estimated 250 eagle hunters in Bayan-Ölgii, which is located in the Altai Mountains of Western Mongolia. Their falconry custom involves hunting with golden eagles on horseback, primarily for red and corsac foxes during the cold winter months, when it is easier to see the gold-coloured foxes against the snow.
We will stay with local families in this community and take an amazing round trip adventure riding horses to the Altai Tavan Bogd base camp amongst the National Park’s stupendous mountain peaks in this vast frontier. We will also explore the capital Ulaanbaatar to see its temples, traditional dancing and feast on delicious Mongolian food.
Transfer
Dinner
5 star hotel
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar at 16:45.
Meet your guide and driver at the airport, and transfer to the hotel. Enjoy dinner in the city centre restaurant, then transfer to the hotel. You'll need an early night to rest up as you have a very early start in the morning.
Accommodation: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace
Flights
Transfer
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Ger
Fly to Ulgii town in western Mongolia (national flights are included in the adventure cost) at 07:25 am and drive to Sagsai village (250 km) and be warmly welcomed into the home of a local eagle hunter family. Experiencing the great hospitality of the Kazakh people, sampling local dishes, and learning nomadic and eagle-hunting living styles.
Stay with the host family in a private ger just beside the family
Flights
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Ger
Experience the timeless tradition of eagle falconry in just two days with the eagle hunters in Sagsai village. Learn about traditional training methods passed down through generations as you witness the bond between eagle and hunter during captivating hunting demonstrations. From releasing eagles from mountain peaks to chasing fox skins on horseback, you'll gain insight into the intricate techniques of eagle training. Participate in hands-on activities alongside the eagle hunter family, experiencing firsthand the remarkable skills of both eagles and their masters.
Learn about the cultural significance of eagle falconry and depart with a deeper understanding and appreciation for this incredible eagle-hunting culture, enriched by unforgettable memories of your time spent with these skilled hunters and their majestic eagles.
Stay with the host family in a private ger just beside the family
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
A continuation of the day before but now a bit more hands on where the family can ride horses, hold eagles and help out around camp such as dismantling and putting up gers as required by the community.
You will then be transferred back to Khovd in the late afternoon to stay in a local hotel.
Flights
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Ger
This morning you will fly from Khovd to Ulaanbaatar at 08:40 am.
Drive to the Mongol Nomadic camp and check into the comfortable ger.
Experiencing the classic Mongolian nomadic culture, and starting horse riding surrounded by the peaceful nature. Stay in the camp.
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Ger
Today, we will enjoy a special cultural experience — the Mini Naadam Festival at Mongol Nomadic Heritage Camp. This event is a great way to learn about Mongolia’s most famous celebration in a
smaller, more personal setting. You’ll see the “Three Manly Games” — traditional wrestling, horse riding, and archery — just like in the big Naadam Festival. Watch strong wrestlers perform the eagle dance and compete in matches.
Enjoy a horse show or short race, and see how skilled Mongolian riders are with their horses. You may even get a chance to try archery yourself!
There will also be a cultural show with Mongolian music, dancing, and beautiful traditional clothes. You’ll visit a real nomadic family’s ger, learn about their daily life, and see how they make dairy products like milk tea and cheese.This day offers a fun and meaningful look into Mongolia’s culture and traditions — something you’ll remember for a long time.
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Ger
Today you’ll visit Hustai National Park, one of Mongolia’s most beautiful nature reserves and the proud home of the world’s last truly wild horse — the Przewalski’s horse, or takhi.
After arriving at the park, you’ll check into the ger camp, a cozy and authentic place to experience traditional nomadic-style living. Then, set out on a light hike through the rolling hills and open steppe, where you can enjoy the fresh air and peaceful scenery. Keep your eyes open for marmots, red deer, and a variety of birds along the way.
Return to the camp for a relaxing lunch at the camp restaurant. In the late afternoon, when wildlife is most active, you’ll take a short drive followed by a gentle walk to observe the wild takhi horses in their natural habitat — a truly special moment in the Mongolian wilderness.
