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My Experience at the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia

Finally, I got to attend the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia. After trying and failing in 2024, 2025 was the year I finally tickeed this EPIC festival off my bucket list. And it more than matched my expectations.

An event like this is one of those moments in life when travel stops being just travel and becomes something deeper. Mongolia was one of those moments for me. For years, I’d dreamed of seeing the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia, but this time I wasn’t just showing up solo with my backpack. I was leading a full group tour through my charity, Mudita Adventures, where we try to give something back as well as enjoy the expedition.

So we spent 8 days in one of the most rugged, untouched landscapes on Earth, including two days at the legendary Golden Eagle Festival. We slept in traditional Mongolian gers, drunk cheap Mongolian vodka, and braved the cold and snow at the festival itself.

If this tickles your fancy, JOIN OUR TRIP TO THE 2026 GOLDEN EAGLE FESTIVAL HERE NEXT YEAR.

Arriving in Mongolia

It’s super easy to reach Mongolia these days. $200 or so one way from my base in Thailand. But for north Americans or Europeans, you can go with Turkish from Istanbul, Qatar Airways from Doha, or via Frankfurt with MIAT. Really easy.

And Mongolia hits you the second you step off the plane. It looks exactly like you imagine. Rolling plains. The air is crisp, the light is harsh, and the sky looks like it’s been stretched wider than anywhere else on Earth. My group of legends and I landed in Ulaanbaatar, the capital, ready for our next adventure with Mudita Adventures.

We had eight days total, so after shaking off the flight and a welcome dinner and drinks. We spent the next 2 days in the mini Gobi. Before we finally flew west toward Bayan-Ölgii, home of the Kazakh eagle hunters and the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia. Rural Mongolia. Let’s goooooo.

What Is the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia?

Maybe the coolest festival in the world. Top 10 for sure. And it’s still small and intimate.

The Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia is one of the most breathtaking cultural events on Earth. Every October, hundreds of Kazakh hunters gather in the Altai Mountains to celebrate their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles.

These guys train their eagles for years, forming a bond beyond understanding. The festival isn’t some staged performance for tourists. In fact, there’s only about 50 tourists there! It’s a proper competition of skill and pride. Eagles soar from mountaintops, diving toward their owners at full speed. The precision, power, and beauty of it are unreal. So cool.

This isn’t just about the hunt, though. It’s about honoring tradition, family, and survival. The Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia is their way of saying, “We’re still here, and our way of life still matters.”

Leading My Mudita Adventures Group

Running trips through Mudita Adventures has always been about more than just travel for me. And in fact, even when I (hopefully!) take early retirement, I’ll still run these types of trips. For me, It’s about connection, impact, and giving something back. I’ve run tours all over the world — from Syria to Mauritania — and this one is right up there with any of them.

For the Golden Eagle Festival, my mate Josh and I brought a group of 18 travelers who were up for something off the beaten path.

We flew into Bayan-Ölgii, piled into old Russian vans, and drove out into the wilderness, bouncing along dirt tracks to reach the festival grounds. The landscapes were out of a dream, mountains dusted with snow, wild horses, and then… the eagle hunters.

We camped 30 minutes away. Our nights were spent in traditional gers (yurts) heated by wood-burning stoves. And also semi-heated by late night drinks! We sat around sharing stories about life, politics, travel, and the madness of deciding to come to one of the coldest, remotest places on the planet just to watch birds fly.

Two Days at the Festival

The Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia takes place over two packed days, the ‘schedule’ isn’t exactly set in stone, and everything runs on Mongolian time (similar to Thai time, Africa time and Jamaica time I found out).

Day one started with a grand parade of hunters on horseback, eagles perched proudly on their arms. Each hunter wore traditional fur coats, carved saddles, and thick leather gloves to hold the birds that could easily tear through skin.

Competitions kicked off soon after. We watched as the hunters released their eagles from the mountains, calling them back from hundreds of meters away. The crowd would go silent as the birds circled high above, then roar when they dove. It’s pretty wild. With kids as young as 9 featuring as Eagle Hunters.

Between events, we wandered the festival grounds, sipping on mulled wine and chatting. Kids sold dried cheese, women bartered for boots, and old men drank by the fire. It was chaos, but beautiful chaos.

Day two was even wilder. The temperatures plummeted over night and the snow fell. So the backdrop, today, looked even more breathtaking. Racing, archery, and a closing ceremony filled with dancing and song. The hunters celebrated, the eagles rested, and we stood there knowing we’d just witnessed something ancient and unforgettable.

Sleeping in Gers Under the Stars

Our camp was about twenty minutes from the main festival site, tucked in a small valley surrounded by mountains. Each of us shared a ger. Genders separated of course, health and safety and all that. The circular tent insulated and powered by a small stove. Temperatures dropped well below freezing at night, so we thankfully the local teams come in and restock the fire during the night.

One night, I stepped outside for some air and looked up. No light pollution, no sound, nothing. Just the Milky Way painted across the sky. With the snow falling, it was honestly out of this world.

If you ever come to Mongolia, skip the hotels. Stay in a ger. You’ll freeze, yes, but you’ll feel alive.

The People Behind the Festival

What makes the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia so special isn’t just the eagles, it’s knowing you’re among 1000 or so foreigners to have the privilege of witnessing the festival.

The Kazakh community here has held onto their traditions for centuries, despite the modern world creeping in. They live hard lives, often herding animals through brutal winters, and then the festival is their time to be front and centre.

On the trip, we also funded some charity projects. Here, we were invited into homes, offered tea and bread, and treated like family. By the end of our stay, my group felt like we’d been part of something special. This wasn’t a festival, it’s an old-school way of life. Still going strong. And long may it continue.

Why You Should Join My 2026 Trip

After running this trip in 2025, I knew instantly that I’d have to bring another group back. So, in 2026, we’re doing it again. Eight days across Mongolia, two full days at the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia, and nights spent sleeping in gers.

If you’ve ever wanted to experience a culture that feels untouched by time, this is your moment. You’ll fly into Ulaanbaatar, cross the wild steppe, and end up surrounded by eagles and horsemen in one of the most remote corners of the world.

And just like all Mudita Adventures trips, part of the proceeds will go directly toward our charity projects around the world. That means you’re not just traveling, you’re helping fund something good.

Reflections From the Steppe

When I left Mongolia, I felt both exhausted (we tend to not sleep much on my trips!) but also inspired. The Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia is the kind of experience that strips away your comfort zone and makes you feel human again. It’s cold, rough, and unpredictable, and that’s exactly what we signed up for.

In my life, I try to do chase my dreams and goals. And here in the middle of nowhere, we too meet people chasing purpose, freedom, or adventure. Mongolia offers all three in one hit. There’s something about standing on that frozen plain, surrounded by like minded people that reminds you what matters.

So, if you’re ready to step away from the ordinary, come with us in 2026. Pack your warmest jacket, forget your comfort, and let Mongolia show you what wild really means.

Final Thoughts

One of the coolest trips on our planet for sure. But the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia isn’t just a trip. It’s a reminder of who we are before all the noise. It’s people still living in harmony with nature, ancient traditions that will hopefully never die.

Eight days. Two at the festival. One lifetime’s worth of memories.

Join me in 2026 with Mudita Adventures. Let’s chase eagles, drink vodka under the stars, and see what happens when adventure meets purpose.