Bayan Ölgii Homestay

Experience the freedom of the Kazakh way: A homestay with eagle hunter Bashakhan in Western Mongolia

Our Western Mongolia homestay offers an opportunity to stay with Mongol Kazakh herder and eagle hunter, Bashakhan, and his family—a partnership we have built through long-term community collaboration. While Bashakhan is a skilled eagle hunter during the winter months, his primary way of life revolves around herding and caring for his livestock. His home pastures, set against the dramatic landscapes of Bayan-Ölgii, are perfect for exploration on horseback or on foot.

Bashakhan deeply values the vast freedom of his homeland, finding solace in its open landscapes. As he describes it: "If I have free time, I like to go to the mountains. It helps—riding, hiking, running, and going hunting. There is no stress." For him, these landscapes are more than just a backdrop: "I don’t think you can find a place like this anywhere else in the world, where people can live with their families in such peace."

Our Bayan Ölgii homestay is designed for those seeking a meaningful experience, rather than a bucket-list adventure. This isn’t about rushing to highlights like Altai Tavan Bogd; it’s about slowing down and immersing yourself in the landscapes, rhythms, and daily life that define Bashakhan’s world.

Duration: 5 Days (finishing on the morning of Day 6)

Your Stay, Your Way

Our homestay experience is flexible — you choose the length of your stay, and we tailor the pricing accordingly. From experience, we’ve found that 3–4 days with one family offers the right balance of immersion and comfort. The standard itinerary includes five days and five nights including time in Ölgii, plus our complimentary ‘Intro to Ulaanbaatar’ experience.

• The support of one of our fantastic female trip assistants.
• All meals (why not ask your EL trip assistant for a Kazakh cookery lesson?).
• Local transfers to and from the accommodation.

Although this is a homestay—it’s also an invitation to embrace the freedom, traditions, and landscapes that define Bashakhan's life in Western Mongolia.

Logistics To Consider

• This trip begins and ends in Ölgii, giving you the flexibility to plan your onward travel—whether you’re continuing with independent exploration or joining a second experience with another company.

• If you're spending time in Ulaanbaatar before or after your trip, we offer a complimentary 'Intro to Ulaanbaatar' experience, which can be booked on a day that works best for you.

• We’re also happy to assist—at no extra cost—with domestic flight arrangements to or from Ölgii or Khovd, the nearest airports to Bayan-Ölgii Province. While domestic flights are not included, the trip is timed to align with standard flight schedules. As a guide, fares typically cost around USD $285 per person.

FAQs: We’re a small company, but when you book with us, you can do so with flexibility & confidence

Western Mongolia 

Day One: Meet & Greet in Ölgii & Journey to Your Homestay
Meet your local trip assistant in Ölgii and travel by public taxi to your homestay whee you will experience the with a Kazakh eagle hunter and his family.

At the home of Kazakh eagle hunter | Outside squat toilet & no showers |  Approx 1 hour transfer time  | L/D

Days Two - Four: Experience Life in Bayan-Ölgii
Spend three flexible days immersed in the daily life of a Kazakh eagle hunter and his family. These days offer insight into the rhythms of life in western Mongolia, where hospitality, resilience, and heritage are deeply interwoven.

At the home of Kazakh eagle hunter | Outside squat toilet | Warm shower at local town shower house |  B/L/D

Day Five: Return to Ölgii & Explore the City
Travel back to Ölgii, the cultural heart of Mongolia’s Kazakh community, and spend the day exploring its mix of tradition and modern life, getting a feel for daily life in this remote yet dynamic town.

Accommodation: Choose from shared family space with Jako & Bouka or en-suite room at Bayan Tsambagarav Hotel (or similar)
Driving time: Approx. 1 hour
Meals: B/L/D

Day Six – Departure from Ölgii
The trip concludes after breakfast in Ölgii. Airport transfers can be arranged as needed.
Meals: B

Day to Suit You – Introduction to Ulaanbaatar
Join us for an informal introduction to Mongolia’s capital through local eyes, a local-style lunch, and a welcome drink

Accommodation: Your choice
Inclusions: Local lunch & welcome drink

During this journey, you’ll experience a variety of accommodation styles, each offering insight into daily life in Mongolia and shaped by the season and setting:

Kazakh Family Homes

Your accommodation during this experience is hosted by Kazakh families with whom we’ve built long-term, community-based partnerships.

You’ll stay in their traditional, single-storey adobe brick homes — hand-built in the classic Kazakh style. These homes are typically located in the family’s winter pastures, often alongside their livestock. Depending on the time of year, you may instead stay in a Mongolian or Kazakh ger, also set up by the family in their seasonal pastures.

As a guest, you’ll likely be given a private room or ger shared with any fellow group members you book the homestay experience with. Sleeping arrangements are simple and culturally authentic — most families sleep on the floor, and you’ll likely be provided with a comfortable mat or mattress, in keeping with local tradition.

Facilities are basic: showers are taken at the local public shower house every 2-3 days, and toilets are traditional outdoor short-drop latrines.

Ölgii

In Ölgii, you’ll be hosted by our trusted Kazakh partners, Jako and Bovka, at their family home. Again, this is a shared space, and sleeping arrangements will be on floor mats. Shower access is at the town shower house, and toilets are outdoor sit-down long drops.