Stay in a ger camp.
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
5 star hotel
Driving back to Ulaanbaatar you will take a day trip out to visit the famous giant statue of Chinggis Khan before heading back to your hotel to check in and relax. You can also enjoy the ciy including visiting Gandan Monastery, a visit to Chinggis Khan Museum or Natural History Museum, and walk to the central square. Enjoy dinner in a city centre restaurant.
Accommodation: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
5 star hotel
Continued relaxing and city sightseeing, such as visiting the Bogd Khan Palace museum and shopping at the Naran Tuul Black Market where your guide will lead you on an exploration of the renowned treasure trove of diverse and unique offerings. Here, you'll discover a wide array of items, from traditional Mongolian clothing, exquisite carpets, and equestrian equipment to captivating souvenirs that tell the tales of this fascinating land.
In the evening, visit a national music performance. Enjoy a your final delicious dinner in the city.
Accommodation: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace
Transfer
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your 06:20 flight.
Fly home taking with you many shared and wonderful memories from Mongolia!
Carbon Compensation is not the perfect solution, and it is important to first reduce our carbon emissions as much as we can, yet trees remain an excellent natural technology to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to slow global warming.
For every client and guide who attends a YellowWood Adventure, we donate £30 to our partner charity WeForest to plant 15 trees to (over) compensate for the carbon footprint of the tour.
We also invite our clients to match this with an optional additional £30 for another 15 trees to be planted to help compensate for the carbon footprint of their international flights.
WeForest run many tree planting and tree maintenance projects such as this seedling nursery in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil and many other projects in other countries including Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania & India.
Click Here to find out more about their amazing projects around the world.
We fully believe in, and practice Responsible Tourism, using accommodation run by locals. We put time and effort into building our relationship with them to ensure you have a a great trip. We choose accommodation based on cleanliness, comfort, safety, proximity to our route (to avoid unnecessary extra travel), and a warm client welcome, as well as reliability in their service to us. Some hotels will be basic, and in modern buildings and or in towns. Wherever we can, we will choose smaller more characterful, individual options, but in areas where tourism is still developing, this may not be available.
An aspect of our adventures is to escape the ‘trappings’ of modern Western lifestyles and to experience new things which is exciting and memorable, and reflects the countries we are visiting. This is adventure travel and on occasion the advertised services at a hotel (eg wifi, or hot showers!) may not be functional on our arrival. This tends to occur in the smaller, more remote hotels. Very rarely a hotel lets us down and we are required to find alternative suitable accommodation that might not be our first choice.
The accommodation on this adventure involves both hotel stays and camping in gers/yurts. The list below gives information on our first choice of accommodation for this adventure. Where hotels and refuges are fully booked or unavailable, we will use an alternative of a similar standard, and equally well situated. We will provide you with an accurate list of accommodation, with contact information to leave with relatives, prior to departure on your adventure.
Facilities vary depending on where we are staying. The ger camps tend to have running water and warm showers available, but when we are staying with families, there are only likely to be outdoor toilet facilities, and not showers or hot water. Please note that there is generally no electricity in the camps, and limited mobile signals, if any.
Unless you have booked a single room (where they are available) and paid the single room supplement for those nights, you will be sharing a twin room with another client (of the same gender).
Supporting you on your holiday will be an approachable and knowledgeable in-country local guide who will be with you for the duration of the holiday.
This ensures you the perfect balance of information and support on your trip, with your Mongolian guides offering insight into local life and customs, as well as routes during walking/horse riding excursions.
Your group is a private family group of 4 persons only.
You are visiting remote and mountainous areas of Mongolia and your itinerary involves some walking over rough terrain and some optional horse riding (see the Itinerary for Day 6 for further details). All walking and riding is undertaken at the natural pace of the group, with regular stops. You will be carrying just a day pack and bottle of water.
