Mongolia: Heartland & Altai Photography Tour, 6th to 20th SEPTEMBER 2026
Mongolia’s wide silence holds a quiet magic, especially among the eagle hunters of the Altai. Watching a golden eagle return to its master’s glove, sharing tea inside a ger, you glimpse a way of life shaped by trust, tradition, and the rhythm of the land.
Words, thoughts, and invite from Neale James, presenter/producer of The Friday Photowalk Podcast, and Lynn Fraser co-lead in Mongolia. Lead pictures from Lynn Fraser. Further research pictures supplied.
“A visual odyssey from steppe* to snow-capped peaks, this 15-day journey weaves through Mongolia’s soul-stirring landscapes and enduring traditions. From the incense-swirled monasteries of Ulaanbaatar to the golden silence of the Altai, this expedition offers a rare chance to photograph and live alongside nomadic families, camel herders and eagle hunters.
You’ll walk through temple ruins perfumed with thyme, sip fermented mare’s milk under vast skies, and rise to the rhythm of chanting monks or the cry of eagles. Expect raw beauty, deep connection, and unforgettable images.
Mongolia is the land of big skies, open hearts, and ancient rhythms. Over two unforgettable weeks, we travel from Buddhist monasteries and nomadic gers to desert dunes and the eagle-haunted highlands of the Altai. This is a journey written in light, a chance to step into a different pace of life, build creative confidence, and be moved by the moments in between.”
* The steppe in Mongolia is a vast, treeless plain covered mostly in grasses, stretching across much of the country. It’s one of the last truly wild and open landscapes on Earth — a place where the horizon rolls endlessly and the sky feels impossibly large.
DAY 1: Arrival in Ulaanbaatar
SUNDAY 6th SEPTEMBER 2026
You arrive in Mongolia’s capital, a place where golden temple spires rise above Soviet-era blocks and the scent of grilled meat mingles with incense. After transferring to the hotel, there’s time to rest and adjust. As the sun lowers, the streets hum: schoolchildren walk home in neat uniforms, street vendors fan smoky fires, and prayer flags ripple in the breeze.
DAY 2: Monks, Markets & the City’s Edge
MONDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 2026
We begin at Gandan Monastery, wrapped in the murmured chants of monks and the swirl of incense rising to meet immense, gilded statues. Then to the city's fringe: the ger districts, where life spills into dusty alleys, cooking fires, painted doors, laughter over steaming bowls. At Sukhbaatar Square and the sprawling Naran Tuul market, colour and texture collide: silk bolts, saddle leather, enamel bowls. Later, an intimate theatre performance brings traditional music and dance alive before dinner.
DAY 3: From the Capital to the Steppe
TUESDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2026
A morning climb to Zaisan Monument rewards us with a bird’s-eye view of the city stretching to green hills. Nearby, the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan offers a glimpse of vanished worlds—leopard-skin thrones, ceremonial masks, and relics of spiritual grandeur. After lunch, we load up into our UAZ vans and head west, where the air feels wilder. Khustai National Park unfolds in waves of gold and green; marmots dart, and as twilight settles, wild horses move like shadows. Tonight, we sleep in a traditional ger, welcomed by a local family beneath the wide Mongolian sky.
DAY 4: RUINS, DUNES AND CAMEL SONGS
WEDNESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER 2026
Morning takes us deeper into Mongolia’s heart. We explore the wind-worn ruins of Uvgun Khiid, once echoing with monastic chants, now perfumed with sage and thyme. Further west, the Elsen Tasarkhai dunes rise from the earth, soft gold underfoot, quiet as snowfall. Here we meet a camel herding family, their rhythms shaped by sand and sky. A chance to ride across the silence, to photograph slow-moving grace. As dusk falls, we settle into our nearby camp, the desert turning lavender beneath a rising moon.
DAY 5: Kharkhorin’s Ancient Echoes & Sea Buckthorn Warmth
THURSDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER 2026
We travel westward through a land rich with memory to Kharkhorin, once a short-lived capital of the Mongol Empire. Here, we photograph stone turtles and the wide sweep of the river from above. At the local market, spices, yak cheese, and hand-dyed wool offer sensory vignettes of Mongolian life. Later, we’re welcomed into the home of Purevnambar, artist and sea buckthorn farmer. The scent of woodsmoke and citrus fills the air as we sip hot juice bright as sunrise. Before dusk, we visit the Erdeneslin Khuree calligraphy centre.
DAY 6: Monastic Dawn & Return to the Capital
FRIDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER 2026
As first light brushes the sky, we join morning prayers at Erdene Zuu Monastery. Stupas cast long shadows across the grass as monks chant in low, rhythmic tones. After time to absorb the peace, we begin our journey back to Ulaanbaatar, pausing for lunch along the way. Tonight, we settle just outside the city—an interlude of calm before our flight west.
DAY 7: Outer Mongolia
SATURDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2026
We board a flight to Bayan-Ölgii, where Mongolia shifts into something more Central Asian. In Ulgii, Kazakh script graces the shopfronts and the aroma of grilled kebabs drifts through the air. We wander quiet streets, visit a modest museum, and start to feel the frontier edge of this land.
