Tilyek.
About this host
Tilyek runs a small tour company based in Hovd, in Mongolia's Altai region, and guides many of the trips himself. Before starting the company he worked as a range monitoring officer for WWF, and that background still shapes much of what he offers.
His strongest specialty is snow leopard photography and filming around Jargalant Khairkhan mountain near Hovd, where he works with a network of mountain guides to track the animals through the season. He also runs eagle hunting trips with Kazakh families in the Altai, and longer custom itineraries that cover the Gobi desert, the lakes and volcanic landscapes of Central Mongolia, Khuvsgul lake, and treks to the Tsaatan reindeer herders in the north.
Guests consistently mention his flexibility in adapting plans, his deep network of contacts with nomadic and herder families across the country, and his responsiveness when putting an itinerary together.
Trips are built around the traveler's interests rather than a fixed route, with ger camps, tour camps, and stays with herder or eagle hunter families along the way. Tilyek guides personally in the west and arranges drivers and vehicles such as Toyota Land Cruisers and Lexus 4x4s for other regions. He speaks English, Russian and Turkish.
Tilyek did an excellent job of customizing the trip to fit my goals. He has relationships with local folks across Mongolia, so you get an in-depth experience unlike your average predetermined tour. He is also fully fluent in English and has a unique conservation background that I really appreciated learning more about. I highly recommend Tilyek for your trip, and would be happy to share more details if it's helpful to anyone!
Beware of Tilyek. He’s dishonorable and aggressive. On the plus side, he’s very resourceful and was able to find plane tickets to see the eagle festival when no other guide could. We were only able to do our trip because he was creative and resourceful and found a way when no one else could. That said, he was dishonorable and threatened me on the trip. We paid for an all-included trip. After he met us at the airport he passed us off to a different guide, which was fine. However Tilyek did not give that guide enough money for our trip so that guide kept asking us to pay for things we’d already paid for (things that were already included, like meals and entrance fees). He also told me we could only stay in a “very cheap” hotel because Tilyek hadn’t given him enough money to afford more. We paid $4000 for two people for one week in the countryside in Mongolia so it was frustrating that very little of that money actually went to us! So we wound up paying twice for a lot of things, and our guide told me Tilyek would reimburse me at the end. However, at the end, they both told me the other would reimburse me, and I got the runaround. Ultimately I got reimbursed but it was stressful. Also, Tilyek refused to drive us back to our hotel from the airport, even though this was included in the $4000 we paid. When I asked him to honor this, he blamed the IndyGuide website for taking 10%, complained about how little we paid (even though $4000 is a huge amount of money for one week in the countryside in a home stay) and then threatened me (screenshot is attached below). Ultimately, I would not recommend Tilyek to another traveler unless you had no other choice.
We had an incredible experience in Mongolia, and our guide Tilyek made the trip truly unforgettable. From the very beginning, everything was well organized, and we always felt welcomed, supported, and in great hands. What stood out most was his flexibility and ability to adapt plans while ensuring everything ran smoothly. He expertly organized a complex journey across multiple regions of Mongolia, allowing us to experience the country's incredible diversity with ease. He also arranged meaningful cultural experiences that gave us a unique and authentic glimpse of Mongolia and its people. His deep network of connections across the country was remarkable, and it opened doors that would have been impossible to access otherwise. Meeting local families, learning about traditions, and exploring different regions made the trip far more enriching than we could have imagined. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and passion for sharing Mongolia's history, culture, and landscapes made every day feel like a new adventure. Thank you Tilyek for making this journey so special. We highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Mongolia and looking for an authentic, memorable, and well-organized adventure.
Verified on every level
Indy Guide hosts complete our full verification process — from ID checks to a live video interview with our team.
Guest Reviews
Verified reviews from past travellers
Email Verified
Confirmed email address
Passport / ID
Government-issued ID verified by Indy Guide
Phone Number
Mobile number confirmed
Video Interview
Completed live video interview with Indy Guide
Professional Guide Certification
Photo Gallery
