Your journey begins with your arrival at Ulaanbaatar (UB) Airport. Our friendly drivers will be there to greet you and bring you to the hotel situated in the centre of Ulaanbaatar. During the day, will be visiting the black market, Gandantegchinlen Monastery and Sukhbaatar Square. Proceed to money exchange for local currency.

We will enjoy a traditional meal at a local restaurant in the evening and have an in-depth discussion about the upcoming photo tour.
Overnight accommodation will be in a hotel in Ulaanbaatar.

We’ll catch an early morning flight to Ulgii, arriving at 9:30 AM after a 2-hour journey covering approximately 1,100 kilometres. Ulgii, the largest town in western Mongolia, is home to around 80% of the world’s eagle hunters.

Upon landing, we’ll head to our pre-booked hotel for a quick breakfast before setting out to visit a local Kazakh family’s residence. Here, you’ll have the unique opportunity to photograph locals in their traditional clothing.

Later, we’ll arrange a captivating session with 3-5 eagle hunters, set against the stunning backdrop of a mountain-framed sunset. Afterwards, we’ll return to Ulgii. Overnight stay at the Ulgii Hotel.

After breakfast, we’ll return to the Kazakh family’s area for a very special day. You’ll be part of a private eagle festival, arranged exclusively for our group.

You’ll have the rare privilege of witnessing Kazakhs on horseback, adorned in their traditional fox coats and scarlet hats, each with a magnificent Golden Eagle on their arm. This festival is organized by locals who are dedicated to preserving their traditional heritage.
You’ll have a unique chance to get up close to the Golden Eagles and even have one perch on your arm for a remarkable photo opportunity.

During this spectacular day, you’ll capture countless images with up to 8 eagle hunters in diverse locations, including mountain ridges, river bends, and lush grass marshlands. Every eagle hunter will be ready for a private portrait session, and they are incredibly friendly to our group. It will be a day you’ll feel like you’re on a movie set, capturing hundreds of stunning images without the usual crowd in the background.

After this thrilling experience, we’ll return to Olgii. Overnight stay at the Ulgii Hotel.

After breakfast, we’ll head to visit a local Kazakh family, providing an excellent opportunity to photograph the locals in their traditional attire and capture intimate portraits.

Later in the day, we’ll journey to the breathtaking Tolbo Lake, a picturesque setting perfect for a captivating sunset session. Here, you’ll photograph 3-5 eagle hunters against the stunning backdrop of the surrounding mountains, with the afternoon light enhancing the dramatic landscape also, if possible, we’ll shoot Mil keyway as well as nightscapes.

We’ll return to Ulgii for an overnight stay at the Ulgii Hotel.

Following a relaxing morning and a good night’s sleep, we’ll head to another picturesque location for a captivating sunset session. Here, we’ve arranged private sessions with a total of five eagle hunters against the backdrop of the Altai Mountains.

The backdrop for these sessions will be the holy Tsambagarav Mountain, rising to an impressive 4,208 meters. This location offers a breathtaking 360-degree view, with rocky, jagged mountains on one side and snow-capped peaks on the other. We’ll return to Ulgii for an overnight stay at the Ulgii Hotel.

After breakfast, we’ll head to visit another local Kazakh family, providing an excellent opportunity to photograph the locals in their traditional attire and capture intimate portraits.

In the afternoon we’ll arrange another magnificent shoot with 3 eagle hunters on the river riding with an eagle on the Hold River. Overnight stay at the Ulgii Hotel.

7:00 am domestic flight back to Ulaanbaatar. In the evening, we will have a final supper at my favourite restaurant in Ulaanbaatar, then get a well-deserved night’s sleep back at our UB Hotel. If we have an afternoon flight then we’ll shoot an early morning landscape in the nearby mountains.

Tearful goodbyes as our driver drops you off at the airport to connect with your international flight. Have a safe trip!

We’ll aim to catch the early morning flight to Dalanzadgad, arriving around 9:30 a.m. The flight takes about 1.5 hours. Dalanzadgad is a large town in the Gobi Desert. Upon arrival, we’ll start our journey to our shooting location for the day, Tsagaan Suvarga, which is 153 km away.

