Price
2026
3 Itineraries to Choose from:
Zavkhan Classic (16 Nights) – £2,170 per person
Altai Expedition (16 Nights) – £2,375 per person
Altai Expedition including Eagle Festival (16 Nights) – £2,710 per person
Dates & Prices
MONGOLIA
Mountain Trails & Eagle Festival
Overview
The Altai Mountains provide a classic adventure holiday – an exciting horse-riding holiday in Mongolia. The Altai Mountains form the border with China, in the far west of the country. This part of the country has a sensitive border area requiring special permission for access and it’s not always clear exactly where the border is but it’s close enough to be able to peer into China!
The local people in the Altai Mountains are ethnically a mix of Mongolian and Kazakh. Their generosity and friendliness to strange foreign horse riders has to be experienced to be believed. There’s plenty of opportunity to enjoy their hospitality during the adventure, including seeing their hunting eagles. Our ‘fixer’ in the Altai is Amangul, representative for a UNDP project in the area. She is without doubt the most hospitable person in Mongolia and seems to know everyone in the region. Her balzak (rather like a deep-fried donut) are fabulous too.
We start off riding across open country and through valleys inhabited by nomadic herders and then begin to climb into the mountains. After riding into the National Park as far as the 4WD support vehicle can accompany us, we set up a base camp, with our large ger (or yurt, the traditional felt tent used by the local people) to retreat to if the evenings are cool. You will have the opportunity to help erect the ger, in fact it is culturally not the done thing to watch and not participate. From this point there are no roads and barely a game trail to follow, so we will need to load up the packhorses or camels, and be fully self-sufficient.
In 2010, the first Altai Mountains Expedition ventured into some spectacular country. This ride has now evolved into a great expedition ride for adventurous and open-minded travellers. We do have plenty of time to try different trails through the Altai Mountains if the terrain proves too difficult. Each evening we will look over maps and discuss possible routes. Your input is welcomed.
The Altai Mountains is definitely an adventure. The rewards will be great – to ride where few people, even locals, have ever travelled. We will travel fast and light, much like the local people, stopping when we reach a suitable camp site, and cooking simple meals over an open fire. And then sit around the campfire and be amazed at the brilliance of the night sky!
For experienced riders the Altai Mountains provide some great spots for a gallop (and these horses can really move!). The Altai Mountains area is also famous for its khun chuluu (literally ‘man stones’), ancient pre-Mongolian stone statues of Turkic origin. It’s not all about going hard every day, so there will be the odd rest day – read a book, enjoy a hike, or just take it easy.
As a way of saying thank you to the village where our Altai Mountains trips are based, a community garden has been started, using a 5% donation from your trip price. If you have any skills in growing vegetables, particularly where the growing season is extremely limited, your input will be welcomed.
The Altai Mountains area is a remote and mountainous region, with demanding terrain. Therefore, it is essential that you are fit and active and willing to take on a challenge. If you are not familiar with the outdoors or are unsure whether it is the right trip for you, please give us a call to discuss.
Location
The Altai Mountains, Western Mongolia
Airport
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Duration
16-17 nights
When to go
June - September
Riding level
All levels
Weight
100 kg / 15.7 stone / 220 lbs
Group size
10 max
Accommodation
First and last night in hotels, otherwise tented camps
Included
All the riding, accommodation, meals, drinks and transfers.
Extras
None.
Excluded
Flights and tips.
Price guarantee
All our riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book with us and will refund the difference should you find the same riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
Exchange rate
Rates are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations, please refer to our Terms and Conditions for full details.
Transfers
Short transfer to a local hotel included.
Departure dates
2026
Zavkhan Classic
21 June – 7 July
12 – 28 July (Fully Booked)
29 July – 14 August (Fully Booked)
16 August - 1 September
6 – 22 September
Altai Expedition
5 - 21 July (Full Booked)
24 July - 9 August
11 - 27 August (Fully Booked)
Altai Expedition including Eagle Festival
30 August - 15 September (Fully Booked)
Riding & Itinerary
Altai Mountains
This remote and little-visited region of Mongolia is just crying out to be explored – but this type of trek is definitely not for the faint hearted. Depending on the timing of your trip, you could be riding over the mountains covered in snow, or carpeted in wildflowers, both as amazing as each other.
