16 Incredible Festivals, Holidays, & Events to Plan A Mongolia Trip Around
From festivals that date back to the days of Genghis Khan to holidays and events that celebrate Mongolia’s unique nomadic heritage, these are Mongolia’s most popular festivals, holidays, and events worth planning a Mongolia trip around.
Trying to decide which of Mongolia’s vibrant festivals you should attend? These are the top 3 most popular festivals and holidays (traditional and modern) tourists attend:
- Naadam Festival: Mongolia’s biggest and most culturally important festival with horse racing, wrestling, archery, and an Olympic-like Opening Ceremony in Ulaanbaatar. Attend a local Naadam celebration in 2025 →
- Golden Eagle Festival: One of the most heritage and culture-rich festivals in Mongolia, this competition is exciting to attend! Attend the Golden Eagle Festival in 2025 →
- PlayTime Music Festival: Central Asia’s answer to Coachella, PlayTime Music Festival is the unique chance to see Mongolia’s most fashionable crowd come together to hear some of the biggest bands in the country, and world, play.
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Some of my most unforgettable memories living in Mongolia come from the festivals I’ve been invited to attend. Festivals that even in my wildest dreams I could never even have imagined existed, but thankfully, do. From obscure festivals like a Thousand Camel Festival that includes a camel beauty contest to Eagle Hunter festivals that celebrate a thousands of years old ancient tradition, attending these events have given me a much deeper understanding of Mongolia, and it’s (deservingly) proud people.
Today, Mongolia is comprised of people from 33 different clans and tribes that date back thousands of years. Collectively, the common ethnic identity is known simply as Mongols, and the common language is Mongolian, but when you ask around, you’ll find many people still identify with the clans and tribes of their ancestors. Some of which still speak their languages, like the Tuvan people of northern Mongolia do.
That is exactly what makes Mongolia so special and diverse and why there is such an incredible variety of festivals, holidays, and experiences to plan a trip to Mongolia around.
From Naadam to Tsagaan Sar, each festival has its own unique meaning and significance. Some festivals can be traced back hundreds of years to the days of Genghis Khan, while others have only been around for a few years.
No matter which festival, holiday, or event grabs your attention, you can always expect to experience singing and dance, traditional Mongolian food, friendly competitions, and more. There’s never a dull moment when there’s something to celebrate in Mongolia!
My personal favorite festivals are Naadam and Tsagaan Sar. Both festivals are colorful, full of tradition, and Mongolians go all out in their preparations and during each holiday. I love seeing locals have new traditional deels made, see the special occasion snuff bottles come out, help my friends prepare loads of traditional food, and just enjoy everyone being in high spirits!
If you ask me, Naadam and Tsaagan Sar are both festivals you should see, and be part of, at least once in your lifetime!
So, mark your calendars and plan your visit to Mongolia accordingly! You have some festivals to attend!
Are you planning your trip last minute?
Here are some top experiences to book now:
🚕 Book a Cheap Airport Transfer (great, budget-friendly option when landing in Mongolia)
🛌 Best Places to Stay:
Holiday Inn (great budget hotel with clean rooms and free breakfast)
Hostel One (favorite overall hostel with central location and clean facilities)
👉 Top Things to Do in Ulaanbaatar:
Cooking Class in a Local Home (unique way to spend a day and meet a local family!)
Ulaanbaatar City Tour (best way to get to know the city with a local guide)
🐴 Top Things to Do in Ulaanbaatar:
See the Wild Horses in Khustai National Park (see the largest population of wild horses in the world)
Central Mongolia 4-day Tour (see Chinggis Khaan’s capital and live with a nomadic family)
How crowded do these festivals get with other tourists?
This question is easy to answer for one reason. Naadam is the only festival you’ll need to plan ahead for because of over tourism and crowding. But not for the reasons you may think.
It is true that Mongolia’s busy season peaks in July around our biggest national festival, Naadam.
Naadam, along with July’s warm and sunny weather, make it our busiest month for international tourists to visit by far. Plus, it’s important to know that because Naadam is a national holiday, the entire country (government, local businesses, and more) shut down for almost two weeks. That means you’re not only battling locals for hotels and at famous landmarks, but you’re also battling locals, as well.
Because of the holiday and influx of people, prices in July are also at their highest. You’ll pay a premium to hire guides and translators, as well as drivers – if you can even find any available – around this time.
Not only that but finding families to stay with also becomes more difficult as they’re also hosting their relatives.
