Mongolia Golden Eagle Festival 2023/2023- The Eagle Huntress Tour

Arrival in Ulaanbaatar

Welcome to Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by Amicus driver in the arrivals hall at the international airport and transferred to your hotel. After check-in, free at leisure and have a good rest to recover from the jet lag. If you feel like going for a walk and checking out places nearby, feel free to ask the hotel receptionist for recommendations.
Accommodation: Hotel 4*. Meals: None

Ulaanbaatar, Sightseeing tour in the Nomads’ city

In the morning, at 9am tour guide will pick you up at your hotel.
Today, we explore the city, visit Gandan Monastery, Mongolia’s largest functioning Buddhist monastery. Listen to the horns calling lamas and monks to temple and capture the monks’ daily rituals. While visiting the adjoining Megjid Janraisig Temples, we will see 26-meter-high majestic gilded statue of Migjid Janraisig.
Next, visit Sukhbaatar square and Parliament House displayed with Great Khans memorial statue. The square lies at the heart of the city surrounded by theaters, government buildings.
Continue to visit National Museum of Mongolia for to get an overview of Mongolia’s history and culture including nomadic life, traditional costumes of ethnic groups, sacred religious relics, and Stone & Bronze Age artifacts.
After lunch, we will visit Zanabazar Fine Art Museum. The museum displays collections of world’s and Mongolian famous artists, including many original works of Zanabazar, who was Mongolian religious leader and artist in 17th century.
Afterwards, we will go to see “Wonders of Mongolia” folklore show by famous Tumen-Ekh ensemble – is one of the most successful folk-art groups to share traditional Mongolian music with the world, having traveled to over 40 countries. End of the performance, transfer to the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel 5*. Meals: B, L.

Hustai National Park trip (Wild Horse Park)

After relaxing breakfast, at 10am, you will day trip to Hustai National Park. This area is home to the Mongolian wild horse known as Perzevalski horse (takhi) with unique landscape that features mountain and steppe.
Upon arrival, visit the Information Center about the national park and wild horse.
In the afternoon, we will take a short driver and hiking to see the wild horses in their natural habitat. Seeing these truly wild horses which numbered in the hundreds of thousands of years ago, will make you feel like you have traveled thousands of years back in time. There is great opportunity to take photo for these endangered horses. If you are lucky, you can see fox, deer, roe deer, eagle, and more animals and birds…
Afterwards, return to the city and transferred to the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel 5*. Meals: B, L.

Flight to Western Mongolia – Kazakh Eagle hunter family

Transfer to the airport for flight to Ulgii (~3 hours), capital of Bayan-Ulgii, Mongolia’s westernmost province. Ninety percent of the population here is Kazakh, Mongolia’s largest ethnic minority. The isolation of the Altai Mountains has preserved the language and traditions of the Kazakhs, who live amongst some of the most spectacular scenery in Mongolia.
After lunch in Ulgii town, we will take a drive to meet with famous a local eagle hunter’s family and golden eagle in their settlement. Kazakh family’s Gers are slightly larger than Mongolian Gers, and are decorated with brightly colored rugs. We will enjoy their hospitality and friendliness and learn more in deep about their culture. You will see their traditional technology to make colorful rug.
There is great chance to learn the real way of how eagle hunter family lives and how they train their eagles, Kazakh families are quite large, consisting of three generations, grandparents, parents and children. You would have chance to hold the eagle on your arms and taken photos.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Golden Eagle Festival – 1st day

After breakfast we will drive to Sayat small hill for Eagle festival.
Program in 1st day of the festival:

• The official opening ceremony commences with the participants parading in on horseback with their eagles.
• The competition begins with all eagle hunters will show their hunting outfit and accessories, the most elaborate and beautiful of which receive the highest points.
• The festival includes a Uriankhai archery competition. The Uriankhai are a small ethnic group of Mongolia and known for their unique style of archery. Instead of shooting at a raised target, a leather ball is thrown into the distance.
  Also, you can see 2 humped camel races as well as a sort of fashion show where couples would ride around the arena and show off their traditional outfits and camels.
• In the evening, we will enjoy at traditional concert with some traditional songs and music at local theater in Ulgii town.

Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Second day of the Golden Eagle Festival.

Today, we continue to attend at the 2nd day of the festival.
The eagle hunters will compete with some traditional and interesting games.

• The Kyz Kuar (Catch up with a girl) game show is a traditional horseback riding game for couples were the boys being whipped by girls if the girl can catch the boy.
• Calling eagle on arm. (Eagle will be released from top of mountain, and trainer must meet up eagle from the bottom just among people down)
• Closing and award ceremony for best eagles with their best trainers.

Return to the Ger camp for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Tourist Ger camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Fly back to Ulaanbaatar

Today, we will return to Ulaanbaatar. Depending on departure time, if we have time we will visit local museum and explore local life and market.
Upon arrival in the city, transferred to the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel 5*. Meals: B, L.

Genghis Khan’s Statue Complex – Terelj National Park trip

In the morning, our trip departs for “Genghis Khan Statue Complex” which is currently the biggest (40m high) equestrian statue in the world. There is a recreation area, restaurants, and souvenir shops occupy the base structure. From here, we use an elevator or walk to the head of the horse through chest and back neck of the horse, where we can have farseeing and good panorama view over the complex area.
Continue drive to Terelj National Park. It’s one of the most visited national parks in Mongolia. You can see the extraordinary formation of rocks and stones; some of them look quite similar to turtles.
After lunch, explore the national park and visit Turtle Rock – interesting rock formation looking like a turtle and visit Ariyabal meditation temple – surrounded by scenic mountains with massive rock formations and sits at top of the mountain. The distance between the gate and the actual temple is about 1 km and it is only accessible by walking. To get to the top, you would cross the suspension bridge and climb up on 108 stairs, according to Buddhist prayer beads. This small hike is seen as a ritual to cleanse one’s sins. From the top, you can enjoy the breathtaking view overlooking the Terelj National Park.
Also, we will visit local nomadic family to experience firsthand how people live the country side, a lifestyle which has not changed for centuries. Here you can help the herders with their daily tasks to get an idea of how nomadic people alongside of their livestock.
After dinner, transferred to the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel 5*. Meals: B, L, D.

Departure

You will be free at leisure in your hotel or wander around on your own until being escorted to the Chinggis Khaan International Airport for your departure flight home. End of service. Meal: Breakfast