Nomads Winter Festivals
Included In-Country Services
Mongolia Winter Festivals – Khuvsgul Lake’s Ice Festival
Mongolia Winter Festivals – Western Mongolia Eagle Festival
Each year Kazakh people who live in extreme west of Mongolia attend the competition which tests their speed, agility, and accuracy to hunt. The Kazakhs of Mongolia train their eagles to hunt for rabbits and foxes. This festival is organized by the local Kazakh community and the Berkut Association. Historically, nomadic Kazakhs depended on Golden Eagles for hunting.
Mongolia Winter Festival – Gobi Desert’s Thousand Camel Festival
The Thousand Camel Festival, annually held in the Gobi desert, is organized by a local non-governmental organization working to protect and preserve endangered Bactrian camel population. This extraordinary festival includes a camel race, a polo competition and performances of traditional music and dance. By attending the festival you can also experience the nomads’ way of life and famous paleontological sites.
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar
Sightseeing and Welcoming Dinner
On your arrival at Ulaanbaatar you will be transferred to Bayangol Hotel. In the afternoon there will be a city tour: the first is the residence of the last Mongolian King, displaying a collection of Buddhist artifacts and items of his personal use. Then we will visit to the Gandan Monsatery followed by welcome dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Before We Start the Mongolia Winter Festivals Program, We’ll First Pay Our Respects to the Famed Chinggis Khan Statue
We begin our journey by driving 64 km east of the Ulaanbaatar to Tsonjin Boldog. Here we will stop at the imposing Genghiis Khan Equestrian Statue. Designed and built by Mongolian architects in 2008 and wrapped in 250 tons of gleaming stainless steel, the enormous horse and it’s gigantic rider stands 40 meters (131 feet) tall and they are facing south pointing symbolically to China. After this fascinating visit we drive back to UB.
Flight to Khuvsgul Province to Attend the Famed Khuvsgul Lake’s Ice Festival – The First of 3 Mongolia Winter Festivals
This morning we will take a direct flight to Moron the capital of Khuvsgul province. The flight will take you 1.2 hours. On arrival you will be driven to the lake, the smaller brother of Baikal, renowned for the clarity of its water and nature. In the end of the 4 hour drive you will reach the ger camp on the shores of the lake.
Khuvsgul Lake’s Ice Festival – 1st of Mongolia Winter Festivals
Organized yearly on frozen Lake Khuvsgul by National Park rangers, local residents and businesses, the Ice Festival has been held five years running. A respite from the confinement of the winter months, the Ice Festival is a time to get outdoors and play games. The festival features a gathering of local residents and nomadic reindeer herders, and performances by shamans, musicians, and sportsmen. Competitions include ice sumo, a horse-drawn sleigh race, ice skating races, tug-of-war between local teams, and a Russian Jeep race on the ice. Many traditional games are played on the sidelines, and this is an ideal venue for visitors to join in the fun and games with local people. The festival is held at Khar-Us on Khuvsgul Lake, a short drive north of Hatgal across the frozen lake ice.
After breakfast, attend Ice festival opening ceremony, Ice carving competition, Ice Sumo wrestling, Ankle bone shooting, and Shaman Ceremony and National Folklore concert. You will watch bonfire and sacrificing shamanic ceremony. Free hiking by the lake shore and horse sledding. Overnight in Ger camp.Next morningwatch a marathon of skaters and a horse sled racing on the lake. After lunch, you will be driven back to Murun for your return flight to Ulaanbaatar. (Approx. on air 560 km, 1.5 hour & dirt road 12
Western Mongolia’s Famed Eagle Festival – 2nd of Mongolia Winter Festivals
You will be taken to the area where Eagle Festival will be held. At 10.00am the opening ceremony commences, as the participants join the parade on horse ride with their eagles. Then festival begins with each Kazakh displaying his hunting outfit and accessories. The Golden eagles will be released from a cliff and their owner will stand below and signal for them to land upon their arm, as they do during hunting. Then eagles will be released from a cliff to attack fox skins that will be dragged by their owner on horseback. Travel back to Ulaanbaatar. Stay overnight in the hotel.
Mongolia’s Famed Gobi Desert Camel Festival – the 3rd of Mongolia’s Winter Festivals
Transfer to the local airport for a morning flight to the Gobi. Mongolia’s two-humped Bactrian camel is nicknamed by locals “the Gobi Ship”. It inhabits the Gobi desert in the southern part of Mongolia. The camel is an indispensable part of life for nomadic herdsmen, therefore a local association of camel herders organizes this gathering of camels and their breeders each year to promote continued breeding of the Bactrian camel and to educate both Mongolians and foreigners on the importance of the camel in the Mongolian way of life.
Camels and riders compete in a race, in camel polo tournaments, and evenin a camel “beauty contest” where owners display the finest saddles and rigging for their camels. This festival is held in Bulgan village of the South Gobi province 30km from the ger camp. In the afternoon you will visit the ‘Flaming Red Cliffs’ – the famous site where the first dinosaur eggs were ever found by an American expedition in the 1920-ies. Meals and overnight at the same ger camp.
Return Flight to Ulaanbaatar
In the morning we will drive to the local airport for the return flight to Ulaanbaatar. On return you will be transferred to your hotel.
Visit Mongolian Nomads to Experience Nomadic Lifestyle
Such deep insight into the lifestyle of Mongols has only been given to a few visitors. Two days living next to a nomadic family in the surroundings of Ulaanbaatar, learning how to tend animals, riding horses as well as some training of using a real composite bow. Some logistical secrets of the successes of Medieval Mongol warriors will be revealed to you.
You will be accommodated in a traditional Mongolian tent; our chef will cook the meals served directly in your tent. In the evening of the second day you will be driven back to UB.
Departure
NCA-001, 19 Feb – 2 March, 2025
Price per person from: USD 3,839.00
Single Supplement: USD 519
Domestic flights, transportation within Mongolia. Single accommodation can be arranged at an additional cost. Tented accommodation while on trek, three meals a day, English-speaking guide, all sightseeing costs, transfers, camel or horse hire where specified, support staff including drivers, horse/camel men and camp assistants.
International transportation, travel insurance, visas, departure tax, alcoholic drinks, gratuities, items of a personal nature.
It is the responsibility of the client to be fully covered with travel and medical insurance while traveling in Mongolia.
Upon request a single supplement in the countryside can be provided at the additional cost. In case single accommodation in ger camps was not provided the amount would be calculated based on the missing nights and reimbursed. Nomads cannot be held responsible for over bookings, as long as the company can prove with sufficient documentation that overbooking has been the error of the third party.
Should circumstances beyond our control, such as the imposition of quarantine restrictions, any changes of the domestic flight or train schedules, require a change of itinerary, we will inform your agent and propose an equivalent itinerary. Again, Nomads cannot take over the responsibility for the Airlines or the National Train Company. The traveler is responsible for having proper travel documents, such as a valid passport, proper visa, and the necessary passport pictures.
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