Altyn Emel National Park And Charyn Canyon Tour

Route: Almaty region (Kazakhstan)

Season: January - December

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

Day 1. Almaty - Altyn Emel

Departure from Almaty at 07:00 am. Arrive at Altyn Emel National Park at 10:00 am. Sightseeing at Kyzylauyz petroglyphs. Picnic at nature.

Kyzylauyz Petroglyphs are located in the gorge Taigak, where you can find five groups of inscriptions in the Tibetan language, all are of the same content and read as "Om - Mani - Pad - Me - Hum". Also, there are the images of generic characters, pictures of mountain goats and sheep, a view of the collective hunt for goats and deer, images of musical instruments, and a picture of the holiday, with multiple actors.

Sightseeing at Besshatyr burial mounds.

Besshatyr burial mounds - are the main sightseeing of the Altyn Emel National Park. Besshatyr" is translated as "five tents": probably because of the five biggest burial mounds on this territory, part of which has been excavated by the archaeologists in the middle of the past century. Besshatyr necropolis is considered to be the shrine of ancient Saks who lived on the territory of modern Kazakhstan in the 6th century BC. Altogether 18 royal burial mounds, having diameters from 8 to 70 meters and heights from 2 to 20 meters, are concentrated in the territory of 2 sq. km.

Transfer to Altyn Emel hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Altyn Emel.

Day 2. Altyn Emel

Breakfast at 07:30 am. Sightseeing tour to the Singing Dune. Singing Dune, reaching a height of 120 meters and a length of about 3 km, is located in one of the corners of the Altyn-Emel National Park, a few kilometers from the Ili river between the mountains of Big and Small Kalkan. This sandy hill consists of very fine pure sand, which starts to "sing" in windy weather and its sound reminds the organ music.

Before a sandy storm, the dune sounds like a drum. From the top of the Dune, you can observe the grand panorama of the surroundings. In the south - a thin strip of the Ili River is visible as well as the purple mountains of Sogety and Boguty, looking out from the white peaks of the Ketmen ridge. On the west, the horizon is obstructed by the steep slope of the Big Kalkan, and the Small Kalkan – from the east. In the north - the violet-blue ridge of Djungarian Alatau mountains, Chulak mountain, Matai, and Altyn-Emel are visible.

If the weather is dry and windy, the sand-dune will "sing" its song, which could be heard as far as several kilometers...

Return to the hotel and have lunch at 12:00 noon. Sightseeing tour to Katutau and Aktau mountains.

Katutau Mountains (Harsh Mountains) are very ancient ruined mountains with preserved volcanic outputs. The breed is very fragile and breaks down under the physical impact. Water, time, and wind-carved intricate shapes in the rock. Sedimentary rock from the bottom of the ancient Tethys Ocean is preserved there. From the effects of environmental factors, it took the form of intricate figures and landscapes.

Aktau Mountains (White Mountains) are a world-renowned paleontological field. In the layers of Paleogene lacustrine deposits, well-preserved remains of ancient animals whose age is estimated at 25-30 million years have been found. Among the finds, there are the remains of the giant rhinos, crocodiles, and turtles. Huge conical mountains remind the Egyptian pyramids and are a magical scene of a variety of shapes and colors.

Return to Altyn Emel hotel. Dinner and overnight in Altyn Emel.

DAY 3. Altyn Emel - Charyn Canyon - Almaty

Breakfast at 08:00 am. Transfer to Charyn Canyon. Sightseeing in the "Valley of Castles". Sightseeing and picnic.

Charyn Canyon is a natural complex, unique in its kind not only in Kazakhstan but also worldwide. It was formed during Paleogene and reminds the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in North America, although inferior to it in size. The height of the steep slopes of the canyon is up to 150-300 meters.

The extraordinary dissection of the terrain is striking: the numerous ravines form a dense, chaotic network. Wind and water have created the beautiful "Valley of Castles", where you are always surrounded by the fancy towers composed of sedimentary rocks. The length of the valley - is more than 2 km, width - is 20-80 meters. For millions of years, nature has been creating a unique architecture, erecting magnificent castles carefully and slowly.

You can spend hours walking among the strange towers and columns, being surprised by the wild imagination of nature.

Departure to Almaty at 16:00. Arrival in Almaty at 20:00.

PRIVATE TOUR PRICE:

Please Contact.

TOUR PRICE INCLUSIONS:

1. Double accommodation in the hotel of Altyn Emel National Park
2. Transportation according to the program in a comfortable minivan
3. Sightseeing according to the program with English speaking guide
4. All environmental and admission fees during the tour
5. Meals: Lunch and dinner on Day 1; breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Day 2; breakfast and lunch on Day 3
6. Potable water 1L per person per day

TOUR PRICE EXCLUSIONS:

1. Accommodation in Almaty, if required
2. Meals not indicated in the program and/or not included in the tour price
3. Single accommodation supplement
4. Visa support and registration on the territory of Kazakhstan, if required
5. Personal expenses and other expenses not indicated in the program