To get the most of out of this adventure, you therefore need to be a regular walker and in good physical condition. You do not need to be experienced in trekking, however. Any horse riding will be suitable for beginner riders, and will be supported with guides and horse handlers.
As with all active holidays, the fitter you are, the more you can relax and enjoy the stunning route, and the better you can cope with challenges such as the outside elements. Clients are advised to get into a regular walking pattern before the trip as convenient.
NB: If you have bought new hiking boots for this adventure, this is the right time to wear them in, not on the trip! itself.
Your YellowWood adventure starts at the airport in Ulaanbaatar. We understand that arriving into an unfamiliar airport can be very daunting, so we aim to give you as much information here as possible, to help you prepare.
Flights are not included in the cost of your holiday, and whilst we are happy to help advise you, responsibility for booking the correct flights rests with you. We recommend that you use a comparison tool such as www.momondo.co.uk or www.skyscanner.net when searching for flights. We will send you a Flight Information Sheet with further pointers on which flights to book for your adventure.
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information, check www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. We also receive notifications direct from the FCDO so we are always aware of the ‘status’ in our destination countries.
Chinggis Khaan International Airport is the main international airport in Mongolia, located 18km SW of the capital, Ulaanbaatar. It is a small, though fully functioning, airport with 2 ‘terminals’ that you may arrive into, at different ends of the same building.
You will be met at the airport by a local driver for transport to central Ulaanbaatar (approx 30 mins)
On arrival you:
Toilets can be found in the arrivals lounge.
On arrival at your city centre hotel, you will be welcomed and have time to settle into your room.
Once the group have all arrived (they may be on a variety of different flights), you will be heading to a local restaurant for lunch and a trip briefing. This will be followed by a very interesting City Tour of Ulaanbaatar to kickstart your holiday!
Domestic Flights:
The weight limit for your domestic flight is 15kgs (15kg in total is allowed. 10kg check-in baggage + 5kg carry-on baggage). You will be able to leave some luggage at the Grand Hill hotel if needed. But please bear this in mind when packing and make sure you wear any warm gear/coat to travel!
Holiday insurance is essential for all Yellow Wood Adventures. Unfortunately, anyone without insurance is not able to take part in the holiday, so please make sure you arrange cover. We recommend sorting your insurance when you book so that if you have problems during the run up to your holiday, and need to cancel, you are covered, particularly in the light of effects that the pandemic has had on travel.
YellowWood partners with battleface as a travel insurance provider. Click here for a quote.
battleface insurance is provided in the UK by battleface Insurance Services Limited, a UK insurance intermediary authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Details provided on this webpage are for information only. Terms, conditions, exclusions, and limitations apply. Always read the description of cover contained within your policy to ensure it is suitable for your needs.
Prior to the holiday, we will ask you to send us details of your insurer, policy number, 24 hr emergency assistance contact details and the name, address, and telephone numbers of your NOK or persons to be notified in the event of an emergency.
Your insurance needs to cover you for hiking /trekking and horse riding (if you are likely to do this) with the following fairly standard inclusions:
We would also recommend that you have cover for the following optional items:
For information on Mongolia, such as climate, weather, language, social norms, food & drink etc, please have a read of our Country specific information.
Diane Smillie
What an adventure - second to none. As I was in Mongolia for 10 days with a group for the spectacular eagle festival I decided to extend my journey to include a trip to stay with the Reindeer herders in the north west province and I’m so glad I did. There were no other participants - just me, I had a whole team of guides all to myself. The entire experience was truly an unforgettable adventure. All of the staff, whether being in the uk or with me on the group tour or for my solo journey to the Reindeer herders were incredibly attentive and professional. I had no worries what so ever. Would I recommend this company? Absolutely. All my needs were met with speed and enthusiasm which gave me great confidence. Have fun!
