Live alongside Kazakh eagle-hunting families – embrace slow tourism and daily rhythms of life in Western Mongolia.
Experience the ancient art of falconry – witness the bond between hunter and golden eagle across vast winter landscapes as they demonstrate their skill and passion for eagle-assisted hunting.
Immerse in winter life – gain a first-hand understanding of the challenges and beauty of Mongolia’s cold season.
Community-led experience – shaped by long-term partnerships, with your Kazakh hosts guiding the pace and activities.
Celebrate Kazakh culture – share in traditions and the freedom of life on the steppe and in Ölgii.

This immersive winter journey invites you to live alongside Kazakh eagle-hunting families, embracing slow tourism and their daily rhythms while witnessing the remarkable bond between hunter and eagle amid Mongolia’s vast, untamed landscapes.

Embark on a journey where you'll experience the ancient art of falconry, a practice rooted in the vast expanse of the Eurasian steppe. Venturing into the heart of Western Mongolia where Mongol Kazakhs continue this time-honoured tradition, you'll truly understand the nature of winter in Mongolia as you partake in a slow tourism immersion, living alongside two Kazakh eagle hunting families.

We cultivate enduring long-term local partnerships and our approach is rooted in empowerment by granting your Kazakh eagle hunter hosts full agency over the rhythm of the experience and the daily activities. This experience unfolds against the backdrop of the Kazakh way of life. As well as sharing their daily life with them, witnessing their expertise in the ancient pursuit of eagle-assisted hunting and revelling in their love of freedom of the mountains.

Start Date: January 30th, 2026

Duration: 9 Days

Maximum Group Size: 6 which is refreshingly small by tourism industry standards—and we see that as a strength. Our small group sizes allow for more respectful, low-impact experiences with the host families we’ve built long-term community partnerships with. You’ll be one of few, not one of many, which creates a more genuine connection and a deeper, more personal insight into daily life. It also gives us the flexibility to adapt as we go, meaning no two journeys are ever exactly the same.

Your Local Team: Throughout your journey, you’ll be supported by our trusted Mongolian team—typically a male driver and a female trip assistant—who not only handle the logistics but also offer genuine warmth and insight along the way. You’ll also experience the hospitality and friendship of the local families we’ve built long-standing partnerships with. Jess and Tuya are available throughout your trip via WhatsApp for any questions or additional support.

Winter In Mongolia: Winter is a defining season in Mongolia—yes, it’s cold, sometimes *very* cold, but that’s part of what makes the landscape so striking and the experience so unforgettable. The predicted temperatures may seem daunting at first glance, but Mongolia’s cold is dry and often feels less harsh than it sounds. With the right preparation—including proper thermal layers—**-25°C in Mongolia can feel comparable to -5°C in Europe**. We take your comfort seriously and will provide a comprehensive packing list upon booking to help you prepare.

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

All images used throughout our website were taken either by EL guests or members of the EL team. This is the Mongolia that you will also experience.

Jan 30th: Final Arrival Day 'Intro To Ulaanbaatar'

Welcome to Mongolia! Enjoy a free transfer from the airport to your chosen accommodation. Join us for an informal introduction to Mongolia’s capital through local eyes, a local-style lunch, and a welcome drink'

Western Mongolia

Jan 31st: Fly Ölgii | Altai | Eagle Hunter Homestay

Fly to Ölgii, the cultural heart of Mongolia’s Kazakh region, then journey across dramatic steppe landscapes to Altai, where you’ll be welcomed by your first eagle hunter host family.

Feb 1st - 3rd: With Eagle Hunter

Spend three 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.

Feb 4th & 5th: Shar Nuur | Eagle Hunter Homestay

Travel onwards to stay with a second Kazakh eagle hunter family. These two days offer a deeper perspective into the diversity of eagle hunting culture, shaped by individual family traditions and the surrounding landscapes.

Feb 6th: Drive to & explore Ölgii

Drive 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.

Ulaanbaatar

Feb 7th: Fly Ulaanbaatar

Fly back to Ulaanbaatar, with a free transfer to your chosen accommodation.

