Watch Eagles Hunt In The Altai Mountains
Still to do
Watch a golden eagle with a two-metre wingspan plunge from an Altai ridge and land on its Kazakh hunter's arm.
The adventure
In Bayan-Ölgii, Mongolia's far western province, Kazakh families still hunt with golden eagles. The hunters, known as berkutchi, take young female birds, which are bigger and more powerful than the males, and train them for years to hunt foxes and hares across the winter steppe. After a decade or so of service, many are released back into the mountains.
Each October the hunters ride into Ölgii for the Golden Eagle Festival, dressed in fox-fur hats and embroidered coats. Eagles are released from a ridge and swoop down to their owner's call, judged on speed and accuracy, while riders race horses and wrestle for a goat carcass in kokpar. Afterwards, you stay with a hunting family in their ger, drinking salty milk tea by the stove, with the snowy Altai peaks glowing outside.
Why it’s epic
- Hunters fly female golden eagles, which can weigh around 6 kilograms and have wingspans over 2 metres.
- The Golden Eagle Festival is held in Ölgii every October.
- Horseback games such as kokpar, a tug of war over a goat carcass.
- The Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, home to Mongolia's highest peak, Khüiten, at around 4,374 metres.
What it is
Kazakh eagle hunters in western Mongolia train golden eagles to hunt foxes, a tradition dating back thousands of years.
How to do it
Fly from Ulaanbaatar to Ölgii and join a tour that includes the Golden Eagle Festival and time with a hunting family.
Top tip
Pack for cold nights in gers, even in autumn.
Need to know
- Ölgii is around three hours by domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar, and seats sell out around festival time, so book early.
- Accommodation is basic, in gers or simple guesthouses, and nights can drop well below freezing.
- Always ask before photographing hunters and their eagles up close.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £2,000 to £5,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 1 to 2 weeks
- Best time to go
- Early October for the Golden Eagle Festival
- Fly into
- UBN airport
Long-haul flights, domestic flights to Ölgii and a guided tour with drivers and homestays make up the cost.
Make it happen
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Why it’s on my list
Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.
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