Altyn-Emel National Park
On this website you will find the most interesting, detailed and up-to-date information about the Altyn-Emel State National Natural Park, as well as new and useful information for tourists and travel companies.
Welcome to Kazakhstan and enjoy your journey through the Altyn-Emel National Park!
The Altyn-Emel National Park is located in the southeast of Kazakhstan, 250 km north of Almaty.
The park office is located in the village of Basshi. This is the main entrance to the park.
News
March 28, 2025
Altyn-Emel ranks 7tn in the Top 10 most incredible national parks outside the U.S., according to T+L's A-List advisors.
- Altyn-Emel National Park has the international status of a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
- Altyn-Emel is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in the nomination "Cold Winter Deserts of Turan".
- It is nominated for the status of a UNESCO Geopark.
The Altyn-Emel National Park is mostly famous for its unique natural sites attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world. These are the Singing Dune and the multicolored Aktau Mountains.
The most ancient historical artifacts in Altyn-Emel dating back to 1 thousand BC are the Besshatyr Mounds and the Tanbaly Tas petroglyphs.
- The Singing Dune is the main attraction and symbol of the Altyn-Emel National Park.
- It is considered one of the 7 natural wonders of Kazakhstan.
- The sand sounds like the roar of a jet plane.
- The huge sand dune never loses its shape.
- The Singing Dune is steeped in legends and has become a source of inspiration for many artists and painters, including the famous writer Paulo Coelho.
Singing Dune >>>
- The Aktau Mountains are one of the main attractions of the Altyn-Emel National Park.
- This is a unique open-air geological "museum" created about 145 million years ago.
- One of the largest locations of flora and fauna of the Cenozoic era has been discovered here.
- The Aktau Mountains are thick sedimentary deposits of a dried-up ancient ocean of the Cretaceous era in the form of banded rocks of various colors.
- The fantastic landscape of the Aktau Mountains is visible from afar.
- The long canyon reveals a new appearance with each turn.
Multicolored Aktau Mountains >>>
- The Katutau Mountains are one of the main attractions of the Altyn-Emel National Park.
- The Katutau Mountains are the largest and highest desert mountains of Altyn-Emel.
- The solidified lava of a large extinct volcano has taken bizarre forms here.
- The Katutau Mountains are home to many rare animals and birds.
Volcanic Katutau Mountains >>>
- The Kosbastau oasis is famous for its long-living trees, one of which has a trunk girth of about 15 meters, is about 700 years old and is revered by locals as sacred.
- Warm radon springs flow near the oasis, which contribute to the longevity of the trees.
700-Year-Old Willow >>>
- The Saka burial mounds of Besshatyr, dating back to the 1st millennium BC, are the main historical and cultural landmark of Altyn-Emel.
- Large, medium and small tombs were erected for the leaders and nobility of the powerful nomadic tribe of the Saka-Tigrakhauda, who lived here about 2.5 thousand years ago.
- The Besshatyr necropolis also served as a place for religious ceremonies.
Besshatyr Mounds >>>
- The Tanbaly Tas petroglyphs are part of one of the world's largest rock art centers, which stretches from the Sayan and Altai mountains to the Tien Shan and Pamir.
- The stone carvings of people, animals, sun-headed deities, etc., as well as Buddhist inscriptions, date back to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and the Middle Ages.
Tanbaly Tas Petroglyphs >>>
The Altyn-Emel National Park is famous for the rich diversity of its ecosystems - mountain, meadow, steppe, desert, floodplain, river systems of the biosphere reserve.
More than 850 species of plants grow here, including rare and endemic ones.
Flora >>>
Altyn-Emel National Park is home to 40 per cent of all Kazakhstani fauna, including rare species listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan and the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Special attention in Altyn-Emel National Park is paid to preserving and increasing the number of kulans, goitered gazelles, argali, Przewalski's horses and snow leopards.
Fauna >>>
The Altyn-Emel National Park is open all year round.
Please check the weather forecast on the Internet in advance and check the roads conditions in the park.
The roads in the park are unpaved and cause vibration; it is recommended to have a reliable SUV or at least a crossover - learn more >>>
You can get to Altyn-Emel only by your own or rented car; there is no public transport to Basshi - learn more >>>
You can buy a pass (permit) to Altyn-Emel at the national park office in the Basshi village - learn more >>>
Available tourist routes: Singing Dune (No.1), Besshatyr Mounds (No.2), Aktau Mountains (No.3) - learn more >>
Self-guided trips to Besshatyr, Singing Dune, Aktau Mountains: recommended travel programs - learn more >>>
Singing Dune and Aktau Mountains audio tours on IZI Travel global platform with unique information about Altyn-Emel - learn more >>>
Individual tours on crossovers or SUVs from Almaty: tour cost calculator - learn more >>>
Caravansarai in Basshi: comfortable guest house, yurts, campers - learn more >>>
