Mongolia Travel FAQ

Sayat Travel is a local tour company from Bayan-Ölgii, in Mongolia’s far west. Western Mongolia and its Kazakh eagle-hunting culture are our home ground, and today we also travel through the Gobi, northern and central Mongolia. We have been guiding since 2007 and founded Sayat Travel in 2014. Read our story.

Our guides speak English, Russian, Kazakh and Mongolian. Our drivers speak Russian, Mongolian and Kazakh.

On all our tours we follow a “Leave No Trace” approach and ask our guests to help protect the places we visit. We know the nomadic families we work with personally, and they are paid for hosting guests and for the activities they share, so tourism money stays in the rural communities that need it most.

Choose your tour, travel date and group size on our Book Your Tour page and pay your booking amount online, or send us an enquiry through our Contact page and we will help you plan the details first. Your booking is confirmed once the agreed down payment has been received. After that we start arranging the essential services for your trip, such as domestic flights, permits, transport and accommodation.

You can pay your booking amount online by credit card on our Book Your Tour page — the amounts you can pay for each tour are shown on the booking form before you pay. Payments can also be made by bank transfer or another payment method agreed with Sayat Travel. Bank transfer fees and payment processing charges are the client’s responsibility, where applicable.

Yes. All prices are quoted per person unless otherwise stated in your tour proposal or booking confirmation.

The full tour balance must be paid before the tour begins, unless another arrangement has been agreed in writing.

Cancellations must be sent to us in writing by email. The date we receive your written notice determines the refund:

• 45 days or more before the tour starts: 90% refund
• 30–44 days before: 70% refund
• 15–29 days before: 50% refund
• 14 days or fewer before: no refund

Domestic flights and other non-refundable services are treated as described in our Terms and Conditions, which give the full policy.

We recommend booking at least three months ahead for popular tours. For the Golden Eagle Festival and Naadam, book as early as you can — domestic flights and accommodation fill up quickly around festival dates.

Yes. We build trips around your interests, season, group size and budget, including the type of vehicle, accommodation (ger or tent), activities and the number of nights. Tell us what you would like to do on our Contact page.

Staying with Kazakh eagle-hunter families in Western Mongolia is our most popular experience, often combined with trekking in Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, a glacier visit or horse riding. Photographers often join our eagle hunters’ migration expedition, and in autumn many guests come for the Golden Eagle Festival. See all our tours.

Many of our destinations are remote, so most journeys include off-road driving in a 4×4 — either a Land Cruiser or a classic Russian van with a little more space. Most tours also include time on foot, and many include horse riding; some trips include riding a reindeer or a Bactrian camel.

You don’t need to be especially fit for most of our trips, and we can adjust trekking and riding distances to suit your group. Trekking days are usually no more than about 14–17 km, and we can choose shorter routes. Trips with hiking, climbing or long rides in the Altai do need some preparation — the fitter you are, the more you will enjoy them.

Almost every trip starts in Ulaanbaatar. The quickest way west is a domestic flight to Ölgii, the capital of Bayan-Ölgii province; we can help you book it. You can also travel by public bus or by private car with a driver, but the road journey is more than 1,500 km and takes several days. To visit the reindeer herders of northern Mongolia, we drive or fly from Ulaanbaatar to Mörön.

It depends on your nationality — many travellers can visit Mongolia visa-free for a limited period. See the visa section of our Travel Guide and check Mongolia’s official e-visa portal (evisa.mn) before you travel. Once you have booked, we can provide a confirmation letter for your visa application if you need one.

We can book domestic flights for your group, and your quote can include or exclude them. For international flights, please book directly with the airline.

In cities and towns you stay in a local hotel or a tour camp, depending on your itinerary. On the road we sleep in a traditional Mongolian ger, in tents, in a teepee when visiting the reindeer herders of northern Mongolia, or sometimes in a small-town hotel.

Meals in the countryside are based on local staples — mutton, beef, rice and noodles — with vegetables, eggs and cheese. On some days we carry lunchboxes because there is nowhere to cook along the route. We are happy to adapt the menu with locally available alternatives, so please tell us about any dietary needs when you book.

On camping trips we provide tents, foam mattresses, a kitchen tent with cooking equipment and a gas stove, camp stools and a camping toilet. If you don’t bring your own sleeping bag, we can provide a locally made camel-wool sleeping bag.

Most villages have a mobile signal and 4G, but deep in the national parks there is often no connection. Bring a power bank or solar charger; we can charge 12V-compatible devices from the vehicle, and for groups of 8 or more we bring a generator.

Yes — you will pass small village shops and local stores where nomadic families buy their supplies. You can find most everyday items there except fresh fruit and vegetables, which we bring with us.

Mongolia’s weather changes quickly, so pack for wind, rain and cold nights even in summer. The essentials:

• Rain jacket and a warm windproof or down jacket
• Comfortable walking boots, plus sandals or warm booties for camp
• Layers: T-shirts, a fleece or mid-layer, thermal underwear, quick-drying trousers
• Sun hat, beanie, gloves and a scarf or buff
• Sleeping bag rated for the season (or use ours)
• Headlamp, water bottle, sunscreen, sunglasses and lip balm
• Power bank, personal medicines and hand sanitiser

Bring your luggage in a backpack or soft duffel bag rather than a hard suitcase.

Yes. Mongolia is generally a safe country to travel in, and petty crime is rare in the countryside. In Ulaanbaatar, take normal precautions with your belongings in busy shopping centres and markets. The bigger challenges in the countryside are remoteness and changeable weather, so bring the right clothing and any medicines you need. Encounters with dangerous wild animals are extremely rare.

We carry a group first-aid kit, and some country towns have a basic clinic and local doctor. Modern medical facilities are only available in Ulaanbaatar. We never push guests to do activities they are not comfortable with.

Yes. We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance that covers the activities you plan to do, such as trekking and horse riding.

Not usually. There are mosquitoes in some areas in summer, so bring insect repellent.

Depending on where you travel: golden eagles and other birds, wild horses, yaks, Bactrian camels, ibex, argali sheep, foxes and marmots. Snow leopards live in the high mountains but are very rarely seen.

Yes, Western Mongolia has many freshwater lakes and rivers. Fishing sometimes requires a permit, which we can help you obtain, and some seasons are restricted. You are welcome to bring your own fishing equipment.

Our tours focus on the Kazakh tradition of hunting with golden eagles. Sayat Travel does not offer or support big-game trophy hunting.

Many photographers bring a drone, but rules apply. Flying inside an airport control zone is prohibited, and drone flights near airports need advance permission from Mongolia’s civil aviation authorities (see the official drone guidance from Chinggis Khaan International Airport). Avoid flying over military sites and near the national borders, and always ask before flying over festivals or people’s homes. Rules can change, so please check the current regulations before you travel and ask your guide on the day.

Yes, children are welcome on many of our tours, but some trips at certain times of year are not suitable for young children. Tell us their ages and we will suggest the right trip.

Yes. We have hosted many groups of retirees from Europe, America and Asia and can plan activities to suit your pace.

Please contact us to discuss your needs. Travel in rural Mongolia is rough and facilities are basic, so we recommend travelling with your own assistant.