Altyn Emel day tour
- Start/finish: Almaty city
- Distance: 750+ km to and from
Duration: 14-17 hours
Start time: 05-00
- Doability: year round
- Languages: English and more
- Activities: Sightseeing | Walking | Hiking
Itinerary
| 1 DAY | |
|
04-50 |
Meet and greet |
|
05-00 |
Driving to Basshi village |
|
08-50 |
Arrival to Basshi village |
|
09-00 |
Driving to mountains |
|
10-30 |
Aqtau/Qatutau tour |
|
11-30 |
Driving to Basshi village |
|
13-00 |
Arrival to Basshi village |
|
13-10 |
Lunch |
|
14-30 |
Driving to dunes |
|
15-30 |
Singing dunes tour |
|
16-30 |
Driving to Basshi village |
|
17-30 |
Arrival to Basshi village |
|
17-40 |
Driving to Almaty |
|
21-30 |
Drop-off |
Included:
- vehicle
-
guide
-
tickets
-
shuttle service by off-road vehicle from Basshi village to Aqtau/Qatutau and Dunes
-
water
Excluded:
- lunch and dinner
-
personal expenses
Notes:
- tour is subject to change
- weather must be taken into account
- Altyn Emel National Park consists of 2 parts: Aqtau/Qatutau mountains and Singing Dunes
- entrance to the national park is thru Basshi village which is 250+ km away from Almaty city center
- there will be a stopover to see Qapshagai water reservoir
- Aqtau/Qatutau mountains are 85+ km away from Basshi village
- Aqtau mountains are made of chalk
- Qatutau mountains are of volcanic origin
- road from the village to the mountains is bumpy and requires off-road driving (subject to motion sickness): its condition depends on weather and can be dry, dusty, muddy, icy, snowy, etc.
- local shuttle service operates along this road using off-road vehicles (old Soviet-Russian Uazik, old Mitsubishi Delica or similar): usually they are dirty and have problems with AC/heater
- there will be a stopover to see 700+ years old tree
- Singing Dunes are 40+ km away from Basshi village
- according to a local legend, the dunes make a noise, i.e. sing, when it is windy
- road from the village to the dunes is bumpy and requires off-road driving (subject to motion sickness): its condition depends on weather and can be dry, dusty, muddy, icy, snowy, etc.
- local shuttle service operates along this road using off-road vehicles (old Soviet-Russian Uazik, old Mitsubishi Delica or similar): usually they are dirty and have problems with AC/heater
- there is no guarantee that the vehicle will not break down
- provincial infrastructure is less developed compared to the city
- do not expect mobile internet, Wi-Fi, F&B in the province to be as good as in city
- exploring natural sites carries a risk of insect bites
- halal, vegetarian food is available
Basshi village:
- Basshi village is not much touristy
- there are no cafes that serve meals a la carte
- instead guest houses serve meals upon request
- lunch is approx 5-10 USD per person, dinner is approx 10-15 USD per person
What to bring:
- ID/passport
- rain ponchos or waterproof clothing if rain is expected
- suitable clothes and shoes
- cash (notes and coins)
- personal medical supplies
Remarks:
- USD KZT exchange rate is volatile
- do not bring local currency from home country: carry USD or EUR instead
This tour can be served as a Jeep tour. Jeep goes up to Aqtau/Qatutau and Singing Dunes directly without any shuttle service.
Standard tour
Price per person (based on 10 people group size)
from 100 usd
Different group sizes
Price per person depends on the size of the group: for example, different rates are applied for 2, 4, 5, 7, 20 people and so on
from N usd
