Self-Launched Mongolia Golden Eagle Festival Adventure

Arrive into Chinggis Khaan International Airport and make your own way into the city centre by taxi or airport bus (~£3-5). Check into a central guesthouse or hostel. Spend the afternoon exploring Sukhbaatar Square, the National Museum of Mongolia (entry ~£2) and the State Department Store. Grab dinner at one of the city's many local canteens or Korean-Mongolian fusion spots around Peace Avenue.

🚌Airport taxi or airport bus to city centre — ~£3-5

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in central Ulaanbaatar (e.g. Ulaanbaatar Guesthouse or LG Guesthouse) — ~£12-18/night

• →Explore Sukhbaatar Square — free
• →National Museum of Mongolia — ~£2 entry
• →Wander the State Department Store and surrounds
• →Dinner at a local Ulaanbaatar restaurant — ~£5-8

Hire a shared 4x4 or join a day-tour departing from Ulaanbaatar to Terelj National Park (~2 hrs). En route, stop at the iconic 40m stainless steel Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue (entry ~£6). Explore Terelj's rock formations and visit the Aryabal Meditation Temple for sweeping valley views. In the afternoon, arrange a visit to a local nomadic family through your ger camp — most camps can organise this directly for a small tip.

🚌Shared 4x4 hired in Ulaanbaatar or shared minibus to Terelj — ~£10-15pp

🛏Ger camp in Terelj National Park (e.g. Terelj Tourism Ger Camp, book direct) — ~£18-25/night including dinner and breakfast

• →Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue — ~£6 entry
• →Explore Terelj National Park rock formations — free
• →Aryabal Meditation Temple hike — free
• →Nomadic family visit with dairy tasting — ~£5 tip/contribution

Return to Ulaanbaatar early and take a domestic flight to Dalanzadgad (MIAT Mongolian Airlines or Hunnu Air, ~£60-80 one way — book well in advance). On arrival, hire a local 4x4 with driver/guide from Dalanzadgad (~£40-50/day split between travel companions). Drive to Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park and visit the stunning Yolyn Am canyon, where ice lingers even in summer. Keep eyes peeled for ibex and Mongolian wild asses.

🚌Domestic flight + local 4x4 hire with driver from Dalanzadgad — ~£80-95 all-in today

🛏Ger camp near Yolyn Am or Dalanzadgad (e.g. Three Camel Lodge area budget options or local ger camps) — ~£18-25/night

• →Domestic flight Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad — ~£65-80
• →Yolyn Am canyon walk — ~£3 national park entry
• →Wildlife spotting: ibex, wild asses, argali sheep

Drive ~70km with your hired 4x4 to Bayanzag, the legendary Flaming Cliffs — named for the vivid red, yellow and orange sandstone that glows at sunset. Explore freely; this is one of the world's great dinosaur fossil sites (discovered in the 1920s) and small fossil fragments are sometimes visible on the surface. Pack a picnic lunch from your ger camp. Return to camp for the afternoon and evening.

🚌Continued 4x4 hire with driver — ~£40-50/day (shared)

🛏Ger camp near Bayanzag — ~£18-22/night

• →Hike and explore Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs — free (nominal park fee ~£2)
• →Fossil spotting along the cliffs
• →Sunset photography at the cliffs

A long but spectacular ~200km drive (5 hrs) across classic Gobi Desert terrain to Khongoryn Els — Mongolia's largest sand dunes, stretching 200km and rising up to 300m. The dunes are known as the 'Singing Dunes' for the eerie resonating sound the wind creates. Arrive in the afternoon and settle into your ger camp with views straight onto the dunes. Evening stargazing is exceptional here.

🚌Continued 4x4 hire — ~£40-50/day (shared)

🛏Ger camp at the base of Khongoryn Els (e.g. Moltsog Els Ger Camp, book direct) — ~£18-25/night

• →Drive through Gobi Desert landscape — scenic
• →First views and short walk at Khongoryn Els dunes
• →Stargazing from the dune base — free

Full day at the dunes. Climb to the top of the main dune ridge for extraordinary panoramic views — allow 1-2 hrs for the ascent. Your ger camp can arrange a visit to a local camel-breeding family (~£5-10 contribution), where you can learn about nomadic herding life and try camel riding. Optional camel ride to the dunes is available through camp (~£8-12/hr).

