Kazakhstan. Kurgans of nomads, singing dunes and stunning views of the Ustyurt plateau

Price

€1600

Days

Tour description

We set off to explore the incredible landscapes of wild Kazakhstan. Contrast - walks through the main modern cities of the country.

Explore the rock paintings of people who lived four thousand years before us in Tamgaly
Walk in the footsteps of Genghis Khan in Altyn-Emel National Park
Enjoy an unforgettable sunrise at the Tuzbair Salt Lake
Plunge into the cool waters of the Caspian Sea in Aktau
Descend from the tops of the singing dunes 150 meters high
Explore ancient settlements and fortress ruins on the Ustyurt plateau

Tour departures

09 September 2025 - 19 September 2025

€1600

Book

The price of the tour includes

One domestic flights
All transportation
Accommodation during the entire trip
Tents and sleeping bags
Breakfast in hotels
All food during our stay on the Ustyurt plateau
Local guides in national parks and on the Ustyurt plateau
Professional guiding services.

What is NOT included

Flight to Almaty and back home. (Let us know if you need help finding the best deals)
Flight from Aktau to Almaty
Insurance (mandatory)
Food.

Tour map

Tour itinerary

Day 1

Almaty, Green bazaar, Medeo, TV tower, Kok Tobe mountain

We arrive in Almaty and check into a hotel. Let`s begin our small group trip to Kazakhstan in Medeo - the world's largest alpine complex for winter sports 1691 meters above sea level. We will reach the top of the mountain by the cable car and enjoy lunch in the restaurant 3200 meters above sea level. Slowly, admiring the views, we walk down for about 3 hours.

Next - the vibrant Green Bazaar, where locals have been buying food since 1868. We observe the life of the Kazakhs, talk to friendly vendors who praise their goods. Pay attention to traditional horse sausage qazi. Locals still preserve horse meat for the winter, like their ancestors used to do. Those who wish can also try camel meat, camel milk and kumis.

On the cable car we go up the Kok Tobe mountain. The 372-meter Almaty TV tower, knows as the symbol of the city, is located here. And how about those views? Private houses with gardens float under our feet, new districts with high-rise buildings are seen in the distance, and finally, we see the snow-capped peaks of the Tien Shan mountains!

Day 2

Big Almaty Lake

In the morning we leave the city (one hour ride) to start our hike to the Big Almaty Lake. Today we will walk about 20 kilometers with mini backpacks and a small supply of food for the day. We walk along the Chukur gorge to the Moon meadow for 3-4 hours, admiring the views of the slopes. Most likely, we will be the only travelers on this route. But we will almost certainly see the tracks of hares, foxes, mountain goats and even wolves!

We reach the lake at an altitude of 2510 meters above sea level. Dark mountains surround the blue water surface, and just beyond them lies the border with Kyrgyzstan. After lunch and some rest we walk back for about 4 hours.

Day 3

City of Nomads, Tamgaly-Tas rock paintings, Singing dune

Our guided tour to Kazakhstan takes us to the City of Nomads (an hour and a half on the way). It is hard to believe that this medieval fortress in the desert is a props created in 2004 for the filming of the "Nomad" movie. By the way, you must watch the film before your trip to Kazakhstan!

We admire the blue waters of the Kapshagay hydroelectric power station, then for another 40 minutes we drive to Tamgaly-Tas to see more than a thousand ancient rock paintings. It is amazing that people who lived long before us left behind these images of Buddha and other saints...

We are heading to the village of Basshi (2 hours on the way) near the Altyn-Emel National Park, where we will continue our group tour to Kazakhstan. After lunch and rest, we set off to see off the sun in the sands of the Singing Dune. We climb to the top, slide down, walk to the holy water spring and the stone of Genghis Khan.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is of an easy level of physical activity, it is suitable for people in average health condition. We will take three short domestic flights and several short (up to three hours) journeys in rented jeeps. We will walk in cities and national parks, as well as take several easy hikes. The longest one will be for 20 kilometers. Accommodation in double/twin rooms in 4-5 star hotels. We will spend two days on the plateau without mobile coverage and Internet. We will spend two nights in tents.