If you would prefer a private en-suite hotel room for your final night in Ölgii, this can be arranged subject to availability and at an additional cost. You would still spend the day with the group and transfer to the hotel in the evening. Please let us know if you’d like to explore this option.

Ulaanbaatar

Accommodation in Ulaanbaatar is not included although we provide recommendations and can help with booking.

Map Of Route

Click on the link below to access the map

For all of our trips we offer a sliding price scale. We appreciate your holiday funds are precious and so the more people that book so the price comes down and everyone benefits.

1 Guest                US$ 2625 pp

2 Guests              US$ 1785 pp

3 – 4 Guests       US$ 1500 pp

5 Guests               US$ 1275 pp

6 Guests              US$ 1220 pp

Where Does Your Payment Go?

We understand that budget is a personal decision, and every traveller has different priorities. While our rates may be higher than some other agencies, it’s not because we offer luxury experiences—but because we’re committed to a form of tourism that is ethical, fair, and genuinely impactful.

As a small-scale company, we intentionally limit our operations to around 150–200 travellers per year. This allows us to focus on delivering personalised, meaningful journeys, rather than generic, checklist-style tours.

We published our first Impact Report in 2025, offering transparency around how your payment supports the people and places you visit. Here’s an overview of where your tour funds go:

Commitment to Mongolia: We’re a registered Mongolian business, meaning your payment directly supports the local economy through taxes, employment, and social security contributions. Your money stays in Mongolia, helping to fund local initiatives and foster economic resilience.

Empowering Employment Opportunities: We provide long-term employment to individuals often overlooked by mainstream tour companies. Our team includes female Mongolian trip assistants, who are breaking barriers and paving the way for more women to thrive in tourism-related roles. We also work with older, experienced male drivers, many of whom face limited employment opportunities due to age or traditional backgrounds. By offering stable, respectful work, we help address both high unemployment and the effects of toxic masculinity.These cross-generational teams form the heart of our operations and reflect the rural and urban communities we’re proud to work alongside. Learn more about our initiatives: Empowering Mongolian Women and Supporting Male Drivers.

Community and Herding Family Support: Our trips are thoughtfully designed to support the projects, families, and communities—both rural and urban—with whom we’ve built long-term partnerships. We do this without disrupting their daily lives or livelihoods, ensuring that tourism remains respectful and mutually beneficial.This ongoing support helps communities navigate challenges such as climate change and urban poverty, while also preserving—or in some cases, improving—their quality of life and cultural resilience. Discover more about us.

Climate Emergency Advocacy: We are proud members of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency and signatories of the Glasgow Declaration. As part of our commitment, we actively seek ways to minimise our environmental footprint while exploring how our small-scale approach to tourism can leave a positive impact—culturally, socially, economically, and environmentally. Learn about our initiatives: Climate Emergency.

Included in the price

• All meals outside of the city of Ulaanbaatar: These are mainly prepared and cooked by your local team so they are fresh and it means we offer more flexibility for any dietary requirements. We also provide filtered drinking water (not bottled), tea, and instant coffee.
• You'll be supported by one of our great female English-speaking trip assistant, ensuring an immersive experience. Jess and Tuya are available throughout via WhatsApp.
• Our complimentary 'Intro To Ulaanbaatar' experience including a local lunch and welcome drink
• Entrance fees to monasteries, temples, and museums are included when you are with the local team. Please note this excludes camera tickets. Festival tickets are provided if listed in the itinerary.

Not included in the price

• International airfare to and from Mongolia
• Accommodation in Ulaanbaatar: Our trip pricing excludes the price of accommodation in UB though. Why?  Everyone is different is the standard of accommodation they prefer at the start and end of a trip. As there is now such a variety of hotels in UB it is easier to exclude this cost. I provide a list of ideas covering varying standards and budgets and I can also help with booking. There’s everything from a homestay through to Airbnb, US$10 guesthouses and the Shangri-La!
• Domestic flight where/if applicable including any fees for excess luggage
• Transfers to/from the airport 
• Passport and visa fees: Let us know your nationality at the time of booking and we’ll confirm whether you need to apply for a Mongolian visa. It is a relatively easy process depending on your nationality and we can help with some of the formalities.
• Travel insurance (mandatory)
• Gratuities: Each member of the local team receives a responsible but fair salary and none have to rely on receiving gratuities to supplement their income.  In addition, we make sure that everyone who works with us or helps us is fairly rewarded for their work and the service they provide. At the end of the tour, if you wish to make a gratuity to the local team then thank you – it is not compulsory but it is appreciated when given. We give detailed information on booking.
• Personal Expenses: We provide detailed guidance on booking
• Alcohol: Alcohol is available to buy in shops and supermarkets throughout your trip, and your team will make regular stops.

Positive Impact Overview

Helping to create employment and development opportunities for our team of Mongolian female trip assistants.

Supporting the families we work in long-term local community partnership with – helping to supplement their income to help prevent urban migration, face the challenges of climate change and allow them to maintain their fragile herding lifestyle.

We measure the carbon footprint of the experience and balance the footprint of each traveller through the Mongolian Nomad Carbon Project.

A donation is made to theMongolian projects we support and that you will visit such as the Uuliin Nuur Community Project in Ulaanbaatar.