Itinerary

Day 1: Day 1. Almaty - Altyn Emel National Park

Stop At: Tamgaly Tas, Kapchagay, Almaty Region
Having arrived to the meeting point no later than 10 minutes before the tour departure time, you will meet your guide and board a comfortable vehicle to start your trip to Altyn Emel National Park. Before the tour, we provide 1.5L of bottled water and you are welcome to bring your personal snack, tea or coffee in a container with a lid on it.
While driving over an hour on a highway, you will pass by artificial Kapshagai water reservoir, the biggest in Almaty region, with the casinos of "Kazakh Las-Vegas" on its bank. Upon arrival to Tamgaly-Tas, the first destination on the bank of Ili river, you will see images of Buddha and texts in Tibetan, Kalmyk and other languages. On the opposite side of the riveryou will seethe scenery in the style of medieval Kazakhstan that were built for the filming “The Nomad” movie.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Altyn Emel National Park, Almaty Region
Another couple of driving hours and you are atBasshi village, which is located at the territory of the national park. There you will have a lunch before your trip to Singing Dune. The Singing Dune is perfect to admire at sunset when nature is getting calmer and shades are longer. If you are lucky enough, you can hear how the Dune sings, and literally feel the trembling while touching the sand.
After hiking up to the 150-meter dune, you will return to the village for dinner and overnight in one of the villagers' guest houses or cozy local hotel.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
" Lunch
" Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in a guest house or local hotel

Day 2: Altyn Emel National Park - Almaty

Stop At: Aktau Mountains, Almaty Region
After breakfast at 8:00am, you will be driving on unpaved park roads over 80 km (approx. 2 hours) to the Aktau mountains.A walk on Martian landscape requires nothing special from you,except being attentive on a soft sandy surface, carrying some water with you, and adding some fantasy listening to the guide's stories about inhabitants of an ancient ocean.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Katutau Mountain, Almaty Region
After lunch you will continue the tour to the Katutau mountains. These harsh mountains well known by wild shy goats and gazelles living there, as well as for bizarre shaped sandstones, ideal for fun photoset. Having mentally and spiritually recharged by two-days outdoor trip you willdrive back to the original meeting point in Almaty with estimated arrival time around 7:00pm.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
" Breakfast: Breakfast at a guest house or local hotel
" Lunch: Packed lunch (picnic)
No accommodation included on this day.