That all being said, these are not things to worry or get discouraged about! These are just things to plan ahead for. Especially considering that Mongolia only receives about 600,000 tourists total in a year.
My advice as someone who lives here and has seen the chaos of Naadam for more than six years now – if you want to come to Mongolia in July and attend Naadam, book a trip with a tour guide at least six months in advance. They will navigate the hotel bookings, have drivers already on standby, and know how to navigate this busier than usual time so that you can enjoy the festival stress-free.
16 Most Popular Mongolian Festivals, Holidays, & Events
The best and most popular festivals, holidays, and events worth booking a trip to Mongolia to see and experience.
16 Most Popular Mongolian Festivals, Holidays, & Events
The Reindeer Festival
- Dates for The Reindeer Festival: February
A festival filled with reindeer races, the opportunity to ride a reindeer, and the chance to get to know one of the last reindeer herding tribes in the world? I don’t know about you but sign me up.
Probably the least attended festival on this list thanks to its remote location and average -30 C winter temperatures, that’s also what makes it the most exceptional festival on this list to attend.
Because it’s so hard to reach and experience, I don’t recommend trying to attend this festival on your own without a local guide and driver who is comfortable driving off-roading in the snow. Make sure your driver has a reliable 4×4 vehicle or Russian UAZ Bukhana, what we call a furgon, to make this journey.
The festival is held a few hours from the small town of Tsagaan Nuur, 280 km northwest of Murun.
Visit northern Mongolia’s reindeer herding tribe during this winter expedition →
Thousand Camel Festival
- Dates for the Thousand Camel Festival: February 1 – 3
One of the more popular things to do and reasons to travel to Mongolia in winter, the Thousand Camel Festival is exactly what it sounds like. Attracting camel herders and their thousands of camels, the festival is an appreciative nod to our two-humped Bactrian camel friends.
The festival includes camel races, a camel polo match, a competition for the prettiest camel, and the best dressed herder is also given an award.
The festival is light-hearted and deeply rooted in nomadic culture. It’s truly an ode to the things that make Mongolia one of the most special places on earth.
Tsagaan Sar (Mongolian Lunar New Year)
- Dates for Tsagaan Sar: the first day of spring on the Mongolian Lunar Calendar, typically late-January to mid-February
Tsagaan Sar, also known as Mongolian Lunar New Year, or the White Moon, marks the beginning of spring.
Families spend the day visiting the homes of their elders, visiting them in order of age (they visit their oldest relatives first). The day is filled with paying respect to elders, feasting, and giving small gifts, especially socks.
In preparation for Tsagaan Sar, the women of the family come together to make thousands of buuz to feast on throughout the holiday. Because of that this traditional Mongolian staple food is synonymous with the holiday.
Since the holiday marks the arrival of spring after a long, harsh winter, it’s the most sacred holiday of the year in Mongolian culture. Mongolian’s are very superstitious, and because this is the end of winter and beginning and new growth of spring, each Chinese zodiac sign is assigned three tasks to do during sunrise on the first day of Tsagaan Sar. The tasks are published in the local newspaper, and while this tradition is fading, it’s a fun way to ring in the new season.
Preparation for Tsagaan Sar begins weeks before, and the day before the Lunar New Year is called “bituun,” or no moon day. During bituun families begin preparing feasts and plates of stacked cookies with candies and dried curds are set out.
Interested in experiencing Tsagaan Sar for yourself? I’ll be hosting a special experience in 2026 →
Lake Khuvsgul Ice Festival
- Dates for the Lake Khuvsgul Ice Festival: March 2 – 3 (February 13 – 23, 2025 only, due to overlapping with 2025 Tsagaan Sar holiday)
Taking place on a completely frozen Lake Khuvsgul, the annual Ice Festival is the coolest (literally) winter festivals in Mongolia.
Featuring ice sculptures, winter games, horse sledding, and more, the festival shows off not only the beauty of the lake, but also the beauty of the people who call this rugged and raw part of the country home.
It’s a true celebration of Mongolia’s tough, but gorgeous, winter season. Among other things, I guarantee you’ll be amazed and in awe that the frozen lake can hold this many people, cars, and sculptures on it!
Ulaanbaatar Eagle Festival
- Dates for the Ulaanbaatar Eagle Festival: March 8 – 9, 2025 (regularly held the first or second weekend in March)
The Ulaanbaatar Eagle Festival is only a few years old but thanks to its proximity to the capital has become one of the most popular festivals to attend in Mongolia.
