Naadam Festival in Mongolia

Mongol nomads who are sparsely distributed throughout the vast territory of the country would gather together to celebrate the Naadam Festival once every year in July.  The official Naadam celebration annually takes place on the 11th and 12th of July at the capital. All provinces and towns celebrate their festivals respectively on their own dates in July.  It is a festival that puts competitors’ bravery, speed, and skills to the test. The word Naadam literally means ‘’Games’’. The festival is also locally termed "Eriin Gurvan Naadam" - meaning "The Three Manly Games". The games are Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery. Women have started participating in archery and girls in horse-racing games, but only men compete in Mongolian wrestling. 

In 2010, Naadam was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Naadam is an annual festival celebrated by Mongolians since the time of the Hunnu. The core of the festival – three manly sports – embrace and include elements of arts such as music and dancing. Nomadic Mongolians have known when to throw parties. Naadam Festival is held in the most enjoyable month of the most pleasant season in the country. Therefore, everyone takes the opportunity and enjoys the festivities according to regional diverse schedules by travelling to the countryside to camp or gather at their relatives. Everyone looks forward so much to the Naadam Festival that after it ends, Naadamers complain that the next Naadam is too long to wait. Don’t be one of those whining about the next Naadam being too far away!

If you would like to experience the Naadam Festival which is the only one of its kind in the world, please see our 2-day Naadam Festival Tour and the list of available cycling trips for the Naadam Festival extension by clicking here.