What is the Golden Eagle Festival?
Our Western Mongolia tour will focus on eagle hunting, the 4000-year-old sport of native Kazakh nomads in the western province of Bayan-Olgii. Since 1999, local residents have sponsored the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia outside of the city of Ulgii in late September or early October to showcase the talents of the hunters and their eagles.
The Golden Eagle Festival is a 2-day event with several competitions to find the best eagle hunter. First, the hunters line up and parade with their horses and eagles in full hunting regalia for a beauty pageant of sorts. Next, the hunters call to their eagles, who are tethered at the top of a nearby hill until they are called, to see whose eagle returns to the hunter’s waiting arm the fastest. The next competition is the chirgai, where eagles are called to land on a fresh fox or rabbit carcass being dragged by the hunter.
After the main competition on Day 2 is over, there are a few more crowd-pleasing events. The first is the kok bar – a tug-of-war competition on horseback where the item being tugged is a fresh goat carcass. This extraordinarily taxing sport is a wonder to watch.
The final event is the kiz kuar, where women chase the men on horseback and whip them, all in good fun.
Where in Western Mongolia is the Golden Eagle Festival held?
The Golden Eagle Festival is held outside of the city of Ulgii in Western Mongolia. The exact location can change from year to year. Recently the event has occurred near Shar Lake, south of Ulgii. Our tour is built around attending the Golden Eagle Festival, so we plan our travel accordingly.
How to Get to the Golden Eagle Festival
The Golden Eagle Festival is held in a large open space that is off the main road, and is not accessible by public transportation. If you are not with a tour group, you will need to arrange transportation by taxi or private driver. If you choose to drive yourself, be aware that you will be traveling over rough terrain in some places, and a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required.
When exploring the region around Ulgii, it is best to hire a driver who knows the roads, the dirt roads, and the areas with no roads that you may want to see. It is not going to be a smooth ride, no matter what means of transportation you choose. The landscape is rustic, and though there are paved roads in and between cities, getting to most areas relating to the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia will be on dirt roads or across open fields. Traveling to Western Mongolia on our tour, know that we hire expert drivers in rugged four-wheel-drive vehicles to get us where we need to go.
How to Watch the Golden Eagle Festival
When you arrive at the festival grounds, you’ll find a large roped-off area where the competitions take place, with a stand for the judges and announcers. Some groups will have staked out space with chairs and tables (a big plus of going with a group!), while other are content to stand and move around for different viewpoints.
If possible, bring a chair and small table to watch the Golden Eagle Festival. It’s a long day (or two days), and you may want to sit to watch some parts of the competition.
What to Expect at the Golden Eagle Festival
It is majestic.
You will be amazed as the eagle hunters arrive on horseback, clad in their finest hunting costumes made from animal pelts. They crowd around the registration table with their eagles perched on their arms, joking and catching up with each other.
The Golden Eagle Festival celebrates Kazakh culture beyond just the eagle hunters. There is also an archery competition held on the festival grounds at the same time. And the marketplace features lots of local handicrafts, including vintage Kazakh embroidery and felt goods.
It is friendly.
Competitors mingle among the spectators, happily posing for photos in the snowy landscape. People come from around the world to mix with the local spectators at the eagle festival. For the first-time visitor, it is astounding to see so many new sights and sounds in one place. The crowd is very friendly, as foreign visitors share information about what is happening in case the English translation is unclear or absent.
It can be gruesome.
Be aware that animals will be harmed at the Golden Eagle Festival. You might be uncomfortable with the methods some hunters use with their eagles. The eagles are chasing actual animal carcasses in the competition. Wild animals in the area of the festival may be attacked by the competing eagles. There is an event during the festival that involves competitors on horseback playing tug-of-war with a freshly killed goat carcass. It is not for the faint of heart.
What to Wear to the Golden Eagle Festival
You’ll want to dress for the weather on the Western Mongolia tour, of course, wearing layers as temperatures can fluctuate widely during the weekend. In late September, snow is a possibility. A waterproof and windproof jacket is probably wise. Polarized sunglasses might help if there is glare from snow cover.
Don’t be a target. The eagles in the competition have not eaten for many days before the competition (a strategy to make them more aggressive in the competition), and when their hoods are removed they will be looking for food. Anything red or pink will look like food to them. At the competition I attended, an eagle flew straight for a small child in a red snowsuit and knocked him down.
Food and Drink at the Golden Eagle Festival
There is a large marketplace at the festival site, a few hundred yards from the competition grounds, where you can purchase hot milk tea, grilled meats, and breads (as well as local handcrafts and fur clothing). There are a few restaurant tents set up for sit-down meals. If you go with our group, our Western Mongolia tour guides will set up a food tent and serve you a hot meal.
Are there bathrooms at the Golden Eagle Festival?
There are some very basic temporary toilet facilities set up between the competition site and the marketplace. Tour groups might also set up individual toilet tents for their guests.
What to Bring to the Golden Eagle Festival
- Binoculars
- Disposable wipes and hand sanitizer
- Water to drink
- Camera
- Chair
Experience Western Mongolia & Golden Eagle Festival
Witness Mongolia’s ethnic Kazakh traditions, vast landscapes, and the awesome Golden Eagle Festival