Tsagaan Suvarga is a striking scarp in Olziit Soum of Dundgovi Province. Once the floor of an ocean, it resembles a white stupa, giving it its name (Tsagaan Suvarga means “white stupa”). This scarp stretches 400 meters and rises 60 meters high with a steep, 90-degree brink. After rain, the scarp appears like a giant waterfall as water cascades down.

There’s also an intriguing cave, Hevtee Bosoo Agui, about 7 km east of Tsagaan Suvarga. This 50-meter-long cave requires crawling in some parts but allows normal walking in others, hence the name, which translates to “Laying Standing Cave.”

After reaching Tsagaan Suvarga, we’ll rest and prepare for our first night’s shoot. We’ll begin shooting at sunset and continue until midnight.

After a quick breakfast, we’ll drive to Bayanzag, located 166 km away. During the drive, we’ll enjoy and capture the desert views.

Upon arrival, we’ll rest and prepare for our second night’s shoot. We’ll begin shooting a few minutes before sunset and continue until midnight.

Bayanzag, also known as the Flaming Cliffs, is renowned for its red sandstone cliffs and canyons. It’s one of the most famous paleontological sites in the world. In 1922, Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first dinosaur eggs here, which suggested that dinosaurs gave birth to live young.

A small ger museum at Bayanzag displays fossil pieces, while the main exhibits are in the Dinosaur Museum in Ulaanbaatar and other worldwide exhibitions.

The Flaming Cliffs are surrounded by a vast, open grassy desert steppe, with several ger camps on the plains offering 360° views, spectacular sunrises, and sunsets.

On this day, we’ll follow a similar schedule, travelling 119 km to the majestic Khongor Sand Dune. We’ll stay here for the night and capture landscapes during the golden and blue hours, as well as nightscapes.

We’ll head west to reach the Khongor dunes, known as ‘Light Bay Sand’. These dunes are among the most spectacular in Mongolia, stretching over 180 kilometres long and 20 kilometres wide, with an average height of 80 meters and some reaching up to 120 meters. The view from the top is breathtaking, and you can even hear the ‘singing dunes’—the sound of the moving sand. Beyond the dunes, the steppe stretches as far as the eye can see.

After our morning shoot and breakfast, we’ll journey to Yolyn Am Valley. The distance from Khongor Sand Dune (Khongoryn Els) to Yolyn Am Valley is approximately 180 kilometres by road.

Yolyn Am, or Lammergeier Valley, is a deep gorge in Mongolia’s Gurvan Saikhan Mountains, named after the Lammergeier vulture (Yol in Mongolian). Known as the Valley of the Vultures, it’s famous for its striking scenery and ice fields that can last into summer.

The valley’s clear, dark skies and rugged cliffs make it perfect for astro-landscape photography. We’ll capture the Milky Way above the dramatic gorge and also focus on golden and blue hour landscape shots. After our last night shoot, we’ll stay here and rest.

After our morning shoot and breakfast in the valley, we’ll drive 56 km to Gurvan Saikhan Airport in Dalanzadgad, which will take about 1.5 hours. From there, we’ll take a flight to Ulaanbaatar. The flight covers approximately 600 kilometres and typically takes around 1 to 1.5 hours.

For those joining only for the pre-extension Gobi Desert astro-landscape workshop, this will be their last night. Upon arrival, we’ll arrange a post-processing session for them. Those who are doing the main trip and pre-extension will follow us the next day to Ulgii.

We will enjoy a traditional meal at a local restaurant in the evening. Overnight accommodation will be in a hotel in Ulaanbaatar.

Tearful goodbyes as our driver drops you off at the airport to connect with your international flight. Have a safe trip!

Sure! If your significant other wants you there by their side then be our guest! Similarly, if you just want to come alone without a camera then don’t feel that you need to be into photography. This expedition is designed to be an immersive experience for everyone and we have hosted many non-photographers on previous expeditions. During my last Mongolia trip, I spent many hours just spending time with the families and walking alongside the animals helping to corral them rather than shooting photographs. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of things to occupy your time as a non-photographer.

This is not a cold-weather trip, so you don’t have to bring warm clothing, but for the night, only bring light warm clothing like a windcheater because it will be slightly cold at night.

This is a suggested packing list to make your trip a fulfilling and comfortable experience.

• Backpack or suitcase
• Comfortable light boots for walking
• Sunglasses and Sun hat
• Sun care cream
• Headlamp/flashlight
• Wet tissues
• Raincoat
• Insurance confirmation copy
• Emergency contact number
• Water bottle with 2 litres of capacity
• We’ll provide a sleeping bag but for your hygiene, you can carry your personal one.
• Carry your essential and basic medicines for headaches, fever, stomach upset, etc.

