As seen on
Mongolia Sagsai Eagle Festival
Mongolia
From
This trip supports
- Overview
- Itinerary
- Esential info
- Reviews
- Packing list
Grade:
Entry Level
Type:
Cultural
Transfers
Duration:
9 Nights
4 - 12
Group size
Leaders
Tour Highlights
- Attend local Golden Eagle Festival (2 days)
- Stay with local nomadic families in gers
- Ride horses to explore the peaks of the Altai
- Take portraits of Mongolian Kazakh Eagle Hunters
Add on Adventures
This itinerary has options for you to extend & customise your experience before &/or after your holiday. See Itinerary for details.
Experience the Mongolian eagle festival in this small group tour.
During this tour, you will get to experience the unique and world famous Mongolian eagle festival in Sagsai.
The eagle hunting tradition is engrained in the cultural heritage of Central Asia with several Golden Eagle Festivals in Mongolia celebrating this tradition. On this fantastic adventure we will visit a smaller, privately arranged Golden Eagle Festival to avoid the crowds, which can be particularly appealing for photography enthusiasts.
The festival will take place in Sagsai, in the Altai Mountains of Western Mongolia where many of the population have Kazakh origins. Experience this remote and beautiful region, attend an interview with eagle hunters, and stay with local families in their cosy felt gers to learn about their nomadic way of life.
(Available as a small group tour or tailor-made holiday)
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.
Adventure Optional Addons
Khustai National Park & Mongol Nomadic Camp
Wonderful introduction to Mongolia's wildlife & cultures in Khustai National Park and a traditional Mongol Nomadic Camp.
Addon Optional extras
Single room supplement
Single rooms are available on a first come, first served basis, however, due to the nature of some of the accommodation we are using on this adventure (staying in yurts), there are 2 nights where single rooms are not possible, so the supplement price reflects this. We will charge on a pro-rata basis if a single room is not available to book for part of the trip where it would have been possible.
Add on Adventures
This itinerary has options for you to extend & customise your experience before &/or after your holiday. See below for details.
Day 1: Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, City Tour
Transfer
Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
After transferring to our hotel (around 60 mins) we will take a tour of the capital, & largest city in Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar (Red Warrior), situated on the Tuul River, on a windswept plateau at an altitude of 1350m. It is a city of contrasts, where modern meets tradition and bustle meets Buddhism.
Included is the incredible Gandantegchinlen Buddhist Monastery (a Tibetan name that translates to 'Great Place of Complete Joy', that houses a 26.5-meter-high golden statue of Avalokiteśvara, a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. It was restored in 1990 and still functions as a monastery. The excellent museum also gives us a great overview of mongol history and the life and conquests of Chingiis Khan.
Tonight we enjoy our first group dinner.
Accommodation: Grand Hill Hotel
Day 2: Chingis Khan Statue Complex & Terelj National Park
Transfer
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Ger
You will be met this morning by your guide who will transfer you to the bank of the Tuul River, 34 miles east of UB, where you can visit the gigantic statue of Genghis Khan, 40m high, sitting powerfully astride his horse. The statue sits onto of the Genghis Khan Statue Complex, an architecturally impressive visitor centre with 36 coloumns representing the 36 khans from Genghis to Ligdan Khan. Take the opportunity to feel the freedom of riding through the open landscapes on a horse, travelling to visit a local horse breeder family.
Tonight we stay in traditional gers in Gorkhi Terelj National Park at Terelj tourist camp; a premier ger camp offering comfortable ger lodges, a restaurant serving Mongolian, European & Asian cuisine, bar, garden and terrace, with stunning panoramic views.
Day 3: Flight to Khovd
Flights
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
This morning we take a flight to Khovd town departing at 11:05am. On arrival we will drive to Ulgii and have a short sightseeing and visit a small museum with an excellent collection to learn about the Mongolian Kazakh people’s culture and history and a stop at Lake Tolbo on route.
Transfer: 3hrs
Baggage Allowance: 15kgs (5kgs hand luggage and 10kgs hold luggage)
Accomodation: Makhsum hotel.
Day 4: Drive to Oigar village
Flights
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Ger
We set off on a long drive this morning (200km) which can take up to 6 hours, but unlike a journey back home, the travel is part of the adventure.
Breathtaking views, and glimpses into how life is played out in this striking region, will keep you glued to the vehicle windows! We get a feel for the sheer magnitude of the country as we reach our destination; the gates of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park.
Tonight we will stay with local families, their eagles, horses and yaks in their gers (although not all together you will be pleased to know!).
Day 5: Altai Tavan Bogd National Park
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Ger
Altai Tavan Bogd National Park affords stunning views of the snowy peaks marking the Mongolian border with Russia, with two large glaciers snaking their way down into an incredible valley, culminating in the milky river that flows out into the wide plains. It is also home to 'President Avoo', one of the nine holiest sites in Mongolia where visitors walk around it three times, throwing small stones onto the pile alongside their own personal offerings.
