Date: 01 Mar – 04 Mar
With this trip, you will see 2 important winter events in Mongolia in one trip. Khovsgol Lake inhabitants and visitors from all over Mongolia dress up in their best traditional clothes during the Khovsgol Ice Festival. You will be able to mix with Mongolians like a native, watch and photograph events and matches, and even join the games during this unique and colorful festival. Most spectacular customs of the Kazakh people in Western Mongolia is hunting with eagles that are specially trained has been practiced in Central Asia for a thousands of years. Almost 80% of the Eagle Hunters in the world lives in Western part of Mongolia. In every year, golden eagle hunters come from Western Mongolia to celebrate the fascinating culture in Ulaanbaatar city. Learn from the ancient tradition and hold golden eagle on your hand.
Length: 8 days
Area: Around Ulaanbaatar
Type: Mongolia Group Tours
Difficulty: Easy – moderate (No experience necessary. The trip suitable for most ages and abilities)
Mongolia Winter Trip With Ice Festival & Eagle Festival
Day1. 01 Mar. Fly to Murun town & drive to Khuvsgul Lake
Day2. 02 Mar. Ice festival day
Day3. 03 Mar. Ice festival & drive to Murun town & fly to Ulaanbaatar
Day4. 04 Mar. Eagle festival
Day1. 01 Mar. Fly to Murun town & Uushig Deer Stone
We will pick you up from the hotel (pick up time will be confirmed) & transfer to the airport. Fly to Murun town (1 hour flight). After you landed there, our local guide & driver will pick you up & drive to Uushig Deer Stone (15 km on dirt road). A complex of 30 deer stones of Uushig Valley and its burial mounts belong to the ancient Huns period and over 3000 years old. The Bronze Age funeral practice, sacrificial ritual and ideology and animal style art, which were spread among ancient nomads, are all together represented through deer stones made by long block of granite. Then we will drive to Khuvsgul Lake (110 km – 3 hours on the paved road). About midway along border between Mongolia and Russian Siberia, in a gigantic stone bowl nearly 110km long and almost 40km wide, lies 3% of the all the fresh water on earth – Lake Khusgul. Its winter view is magnificent. Overnight in the tourist ger camp. /B,L,D/
Day2. 02 Mar. Ice festival: First day
After breakfast time, we will go to the event site. Today we will see the opening ceremony. Then we will see or participate (of course, if you like) some different types of the competition such as ice sculpture competition, sumo wrestling, ankle bone archery on the clear ice. There is also a shamanism ritual worshiping ceremony which offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into the Tsaatan people’s way of life and the shaman culture and National Folklore concert etc. The sled sliding on the ice, punctuated by the trotting horses, and the tinkling of bells attached to the harness in the incredible universe of frozen waves is one of the highlights of this trip (this activity is included in the price). Reindeer people bring their reindeer to the festival site and we will also interest it. Overnight in the tourist ger camp. /B,L,D/
Day3. 03 Mar. Ice festival: Second day & fly back to Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast time, we will go to the event site. Today we will also see rest competition of the event. Horse sledding competition is must see. After lunch time, we will drive to the Murun airfield (110 km – 3 hours on the paved road) & fly back to Ulaanbaatar (1 hour flight). After you landed in the city, our driver will pick you up and transfer to the hotel. /B,L/
Day4. 04 Mar. Eagle festival
We will pick you up from the hotel at 09:00 o’clock & go to Chingisiin Khuree tourist ger camp. Today you will enjoy full day in the event. Today, opening ceremony and introduction will be started from 10.00 AM and told narration about eagle hunting tradition and history. Then traditional dress show will be held on the scene and Kazakh hunters display their home made traditional outfits. Before lunch time, the show will continued by Eagle Call competition that tests hunter’s ability to ‘call’ Eagle to their horse from a distance. After lunch time, next event will be emerged on the scene. It is competition for fox skin. It is the real test of a hunter’s ability, Eagles must catch a fox skin dragged behind their trainer’s horse. After lunch time, you will see Kazakh people’s some tradition games with horses. These are: Bushkashi – Tug of war played on horseback with goat skin, common throughout Central Asia Kyz Kuar – A race between a man and woman on horseback Tiyn Teru – Riders compete to pick up coins from the ground during the race. After that we will transfer you to the hotel. /B,L/
Prices
Ideal for couples or single travelers that enjoy traveling in a small group of between 9 to 13 people, a Mongolia Group Tours is a hassle free and enjoyable holiday where you will see some of Mongolia’s highlights accompanied by an experienced and knowledgeable guide every step of the way.
1990 USD for 1pax
1590 USD p.p for 2pax
Included: Superior room 5 nights in international touristic 4 star hotel, 2 nights in the high end tourist ger camp, food service written in the itinerary, land transportation, English speaking guide service, all entrance fees and Government charges, all activities costs, mineral water, round trip domestic flight ticket
Not included: gratuities for staffs, personal expenses (extra some drinks, souvenir buying, locals concerts etc), travel insurance
Information
- Above prices are changeable by changing components (kind of services) of the itinerary.
- This is a join tour and you or your travel buddies will be travel with other people in the tour.
- No smoking in travel vehicles.
- Domestic flight companies accept only 10kg-15kg lugguge incuding your carry on bags too for free transfer.
Please let us know should you have further inquiries! We are looking forward to assist you with organizing your stay in Mongolia and answering any questions you might have about this tour. We want your holiday experience in Mongolia to be as amazing as it is possible.
