Sacred Altai: A Landscape Shamanism Journey in Mongolia
A two-week shamanic expedition with Sky Otter and Mongolian elders into sacred mountains and valleys
June 19 – July 2, 2026 • $3,750 USD • Small group
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Travel not as a tourist, but as a welcomed guest in a land where ceremony and conservation are one.
What This Journey Is
What This Journey Is
Photo by Kiliii Yuyan & National Geographic
Why Mongolia
Why Mongolia
Mongolia is one of the few places on Earth where national conservation is explicitly rooted in Indigenous spirituality. Sacred mountains, rivers, and valleys are treated as living relatives. Ceremonies are not a side note – they are part of how people care for the land.
This journey is a small-group pilgrimage into that world. We’ll spend time with Mongolian elders, shamans, and herders in the Altai region, listening for how their ceremonies, stories, and everyday lives weave human, nature, and spirit together.
What we mean by “landscape shamanism”
What we mean by “landscape shamanism”
On this expedition, “landscape shamanism” does not mean performances on demand. It means:
• Relating to mountains, rivers, and weather as active, intelligent presences
• Practicing simple, grounded rituals that deepen relationship with place
• Letting the land – not just the schedule – shape the real experience
• Honoring Mongolian cosmologies without trying to copy or extract them
Sky Otter will offer earth-honoring practices—drumming, song, silence, and council—while our Mongolian hosts share their own ways when and how it is appropriate.
Traveling in right relationship
Traveling in right relationship
We keep the group small so we can move lightly on the land and fit the communities we visit. We travel as students and allies, not as consumers. The intention is reciprocity: that this journey nourishes you and contributes to the people and places that welcome us.
Trip Highlights
Trip Highlights
Altai foothills & sacred valleys
Altai foothills & sacred valleys
Travel through the highland meadows and ridges of western Mongolia, with sweeping views of the Altai Mountains and their glaciated summits.
Ancient story-rich petroglyphs
Ancient story-rich petroglyphs
Walk among petroglyph fields that depict ibex, hunters, birds, suns, moons, and millennia of relationship between people, animals, and sky.
Ceremony on the land
Ceremony on the land
Take part, as invited, in sunrise and sunset circles, offerings at sacred sites, fire & water ceremonies, night drums beneath the vast Eternal Blue Sky.
Living culture & festivals
Living culture & festivals
Sleep in gers and simple camps, drink milk tea, meet herding families whose lives are woven directly with the land. When timing aligns, join local festivals.
Sample Itinerary (June 19-July 2, 2026)
Sample Itinerary (June 19-July 2, 2026)
Preliminary, subject to change, weather, and local invitation
Phase 1 – Arrival & Ulaanbaatar (Days 1–3)
Phase 1 – Arrival & Ulaanbaatar (Days 1–3)
We arrive in Ulaanbaatar and stay near the airport at Taij Resort Hotel to rest and ground after travel. We gather for a welcoming ceremony and circle of friendship—introductions, intentions, and an overview of the journey.
We visit key shamanic sites in and around the capital, such as a shamanism center and the Heavenly Table Temple, to receive a first taste of contemporary Mongolian spiritual life and history.
Phase 2 – Rivers, countryside, water ceremony (Days 4–5)
Phase 2 – Rivers, countryside, water ceremony (Days 4–5)
Leaving the city, we drive into the countryside toward Bayan Chandman district. We meet local hosts, walk the surrounding landscape, and begin learning how everyday nomadic life expresses a living relationship with sky and land.
Further on, we reach the Yeroo River area. Here we hold a water ceremony on the riverbank, with the option for gentle kayaking, followed by a bonfire under the stars. Nights are spent in simple guesthouses or gers.
Phase 3 – Westward to the Altai: Darvi, Delger Valley & sacred sites (Days 6–10)
Phase 3 – Westward to the Altai: Darvi, Delger Valley & sacred sites (Days 6–10)
We fly west to Khovd and drive to Darvi and the Delger Valley, an area known for its mineral springs and 108 sacred waters. We visit waterfalls such as Mandaltin Borgio and spend time on the land, listening, walking, and resting.
Depending on timing, we may be guests at the Festival of First Mare’s Milk and a Beaconing of Good Fortune ceremony—community celebrations that honor animals, ancestors, and the spirits of place.
We travel deeper into the Altai foothills to visit petroglyph fields around Bayan-Undur and nearby sacred sites and shrines. Simple camping or ger stays for several nights bring us close to the land and night sky.
Phase 4 – Integration & return to Ulaanbaatar (Days 11–14)
Phase 4 – Integration & return to Ulaanbaatar (Days 11–14)
We complete our time in the Altai with a closing ceremony, offering gratitude to mountains, waters, animals, and hosts. Then we return by road to Khovd and fly back to Ulaanbaatar.
Our final days include space for integration, optional museum or cultural visits, and a closing circle. On July 2 we depart Mongolia, carrying the journey home.
Is this the right journey for you?
Is this the right journey for you?
This journey is likely for you if…
This journey is likely for you if…
Wild places reliably open your heart and imagination
You’re curious about Indigenous worldviews and willing to listen more than you speak
You’re comfortable with simple, shared living (gers, rustic camps, limited connectivity)
Ceremony, inner work, and service to the Earth matter to you as much as sights and photos
This journey may not be a fit if…
This journey may not be a fit if…
You’re primarily seeking luxury accommodations and a rigid, predictable schedule
You want dramatic “shamanic experiences” on demand or guaranteed personal healings
You’re uncomfortable adjusting plans based on weather, land conditions, or community needs
You prefer to stay in the role of consumer rather than participant
Practicals: Dates, Cost, What’s Included
Practicals: Dates, Cost, What’s Included
Dates: June 19 – July 2, 2026 (Arrive in Ulaanbaatar on June 19; depart on July 2.)
Group size
Price is based on about 10 travelers plus Sky Otter, with a maximum of roughly 12 participants to keep the group intimate and manageable on the land.
Investment
$3,750 USD per person
Included
All in-country ground transportation during the trip
One internal round-trip flight between Ulaanbaatar and western Mongolia (Khovd region)
Lodging in shared gers, simple guesthouses, and hotels (3–4 nights of camping or very simple conditions)
Most meals during the expedition
Scheduled ceremonies, circles, and guided practices with Sky Otter
Local guides, translators, and organizational support from Mongolian partners
Entrance fees to protected areas and cultural sites on the itinerary
Not included
International airfare to and from Ulaanbaatar
Travel insurance (required)
Visa fees, if applicable
Some meals in the city, personal snacks, and drinks
Tips for local guides and drivers
Personal purchases and optional activities outside the main itinerary
Deposits & payment timeline
$500 USD refundable deposit holds your place until January 1, 2026
On January 1, 2026, deposits become non-refundable, as on-the-ground expenses begin
The remaining balance is due May 1, 2026
If the trip is cancelled for unforeseen reasons, all deposits and payments will be refunded
Next Step: Request More Information
This is a small, intimate journey. To help us steward the group well, both for you, for our Mongolian hosts, and for the land, we ask everyone to complete a short interest form. Even if you can't make it or it's not for you, we appreciate your feedback.
If you feel called:
Click the button below to fill out the interest form.
If you select the option and want to be contacted, we’ll follow up.
If it feels like a mutual fit, you’ll receive details about deposits, travel logistics, and how to prepare spiritually and practically.
Questions? Fill Out The Form Below
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