• One or two DSLR or Mirrorless (Full Frame or Crop Sensor) cameras. If you use a full-frame DSLR or mirrorless camera, for much of the time, when photographing the Eagle Hunters, you will want to cover focal lengths of around 24-70mm or 24-105mm and 70-200mm. However, a kit lens (18-55/3.5 or 4.0) will also work.
• For photographing hunters from a distance, consider bringing a larger zoom or prime telephoto lens for photography, of up to 300mm.
• For Astro-Landscape an Ultra-Wide Angle (14 to 24 mm for Full Frame or 10-18mm for Crop Sensor) is the best choice. However, a kit lens (18-55/3.5 or 4.0) will also work.
• A Computer with photo-processing software [Lightroom, Photoshop]. (If you do not have this software, don’t worry we’ll provide it.)
• Lens hood.
• A Sturdy Tripod is a must for Astro-Landscape photography.
• Carry cable shutter release according to your camera model. A Cable Shutter Lock is very helpful for Star Trail, without this, we need to use a built-in Intervalometer.
• Carry a Power Bank, and keep it in your cabin bag during a plain journey.
• Electric Socket Extension or international standard multi-plug holder for charging.
• Adequate memory card (mini. two 32GB or one 64 GB) and Card reader.
• Extra battery (at least 2 extras) for your camera and keep your batteries in a cabin bag during your plane journey.
• External hard drive with adequate space.
• Carry CPL and ND filter (optional).
• A Headlamp is recommended or you carry a small torch with extra batteries that also works. (Keep your batteries in a cabin bag during your plane journey)
• Carry an L-Bracket, it is optional.
• Carry a small-sized soft cloth or towel or camera rain cover or camera dust cover to cover the camera body during the shoot.
• Carry a microfiber to wipe the lens.
• Lens cleaning kit or set.
• Carry the L-Key, it is a very essential tool. But remember don’t keep any sharp tools like – an L key, tripod hook, tripod spikes, etc. in cabin luggage. Keep it in check-in luggage.

All of the places we visit on this trip will be accessible in our trusty Russian 4×4 wheel drive vehicles so physical fitness is not a huge priority on our summer trips. Shooting the eagle hunters on hilltops might involve a little trekking to get to good vantage points and at a couple of points on our journey it may be necessary to walk alongside our vehicles so that they can ascend particularly steep terrain. There are absolutely no tarmac roads where we are going. Please bear this in mind before you book.

If you choose not to come with us when we travel on foot, don’t worry, there will be plenty of other things to occupy your time back at camp since we always set up alongside local families who are happy to have visitors. In the past, people have had some very unique experiences by choosing to do this.

• The altitude will be 3500-4000 mt. max. Altai and Gobi Desert have an average altitude of about 900 to 1,200 mt.
• In many places, we will face issues with the Internet & Mobile networks.
• There will be long drives, bumpy roads and long distances in remote areas, but we pride ourselves on comfort and we’ll roll out in our air-conditioned 4x4s. First class hotel in Ulaan Baatar and Gers in Tented Ger camps along the trip. We’ve made sure to secure the very best accommodations available for every stop on our trip.

During this season, the weather conditions in western Mongolia are usually warm and sunny, with typical daily maxima being between ranging from +10°C to +25°C during daytime and +8°C to +15°C at night until the end of August. The region can also experience occasional rainfall, so it’s important to be prepared for wet conditions. The weather in the Altai region can be unpredictable, with variations in temperature and occasional storms, so packing layers and waterproof gear is essential.

In August, the Gobi Desert experiences hot and arid conditions. Daytime temperatures can be quite high, often reaching between 30°C to 40°C (86°F to 104°F), while nighttime temperatures can drop significantly, sometimes falling to around 10°C to 20°C (50°F to 68°F). The climate is generally dry with low humidity, and rainfall is scarce, although occasional thunderstorms can occur.

The weather in the Gobi Desert can be unpredictable, so it’s important to be prepared for both extreme heat during the day and cooler temperatures at night.