🚌No long driving today — local

🛏Ger camp at Khongoryn Els — ~£18-25/night

• →Climb Khongoryn Els dune ridge — free
• →Camel riding at the dunes — ~£8-12/hr
• →Visit nomadic camel-breeding family — ~£5-10 contribution
• →Learn about nomadic herder culture

A long driving day (~385km, ~8-9 hrs) across the flat stony plains and small rocky outcrops of the Khatan Suudal Steppe. Stop for a packed picnic lunch en route. Afternoon visit to the Bichigt Khad petroglyphs — Bronze Age rock engravings dating to 3000 BCE, depicting ibex, argali and horse riders. You can view many from the 4x4 (binoculars useful) or hike up to the accessible lower cliff face for a closer look.

🚌4x4 hire continued — ~£40-50/day (shared)

🛏Ger camp in the Bayan Gobi region — ~£15-20/night

• →Drive through classic Gobi scenery — scenic
• →Bichigt Khad Bronze Age petroglyphs — free
• →Optional hike to lower cliff face for close-up views
• →Picnic lunch on the steppe

Another epic driving day (~415km, ~10-11 hrs) heading north. Visit the Tsagaan Agui (White Cave), pass over the Taats River with views of Ikh Bogd — the highest peak in the Gobi Altai range — and skirt its eastern edge before arriving at Arvaikheer, capital of Övörkhangai province. Tonight you'll sleep in a proper hotel bed for the first time in days!

🚌4x4 hire continued — ~£40-50/day (shared)

🛏Budget hotel in Arvaikheer (e.g. Munkh Khangai Hotel or similar local options) — ~£20-28/night

• →Tsagaan Agui (White Cave) visit — free
• →Views of Ikh Bogd mountain from the road
• →Arrive and settle into Arvaikheer — explore the town

Morning visit to the Arvaikheer local market (great for people-watching and local produce) and the regional museum featuring nature collections, stone figures and Turkic scripts (~£2 entry). After lunch, drive ~150km (4 hrs) towards Kharkhorin, stopping en route at Shankh Monastery — once home to the great Mongolian Buddhist theorist Zanabazar. Arrive at your ger camp near Kharkhorin in the evening.

🚌4x4 hire continued — ~£35-45 (shorter day)

🛏Ger camp near Kharkhorin — ~£18-25/night

• →Arvaikheer local market — free to browse
• →Arvaikheer Regional Museum — ~£2 entry
• →Shankh Monastery visit — small donation appropriate
• →Drive to Kharkhorin through steppe scenery

Morning visit to the ancient 13th-century Mongol capital of Karakorum and the magnificent Erdene Zuu Monastery (entry ~£3) — founded in 1586 on the ruins of the empire's capital, its 108-stupa wall is one of Mongolia's great sights. After lunch, drive ~2 hrs to Mongol Els (the 'Little Gobi Desert') — a surreal belt of dunes in the middle of open steppe. Watch Bactrian camels wander the dunes while horses graze on green steppe nearby. Visit the small temple at the base of Khogno Khan mountain.

🚌4x4 hire continued — ~£40-50/day (shared)

🛏Ger camp near Mongol Els / Khogno Khan — ~£18-25/night

• →Karakorum ancient capital site — free to walk
• →Erdene Zuu Monastery — ~£3 entry
• →Mongol Els (Little Gobi) dune exploration — free
• →Khogno Khan mountain temple visit — small donation
• →Bactrian camel and steppe eagle spotting

Drive ~200km (3 hrs) to Khustain Nuruu National Park, home to the remarkable re-introduction of the Przewalski's horse (takhi) — one of the world's great conservation success stories. Pay the national park entry fee (~£5) and visit the Project Information Centre to learn about the programme. Take a guided hike within the park to spot the wild horse herds, best seen at dawn and dusk on the hillsides.

🚌4x4 hire continued — ~£35-45 (shorter day)

🛏Ger camp within or adjacent to Khustain Nuruu National Park — ~£18-25/night

• →Khustain Nuruu National Park entry — ~£5
• →Project Information Centre visit — included
• →Guided hike to spot wild Przewalski's horses
• →Wildlife watching: deer, gazelle, wolves also present

Drive ~210km (4 hrs) back to Ulaanbaatar. Check into your guesthouse and spend the afternoon at leisure — browse the Narantuul (Black Market) for cashmere, leather goods and traditional handicrafts, or visit the Gandan Monastery. In the evening, book tickets for the Tumen Ekh ensemble's performance of traditional Mongolian throat singing, contortionists and Tsam dancers (~£12-15pp — book ahead at the venue or via your guesthouse).

