Baikonur Cosmodrome Tour: Discover Space Tourism in Kazakhstan
A tour from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, via the city of Baikonur, includes a visit to the Baikonur Cosmodrome (space port) and a chance to witness the launch of a spacecraft to the ISS (International Space Station). The program also includes a pre-flight press conference for the cosmonauts.
Baikonur is a cosmodrome located in the Karmakshy District of the Kyzylorda Region. It was founded in 1955. When choosing a location for the Baikonur Cosmodrome, considerations include its distance from populated areas, proximity to the equator, rocket launch safety, the availability of suitable landing sites for returning spacecraft, and more.
Baikonur's primary and auxiliary facilities are spread across a vast territory, interconnected by roads and railways. The main facilities at Baikonur include technical sites, launch complexes, and measuring stations along the runway (each of which is a large structure with general mechanical and specialized technological equipment).
- Distance of the route:
1735 km
- Season time:
April - October
- Best time:
May - September
- Group size:
from 1 up to 25 person
- Days & nights:
8 days - 7 nights
Tour itinerary:
[spoiler=1 day. Familiarization with the city of Almaty.
Upon arrival in Almaty, we meet at the airport, followed by a transfer to the Kazzhol hotel, check in and relax. Immediately after breakfast we leave for a city tour. First of all, we will stop at the park in honor of the 28 Panfilov brothers, there is also a cathedral in it, there is also a museum of musical instruments next to the park, where we will also look, and then we will go to the National Museum of Kazakhstan.
We will have lunch at the Kazakh Aul restaurant of traditional national cuisine. After lunch, we will visit the Medeo tract, which houses the largest alpine skating rink "Medeo", after the rink we will take the funicular to the ski resort "Cimbulak". After returning to the city, we leave the Almaty-2 railway station by the Otyrar train to the city of Shymkent at 18.04. We have dinner and spend the night on the train.
[/spoiler]
Shymkent – Temirlan village – Ekpindi village – Tortkol village – Shaulder village – Turkestan city (222 km).
We arrive in the city of Shymkent at 8 a.m. and have breakfast in a cafe. After breakfast, we will visit the Independence City Park and then go to the village of Temirlan (48 km), where we will visit the Haji Mukan Museum, where we will be told the story of the first Kazakh wrestler who won the title of world champion in French wrestling, and he also repeatedly won the international heavyweight classic wrestling championships.
Next, from the village of Temirlan, we will go to the village of Elkind (22 km), where we will see the Red Bridge crossing the Bogen River and built in 1886. After the village of Yelkind, our way lies to the village of Schaulder, passing through the village of Tortkol (78 km). When we get to the village of Schaulder, we have lunch at a cafe.
After lunch, we will have an excursion to the Otrar Museum, which houses excavations from the ancient settlement of the same name. After completing the tour, we leave for the Otrar settlement, built in the X - XII century. In the Otrar settlement, in addition to itself, we will visit such archaeological sites as: a medieval bathhouse, a mosque, a residential quarter, as well as a fortress wall.
From Otrar we will go to Arastanbab Mausoleum. After visiting the mausoleum, we will visit the mosque of the same name. Next, our route will take us to the city of Turkestan (56 km), upon arrival we will check into a hotel, have dinner and relax.
Turkestan city – Sauran settlement – Zhanakorgan settlement – Shieli settlement - Kyzylorda city (312 km).
After breakfast, we will go on an excursion to the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, which was built on the site of his burial. After the tour to the mausoleum, we will visit the gallery of stone statues, then according to the plan we will visit the archaeological museum, and immediately after that we will visit the historical museum "Azaret Sultan".
After visiting the museums, we will go to the gate (Darwaza) (XIX c.), and after visiting the gate, we will stop at several mausoleums: the mausoleum of Yessimkhan (XVI c.), the mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim late (XV c.), the mausoleum of Ahmed Yassawi (XII - XIV c.). After completing the tour of the mausoleums, we we will visit a couple of mosques: the Zhuma mosque (1878) and the Khilovat underground mosque (XII-XV centuries). At the end of the tour, we will visit the oriental baths (XV - XVI centuries). Then we will have lunch at the hotel restaurant.