Map Of Route

Click on the link below for access to the map

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, hand-built adobe brick homes located at their winter encampments. Unlike Mongolian herders, Kazakh families do not use gers during the winter, as Kazakh gers are too large to heat effectively. Instead, they live in low, single-storey homes they’ve constructed themselves, typically set in their winter pastures alongside their livestock.

As a guest, you’ll likely share a private room with other group members within the family home, although sleeping arrangements are simple and in line with local customs. Like most Mongol Kazakhs, the families sleep on the floor, and you’ll probably be provided with a mat on the floor as well.

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 on January 30th and February 7th is not included although we provide recommendations and can help with booking.

Group Size – Maximum of six. Minimum of two required for a guaranteed departure (or pay a surcharge)

Final group size of 2 guests: ~~US$ 4785~~ US$ 4070 pp including our 15% low season discount + domestic flight of approximately 285 US$ pp (or take the public bus and we’ll cover the cost) **current group size**

Final group size of 3 guests: ~~US$ 3595~~ US$ 3055 pp including our 15% low season discount + domestic flight of approximately 285 US$ pp (or take the public bus and we’ll cover the cost)

Final group size of 4 guests: ~~US$ 3410~~ US$ 2900 pp including our 15% low season discount + domestic flight of approximately 285 US$ pp (or take the public bus and we’ll cover the cost)

Final group size of 5 guests: ~~US$ 3060~~ US$ 2600 pp including our 15% low season discount + domestic flight of approximately 285 US$ pp (or take the public bus and we’ll cover the cost)

Final group size of 6 guests: ~~US$ 2755~~ US$ 2340 pp including our 15% low season discount + domestic flight of approximately 285 US$ pp (or take the public bus and we’ll cover the cost)

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 teams of a Mongolian driver and a 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
A complimentary day visit to the Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex and Terelj National Park, including entrance fees and a local lunch
Transportation to and from the airport or train station on arrival and departure days
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
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.

Who We Are & How Your Trip Supports Mongolia

We are a small, socially conscious, Mongolian-registered tour company. When you travel with us, your payment stays within Mongolia ensuring your trip has a tangible impact through supporting the local economy, strengthening livelihoods, contributing to community initiatives, and building resilience from within. On top of this, we pay local taxes, employment benefits, and social security contributions.

In 2025, we published our first Impact Report, offering full transparency around our practices, partnerships, and the positive effects of your travel choices — as well as where we need to do better. As a purpose-driven travel company, we focus on meaningful connections and responsible tourism, so that your journey helps create real and lasting change for the people and places you visit.

Empowering Employment Opportunities

We are proud to provide stable, long-term employment to our intergenerational Mongolian team — individuals often overlooked by mainstream tour companies. By working together, they are helping to break down social barriers and build new opportunities.

A key part of our team is our all-female group of Mongolian trip assistants. These women come from a wide variety of backgrounds — including single mothers and survivors of domestic violence — and are using tourism to build confidence, skills, and sustainable livelihoods. They are leading the way for more women to thrive in Mongolia’s tourism sector.

One of our female Mongolian trip assistants is achieving new heights on a trek in Mongolia's Khoridol Saridag Mountains.

Empowering Mongolian Women in Tourism: Our Female Trip Assistants

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High unemployment rates and toxic masculinity are two very real issues faced by older more traditional men in Mongolia. By choosing to travel with us you’re helping us to provide long-term employment for our team of older, more traditional male drivers who have experience and accumulated knowledge but who would otherwise struggle to find employment and provide for their extended families.

Our cross-generational teams form the heart of our operations and reflect the rural and urban communities we’re proud to work alongside.

Eternal Landscapes drivers for Solider's Day In Mongolia

Supporting Mongolia's Male Tourism Drivers: Beating Toxic Masculinity and Unemployment

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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 more here.

Year-Round Tourism

Instead of focusing solely on the peak summer months, we design our tour experiences to provide consistent, year-round support to the communities we work with. This helps create a more balanced, sustainable approach to tourism—one that benefits local families and projects beyond the busy season.