DAY 8: Journey to Lake Dayan
SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2026
Today we journey deeper into the Altai, through valleys carved by rivers and across plains vast as the sky. At Lake Dayan, ringed by snow-dusted mountains, we meet Shokhan and his family. Over three days, their camp becomes our home. There are warm welcomes, shared toasts, and time to breathe, observe, and photograph—the hush of early morning, the rustle of hoofbeats, the shimmer of mountain light.
DAYS 9 & 10: Life with the Eagle Hunters
MONDAY 14TH & TUESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2026
We spend these days immersed in the life of the camp. We watch as Shokhan trains his eagle—arm extended, eyes locked, the bird slicing through sky. There is time for portraiture, quiet observation, and shared tasks: milking goats, baking bread, preparing airag. We move with the rhythm of the land, camera in hand, senses open.
DAY 11: Festival Eve on the Hovd River
WEDNESDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2026
We journey to Altansogts and settle beside the Hovd River, where gers bloom like white petals along the bank. This is our festival camp—rustic, spirited, and full of promise. Tonight, we feast beneath the stars on Beshparmak and listen to Kazakh music ripple across the grass. The air is electric with anticipation.
DAYS 12 & 13: The Sagsai Eagle Festival
THURSDAY 17TH & FRIDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER 2026
The next two days unfold in vivid colour and movement. Riders in embroidered robes gallop across the plains, eagles soar and swoop to calls, and hunters grip reins and tradition in equal measure. We witness contests of precision and pride, from archery to buzkashi. Early on the second morning, we escape the crowd for a private photo shoot—just us, the light, and the eagles.
DAY 14: Return to Ulaanbaatar
SATURDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER 2026
We depart our camps and fly back to the capital for our final night. There’s time to visit local craftspeople or simply walk the city with new eyes. At dinner, we raise a glass—to the stories we’ve heard, the images we’ve captured, and the moments that took root.
DAY 15: DEPARTURE
SUINDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2026
After breakfast, we transfer to the airport. The steppe stretches out behind us—but something of it stays with you. Until the next journey.
YOUR EXPLORER GUIDES
NEALE JAMES
Neale’s journey into storytelling began behind a radio mic in the Canary Islands, presenting on an English and German language station in Lanzarote. He returned to the UK to train with the BBC, working across regional programmes before stepping into the national spotlight at Radio 1, hosting music shows and documentaries, and appearing on television. After years in broadcasting, he transitioned to a full-time career in photography in 2004, specialising in documentary-style wedding and commercial work from a studio in Berkshire.
But it’s travel that has shaped much of Neale’s creative voice, photographing and film-making in The Gambia, the Highlands of Scotland, finding the deep spirituality of India, and now the wide, poetic landscapes of Mongolia. The camera, for Neale, has always been a passport to connection, and in 2020 that translated to launching The Photowalk, a weekly podcast that explores not just how we make pictures, but why.
LYNN FRASER
Lynn is a Scottish Highlands–based photographer and writer whose work explores human connection, fleeting moments, and the quiet poetry of everyday life. Her travels have taken her across India, Mongolia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and beyond, seeking out stories in marketplaces, backstreets, festivals, and quiet, everyday spaces.
She shares these stories through My Journey with a Camera, her Substack publication that blends photography with narrative essays, reflections, and vignettes. It’s a space where visual storytelling meets thoughtful observation, drawing readers into moments of stillness and connection.
Lynn’s work has been exhibited internationally as part of the Atlas of Humanity project, with group shows in Paris, Milan, and London. In 2025, she was named Amateur Photographer of the Year 2024 by Amateur Photographer magazine.
LOCAL GUIDES
With our trusted Mongolian travel partner, we’ll also be joined by a local ground team, including a language guide, drivers, a cook, and those supporting our camping logistics.
PRICE AND RESERVATION OF INTEREST
Practical Information
Transport
Our vehicle of choice is the UAZ, a rugged, reliable people-carrier, absolutely made for Mongolia’s wild terrain. These high-clearance vehicles have large surround windows, ample space for luggage, and a sociable layout that encourages conversation and camaraderie. Each vehicle accommodates 4–5 guests for comfort and flexibility. First aid kits, tea and coffee-making facilities, water, and snacks are provided in each vehicle.
Accommodation
Throughout the journey, you'll stay in a mix of handpicked ger camps and local homestays. Gers (traditional felt-lined yurts) are equipped with beds, linens, a stove, table and chairs. Many camps have electricity, flush toilets, and shower facilities (though some eco-camps may not). Homestays offer a more rustic experience, with simple washing facilities (a bowl of hot water or the river) and long-drop compost toilets.
N.B Single occupancy rooms (at an additional cost) are only available on nights 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 14. Due to the nature of the accommodation at the homesteads and festival camp, we will be sharing, as the locals do at their camps.
Food & Drink
At ger camps, meals feature a mix of Mongolian and Western cuisine. Breakfasts tend to be Western-style, while dinners often showcase local dishes. During homestays, expect traditional Mongolian home cooking made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. While ingredients are simple and based on availability, meals are hearty, flavourful, and a key part of the experience. All dietary requirements can be catered for.
All food is included in the price with the exception of Day 1 - arrival in Ulaanbaatar.
The price of the adventure is £5,950 for an early-bird booking until the end of July 2025, after which the full price reverts to £6,250.
See further detailed travel advice for travelling to Mongolia HERE.
