The Singing Dune, the Aktau cretaceous mountains, and the Katutau lava mountains are rare natural phenomena in the Altyn-Emel National Park. The huge sand dunes of Aigaikum and the grandiose massifs of volcanic and sedimentary rocks of Katutau and Aktau are the consequences of violent geological processes in the Ili valley.
We offer you an exciting 3-day camping tour with an overnight stay in a comfortable motorhome at the foot of the Aktau mountains and a second overnight stay in any other place in the park or in the Caravansarai campsite in the village of Basshi. The fantastic Martian beauty of the Aktau mountains leaves no one indifferent. Here you definitely need to meet sunset and dawn and take impressive photographs of the bizarre multi-colored canyons and landscapes of alien beauty.
Tour Programme
Day 1:
Transfer from Almaty to Basshi village - about 250 km (Almaty-Basshi road takes about 4 hours, excluding stops). The road passes through the city of Kapchagai (now Konaev), the Ili river in its widest place, where it flows from the Kapchagai reservoir, the village of Saryozek, the picturesque passes of Arkharly and Altyn-Emel.
Transfer by campervan to the Aktau mountains - about 70 km from the village of Basshi. The road passes through the steppe, via the villages of Nurym and Aktobe, and the Zhagalbaily post.
Walking along the canyons of the Aktau mountains, photo shooting, bonfire.
Spending the night at the foot of the mountains in a campervan.
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Read more:
Day 1:
Transfer from Almaty to Basshi village - about 250 km (Almaty-Basshi road takes about 4 hours, excluding stops). The road passes through the city of Kapchagai (now Konaev), the Ili river in its widest place, where it flows from the Kapchagai reservoir, the village of Saryozek, the picturesque passes of Arkharly and Altyn-Emel.
Transfer by campervan to the Aktau mountains - about 70 km from the village of Basshi. The road passes through the steppe, via the villages of Nurym and Aktobe, and the Zhagalbaily post.
Walking along the canyons of the Aktau mountains, photo shooting, bonfire.
Spending the night at the foot of the mountains in a campervan.
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Day 2:
Transfer to the Katutau mountains - about 25 km from the Aktau mountains.
Walking around the lava gorge of Katutau, photo shooting.
Transfer to the 700-year-old willow in the Kosbastau oasis with a warm radon source - about 20 km from the Katutau mountains.
Walking, photo shooting.
Transfer to the Singing Dune - about 110 km from the Aktau mountains. The road passes through the steppe, surrounded by the Dzhungarian mountains, the mountains of Katutau and Kalkans, via the Shygan and Mynbulak posts.
Climbing the sand dune, photo shooting.
Stopping at Chokan Valikhanov's spring, "Dinosaur Trail".
Visiting the Oshaktas steles.
Overnight in a campervan in the park or in a guest house in the Basshi village.
Day 3:
Return to Almaty.
Places of Interest:
The Singing Dune and the Aktau cretaceous mountains are the main tourist sites in the Altyn-Emel National Park. The camping tour program includes visits to other natural places (Katutau lava mountains, 700-year-old willow), as well as historical sites (Oshaktas stone steles and Shokan Valikhanov's spring).
The Singing Dune, or Aigaikum ("singing sands") is the main attraction of the Altyn-Emel National Park.
Monument of nature of republican significance. It is considered one of the 7 natural wonders of Kazakhstan and entered the list of nominees for the world competition "7 new wonders of nature", held in 2007-2011.
The cretaceous mountains of Aktau ("white mountains") are one of the main attractions of Altyn-Emel.
This is a unique natural open-air geological museum about 400 million years old, thick sedimentary deposits of an ancient ocean in the form of banded rocks of various colors: green, red, blue and white.
The volcanic mountains of Katutau ("severe mountains", "frozen mountains") are the most extensive and highest desert mountains of Altyn-Emel.
There is a large extinct volcano here. The products of its powerful eruptions occupied a large area and subsequently eroded, taking on bizarre shapes. You can still see the remains of the frozen lava here.
The sacred 700-year-old willow, 20 meters high and 15 meters girth of the trunk, is the main attraction of the Kosbastau post, a green oasis in the middle of the Altyn-Emel desert.
The longevity of the willow and other old-timers is explained by warm underground springs with healing radon water, which, according to medical indicators, is in no way inferior to the famous Saryagash water in the south of Kazakhstan.
The Oshaktas steles ("stone hearth") is a cultural and historical monument of the era of Genghis Khan (13th century), according to the official version.
It is believed that the steles were installed by Mongol warriors, for a cauldron or for a signal fire. However, they are more similar to the menhirs of the Saka era (I millennium BC), since there are similar structures in the western part of Altyn-Emel, near the Saka necropolis of Besshatyr.
