We invite you to visit the Singing Dune and the multi-colored Aktau mountains in the Altyn-Emel National Park.
You can reach the village of Basshi by your own or rented car. There is no public transport to Basshi. The road from Almaty (Kapchagai highway) to Basshi is paved, you can get there by a regular car. The road from the Charyn Canyon (Zharkent highway) is also suitable for regular cars.
Car rental services:
Singing Dune and Aktau Mountains Tour starts from our Caravansarai campsite where you can stay overnight.
Campsite address: Basshi village, 48 Asembek street (on the street next to the national park office).
Cars: Austrian off-road Pinzgauer cars (seat up from 4 to 9 people), German off-road minibus Mercedes Sprinter (from 10 to 18 people), Japanese off-road bus Mitsubishi Fuso Rosa (from 18 to 28 people).
Road in Altyn-Emel: unpaved, gravelly soil, not hilly and not rocky, but rarely leveled by a grader and is with chatter bumps causing strong vibration.
Distance from Basshi to the Singing Dune: 50 km (about an hour's drive) one way.
Distance from Basshi to the Aktau mountains: 75 km (about 1.5 hours drive) one way.
Total distance: 250 km (after any of the two routes, one must return to the starting point near the village of Basshi).
Tour duration: 8-9 hours. Since the road will take about 5 hours in total, the time spent on the Singing Dune is limited to 1-2 hours, in the Aktau Mountains - up to 2 hours. Climbing the Singing Dune is not difficult. The tourist trail in the Aktau Mountains is a long canyon, along which you will need to return.
Tour time: by arrangement, only during daylight hours (you can stay in the park from 8 am to about 5 pm).
Stops: Shygan and Mynbulak ranger's posts, Singing Dune, Shokan Valikhanov spring, Oshaktas steles, 700-year-old willow, Zhagalbaily ranger's post, Aktau mountains.
Optional: trip to the Katutau mountains (plus 15 km).
Price
Notes:
- Permits to the park are included.
- Trip to the Katutau mountains (15 km, 1.5 hours) - surcharge KZT 15000 per group.
- Prices are shown for Pinzgauer cars. For groups more than 9 tourists, please check bus rental prices.
Car
We do individual and group transfer around the Altyn-Emel park in a rare Austrian 9-seater Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer. It is a unique military off-road vehicle that has been tested in the Andes, Sahara and beyond the Arctic Circle. The legendary Pinzgauer has been produced since 1967 to this day.
Learn more about this iconic car from the interview with one of the creators of the Pinzgauer, Dr. Egon Rudolf.
For groups of 10 people or more, we offer bus tours from the village of Basshi to the Altyn-Emel National Park.
For accommodation and tours in the Altyn-Emel National Park, please feel free to contact us:
Phone: +77089711687
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