Eagle Hunters travel from western Mongolia (where they predominately live) with their birds, usually by bus for 24 hours straight, to compete in this esteemed festival. To win the Ulaanbaatar Eagle Festival is a big deal, not only does it bring the hunter instant notoriety, it’s also a chance for them to take home a considerable amount of prize money!
A great thing about this festival is that it isn’t just about the Eagle Hunters, ice sculptures, camel and horse rides, crafts sellers, and more are all part of the fun.
Tenger World Shaman Festival
- Dates for the Tenger World Shaman Festival: late May 2027
Imagine more than 300 Shamans gathering in one place, bringing their backgrounds and spiritual customs together, and that’s what you can expect at the Tenger World Shaman Festival.
The festival won’t be back in Mongolian until late May 2027, but when it does, it’s one of those experiences you won’t want to miss.
I attended the festival in 2024 and was in complete awe of the Shaman costumes and paraphernalia. I was able to meet one-on-one with Shamans from around the world, sitting with them in deep and intimate conversation. It was one of the most moving and thought-provoking experiences I’ve ever had.
The festival is held over a weekend, and includes a sun worship ceremony, Shaman parade, fireworship ritual, a small Naadam, and more. This Shaman festival is unlike any other experience on this list and is a must-attend event for anyone interested in learning more about Mongolian Shamanism.
Motorcycle Rally in Sukhbaatar Square
- Dates for the Motorcycle Rally: June
During this rally thousands of bikers from Mongolia, Russia, and other neighboring countries gather together in Sukhbaatar Square before setting off on one of the most impressive group rides I’ve ever seen.
Bikes range from more traditional street bikes, to supped up choppers, bobbers, sportsters, scramblers, and enduro bikes, to big, bad adventure bikes anyone would want to explore on the back of.
If you’re a motorcycle enthusiast, or just curious to see Mongolia’s gear heads all in one place, this is the event to see. A unique thing about Mongolia’s motorcycle culture is that it’s not just a boy’s club – Mongolia’s female riders are some of the best riders I’ve seen anywhere.
The day’s ride ends at one of the nearby resorts where a party is hosted into the night.
PlayTime Music Festival
- Dates for PlayTime Music Festival: First Thursday – Sunday in July
I’m not exaggerating when I say, think of PlayTime Music Festival as the Coachella of Mongolia.
Drawing in big name bands, like last year’s headliners Cigarettes After Sex, the music festival is the event of the summer.
Fashion-forward crowds, all night dance parties, great food and drink vendors, larger than life art installations, and music from the absolute best Mongolian bands and artists makes this festival worth traveling to Mongolia for if you’re a music, art, and culture lover.
Try to buy early bird tickets if you can for the best price, and plan ahead how you’ll get to and from the festival. Just like Coachella, expect crowds and queues as you wait for taxis and to get in and out of the gates each day.
Naadam Festival
- Dates for Naadam Festival: July 11 – 13
Naadam is Mongolia’s most important, and typically busiest, national festival. The festival takes place annually from July 11 – 13 and focuses on the three manly sports: horse racing, wrestling, and archery.
The festival has an Opening Ceremony that’s broadcast on national television and includes all the theatrics of a major sporting event. The Opening Ceremony is held at the National Central Stadium in Ulaanbaatar and tickets for the ceremony are extremely limited and hard to come by. To get a ticket to the Naadam Opening Ceremony as a tourist, it’s best to book a Naadam tour with one of the local tour companies. Like this Naadam Opening Ceremony 2025 Tour →
Naadam dates back to the days of Genghis Khan when he used these games to keep his warriors in fighting shape between battles. Today, the festival is held over the course of two weeks. During this time, locals escape the heat of Ulaanbaatar and go to the countryside to celebrate, typically in the province they’re from.
Because everyone escapes to the countryside, Ulaanbaatar is empty of crowds and many businesses are closed. This is also the most expensive time of year for tourists to travel to Mongolia, everything from hiring drivers and private guides will come at a premium daily rate. (See the earlier section above on crowds.)
I host a 2-day horse trek and local Naadam festival each year in one of my favorite provinces. We don’t attend the Opening Ceremony in Ulaanbaatar – this is the local experience! Join the celebrations in 2025 →
Danshig Religious Festival
- Dates for the Danshig Religious Festival: first weekend in August
This festival is a celebration of Buddhism, Mongolia’s main religion, and how it intertwines with Tengerism, Mongolia’s first “religion.”
