Eagle Festival Dates in Mongolia 2026: Complete Guide to Bayan-Ölgii Eagle Festivals

If you are planning to visit Western Mongolia in September or October 2026, there are several opportunities to experience the famous tradition of Kazakh eagle hunting.

Bayan-Ölgii Province, home to Mongolia's largest Kazakh community, hosts a number of eagle festivals during September and early October. While the Golden Eagle Festival near Ölgii is the best-known event, smaller countryside festivals can offer travellers a different and often more intimate experience.

Below is our guide to the 2026 Eagle Festival dates in Western Mongolia, including locations, distances from Ölgii, transport information and useful advice for planning your trip.

Eagle Festival Dates in Mongolia – 2026

Eagle Festival	Dates	Location & Distance from Ölgii
Altai Eagle Festival	12–13 September 2026	Altai soum, approximately 110 km south of Ölgii
Sagsai Eagle Festival	17–18 September 2026	Sagsai area, approximately 35–40 km from Ölgii
Tolbo Eagle Festival	21–22 September 2026	Tolbo Lake area, approximately 40–50 minutes to 1 hour from Ölgii
Altantsögts Eagle Festival	26–27 September 2026	Altantsögts soum, approximately 35–40 km east of Ölgii
Golden Eagle Festivals	3–4 October 2026	Two separate eagle festivals are expected near Ölgii

Altai Eagle Festival – 12–13 September 2026

The Altai Eagle Festival takes place in Altai soum, a small administrative centre approximately 110 km south of Ölgii.

Although the distance may not appear very long, road conditions mean that the journey normally takes around 3.5–4 hours each way.

This festival is a good choice for travellers who would like to travel deeper into the countryside of Bayan-Ölgii and experience both the festival and the surrounding landscapes.

Combining the festival with an overnight stay with a local Kazakh family or eagle hunter can make the journey much more rewarding than attempting it simply as a day trip from Ölgii.

Sagsai Eagle Festival – 17–18 September 2026

The Sagsai Eagle Festival is held relatively close to Ölgii.

Sagsai is approximately 35–40 km from Ölgii, with the drive generally taking around one hour depending on road and weather conditions.

Sagsai is one of the areas strongly associated with the Kazakh eagle-hunting tradition. Many experienced eagle hunters and their families live throughout this region.

For travellers who want to combine an eagle festival with a genuine eagle hunter family visit, Sagsai and the surrounding countryside are particularly convenient.

Tolbo Eagle Festival – 21–22 September 2026

The Tolbo Eagle Festival takes place near beautiful Tolbo Lake, southwest of Ölgii.

The road from Ölgii toward Tolbo is paved for much of the journey, making this one of the easiest eagle festivals to reach from the provincial capital.

Driving time is approximately 40 minutes to one hour, and the festival grounds are located close to Tolbo Lake.

The combination of the eagle festival, lake scenery and surrounding Altai Mountains makes Tolbo an attractive option for photographers and travellers with limited time in Western Mongolia.

Altantsögts Eagle Festival – 26–27 September 2026

The Altantsögts Eagle Festival is scheduled for 26–27 September 2026.

Altantsögts is approximately 35–40 km east of Ölgii and can conveniently be combined with visits to local Kazakh families, eagle hunters and other countryside experiences around Bayan-Ölgii.

For travellers arriving before the large October Golden Eagle Festival, this can be an excellent opportunity to experience an earlier regional event.

Golden Eagle Festival – 3–4 October 2026

The largest and best-known eagle festival period takes place on 3–4 October 2026.

Travellers should be aware that two separate eagle festivals are held during the same dates around Ölgii.

The Original Golden Eagle Festival

The original Golden Eagle Festival has been organised for more than 25 years and is one of Mongolia's most famous cultural events.

It is organised by the Mongolian Eagle Hunters' Association and is normally held approximately 10 km east of Ölgii.

Visitors come to Bayan-Ölgii to photograph and meet Kazakh eagle hunters dressed in traditional clothing and watch competitions demonstrating the relationship between hunter, horse and golden eagle.

Events traditionally include eagle calling, hunting-related competitions, traditional clothing, horsemanship and other displays of Kazakh culture.

The Second October Eagle Festival

A second eagle festival is also organised during 3–4 October 2026, approximately 25 km south of Ölgii.

This newer event has been held for several years and gives travellers another opportunity to experience eagle-hunting traditions during the busiest festival weekend of the season.

When booking an Eagle Festival tour, it is therefore important to check which festival your itinerary actually attends, as the two events are held at different locations.

Important: Flights to Ölgii and Khovd Sell Out Very Early

One of the most important things to understand when planning an Eagle Festival trip is that domestic flight availability is extremely limited during September and early October.

For the 2026 festival season, many flights from Ulaanbaatar to Ölgii and Ulaanbaatar to Khovd are already sold out. This is normal during the Eagle Festival period, as tickets can sell out months in advance.

If you are planning to travel to Western Mongolia for an Eagle Festival, we strongly recommend arranging your trip as early as possible.

Alternative: Travel to Ölgii by Bus

If flights are unavailable, it is also possible to travel from Ulaanbaatar to Ölgii by long-distance bus.

The journey usually takes approximately 24 hours, depending on road, weather and traffic conditions.

This can be a practical option for travellers on a tighter budget or those who are unable to secure a domestic flight, but it is a very long overland journey and should be planned carefully.

Planning for the 2027 Eagle Festivals

If you are thinking about travelling for the 2027 Golden Eagle Festival or any of the September Eagle Festivals, it is worth starting your arrangements very early.

