DISCOVER ALTAI EVENTS
Mongolia in January
January is one of the coldest months in Mongolia. The average temperature is-25 degrees Celsius. The best experiences in January are to visit nomadic families and explore their way of living. There are two main troubles for herders when it comes to keeping their animals safe. The first one is of course the cold weather.
Every year some animals will die because of the extreme temperatures and the only questions are how many? Depending on the season sometimes it can be more than half of all their animals. The second big trouble is the wolves, which is attack and kill a large number of animals. So, that is why every nomad family has a gun to protect their animals. Also in the wintertime we highly recommend ice fishing. It is guaranteed that you will have a good fishing day. Please have a look at the available tour below. And if you have any other questions, feel free to contact us!
Mongolia in February
February is one of the coldest months in Mongolia. The biggest event is “Tsagaan Tsar” or the Lunar New Year. You have an opportunity to enjoy one of the most popular and traditional celebrations in Mongolia. Every single Mongolian family visits their relatives, families and friends. First, they have to visit the eldest people’s homes and give a traditional greeting.
Sar shindee saikhan shinlereei is the most useful phrase of the holiday. It means “Have a merry holiday!”. The Mongolia lunar new year changes dates every year and signals the coming of summer. This is also one of the main holidays held in Mongolia, and every Mongolian family celebrates the new year. Traditionally people make a traditional meal of “buuz”, which are a delicious kind of meat dumpling.
Mongolia in March
There are several big festivals in March. They are held in three different destinations in Mongolia. 1. Khuvsgul ice Festival March 2021: The Khuvsgul Ice Festival is held around the famous Lake Khuvsgul, with its scenic nature and the Siberian taiga to the north. During winter, the pristine beauty of nature truly shows around the lake.
Here you can explore the local Tsaatan (reindeer herder) people’s way of life and culture. The festival also has a horse sleigh race, skating marathon, anklebone shooting, sumo wrestling, ice sculptures and traditional shaman ceremonies. 2. Gobi Camel Festival: March/ 2021: Welcome to the majestic Golden Gobi.
Annually the “Thousand Camel Festival” takes place at the very edge of Mongolia, in the province of Umnu-Gobi. Every March local camel herders come and celebrate the camel festival, showing off their unique way of life as nomads in the harsh desert sands. The festival traditionally has a camel race, a beautiful opening ceremony, camel parade, and costume competitions for herders and their camels.
Here one can find an opportunity rarer than in other parts of Mongolia: to see the traditional music and dance of the deserts. Alongside all of this, there’s also the opportunity to visit local camel herders and their families, ride camels, and see the sights of the gorgeous Gobi desert. 3. “Nauriz Festival” festival in western Mongolia.
The local ethnic Kazakh people celebrate their traditional new year. The festival takes place in Olgii, and you have an opportunity to enjoy the festival. The main highlights are the traditional parade and eating a traditional foods in the homes of friends and relatives.
Mongolia in April
Mongolian April is the beginning of the spring. Animals (mostly sheep and) will give birth in this month. The best tours are visiting nomadic people and cultural tours. Experience the real nomadic life and be a part of taking care of new born babies.
Mongolia in May
There are not many tours available in May. This is the time of year when everything begins to come to life. May is a great preparation for the tourist season.
Mongolia in June
Finally it is June and most of the touristic places are officially starting their season. The nomads migrate to their summer places. And all tourist camps open their doors. A variety of tours are offered in June, and you can visit the national park for the first time since last September. Please join our planned tours or create your own.
Mongolia in July
July is one of the best months to visit. All attractions are available to visit. And the biggest Naadam festival held in middle of July. Also, this is one of the most busy seasons. Wherever you go, it is likely that you will see other travelers. The weather is very warm and the landscape turns green at this most beautiful time of the year.
There are a lot of tours available in July. Please book as early as possible. Most of the domestic flight tickets should be booked a couple months ahead of time. The Naadam Festival is held in every single village and province center. Some of them are held in late July. This month is like a holiday for nomadic families because the grass has grown a lot in July and it won’t be difficult to take care of their animals.
During the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park Tour we might see some weddings between nomadic families. Most of the wedding celebrations are in July and August. Come and enjoy an unforgettable experience with th Discover Altai team! Naadam: This is the famous “Three Manly Sports” Festival and the primary festival of Mongolia! It is held on the 11-13th of July in every city and village across Mongolia.
This famous festival includes traditional wrestling, archery, and horse racing. The biggest event is held in the capital city of Ulaan Baatar, where the largest wresting event in the country takes places with 1024 wrestlers in attendance. The archery competition revolves around accuracy and precision, using traditional Mongolian recurved bows. There are many horse races, and they involve different groups for each race depending on age.
At the Naadam stadium, you will be able to see the Opening Ceremony Parade alongside a lot of traditional showings and concerts. The main meal for the holiday is Hushuur, which is similar to a Russian piroshky with meat. Everybody in attendance is happy and many are huge fans of the wrestling, archery and horse races. The smaller towns also tend to have their own stadium just for this huge celebration!
Mongolia in August
August is one of the best times to travel in Mongolia. It is the best time for the climbing tour as well. Most of the tours are available in this period of year. Nomads will cut and prepare grass for the winter. Nomadic women will prepare animal wool for clothes. Choose one of our best-planned tour itineraries or create your own. Come and enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experience with the Discover Altai Team!
Mongolia in September
After the first part of the month, most of the tours are unavailable. The weather gets colder and some tourist camps will be closed. Nomadic eagle hunters will start training their eagle for competitions. There are several small eagle festivals in the western part of Mongolia. Please get in touch with us, if you have any questions about tours in September.
Mongolia in October
In October most of the national parks are unavailable. The weather gets colder. The main festival in October takes place in the western region of the country. The Annual Golden Eagle Festival. This year it is will be held on the 2nd and 3rd of October. Also, you have the opportunity to visit a nomadic eagle hunter’s family and learn more about ancient traditions.
Mongolia in November
November is the beginning of the long winter. Nomads migrate to their winter wooden houses. It is the best time for the Eagle Hunting Tour. Come and enjoy a unique experience with the Discover Altai Team!
Mongolia in December
December is one of the coldest months of the year. If you decide to travel in December it is the best time to take photos of the real nomadic lifestyle. Also, your tour can include a day of ice fishing. You can fish for graylings and osman. Come and enjoy the gorgeous snow-capped Altai mountains and nomadic eagle hunter’s lifestyle.