President Avoo can be reached by our support vehicles. Once at the top, Lunch will be enjoyed amid the stunning scenery before our scenic drive back to camp.
Day 6: Drive to stay in the ger of an eagle hunter family
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Ger
We drive down the valley to stay with a Kazakh/Mongolian eagle hunter family by a beautiful river. If the snow is not too heavy it may be possible to ride horses today along the plains. There are some great walking spots in the nearby hills also with breathtaking views.
Transfer time 5-6 hours.
Day 7: First day of the Eagle Festival
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
Archaelogists trace falconry in Central Asia back to the first or 2nd millennium BC.
Sagsai Golden Eagle Festival is a collaboration between two Tour Operators and local Kazakh eagle hunters eager to show off their prowess. The festival is dedicated to photographers and filmmakers who focus on capturing action and cultural traditions. This morning we head to the Festival opening, where competitors parade, showing off their costumes and hunting techniques.
We will watch how a Kazak Ger (yurt) is assembled and learn about the migration of nomadic families.
The festival is a fantastic example of how tourism can benefit local communities - raising awareness of eagle hunting in Mongolia and abroad, and encouraging the continuation of the hunting traditions. In 2011, eagle hunting was added to the 'UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity' as an example of 'living human heritage'.
We return to Uglii for our accommodation tonight.
Day 8: Second day of the Eagle Festival
Transfer
Breakfast
Packed Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
Today is a fantastic day for photographers who will find plenty of opportunities to take photos of the imposing competitors, in their full hunting regalia, their families and of course – the magnificent eagles. When the competitions begin, the eagles chase fox skins, dragged by their owners on horseback, and are judged on their speed and gripping ability.
Other events include Tenge-llu (coin grabbing while riding a horse), the best costume competition, Tug of war (Kokbar) and Kizkhuar, which is a traditional Khazak Couples Game).
The winners of the festival will be announced this afternoon and we will be able to join the festivities and celebrations.
Dinner will be in Uglii town.
Day 9: Fly to Ulaanbaatar
Flights
Transfer
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Boutique Hotel
Reluctantly, we leave the stark, open wilderness of Bayan-Ulgii to return to Ulaanbaatar via a national flight. On your final day in Mongolia, your guide will lead you on an exploration of the renowned Naran Tuul 'black' market, a 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.
This evening we enjoy a traditional music performance before a last reminisce and sharing of memories over our last group dinner in the city.
Accommodation: Grand Hill Hotel
Day 10: Fly out of Ulaanbaatar
Transfer
Breakfast
Fly home taking with you many wonderful memories from Mongolia!
Adventure Optional Extras
Single Room Supplement
Single rooms are available on a first come, first served basis, however, due to the nature of some of the accommodation we are using on this adventure (staying in gers), there are several nights where single rooms are not possible, so the supplement price reflects this. We will charge on a pro-rata basis if a single room is not available to book for part of the trip where it would have been possible.
Plant an additional 15 trees for your adventure
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.
Not included
- International flights & airport taxes
- Visas (approx £40)
- Insurance (compulsory)
- Drinks & snacks
- Tips
Adventure Optional Addons
Khustai National Park & Mongol Nomadic Camp
Wonderful introduction to Mongolia's wildlife & cultures in Khustai National Park and a traditional Mongol Nomadic Camp.
Addon Optional extras
Single room supplement
Single rooms are available on a first come, first served basis, however, due to the nature of some of the accommodation we are using on this adventure (staying in yurts), there are 2 nights where single rooms are not possible, so the supplement price reflects this. We will charge on a pro-rata basis if a single room is not available to book for part of the trip where it would have been possible.
Contents
Accommodation
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.
Ulaanbaatar (2 nights): Grand Hill Hotel, Modern 3* hotel in City centre location. Ensuite rooms & Wifi.
Ulgii (3 nights): Makhsum Hotel: small local hotel in the village of Ulgii.
Ger Camping (4 nights): A ‘ger’ or ‘yurt’ is a large felt tent made from sheeps wool, which results in a warm, cosy and waterproof shelter. The centre of the yurt houses a metal wood burner with a chimney for all smoke to escape through the roof.
Yurts house either 2 or 4 simple, but comfortable beds with plenty of extra blankets to pile onto your sleeping bag (please bring a winter season bag), should you feel chilly. If you are travelling with a group of friends then we are happy for friends to share a yurt (4 people), or YellowWood can arrange the rooming for solo travellers to share with others of the same gender.
Facilities
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).
Guiding & Your Group
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
Your group will be any number from our minimum group size of 4, up to a maximum of 12 clients. This number works really well with the ratio of guides, and ensures an optimal level of service to you during your adventure.