Day 1 – Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, where you are free to explore the city before meeting for an evening meal to discuss the trip
Day 2 – Depart Ulaanbaatar, fly to Ulgii
Day 3 – Drive south to Altai village (4-5 hours), meet the horses and enjoy an introductory ride
Day 4-14 – Ride (11-12 days) into the mountains of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park
Day 15 – Drive to Ulgii, visiting local families along the way
Day 16 – Fly back to Ulaanbaatar
Day 17 – Depart Ulaanbaatar
Trip Highlights
Great riding country – open plains, alpine meadows, and forest, with a backdrop of dramatic snow-capped mountains.
Wonderful horses – these are the ideal mountain horses, sure footed on the steepest trails, but able to take you for a gallop that will leave your legs shaking. You will want to take them home with you!
Fascinating culture – meet the local people and experience their traditional nomadic lifestyle. Not as part of a contrived tourist experience, but a genuine meeting of cultures.
Archaeological sites – keep an eye out for ‘man-stones’ ancient stone figures from the pre-Mongolian past.
True remoteness – as with our Zavkhan trips, this area has no tourism development, with its often unfortunate consequences.
Pack horsing – the only way to get into this area is to use pack horses.
Rare wildlife – the chance to see Mongolia’s wildlife in the best way possible, on horse-back.
Community project – contribute to the development of a sustainable village vegetable garden.
Build a ger – learn how to erect a ger, as we set up our mountain basecamp.
Zavkhan Itinerary
Day 1 – Meet for dinner in Ulaanbaatar
Day 2 – Drive to Karakorum
Day 3 – Drive to Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur
Day 4 – Reach Zavkhan in the afternoon, meet the horses
Day 5 – Day ride
Days 6 to 13 – Ride through steppe, forest and mountains of Tarvagatai Uul National Park
Days 14 to 15 – Hike, swim or just relax at Khar Nuur or Gandan Nuur lakes
Day 16 – Fly back to Ulaanbaatar
Day 17 – Transfers to airport
Highlights
Varied scenery – steppe, forest, mountains, Zavkhan Forest lush meadows, desert sand dunes, lakes and rivers, you see it all in Zavkhan.
Perfect riding country – everything from tricky forest trails to wide open steppe ideal for a faster pace, and not a fence or gate to be seen (9-10 days riding).
Great horses – born and bred in the wild mountains, they will give you the ride of your life.
Unspoilt local culture – nomadic herdsmen still live the traditional lifestyle and will be as interested in you, as you are in them.
No tourism development – You are extremely unlikely to encounter another foreigner, and no one will try to sell you souvenirs.
Deserted hot spa in the mountains – a relic from the socialist days, and still great for easing any aches and pains (depending on the route taken).
Relax at a lake-side camp site after all that riding.
Experience the Great Mongolian Road Trip as we drive from Ulaanbaatar to Zavkhan
Please ask about
Khustai National Park Day Trip
Visit the Przewalski or Takhi Horses – this trip can easily be added in before or after one of the other longer adventures
Day trips are £80 per person, minimum 2 people and there is the option to overnight too.
Horses
Local Mongolian horses, 13 – 14hh, very hardy, very strong and very fast.
Riding level
All levels
Type of riding
Progressive trail ride with sometimes long hours in the saddle. Riders should be fit.
Tack
Traditional wooden saddle, or endurance type of saddles, a simple snaffle bridle
Weight limit
100 kg / 15.7 stone / 220 lbs
Group size
10 max
Accommodation & Meals
The first and last nights are spent in city hotels and the rest of the expedition is enjoyed in basic but roomy 4 person tents, shared by 2 people. Food is great and varied from Thai curries, risottos to authentic Mongolian meals. There’s also fresh baked bread every day. This is a basic and very adventurous type of holiday.
Accommodation
First and last night in hotels, otherwise tented camps
Single Supplement
No single hotel rooms or tents available.
Meals
Inform us about food allergies and intolerances
Drinks
Water, tea and coffee included. Other drinks payable.
The Destination
The Altai Mountains in Mongolia are a significant and stunning mountain range, forming the southeastern extension of the larger Altai system that spans across Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. The Mongolian Altai is the largest mountain system within Mongolia, stretching for approximately 900 kilometers from the northwest to the southeast of the country. Many summits in the Mongolian Altai reach or exceed 4,000 meters above sea level. The Altai Mountains in Mongolia are a land of immense natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and unique wildlife.
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