Mongolia’s winter and early spring can be harsh, both weather-wise and economically, so to encourage travel during this quieter time, we offer a 15% per person low season discount.

We don’t just prioritise highlights or profit-driven itineraries—instead, we focus on how we can extend the reach of tourism to positively impact the communities we partner with throughout the entire year.

Small Groups Matter

We limit our group size to just six guests—refreshingly small by industry standards. But this isn’t just a number; it’s a reflection of our values.

Small groups allow for more respectful, low-impact travel, especially when staying with families we work with in long-term community partnerships. As one of few rather than many, you’ll experience deeper hospitality, build genuine connections, and gain a more personal understanding of daily life in Mongolia.

Smaller group sizes also allow for greater flexibility on the ground, so no two journeys are ever quite the same.

Focused, Local, and Responsible

We offer our experiences typically once or twice a year, intentionally avoiding the creation of a ‘tourist circuit’ and helping to prevent over-tourism in sensitive regions. By dedicating the entire journey to one area, we ensure that the benefits of tourism are shared thoughtfully and sustainably across local communities.

Direct Community Partnerships

We don’t work through intermediaries or agencies in western Mongolia. Instead, we partner directly with families and local projects, allowing us to provide meaningful support. For herding families, this includes helping them supplement their income, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and sustain their traditional herding lifestyle—while easing the pressure to migrate to urban areas.

Our experiences are rooted in Mongolian culture and designed to create genuine local benefits—across both urban and rural settings—through the long-term partnerships we’ve built with the communities and projects we work alongside.

Uuliin Nuur Community Project Ulaanbaatar

Project Support

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We are members of Tourism Declares A Climate Emergency and a signatory of The Glasgow Declaration which requires us to publish an annual Climate Action Plan. It also means we have essentially signed up to work towards halving our emissions by 2030. We must report publicly on an annual basis on progress against our interim and long-term targets, as well as on actions being taken. We do this in our Climate Action Plan linked above.

One of the five pathways defined in the Glasgow Declaration is ‘measure’ and we have started the process of measuring the carbon footprint of our tours.

We wanted an accurate footprint analysis whilst also keeping the process manageable, achievable, and affordable. Of the limited carbon calculators available to small tourism companies with a restricted budget we have signed up with the carbon calculator tool Carmacal – specifically designed for tour operators and the 2017 winner of the UNWTO Award for Innovation in Research and Technology.
However, there are limitations with this online tool in the fact that – like most online carbon calculators – you can only measure transport and accommodation and a few very specific activities. But, the main contributors to carbon footprints are food, consumption, transportation, and energy, and all are heavily utilised during a tourism experience.
As a result, founder Jess has worked with two postgraduate students from the Responsible Tourism Management Postgraduate Course of Leeds Beckett University in the UK – the only responsible tourism management MSc certified by the UNWTO – looking at how we can measure the carbon emissions of meals on tour as well as the carbon footprint of our office as well as certain tour activities.

Balancing Our Carbon Footprint

We are in the process of measuring the carbon footprint of each of our tours. Once this is complete, we will balance those emissions by purchasing Plan Vivo–certified carbon certificates (environmental service certificates that each represent the reduction or avoidance of one metric tonne of CO₂) through C-Level and the Mongolian Nomad Project, delivered in partnership with the Mongolian Society of Range Management. The Plan Vivo Standard is built on ethical principles that deliver long-term climate, livelihood, and biodiversity benefits.

In the meantime, we have partnered with C-Level to fund a secure carbon calculator (linked below) for our guests. Through this, you can:

Balance the footprint of your flights
Offset a chosen amount of CO₂ (including your annual footprint)
Or make a direct donation to support the project’s work

Each contribution is invested in Plan Vivo Certificates that support the Mongolian Nomad Project

We know this isn’t perfect, but it is a start. As the saying goes: “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” For us — a small business with limited resources — this approach is both realistic and achievable.