It’s the largest religious cultural festival in Mongolia, dating back to the historic enthronement ceremony of His Holiness Zanabazar in 1635. At the time, he was the spiritual head of Mongolian Buddhism and a direct descendant of Genghis Khan.
Festivities begin with a Mandala offering. Offerings of grains, sacred blue scarfs, milk – basically a person has – can be left as they say a prayer.
Another important aspect of the ceremony is the raising of the flag, or Soyombot Tug, to the Khui Doloo Khudag. His Holiness Zanabazar created the Soyombo script, the script of symbols that still adorns the flag of Mongolia today.
Locally, we also call this festival the Khuree Tsam festival, thanks to the famous tsam dances that take place. Tsam dancing is a religious ceremonial practice where masked dancers perform a carefully choreographed dance to envoke the spirits whose mask they’re wearing. Masks are made of paper mâché and can weigh more than 20 kilos, especially the ones meticulously adorned with coral and beads. To see the dancers perfectly balance the mask, while dancing for hours, is an unforgettable and mesmerizing sight.
A unique part of the tsam dance at the Danshig Religious Festival, and something you won’t see any other time of year, or performed by anyone else, is the noble presence of Ochirvaani–Vajrapani. Ochirvaani–Vajrapani is a deity who is believed to be a special protector for Mongolia.
Monks from Gandantegchinlen Monastery, the largest monastery in Ulaanbaatar, lead the event, hosting the Khuree Tsam and chanting.
The festival lasts two days over the first weekend in August and always draws a huge local crowd to Hui Doloon Hudag stadium.
Nomad World Cultural Festival
- Dates for the Nomad World Cultural Festival: early to mid-August
One of the newest festivals on this list, the Nomad World Cultural Festival has quickly become one of the most popular.
As the name suggests, the festival is a celebration of all things nomadic. From the lifestyle of living in a ger to the folk songs about daily life, this festival brings it all together for locals and foreigners to appreciate.
Attending the event is easy as it’s just one hour outside of the capital city. A main stage features traditional bands from around the world, in addition to popular Mongolian artists.
I attended the festival last year and truly did appreciate seeing every region represented with a traditional ger. Inside each ger traditional regional foods and drinks were available, in addition to handcrafts that area was known for.
Outside each ger, song and dance often broke out, led by locals from that specific region.
Overall, the weekend is a proud celebration of Mongolian heritage and remembering the ancestors who came before.
Tansag Airag Festival
- Dates for the Tansag Airag Festival: mid-October
One of the smallest festivals on this list, but also the most fun to taste and experience, the Tansag Airag Festival takes place in Sukhbaatar Square in mid-October.
The festival gives attendees the opportunity to taste airag, Mongolia’s famous fermented mare’s milk beverage, from different regions across the country. Each sip gives attendees the chance to note the difference in taste based on what the mares eat in that area. For example, some will be more grassy and earthy, while others are stronger in flavor.
The festival is also a celebration of horse culture, music, poetry, and other dairy products synonymous with herding culture.
While this isn’t a festival you’ll want to travel to Mongolia specifically to see, it is one you’ll be happy to come across if you’re already here visiting.
Sand Dunkhni Bayar Festival
- Dates for Sand Dunkhni Bayar Festival: mid-August
This celebration of sand held in Umnugovi Aimag is held annually each August.
Highlights of the festival include incredibly detailed sand sculptures by local masters eager to showcase their work. The festival is small in scale, but big in impact, the festival is an initiative of the local government to attract visitors to the area.
Golden Eagle Festival
- Dates for the Golden Eagle Festival: first weekend in October
Heading into its 26th year, the Golden Eagle Festival is the biggest festival for Eagle Hunters in Mongolia. There are many other smaller festivals that lead up to this main festival, but none of the other festivals compare in terms of size, notoriety, and credibility as the Golden Eagle Festival.
The festival is always two days long, and last year more than 80 Eagle Hunters competed. In the past, two female Eagle Huntresses have won the competition. (You may know this if you’ve watched the documentary The Eagle Huntress.)
The competition begins on Saturday when each Eagle Hunter sets out to the task of calling his Eagle, who is perched atop a nearby hill. The eagle’s flight is timed and the 10 fastest eagles to land move on to the next round. During the day, you can shop, eat at one of the tents, ride horses and camels, or try your hand at archery.
