Winter Journeys · Bayan-Ölgii

Winter with Mongolia’s Eagle Hunters

Spend time with Kazakh eagle-hunting families and accompany winter training and traditional outings led by local hosts.

Duration9 days / 8 nights
Best seasonOctober–February
GroupPrivate, 2–8 guests
ActivityModerate; cold weather and riding optional
PriceOn request

In the Altai winter, an eagle hunter reads the mountain through wind, tracks and the movement of a bird above him.

The itinerary that follows is the structure. The expedition itself will be shaped by weather, people, wildlife, road conditions and the opportunities that appear along the way.

Journey overview

Spend time with Kazakh eagle-hunting families and accompany winter training and traditional outings led by local hosts.

Why this journey

Eagle hunting is presented as a living family tradition, not a staged attraction. Time with the hunters is built around their routines, animals and local conditions.

Accommodation

Hotel and family guesthouse

Best suited to

Cultural travelers, photographers and riders

Itinerary

Day1

Arrival and winter orientation

Meet your guide and review western Mongolia’s climate, culture and route.

Overnight: Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
More about this day
Position
Day 1 of 9
Where you sleep
Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
Today
You arrive and settle in at the Shangri-La or Best Western Premier.
Day2

Fly to Ölgii

Fly west, meet the regional team and continue to a family base.

Based here nights 2–7 · Family guesthouse
More about this day
Position
Day 2 of 9
Where you sleep
Family guesthouse
Which night
First of 6 consecutive nights here
Today
You move on to Family guesthouse.
Herder gers and homestays
Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.
Day3

Meet the eagle hunter

Learn how the eagle is cared for, handled and prepared for winter work.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 3 of 9
Where you sleep
Family guesthouse
Which night
Second of 6 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Herder gers and homestays
Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.
Day4

Training day

Accompany mounted training in open mountain terrain.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 4 of 9
Where you sleep
Family guesthouse
Which night
Third of 6 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Herder gers and homestays
Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.
Day5

Traditional winter outing

Join a locally led fox-hunting day. The purpose is cultural observation; wildlife encounters are not guaranteed.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 5 of 9
Where you sleep
Family guesthouse
Which night
Fourth of 6 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Herder gers and homestays
Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.
Day6

Kazakh culture

Spend time with family members learning about embroidery, music, food and oral history.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 6 of 9
Where you sleep
Family guesthouse
Which night
Fifth of 6 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Herder gers and homestays
Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.
Day7

Mountain ride

A second field day adapted to weather and guest ability.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 7 of 9
Where you sleep
Family guesthouse
Which night
Sixth of 6 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Herder gers and homestays
Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.
Day8

Return to Ulaanbaatar

Fly east and gather for a farewell dinner.

Overnight: Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
More about this day
Position
Day 8 of 9
Where you sleep
Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
Today
You move on to the Shangri-La or Best Western Premier.
Day9

Departure

Private airport transfer.

Overnight: —
More about this day
Position
Day 9 of 9
Tonight
You travel home; no accommodation is booked.

Where you stay

Where you sleep is chosen for the route. Some nights are the best room for hundreds of kilometres; some are a tent beneath a sky with nothing else under it, which is its own kind of luxury.

  • Shangri-La or Best Western Premier2 nights
  • Family guesthouse6 nights
The places we have named

Where this journey stays somewhere we book by name, here it is. The nights not listed here are ger camps, herder households or our own tents, described below.

Ger camps

Permanent seasonal camps with beds, bedding and a wood or dung stove. Facilities vary by region: the better camps have private shower blocks and reliable hot water, remote ones have neither. We will tell you which is which before you book.

Herder gers and homestays

Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.

Tented camp

Our own mobile camp where no fixed accommodation exists. Proper sleeping mats, a mess tent, a cook and a toilet tent. Carried in and carried out, leaving nothing.

Hotels

In Ulaanbaatar and provincial centres. City nights are booked at the standard you ask for, and we will tell you what to expect where a provincial hotel is a simpler place.

Price and inclusions

Pricing

Every journey is priced for your dates, party size and choice of accommodation, and confirmed in writing in your proposal. This is a private journey, so the vehicle, driver, guide and camp staff are the same whether two of you travel or six, and the per-person price falls as your party grows.

The price also moves with season, domestic airfares and any specialist staff your route calls for. Single travellers and anyone wanting sole occupancy should ask about the supplement.

Request a proposal →

What the price covers

Included

  • Private vehicle, driver and fuel throughout, with a support vehicle on remote routes
  • English-speaking expedition guide, and specialist guides where the journey calls for them
  • All accommodation as described in the itinerary
  • All meals shown in the itinerary, including camp catering where the route is self-supported
  • Domestic flights where the itinerary shows them
  • National park, protected area and site entrance fees
  • Community, homestay and herder household contributions
  • Drinking water, camping and cooking equipment on self-supported sections
  • Satellite communication and 24-hour operational support from Ulaanbaatar
  • Airport transfers on arrival and departure days

Not included

  • International flights to and from Ulaanbaatar
  • Visa fees and any entry requirements
  • Travel insurance, which must include emergency evacuation and repatriation and is a condition of travel
  • Personal clothing and equipment, including cold-weather gear
  • Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
  • Optional activities and additional riding days not shown in the itinerary
  • Single occupancy supplement, where requested
  • Gratuities, which are entirely at your discretion
  • Costs arising from weather, road conditions or flight delays outside our control

Confirmed in writing at proposal stage. Anything not listed here is not assumed to be included. Booking terms →

What to pack

Deep cold and short days. Our equipment page notes that winter journeys in the Altai and the north routinely see −30°C and below, so the clothing you bring is the single thing that decides whether the trip is comfortable.

Conditions to pack forOctober–February
Activity gradeModerate; cold weather and riding optional
Hire in UlaanbaatarFitted the afternoon before departure

We provide

  • Drinking water, camping and cooking equipment on self-supported sections
  • Satellite communication and 24-hour operational support from Ulaanbaatar
  • Accommodation, meals and transport as shown in the itinerary

You bring

  • Travel insurance, which must include emergency evacuation and repatriation and is a condition of travel
  • Personal clothing and equipment, including cold-weather gear
  • Personal medication, and a copy of your insurance policy

What this journey asks of your kit

  • This journey includes nights in a working household. There is no private space and washing is basic, so pack light and bring what you need to be self-sufficient.
  • Domestic flights carry strict baggage limits. We confirm the current allowance with your booking and plan luggage around it.

Hire the bulky, expensive items rather than buying them for one trip; bring your own base layers. Equipment hire → · What the month is like →

Before you go

Activity gradeModerate; cold weather and riding optional
Best seasonOctober–February
Group sizePrivate, 2–8 guests

Planning notes

  • Hunting outcomes and wildlife encounters are not guaranteed.
  • Activities are led by the host family.
  • Guests may observe by vehicle or ride, depending on ability.

A private journey can usually be moved a grade in either direction by adjusting pace and distance. How we grade a journey → · Choosing your month →

Tailor this journey.

Adjust the pace, accommodation, specialist access and regional extensions around your interests.

Plan a private itinerary

Expedition moments.

The experiences that give the route its character.

A Kazakh eagle hunter with his golden eagle

The eagle leaves the glove

A defining moment of the expedition.

A cold-season valley below the snow line in the Altai

Riding into winter valleys

A defining moment of the expedition.

An eagle hunter at home with his bird

Evening inside a Kazakh home

A defining moment of the expedition.