The CDC and WHO recommend several vaccinations for travellers to Mongolia, including:

• Hepatitis A: Commonly recommended for travel to Mongolia.
• Hepatitis B: A viral infection spread through blood, semen, and vaginal fluids.
• Typhoid: A food and water-borne disease, recommended for some itineraries.
• Rabies: A viral infection usually transmitted through contact with an infected animal’s saliva, such as a bite, scratch, or lick to an open wound or mucous membrane. Consider getting a rabies vaccination before travel, especially for longer trips, if you’re at risk, or if you want lifelong protection.
• Other vaccinations that may be recommended include: Tetanus, Meningitis, Polio, Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), Chickenpox, Shingles, Pneumonia, Influenza, and COVID-19.

We recommend consulting your doctor for advice on vaccinations. For more advice on vaccinations, you can also visit: https://www.who.int/travel-advice/all-updates-for-travellers

Arrival Airport: Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN)
Departure Airport: Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN)

Travel Visa & Immigration

You will generally need a tourist visa for the country where we run your chosen tour. On your landing/immigration form, you should state that you are on a group tour if requested, and provide the name of our local tour operator. We will provide the necessary details once your booking is confirmed.

All travellers will require a visa to enter Ulaanbaatar, which must be obtained before travel. It is recommended to check with your nearest embassy for the most up-to-date visa regulations. As visa rules can vary according to your country of residence as well as the country that issued your passport, we strongly advise that you research the relevant visa rules before you travel. Go to Visa Map to find out more.

EXPOSURE cannot be held responsible for your entry/exit arrangements, so please note that obtaining the required documentation is solely your responsibility. No refunds will be made in the event of you being refused entry into the country where travel is to take place.

We collaborate closely with our exceptional local team in Mongolia. With over ten years of experience in the region, they are fully confident in our ability to conduct safe tours in Mongolia. Our team has provided support to prestigious channels like BBC Earth, National Geographic and Discovery. Should you have any safety concerns please do not hesitate to contact us and we can address your concerns.

Mongolia is one of the safest countries in Asia. It ranks as the 8th safest country in Asia after countries such as Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, and Kuwait and 40th in the world. Mongols are very friendly people. Whether you are in the city or in the countryside, the Mongolians treat you with respect and are always happy to help you. And you should also show them your respect and not offend their beliefs and traditions.

It would be very grateful if you learn a few Mongolian words such as “Hello”, “How are you?” and “thanks”. Showing hospitality to guests is in our blood. It is in our culture that when travellers come to us, we must feed them and help them with everything. After all, nomads believe that every guest brings goodness to the family. In the city, if you ask someone for directions, they will probably do their best to show you the way. In every public place like restaurants and shops, they are very kind and always smiling.

You can choose any flight on Day -1, arriving before 5 p.m. Options include routes via Beijing, Seoul, etc. It’s recommended to arrive a day or two earlier to rest and ensure you don’t miss the next morning’s flight. We can arrange extra occupancy in the same hotel and room if needed, so you won’t have to change rooms later. Please note, that international flight is not included in the tour.

Registration is open from 1st September 2024 till 31st May 2025 or till the seat reservations end.

Only a maximum of 6 hardworking participants will be selected for this workshop. This is not a fancy tour so your physical fitness is very important.

Participants will be granted the expedition based on email confirmation on a first come first serve basis. Feel free to call +91 8509333385 or +918900702900 for any further assistance.

You need to pay 50% of the tour amount immediately (either in USD or INR as per the conversion rate on the date). Balance amount to be paid 60 days before the tour. Once the payment is done, please send us a copy of the bank receipt (a screenshot is also fine) of your payment details. Once we confirm your payment, we will send you the tour ID no. along with the Rules & Regulations of the tour, which makes you, a confirmed candidate for the photo tour.

To reserve your spot 50% of the full fee is required at the time of your booking. You can pay using the online payment link on our website or ask for the account details or PayPal to transfer the payment. Your reservation may be cancelled if full payment has not been received by the last date specified and communicated. All cancellation notices must be received in writing and will become effective as of the date of the postmark (standard mail or electronic).

Cancellation deductions will be as per the following policy of full fees:

• 40% cancellation of the total fee if cancelled 90 days before the start of the expedition or earlier than the expedition.
• 100% cancellation of the total fee if cancelled 59 days on or before the start of the expedition.

Please read all details on this page and the Detailed Terms and Conditions, Disclaimer / Undertaking in the Registration cum Booking Form.