On Sunday, things really heat up as the top competitors go head to head, again calling their bird from the hillside. The hunter with the fastest combined total time from the two days wins.
Following the eagle calling competition, traditional Kazakh games like buzkashi, kokbar, kyz kuu which translates to “catch the girl,” and tenge ilu are played.
Buzkashi is a traditional Central Asian game played with a goat carcass, where teams try to get it down a “field” while other players try to grab it from him.
Kokbar is similar in that it also uses a goat carcass, but instead it is played like tug-of-war between two riders on horseback.
Kyz kuu is the most fun to watch – the game is played by one girl and one boy rider. The girl sets off on her horse first, with the boy quickly rushing after her, trying to get a kiss. If he is unable to get a kiss by the finishing point, the real fun begins – roles reverse and the girl starts chasing the boy back to the start, trying to hit him with a whip. Of all the traditional Kazakh games, this is my favorite because it’s always the most hilarious and entertaining to watch! Both riders really get into the game.
During tenge ilu, a horse rider bends to pick up a coin or handkerchief from the ground. An impressive feat to watch in person and a true testament to the horsemanship and riding agility of Mongols and Kazakhs.
Once the games are finished, the winning Eagle Hunter is officially named. The winning hunter receives a cash prize around 4 million tugrik (roughly $1,165 USD) along with instant fame. The winning family will undoubtedly receive more tourists over the following year, riding on the fame from the competition. This could mean big tourism dollars for them.
Other smaller eagle festivals to see and experience in western Mongolia are:
- Altai Eagle Festival (September 13 – 14)
- Sagsai Eagle Festival (September 17 – 18)
- Tolbo Lake Eagle Festival (September 20 – 21)
- Altansugts Eagle Festival (September 27 – 28)
Wishing you could see the Golden Eagle Festival in person? I have a small group tour for that →
Thousand Horse Festival
- Dates for the Thousand Horse Festival: last weekend in November
At the Thousand Horse Festival held in Khetii Aimag, locals dress in their best winter deels and bring their horses to compete at this annual winter festival.
The festival has a folk singing competition where each song is on the theme of horses, a horse roping competition, horse riding for people of all ages, a strong man contest, and a prize is awarded for the most beautiful horse.
There’s also a horse race and taiga dog show and competition, and children’s equestrian parade.
Due to the timing of this winter horse festival, the festival offers a very local experience. With not many travelers visiting Mongolia in November, this means only a few foreigners in-the-know attend the festival every year.
Karakorum Ice Climbing Festival & Competition
- Dates for the Karakorum Ice Climbing Festival & Competition: early December
Ice climbing at its finest, the Karakorum Ice Climbing Festival attracts around 80 athletes annually who come to take on the Ulaan Tsutgalan Waterfall, the main attraction of the frozen Orkhon River in Bat-Ulzii soum. Hosting amateur and professional ice climbers, the sporting event hosts competitors from around the world, including from China, France, and the US.
Onlookers watch in awe as athletes quickly scale this famous winter wonder competing for the festival’s top awards.
The Best Time to Experience Mongolian Culture
Mongolia’s national festivals and public holidays are a great way to celebrate the history, culture, and traditions of this unique country.
From Tsagaan Sar in February to the Golden Eagle Festival in October, these national holidays, festivals, and one of a kind events provide an opportunity for people from all walks of life to come together.
Whether you’re looking for something fun and meaningful to experience with your family or friends, or you just want to experience something unlike anything else you’ve ever experienced before, Mongolia has plenty of options when it comes to national celebrations that will leave you feeling proud and inspired. No matter where you’re from.
Author: Breanna Wilson
Hi! Sain uu! I’m Breanna, an American travel writer and adventurer living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for more than 5 years. I’ve written for and been featured in Condé Nast Traveler, CNN, Forbes, and the New York Times, among others. Read more of my Mongolia travel articles here.
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As a direct descendant of Gengghis Khaan I would like to see an official day as May 31st accepted as his birthday celebration because he is the one with the vision to establish the largest empire in known history, he united over 50 tribes into one nation (Mongolians) and gave us pride in ourselves and heritage, and contrary to Eurocentric textbooks of the west, he established Pax Mongolia or a period of peace.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and a famous Mongol Historian/Scientist, the date set for my ancestor’s (Chengghis Khaan’s) birthday is May 31st 1162. Source: https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/knowledge-bank/birth-date-chinghis-khaan-determined-through-mongolian-astrology