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Mongolia's Winter Festivals 2027: Ice, Camels and Eagles (Usual Dates)

Writer: Enkhzaya Ganbold
Enkhzaya Ganbold
19 hours ago
5 min read

Mongolia's winter festival season runs from early December to March, with ice-climbing on a frozen waterfall, camel races in the Gobi, the Blue Pearl Ice Festival on Lake Khuvsgul and the spring eagle festival in Ulaanbaatar. Most official 2027 dates have not been announced yet, so this guide gives each festival's usual timing and its last confirmed dates from Montsame, Mongolia's national news agency, to help you plan a winter trip now.

Key facts

  • Season: Early December to March

  • Karakorum Ice Festival: Last held 6–7 December 2025, Orkhon Waterfall

  • Gobi camel festival: Usually early February; last confirmed 3–4 February 2024

  • Khuvsgul Ice Festival: Traditionally from 2 March; 2024 edition 2–3 March

  • Eagle festival UB: Early March (listed 4–5 March)

  • 2027 dates: Not yet officially announced (as of 27 October 2026)

  • Source: Montsame, Consular Department of Mongolia

A rider galloping across snow at a Mongolian eagle festival as a golden eagle swoops low
A rider and golden eagle at a Mongolian eagle festival in the snow. Photo: Enza Tours

When are Mongolia's winter festivals in 2027?

As of 27 October 2026 we have not found official 2027 dates for the main winter festivals. The pattern is steady, though. Montsame's winter guides from January 2024 and February 2024 list the same events in the same months year after year, and the government's 2026 national tourism events calendar was reviewed together with a Winter Tourism Development Plan in December 2025.

We will update this page as official dates are announced. Until then, treat the dates below as a planning guide, not a booking guide.

Which festivals happen in December and January?

  • Karakorum Ice Festival, Orkhon Waterfall (Uvurkhangai aimag): an ice-climbing championship on the frozen waterfall with ice archery, knucklebone shooting and speed skating. Last held on 6–7 December 2025 as the 13th edition and the first event of the 2025–26 Asian ice-climbing season (Montsame).

  • Winterland Ice Festival, Tamir River (Arkhangai aimag): ice archery, curling and a show of Mongol Bankhar dogs. Held on 13–14 January 2024 (Montsame).

  • "Mungulug Shagshuurga" Ice Festival, Khar Us Lake (Khovd aimag): held every January; the 2024 edition was on 20–21 January, and about 20,000 domestic and foreign visitors attended in 2023 (Montsame).

A caravan of Bactrian camels crossing a snow-covered frozen plain in the Gobi Desert in winter
Bactrian camels on a snowy Gobi plain, the setting of Mongolia's winter camel festivals. Photo: Enza Tours

When is the camel festival in the Gobi?

The best-known camel festival takes place in Umnugobi aimag in the South Gobi, usually in early February before Tsagaan Sar, the Lunar New Year. The 25th edition was held on 3–4 February 2024, with more than 400 camel herders from 20 soums in seven aimags and more than 8,500 visitors, including 120 foreigners, Montsame reported. It includes camel races, camel polo, contests for the best male and female camels, and a fair.

Local people started the festival in 1997 to protect Mongolia's two-humped camels and promote winter tourism. Other camel-herding aimags hold their own winter camel festivals too; Montsame lists editions in Arvaikheer (Uvurkhangai) on 1–2 December 2023 and in Gobi-Altai on 20 December 2023 (Montsame).

When is the Khuvsgul Ice Festival?

The "Blue Pearl" Ice Festival in Khatgal, on the southern shore of Lake Khuvsgul, traditionally starts on 2 March, according to Montsame. The 2024 edition was held on 2–3 March (Montsame). It began in 2000 with horse-sleigh races, and today includes ice knucklebone shooting, an ice crafts exhibition, horse races on the ice, a fire festival, an ice village and skating rinks.

Lake Khuvsgul freezes completely by the end of November, with ice 70 cm to 1 m thick (Montsame). Read our full guide to the Khuvsgul Ice Festival.

Two more Khuvsgul events usually follow in March: the Snow and Reindeer Festival in Tsagaannuur soum, with reindeer races and Tsaatan culture (held on 5–6 March 2024), and the Khuvsgul Cup ice-fishing competition in Khankh soum (from 15 March 2024), both listed by Montsame.

A horseman riding through snowy fog in northern Mongolia in winter
Winter fog in northern Mongolia, where the Snow and Reindeer Festival is held each March. Photo: Enza Tours

What other winter events are there in Ulaanbaatar?

  • Spring Eagle Festival, Ulaanbaatar: Kazakh eagle hunters on horseback, with contests for the best-looking eagle. Montsame lists it on 4–5 March, ahead of Nauryz (Montsame).

  • Mongols Nomadic Winter Festival, National Garden Park: organised by the Capital City Governor's Office, with dog sledding, ice archery, camel caravans and ice sculptures; held on 16–22 February 2025 (Montsame). If you cannot wait for a festival, try dog sledding in Terelj on any winter day.

  • Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year): Mongolia's biggest family holiday, celebrated in late winter. We have not found an official 2027 date yet and will add it once announced.

What this means for your trip

  • Book flexibly: choose refundable flights or wait for official dates before fixing a festival trip.

  • Combine: early March often allows the Khuvsgul Ice Festival and the Ulaanbaatar eagle festival in one trip.

  • Short on time: our 1-day Mongolia Winter Tour and Dog Sledding Tour run without festival dates.

  • Visas: Singapore, Malaysia and Japan passport holders can stay up to 30 days visa-free, and Hong Kong SAR passport holders up to 14 days (Mongolia's Consular Department, checked 27 October 2026).

  • Background reading: our winter tourism guide for 2026–27 covers cold, flights and visas.

How Enza Tours can help

We follow announcements from Montsame, the aimag governments and festival organisers, and we can hold flexible plans for you until official 2027 dates appear. Tell us which festival you are interested in and we will design the route, transport and warm accommodation around it.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Khuvsgul Ice Festival in 2027?

The official 2027 date for the Khuvsgul "Blue Pearl" Ice Festival has not been announced as of 27 October 2026. Montsame says it traditionally starts on 2 March, and the 2024 edition was held on 2–3 March in Khatgal.

When is the camel festival in Mongolia?

The Umnugobi camel festival in the South Gobi is usually held in early February before Tsagaan Sar; the 25th edition took place on 3–4 February 2024. Official 2027 dates have not been published yet.

Is there an eagle festival in winter in Mongolia?

Yes. A spring eagle festival is held in Ulaanbaatar in early March, listed by Montsame on 4–5 March, ahead of Nauryz.

Can travellers from Malaysia visit Mongolia's winter festivals without a visa?

Yes. Malaysian passport holders can stay in Mongolia for up to 30 days without a visa, according to Mongolia's Consular Department (checked 27 October 2026).

Tours that fit this story

Hand-picked from our current programmes. See all of them on our Mongolia short tours page.

Sources

About this article

Written by the Enza Tours News Desk in Ulaanbaatar and checked by our team before publishing. Every date, number and rule in this post comes from the sources listed above, which we read on 27 October 2026. Last updated: 27 October 2026.

About Enza Tours LLC. We are a Mongolian inbound tour operator, founded in 2018 by Enkhzaya (Enza), and a member of the Mongolia Tourism Organization (MTO) and the Mongolian Tourism Association (MTA). Office: Room 39, Building 33, 4th Khoroo, Baga Toiruu Street, Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar 15141, Mongolia. Phone +976 8911 2100 · info@mongoliantour.guide · Meet our team · Contact us

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