Riding with Eagle Hunters 2019 $5,125/£4,020*

A fabulous opportunity to experience first hand the life of a Kazakh Eagle Hunter. Visiting a hunter and his family you will have the privilege of witnessing their daily lives and the preparations for the Eagle Festival. Your host is one of the region's most experienced and respected hunters. You will learn skills and history from him and help him to do the final training with his bird before the festival.

An 11 day extravaganza to witness the ancient tradition of eagle hunting at the annual Altai Eagle Festival, in the rugged Altai Mountains.

Take the 3 hour flight west, from Ulaanbaatar to Ulgii, before meeting your hosts, Kazakh eagle hunter and his family. Join our nomadic friends for a meal and to learn about their way of life. They will demonstrate how to handle and train a Golden Eagle as they prepare for the start of the Eagle Festival.

The festival runs for 2 days, and eagle hunters travel long distances to compete and demonstrate their riding and bird handling skills. Watch and cheer as the participants show off in the traditional games of tug-o-war on horseback, fully clad in intricate and elaborate clothing before the prize giving and awards take place for the best in show.

Return to Ulaanbaatar for a day trip to the giant Chinggis Monument and the Gandan Khiid Monestery - the largest and most important working monastery in Mongolia. A wonderful end to a whistle stop Mongolian adventure.