Mongolia Sagsai Eagle Festival & Reindeer Herders 2024
Derek ODell
My recent journey to Mongolia where an eagle festival took place was as perfect a journey as can be wished for: good company, wonderful scenery, long contact with local people and their culture and excellent value for money.
Helmut
Ulaan Bataar is a fairly typical Asian city full of malls and traffic and the main National museum is very good. As soon as you leave the big city behind Mongolia opens out into a land of big skies and tall snow-capped mountains.
The views in the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, right on the border with China & Russia, were jaw-dropping. We had 4 days in shared gers (Mongolian for the felt-covered tents we might call a yurt) which were really quite warm & comfy. The locals were incredibly friendly & welcoming. The hiking was easy but it was at altitude (2,800-3,200 metres) so a reasonable level of fitness is required. We also saw wild eagles and marmots along the way.
Despite the fabulous scenery the highpoint was the Sagsai Eagle Festival which was truly an astonishing event. Held over 2 days there were several different events including eagle calling (where trained eagles fly to their owner) and Tug-O’-Goat (!). All on horseback of course. There were parades and prizes and some folk songs as well. Everybody had a great time – this is a festival for the locals as much as the tourists and the competitors took it very seriously indeed.
Baaska our local guide was wonderful. Full of knowledge and enthusiasm for her country. No question went unanswered and we all had a lot of laughs.
This is a difficult place to be vegetarian. Out in the wilds the locals have little access to vegetables. Noodles with mutton is the staple and the dried cheese is an “interesting cultural experience”.
You must be prepared for some bumpy rides. Outside of the towns there are no paved roads and the tracks can be very rough. Our drivers were amazing; even when the way disappeared in the snow!
The trip was pushed back 3 times due to Covid but YellowWood staff remained helpful and informative throughout. Overall this is a fantastic experience and thoroughly recommended.
Stephanie
This was one of the best things I’ve ever done, I had such a wonderful experience, made brilliant new friends and saw the most stunning scenery imaginable. YellowWood Adventures made the trip so enjoyable and painless, so if you want a different kind of adventure off the beaten track, I highly recommend you book with these guys!!”
YellowWood Guest
Sam organised a fantastic trip for my family with teenage children to Mongolia. Unforgettable experience all round.. Amazing Mongolia and thank you to Sam and our guide Oyu for organising such a unique adventure for us all.
Lisa H
I have never taken a pre-planned group tour with strangers. I am a solo traveler or one who maybe travels with a daughter or two, but always making our own way. So, this adventure was a leap of faith for me. With that in mind, this review is really written for travelers like me who might be on the fence about joining a tour. All the events on the planned itinerary could be checked off, the group was small (7) as promised and we all got our pictures. But really the crux of a truly memorable travel experience is the community that you are with and meet, so here are some of my highlights and takeaways that will have me researching another experience with YELLOWWOOD ADVENTURES (yellowwoodadventures.com)
• Call from Sam (owner) in the right time zone (London to Hawaii) responding to my innocuous email inquiry. I was surprised to get a call from London and pleased that Sam was so laid-back and invitational. It led me to research more about Yellowwood Adventures, the small group design and their work with the local communities of the countries they visited. This personal communication continued from the moment I put down a deposit to 9 months later when the adventure began
• Smooth pickup at the airport with driver waiting, no English on his part, however on the one hour drive through heavy traffic, he allowed me to practice my beginning Mongolian with him and responded with good humor
• Meeting 6 people on the tour who were all strangers to each other but were so like-minded and perfectly matched that we could spend the next 10 days with each other almost 24/7 without a single disruptive event. Sleeping in the same ger, eating all our meals as a family, experiencing serious 5-6 hour off-roading days in two all-metal Russian mini-vans (not for the faint of heart or stomach) and still parting as friends. I would host any or all of them at my home
• Having our own personal cook accompany us on the journey who, with her assistant, prepared incredible breakfasts, picnic lunches and dinners every night we were out on the steppes
• Being invited into the cook’s ger early morning while others slept and then welcomed as an assistant in preparing breakfast while they quizzed me on my Kazakh language skills