The spring of Chokan Valikhanov, not far from the Singing Dune, is one of the historical places of Altyn-Emel.
Here in 1856, the famous Kashgar expedition headed by Chokan Valikhanov, the great Kazakh scientist, educator and traveler, stopped to rest.
Since then, the spring has been revered as sacred by the local people.
Notes:
The routes of the Altyn-Emel Park are long, and the roads are unpaved, a part of the Saryozek-Basshi road is under reconstruction, so it takes more time to travel than you can expect.
The trip to the Altyn-Emel National Park is long (about 8 hours only on the road from Almaty to the village of Basshi and back, apart from the transfer within the park).
The 3-day camping tour provides tourists with more opportunities for walking and outdoor recreation. Also, this tour is considered the best for visiting the Aktau mountains, as it is possible to spend the night in this beautiful and secluded natural place in a comfortable campervan.
Prices
Prices are valid for 2023.
The cost of a 3-day camping tour to the Aktau mountains and the Singing Dune is shown for a 6-seater car (from Almaty to Basshi) and for a campervan sleeping 4 (in the Altyn-Emel Park).
The price includes:
- Transfer from Almaty to Basshi village and back
- Transfer in a campervan within the park
- Driver's service
- Park fees
- Accomodation in a campervan (2 nights, 4 people)
Meals are not included in the tour (you bring your own food and drinks). The campervan is supplied with water and equipped with a kitchen and all the necessary utensils, where you can cook any meal at any time.
Learn more:
You can order national meals in Basshi. Also, at the Caravansarai campsite, you can cook any meal at any time (the campsite is equipped with kitchens with all the equipment, there is a summer kitchen, outdoor grill). To do this, you need to bring food and drinks with you. There is a small shop on the campsite where you can buy basic foodstuff but it is better to buy food in Almaty.
In the city of Kapchagai (now Konaev) there is a cafe of national and European cuisine on the way.
Helpful Information
- Passport
- Small handy backpack for personal items
- Personal hygiene items: a toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel, etc. if you plan to stay overnight in a hotel or a campsite
- Antibacterial wet wipes
- Paper tissues and toilet paper (plain, white, non-perfumed brands)
- Sunscreen cream
- Cream or spray against blood-sucking insects
- Smartphone / camera + chargers
- Swimsuit / swimming trunks if you go to the Kosbastau post with a warm radon spring
- Personal medikit
- Drinking water (in the hot arid climate of the Altyn-Emel Park, you may need a lot of drinking water)
Wear comfortable nonstainable outdoor clothing: pants, a T-shirt, (long-sleeved shirt), a sweatshirt and a raingear. Summer outfit should be suitable for a very sunny, hot, as well as windy and dusty weather.
A headdress that protects from the sun and wind is a must.
Shoes should be lightweight, with good grip soles designed for hiking. Don't wear slippers.
Bring a set of clothes for the evening and flip-flops if you plan to stay overnight at a hotel or campsite (remember that nights can be cold).
For the cold season, you will need warm hiking clothes and shoes, as well as thermal underwear.
The distances in the Altyn-Emel Park are large, so clothes, shoes and headgear should be as comfortable as possible for long hikes.
Be careful in the mountains and near the cliffs. Keep to the elaborate tourist routes. Remember that the rocks in the Aktau and Katutau mountains are very fragile.
Wear a sun hat and drink enough clean water to prevent dehydration in the desert climate.
Use an anti-tick spray on all clothing during the active period (May-June). Take care also of mosquito and midge repellents.
Do not touch animals, lizards and rodents, which can be infection carriers.
With normal wildlife safety and hygiene practices, you will enjoy your vacation and your exciting journey through the national park.
Tourism in the Altyn-Emel National Park is pro-environmental.
Garbage. Wherever you are, do not leave garbage (including organic) behind you, such as plastic, glass, metal, food waste, cigarette butts, napkins, tampons, pads, etc. Pack the garbage carefully in bags and take them out to specially designated places. Bring drawstring trash bags. Do not burn any kind of garbage.
Toilet. If you are away from a toilet, find a spot that is away from paths and water sources, and be sure that human feces do not contaminate water. In a hot desert, human waste does not biodegrade easily because there is little organic soil to help break it down. Do not bury them, but lightly cover them with soil so that the heat of the sun and light can speed up the decay process. Used toilet paper should also be sprinkled with soil. Use only plain, white, non-perfumed brands.
Biodegradable detergents. If you are camping outdoors, use biodegradable soap and dishwashing liquid. Do not allow detergents to enter water sources, collect water into a container and use it as far as possible from the water source.
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