About Khuvsgul
There are about 400 reindeer people of 80 families in total. They live in tepees. Their livelihood is completely dependent on the nature and few heads of reindeer. The most famous shamans are among them. Visiting the Reindeer people can be a lifetime experience for you either the challenging riding in awe-inspiring nature with bardens of high mountain passes, steep slopes and boggy valleys as well as an exotic lifestyle of them in the remoteness.
About Altai Tavan Bogd National Park
Altay Tavan Bogd mountain is one of the snow-capped biggest mountain in Mongolia which is located in western, Bayan-Ulgii province. It consists with 5 peaks most highest peak is Huiten Uul about 4374m above the sea level. More possible peak to climb without equipments it’s Malchin peak about 4050m. There have Potaniun glacier about 20 km long. This is place can see the real wild nature, sacred mountains, petro-glyphs which are from many centuries, white river feed from the glacier and flowing few kilometers. Surround of the river live nomadic ethnic groups such as Tuvan people who famous with the throat singer and Khazakh people who are used to trained the Golden Eagle.
Golden Eagle Festival
Hunting with Golden Eagle is one of the most unique features of the Kazakh life. To be a eagle hunter requires patience. Hunting with the Golden Eagle had been continuing about 2000 years ago. The experience training the wild bird training gained by the father to the son and kept deep secret. Names of birds are given depending on their appearance, battle characteristics usually by bird’s age.
The Golden Eagle can hunting with fox, rabbit, marmot and sometimes wolf. The eagle hunter is trained his eagle which he brought from the nesting. Only the female eagle will trained because they taller and impassive then the male. The eagle hunter training the Golden Eagle until took meal or meat from hands of the owner. After Golden Eagle trained to get meal, hunter will begin to train the bird to go for hunting with his horse. You can see how the Eagle hunter hunting with his Golden eagle. The eagle hunter goes for hunting on horseback. Beside of eagle hunting you can feel the great hospitality of Kazakh family and introduce their great tradition, lifestyle and culture.
Day 1. Arrive UB and explore UB
Arrive UB airport and meet by our team. Transfer to your hotel.
Today we will do city site seeing tour. Explore Gandan Monastery, Buddhist center in Ulaanbaatar. See,
Zanabazar Museum
Chojin Lama temple. Lunch time in a typical Mongolian Restaurant
The winter Palace
Buda Big Statue on the Hill
Overnight at 4* Ramadan Hotel.
Day 2. To Murun
Transfer to UB airport from your hotel in UB. Flight to Moron about one and an half hour. Meet our team (English speaking guide, cook and driver). Start a driving to north-west toward Ulaan-uul village /180kms/. On the way, you will enjoy beautiful Taiga Mountains and the dense forests. Overnight in Ulaan-uul village with Enkhee’s family. Enkhee and his friends will be our horse rangers who bring us to Reindeer herders. Stay with family.
Day 3. To Reindeers
Early morning we will pack our luggage on the horse and start horse ride toward high mountains. We reach the reindeers people, who live in tepees. Overnight in teepee.
Days 4. Stay with Reindeer family
Learn their everyday life and their traditions as like milking reindeers, riding, processing skins. Also you enjoy the beautiful nature. Reindeer people /Tsaatan/ are small ethnic group of Mongolia /about 600/. They follow shamanism and very believe in mysterious shamanist deeds and traditions. We meet with the shaman.
Day 5.
Today the day we leave the reindeer family. Start to get back with horse range to the ranger station \car stop\. Drive back to the Enkhee’s family. Overnight in ger.
Day 6. Drive to Murun
After having breakfast we will drive to Murun city and do city sight-seeing tour in the center. Stay at 50/100 hotel.
Day 7. Depart to UB city
Fly to UB. Transfer to hotel.
