Golden Eagle Festival Mongolia Photography Tour 2026

(1 Oct) Arrival in Ulaanbaatar. Meet your team and transfer to the hotel. Begin with photography at Gandan Monastery, capturing monks, daily rituals, and the Migjid Janraisig Buddha statue. Continue to Sukhbaatar Square for architectural and cultural scenes, including the Chinggis Khaan monument. In the afternoon, explore selected street photography locations, focusing on everyday life and urban scenes. If timing allows, shoot during golden hour.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel. Meals: Lunch, Dinner

(02 Oct) Take a morning flight to Khovd and meet your driver at the airport. From here, drive through the sub-Altai mountain ranges towards Tolbo Lake, with layered ridgelines, rocky terrain, and changing mountain light along the way. Arrive at Tolbo Lake and work on a photography session with an eagle hunter, focusing on portraits, clean backgrounds, and compositions using the lake and surrounding terrain. This setting allows for more controlled shooting conditions and a variety of angles. Later, continue to Ulgii for dinner and overnight at the camp.

Accommodation: Pamuk resort. Meals: Full board

(03-04 Oct) Photograph the Golden Eagle Festival, where Kazakh eagle hunters gather to compete with their trained eagles. Capture the opening parade, traditional costumes, and fast action as eagles are released from mountain ridges to catch moving targets. The festival also includes horseback games such as Kokbar and Kiz Khuar, offering strong action and storytelling opportunities. Over these two days, focus on a mix of action, portraits, and real moments.The festival concludes with the award ceremony for the best hunters.

A private ger is arranged for our group during the festival, providing a warm space for breaks, with tea, coffee, and private restroom access. After the festival, we will arrange a small private shooting session with eagle hunters in the nearby mountains, allowing for more controlled conditions and cleaner backgrounds. 

Accommodation: Pamuk resort. Meals: Full board

(05 Oct) Drive to Sagsai village, a well-known area for eagle hunters. Visit a local family near the mountains and enjoy a special photography session, capturing their daily life and the majestic eagles up close. After the session, drive to Khovd town, a place rich in Mongolian and Kazakh traditions.

Drive to Sagsai village, a key area for eagle hunters in Mongolia. Visit a local eagle hunter family and spend time photographing inside and around the ger, focusing on daily life, portraits, and close interaction with the eagles. You will observe how the eagles are handled, trained, and fed, with opportunities to capture real moments of their routine and connection with the hunter. The setting allows for a range of images, from environmental portraits inside the ger to outdoor scenes with the mountains as a backdrop.

Accommodation: Pamuk resort. Meals: Full board

(06 Oct) Fly back to Ulaanbaatar in the morning and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, you can go shopping for Mongolian souvenirs and high-quality cashmere products or simply relax. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner together, sharing your best moments from the trip.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel. Meals: Full board

(07 Oct) Transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport for your flight home. Farewell and safe travels!

Meal: Breakfast