For example, from around October 2026, travellers planning for the following year's Eagle Festival season should already begin contacting us.

Booking early gives us a much better chance to:

• Secure domestic flight tickets to Ölgii or Khovd
• Reserve suitable hotels and accommodation in Ölgii
• Arrange stays with eagle hunter families
• Organise drivers, guides and vehicles
• Build a customised itinerary around the festival dates
• Combine the festival with other parts of Western Mongolia

Accommodation in Ölgii can also become very limited during the Golden Eagle Festival period, so early reservations are just as important as securing flights.

Budget Travel Option in Ölgii

For travellers visiting Western Mongolia on a tighter budget, we also recommend contacting Traveler's Guest House in Ölgii.

Traveler's Guest House is a popular meeting point for independent travellers and backpackers visiting Bayan-Ölgii. It can be particularly useful for solo travellers who would like to meet other travellers and potentially join together for shared-budget tours and local excursions.

The owner, Nazka, helps organise various budget travel options around the region.

Traveler's Guest House – WhatsApp:
+976 9942 9696

This can be a good option if you are travelling independently and prefer a simple, flexible and more economical way to explore Western Mongolia.

Eagle Festivals Are Only Part of the Experience

Watching an eagle festival is fascinating, but it is important to understand that a festival is an organised cultural event and competition.

For travellers who want to understand the real life of Mongolia's Kazakh eagle hunters, we strongly recommend combining the festival with time spent in the countryside.

Kazakh Tour organises journeys that can include:

• Visits to genuine eagle hunter families in their homes
• Staying with local Kazakh nomadic families
• Experiencing everyday life in the Altai Mountains
• Horse riding with local families
• Photography with eagle hunters
• Traditional Kazakh meals and hospitality
• Journeys through remote valleys and mountain landscapes
• True-life eagle hunting experiences outside the festival grounds
• Golden Eagle Festival tours combined with Western Mongolia adventures

Our focus is on genuine family visits and real local experiences rather than relying only on staged tourist demonstrations.

Kazakh Tour Golden Eagle Festival 2026 – Fully Booked

Our Kazakh Tour Golden Eagle Festival Tour 2026 is now fully booked.

We sincerely thank all of our guests who have chosen to travel with us this year.

We are currently preparing our Golden Eagle Festival Tour 2027, which will be announced and published very soon.

If you are already considering travelling to Mongolia for the 2027 Golden Eagle Festival, we recommend contacting us early. This allows us to start planning your trip and gives us the best opportunity to secure the limited domestic flights and accommodation required during this extremely busy period.

We can also create customised itineraries around the smaller September Eagle Festivals for travellers who prefer a quieter experience.

Which Eagle Festival Should You Choose?

There is no single festival that is best for every traveller.

If your priority is experiencing the largest and most famous event, the 3–4 October Golden Eagle Festival is the obvious choice.

If you prefer a smaller countryside atmosphere, the Altai, Sagsai, Tolbo or Altantsögts festivals in September may be more suitable.

Photographers may particularly enjoy combining one of the smaller festivals with several days staying with eagle hunters, where there is more time to photograph daily life, horses, landscapes and the relationship between the hunters and their golden eagles.

Travellers with more time can even arrange an itinerary covering more than one eagle festival.

Getting to Bayan-Ölgii

The eagle festivals take place in Bayan-Ölgii Province in far western Mongolia, approximately 1,600 km from Ulaanbaatar by road.

For most international travellers, the easiest option is to fly from Ulaanbaatar to Ölgii. Flying to Khovd can sometimes provide another option, followed by an overland transfer to Ölgii.

However, during the Eagle Festival season, flight tickets and accommodation are among the first things to sell out.

For this reason, we recommend making your arrangements many months before your planned travel date rather than waiting until the festival approaches.

Plan Your 2027 Eagle Festival Tour with Kazakh Tour

Kazakh Tour LLC is based locally in Ölgii, Bayan-Ölgii Province and specialises in Western Mongolia, Kazakh culture, Golden Eagle Festival tours and genuine eagle-hunting experiences.

Whether you are looking for a short Eagle Festival trip or a fully customised journey combining the festival with eagle hunter families, Altai Mountains, horseback riding, trekking, photography and nomadic life, we can design the itinerary around your available dates.

For the 2027 Eagle Festival season, early enquiries are strongly recommended.

Special for 2026-2027: Tour Led by Dosjan Khaval

Our Golden Eagle Festival Tour 2027 will be personally led by Dosjan Khaval, Sales & Operations Manager of Kazakh Tour and a local from Bayan-Ölgii who grew up within the Kazakh culture and eagle-hunting traditions of Western Mongolia.

This is an important advantage for our guests. The Golden Eagle Festival itself is spectacular, but understanding the people, traditions and stories behind what you see makes the experience much more meaningful. Travelling with a local tour leader who knows the eagle hunters, families and region personally gives guests much deeper access and insight than simply attending the festival as spectators.

For our 2027 guests, this will be a rare opportunity to experience the Golden Eagle Festival together with someone whose life and work are closely connected to the culture being celebrated. Dosjan will accompany the group throughout the journey, helping guests understand the competitions, meet local families and experience the real Kazakh culture beyond the festival grounds.

As places on our Golden Eagle Festival tours are limited and domestic flights and accommodation sell out extremely early, we recommend contacting us as soon as possible once the 2027 tour dates are announced.

Contact Kazakh Tour

Kazakh Tour LLC
Ölgii City, Bayan-Ölgii Province, Mongolia

Website: www.kazakhtour.com
Email: dosjan@kazakhtour.com
WhatsApp: +976 9942 2006