We get clients booking alone, as couples and in small groups of friends. If you have a larger group of friends or family who are interested in having their own customised trip, then please let us know and we can cost it out for you. Our links with in-country travel experts often mean that we can assist you in developing a personalised itinerary.
Am I fit enough?
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.
Training
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.
Travel & Arrival
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.
Finding flights
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.
Foreign Travel Advice
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.
Airport & Arrival Info
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:
- Pass through Immigration
- Collect your baggage
- Meet your driver (they will have your name on a board, along with the YellowWood logo)
- Exchange Currency: The easiest is probably to use the ATM in the airport, however, there is however, there is also the option of exchanging currency in Ulaanbaatar in the afternoon, during the city tour.
Toilets can be found in the arrivals lounge.
Hotel Arrival
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!
Insurance
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:
- Medical Expenses
- Coronavirus-linked expenses (these may be country-specific, so please ensure you know what the requirements are relating to the country you are visiting)
- Repatriation
- Helicopter rescue & Air ambulance
We would also recommend that you have cover for the following optional items:
- Cancellation
- Loss or damage to property
General information on Mongolia
For information on Mongolia, such as climate, weather, language, social norms, food & drink etc, please have a read of our Country specific information.
Reviews
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
Receive a 15% discount off Water-to-Go filtration water-bottles to help reduce plastic waste.
Compulsory
Essentials:
- Winter sleeping bag (minimum 0ºc comfort rating).
- Passport with 6 months validity, & insurance documents
- US$ or £GB to exchange for local currency
- Credit / Debit card for ATMs in towns
- First aid kit: paracetamol, anti-diarrhoea tables, rehydration sachets, antihistamine cream, ibuprofen cream, thermometer & blister kit (eg plasters & zinc oxide tape).
- Insect repellent
- Feminine hygiene products as required
- Flannel & Towel (ideally quick drying travel towel)
- Washbag & usual contents - Biodegradable multi purpose soap can be used for washing clothes & self.
- 'On the go' toilet kit (e.g. toilet roll, biodegradable wet wipes & ziplock bags for carrying paper out).
- Large rucksack or large duffel style bag as baggage
- Prescription medication & antibiotics such as Azithromycin to stop serious traveller's diarrhoea
- Sunglasses & high factor sun cream
- Sun hat or baseball cap
Items for Gers /Walking / Sightseeing
- 20-30L rucksack with waist (& ideally chest) strap for hiking.
- Waterproof stuff sacks & liners for both day sack and kit bag) to keep kit dry.
- Water-to-Go filtration water-bottle & additional storage water-bottle - ideally 2 litres per person
Clothing
- General socks / underwear
- Suitable clothes/pjs for sleeping in - remember you may need to leave your yurt in the night to go to the toilet.
- Light clothes for day time - long & short sleeved tops. NB technical fabrics dry quickly.
- Walking or practical cotton trousers.
- Warm jacket & fleece - even in the summer temperatures can be sub zero at night. Down or synthetic insulated jacket & light fleece recommended.
- Sandals or trainers for around camps.
- Buff or neck gaiter for cold weather / sun protection. Light scarf useful for covering neck & shoulders.
- Warm hat & gloves
- Comfortable sturdy walking shoes or walking boots (both already broken in!)
- Quality waterproof jacket eg Goretex
Optional
- Silk or thermal sleeping bag liner to use with bedding provided in yurts
- Pillow case (to stuff with spare clothes) or inflatable pillow
- Camera & charging cables / plug
- Phone & charging cables / plug
- Purification tablets as alternative to water purification bottle
- Spare ziplock bags for dirty clothes, waterproofing phones, rubbish & general organising
- Money belt
- Laundry hand washing gel
- Lightweight waterproof trousers
This trip supports
Need a little help?
All adventures can be tailored as private bespoke trips.
Please contact us for more information:
+44 207 846 0197
Related Adventures
Booking Process
Select dates: Choose the dates for your adventure and consider adding any extra adventures or add-ons to enhance your experience.
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Make Booking: Click on "Make Booking." If you're booking more than 56 days before your adventure, you'll be redirected to secure WorldPay to make your deposit. If it's 56 days or less before your adventure, you'll need to make full payment. Rest assured, your money is held securely by the Travel Trust Association.
Your booking will show as 'pending' in your YellowWood online account.
Confirmation: We'll be in touch as soon as possible to confirm your booking or discuss any availability limitations. Please refrain from booking transport or flights until we've emailed you to confirm your booking. (Note: Receipt of your booking form is not confirmation.)
Making payment: Once your booking is confirmed, we'll change the status of your final invoice from 'Pending Approval' to 'Outstanding,' indicating that it's ready for payment online.
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!
Grading
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.
Grade 1-3: Entry Level
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.
Grades 4-6: Intermediate
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.
Grades 7-9: Challenging
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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