🚌Final 4x4 hire day back to UB — ~£35-45 (shared, last day)

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Ulaanbaatar — ~£15-22/night

• →Drive back to Ulaanbaatar through steppe
• →Narantuul Market souvenir shopping — free entry, budget as needed
• →Gandan Monastery visit — ~£1 donation
• →Tumen Ekh traditional song & dance performance — ~£12-15

Take a morning domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar to Ulgii (Bayan-Ulgii province) — MIAT or Hunnu Air, ~£80-100 one way, book well in advance as flights fill up during Eagle Festival week. On arrival, hire a local driver/guide (essential for this region, ~£35-45/day) and drive offroad ~1 hr to Sagsai village. Spend the day with a Kazakh family — help with milking, taste yak cheese and yogurt, and experience the warm hospitality of this distinct Central Asian culture within Mongolia.

🚌Domestic flight + local 4x4 hire with driver — ~£90-115 all-in today

🛏Ger camp near Ulgii — ~£18-25/night

• →Domestic flight Ulaanbaatar to Ulgii — ~£80-100
• →Visit Kazakh nomadic family in Sagsai village — ~£8-10 contribution
• →Yak cheese and yogurt tasting
• →Learn about Kazakh eagle hunting traditions

The main event! The Golden Eagle Festival (Burkitshi) is held annually in early October. Purchase your festival entry ticket (~£10-15pp per day, available at the gate). Day one features the spectacular competition for best traditional Kazakh costume, thrilling horse racing across the open steppe, and archery competitions. In the evening, attend the cultural performance at the local Ulgii theatre (~£5). This is one of the world's most extraordinary cultural festivals — arrive early for the best viewing spots.

🚌Local 4x4 hire with driver to festival grounds — ~£10-15 round trip

🛏Ger camp near Ulgii festival grounds — ~£18-25/night

• →Golden Eagle Festival entry — ~£10-15/day
• →Best traditional Kazakh costume competition
• →Horse racing across open steppe
• →Archery competitions
• →Evening cultural theatre performance — ~£5

Return to the festival for day two — often considered the highlight. Watch eagle hunters (burkitshi) demonstrate their skills as trained golden eagles swoop from mountain ridges to their handlers' arms on the open plain below. Also on the programme: a dramatic camel race and the wild sport of kokpar (buzkashi) in which mounted riders wrestle over a goat skin. An utterly unique spectacle. Browse the handicraft stalls for Kazakh embroidery and felt goods.

🚌Local 4x4 to festival grounds — ~£10-15 round trip

🛏Ger camp near Ulgii — ~£18-25/night

• →Golden Eagle Festival entry — ~£10-15/day
• →Eagle hunting demonstration — the centrepiece event
• →Camel race
• →Kokpar (buzkashi) — traditional horseback wrestling sport
• →Kazakh handicraft and embroidery stalls

Transfer to Ulgii airport for a mid-morning flight back to Ulaanbaatar (~£80-100). Arrive around midday, transfer to your guesthouse and freshen up. The afternoon is free — last-minute cashmere shopping (Mongolia produces some of the world's finest), a visit to the Contemporary Art Gallery, or simply relaxing in one of the city's growing café scene spots. Dinner out tonight — try a traditional Mongolian hotpot restaurant.

🚌Domestic flight + airport taxi — ~£85-105 total

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Ulaanbaatar — ~£15-22/night

• →Domestic flight Ulgii to Ulaanbaatar — ~£80-100
• →Cashmere and souvenir shopping in UB
• →Contemporary Art Gallery visit — ~£2
• →Farewell dinner at a Mongolian hotpot restaurant — ~£8-12

Your Mongolian adventure ends today. After breakfast, check out and transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport for your onward flight. Allow plenty of time — the airport is ~18km from the city centre (~£5-8 by taxi). If your flight departs late, drop your bags at the guesthouse and squeeze in a final stroll around Sukhbaatar Square.

🚌Taxi to airport — ~£5-8

🛏Check-out (no accommodation cost)

• →Farewell breakfast
• →Final stroll around Sukhbaatar Square if time allows
• →Transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport — ~£5-8 by taxi