Day 8. Arrive in Ulgii, Explore to Altay mountains and Golden Eagle festival
Drive to Altai Kazakh Eagle hunter’s family to Sagsai
Arrive to Bayan-Ulgii province airport and meet with the team. After driving about an hour , we will come to Kazakh eagle hunter’s family, who lives Sagsai town which is famous place with eagle hunting in Mongolia. Visit Kazakh nomadic family and feel their grade hospitality. See his magnificent bird. Overnight in traditional nomadic ger. /yurt/
Day 9. Hunting with Golden Eagle and Hiking by Rocky Mountains /riding horse/
The Mongolian Kazakhs use for hunting female eagles as far they are bigger mail ones and more aggressive. These eagles are trained to hunt foxes, wolves, rabbit and wild cat. Everyday going side by side with eagle hunter to hunt mostly fox we learn and enjoy this unique customs of the Mongolian Kazakhs. Overnights in nomadic style ger.
Day 10. Golden Eagle Festival
After early breakfast, after driving an hour we will get to the festival place where is near by Tolbo Lake. Meet the Kazakh Eagle hunters. The rodeo of eagle hunting. A fantastic opportunity for photographers and adventurers alike to see these magnificent birds up close. There are approximately 400 eagle hunters in Bayan-Ulgii province. The eagle hunters from around regions gather to test their finely trained birds in singular contests of speed and agility in these few days. During the festival we also see some Kazakh Traditional Horse Games like “BushKushi” (Try to take out from each other the goat skin on horseback), “Kiss woman on horseback”, “Pick up coins from the land on horseback” and others. In the evening we enjoy to have the Kazakh Concert with some traditional songs and music. Overnights in nomadic style ger.
Day 11. Final day of Golden Eagle Festival
There will be competition between the eagle hunters who win in before day. The best eagle hunters will get their awards that day. Overnights in nomadic style ger.
Day 12. Drive to Altay Tavan Bogd National Park
Drive to Altay Tavan Bogd National Park via Tsagaan Gol /White river/ valley. You will drive between the high Altay mountain about /3000-4000m/. After driving about 5,6 hours we reach to the Shiveet Hairhan sacred mountain where we can see the largest rock painting site from the period of the Huns (approx 200 B.C.). Some ancient Turkic stones can also be seen along the way. Drive about 30 minutes came at white river valley. Stay with Tuvan nomadic family.
Day 13. Hiking to base camp
After having breakfast horsemen will pack our luggage on the camel. Trek for 16 kms toward the base camp of the snow-capped Tavanbogd massif. Pitch camp next to the Potanina glacier – the biggest of the twenty glaciers in Mongolian Altai. Remain there for two nights. Tavanbogd means “The Holy Five”, referring to the five highest peaks, of which Huiten Uul is the highest in Mongolia, 4374 meters above sea level. Quite a considerable height at this altitude. It is a stunning setting with the awe-inspiring massif of high snow-capped peaks. Stay in tent.
Day 14. Climb to Malchin peak /4050m/
Full day(7-8hrs) we will make day hikes to the Malchin peak. These are non-technical climbs. Overnights in same campside.
Day 15. Hiking back to White river where we arrive at first day. After hiking 16km we get to Tuvan family stay in ger.
Day 16. Drive to Hoton and Hurgan lake
About 180 km driving you will reach the Hoton and Hurgan twin lakes where many Nomadic Kazakh families spend summer time. On the way we see the ancient Turcik bulbuls with the graveyards. This is beautiful place surrounded by mountains with forest which is wall of between China and Mongolia. Now we are closer to the Chinese border. One of the big waterfall have on that mountain. After crossing the wooden bridge on the water channel between Hoton and Hurgan lakes, we drive to north along the Hoton lake about 15kms and reach Biluut mountain. Here you can see the many petro-glyphs. We have special dinner Kazak traditional meal called Sirne. Overnight in ger.
Day 17. Drive until the car stop and hiking to the waterfall about 4 km
After breakfast we will drive to the waterfall which is located in forest area. People used to call this place Switzerland of Mongolia. Having picnic lunch at the waterfall. If the weather is warm we have shower under the waterfall and helps you feeling fresh and cool. Come back to the ger by same way. Stay in ger.
Day 18. Drive to Ulgii
We will drive about 5-6 hours to Gget to Ulgii. On the way we visit to throat singer. Stay at hotel.
Day 19. Depart to UB.
After early breakfast, transfer to Olgii airport for check-in. Fly out to UB.
