Golden Eagle Festival

When: October each year, with competitions and demonstrations staged across several days.

Where: In and around Olgii in western Mongolia, on the plains and valleys of the Altai Mountains.

Cost: Mostly free to watch public events, though paid experiences, guided tours and accommodation cost extra.

Don’t miss: Eagle flight competitions and the hunters’ parade in full traditional dress and regalia.

The Golden Eagle Festival showcases the Kazakh berkutchi tradition around Olgii in western Mongolia, where hunters train golden eagles to hunt fox and small game in mountain terrain. The practice of hunting with eagles is centuries old and remains a living part of Kazakh identity in this borderland region.

Events combine competitive displays and cultural performance: timed flight trials, demonstrations of eagle handling and dressing, a parade of hunters in ornate robes and felt hats, and stalls offering local food, felt crafts and horse-riding displays against the backdrop of the Altai Mountains. Activities are centered on the town and nearby valleys, with many visitors staying in local guesthouses or nomad homestays.

Olgii’s Golden Eagle Festival takes place every October, timed to the start of the traditional hunting season before winter sets in. Exact dates are set annually, but the festival consistently falls in autumn when the eagles are at their best for hunting displays.

The programme typically runs over several consecutive days: opening ceremonies and parades, a series of timed flight competitions and demonstrations, and a closing day with final contests and awards.

Fly into Ulaanbaatar’s international airport in the capital of Mongolia, then take a domestic flight to Olgii (Ulgii) airport; scheduled domestic services connect Ulaanbaatar and Olgii, especially in festival season. Overland journeys are long and require 4x4 vehicles; arrive 1 - 2 days before events to allow for domestic flight changes and to settle into guesthouses or camps, and book flights and accommodation well in advance.

• The festival base is Olgii in western Mongolia, where services are limited outside town - bring cash in Mongolian tugrik and essential supplies.
• Dress for cold, wind and variable mountain weather in October: thermal layers, a warm down jacket, hat, gloves and sturdy boots are essential.
• Treat eagles and hunters with respect: always ask permission before photographing or touching a bird, and follow handlers’ instructions at close range.
• Book domestic flights, ger camps or homestays and any guided tours early; seats and accommodations fill quickly in festival weeks.
• Expect basic facilities in rural venues, intermittent phone and internet, and dusty conditions near arenas - carry power banks, a headlamp and a small first-aid kit.