• Our amazing creative team of Dawaa (guide), Altin and Abu (drivers) who became a part of our family~~sharing jokes, personal stories, patiently answering questions. My special thanks to Altin, Alma (chef) and Rosy who took the time to encourage my language lessons in Mongolian and Kazakh and who all remembered by birthday with an amazing cake and vodka shots. And to Altin who knew how much I wanted to find CD’s of Mongolian and Kazakh music and when this was not possible, presented me his own curated playlist of 125 songs on a flashdrive as a birthday gift
• The care that the entire team took to satisfy not only what the itinerary promised, but what each individual wanted to take away from this adventure. To that end, the time they took to find a family who had a herd of horses they were willing to let strangers ride was over and beyond. Through our drivers’ personal connections, we were saddled up on horses that belonged to specifically to others and given free-rein over the next couple of hours~~pointed in a direction and told to ride and they would see us on the other side of the plateau. No lead ropes, no guide with us. Simply surreal experience and so very trusting
Thank you Sam, Katia and Emma and the rest of your team for putting this trip together. Huge mahalos to Dawaa, Altin, Abu, Alma and Rosy and all the families that hosted us during our time in Mongolia. Looking forward to another adventure soon!
Mongolia Sagsai Eagle Festival Sept 2023
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All adventures can be tailored as private bespoke trips.
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September 2025 Tsaatan Tribe: The reindeer herders of Mongolia
Mongolia - Horse Riding
Embark on an extraordinary expedition to the heart of Mongolia and experience the nomadic lifestyle of the Tsaatan Tribe. Immerse yourself in the ancient art of reindeer herding and discover the unique cultural tapestry.
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You will receive a reminder email for your final payment 56 days before the departure date.
Feel free to contact us with any questions about your adventure or booking, we're here to help!
To help you choose the right adventure for you, we have given each itinerary a grading that relates to the level of Walking / Trekking you will experience during the trip. This grading can be found on the Yellow map on the adventure page of the website.
All of our trips involve a level of general activity so are designed for people who are in good health, enjoy the outdoors, and have a taste for adventure and some level of fitness. As will be clear from our destinations, the climate (and altitude) may be different to that which you are used to, so please take this into consideration when choosing the most suitable holiday.
Please read our Adventure Itinerary & Essential Information for more information and don't hesitate to contact us if you would like to chat through whether you have found a suitable adventure for you.
You need to be in good physical health to enjoy your active holiday, but you don’t need to be an experienced hiker. These itineraries offer a mix of sightseeing and easier walking for around 2-4hrs a day, with the emphasis on sights and cultural experiences.
Walks will be well marked or on defined pathways, and often around sites of interest. The expected amount of descent/ascent will depend on the landscapes of the destination, but will not exceed 400m/day, and will often be much less. Walks are at low altitude (below 3000m).
You will not be required to carry more than a day sack with water and essentials. Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have a pair of comfortable and worn in walking shoes/boots.
You need to have a good level of fitness and be a regular walker for these adventures, with ideally some trekking experience. You can expect to be walking for 3-6 hours per day, not including rest stops, normally on good trail paths but with some uneven surfaces at times.
You will not be required to carry more than a day sack. You may be walking in more challenging temperatures. You will generally be walking at low altitude (below 3000m) but may walk at altitudes up to 4000m. The amount of ascent could be up to 800m in a day but will frequently be less. You may walk on consecutive days.
Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable clothing for this adventure.
You need to have a good level of fitness with previous experience of trekking. Extra training before your trip will ensure that you get the most out of your adventure. Areas will be remote and terrain uneven.
Expect to walk for 5 – 8 hours a day, not including breaks, with some very steep ascents and descents. You will be walking at altitude (over 3000m but not higher than 5000m).
Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable equipment/clothing for this adventure (see the packing list for your adventure).
Please check individual itineraries for details of what you will need to be carrying with you.
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