From the city of Turkestan, we leave for the Sauran settlement and arrive at the place after 51 kilometers. Sauran was an important trade and economic center that controlled the passage between the Karatau ridge and the Syr Darya, where the caravan route ran. This ancient settlement is the place where, for the first time in Kazakhstan, a system of wells with underground channels for irrigation of fields was found.
After visiting the settlement, we head to the village of Zhanakorgan, where we will visit the regional historical museum. The museum's collections contain more than 6,161 exhibits, of which 5,426 are the main collection. There are 736 items on display in the halls of the museum. We will also visit the monument to the fallen of the Second World War. After the guided tours of Zhanakorgan, our route will take us to the ancient settlement of Sygnak (42 km).
The city was first mentioned in the tenth century in the records of an Arab geographer as the city of Oghuz. By the middle of the eleventh century, this city had become the capital of the Kipchaks, and became a major trade and craft center located on the caravan route that ran from the Tien Shan mountains down the Syr Darya and further to the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.
We will explore the remains of mosques, madrassas, as well as mausoleums and residential buildings. From the settlement of Sygnak, we will go to the village of Shieli (21 km) and upon arrival we will visit the regional museum of local lore, as well as the exposition of the famous rice farmer Ibray Zhukhaev. After completing the excursion to Shieli, we leave for the city of Kyzylorda (130 km). When we get there, we check into a hotel, have dinner and relax.
Kyzylorda city – Korkyt Ata Memorial – Baikonur city (234 km).
After breakfast, our day will start with a city tour. We will visit the regional Museum of Local Lore, which was established in 1939. Then we will go to the Korkyt Ata memorial. He is a legendary Turkic songwriter and composer of the ninth century, who came from the steppes located along the Syr Darya River. He was a very multifaceted personality: an akyn, a poet, a storyteller, a composer and a great musician, the creator of kobyz.
After that, we will go to the main square called Tagzym, and then visit the monument dedicated to Gani Muratbayev, a famous public figure, founder of the Komsomol in the Kazakh SSR, which is located on the forecourt. Next, we will go to the architectural monument of national significance – the Aitbaya mosque. Then we will visit the Syr-Ana monument and the embankment of the Syr Darya River and the monument dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, and finish our trip around the city with a sightseeing tour.
After lunch at the Kyz Zhibek restaurant, we will go to the memorial complex dedicated to Korkyt Ata. The road will be 168 km. After the tour of the complex, we drive to the city of Baikonur (66 km). Upon arrival in the city, we check into a hotel, have dinner at a restaurant at the same place and relax.
After breakfast, we will go on a guided tour of the Baikonur cosmodrome. After entering the cosmodrome area, we will see unique structures on both sides. First of all, we will visit site No. 200, where the Proton-K launch complex is located, from which 143 rocket launches were made. The journey to it will take 55 kilometers, for a total of one hour of travel.
After the tour of the launch complex, we follow 29 kilometers to site No. 254, where the Soyuz assembly and testing complex is located. Next, we will visit site No. 112 and the assembly and testing building. We'll have lunch here in the dining room. After lunch, we will move to the first site – Gagarin launch, where we will visit the monument dedicated to the first artificial satellite of the Earth.
After visiting the Gagarin launch, we will go to the cosmodrome Museum, which is located on the second site in a 10-minute drive. It houses many unique exhibits. After visiting the museum, we will explore the small house where Gagarin talked with Korolev the night before the launch. After visiting the memorial house, we return to the city of Baikonur itself, the road will take 40 minutes. We have dinner and relax.
After we have breakfast, we will visit the city museum of the cosmodrome history. Currently, the main expositions of the museum are presented in four halls: the Baikonur Labor Hall of Fame, the hall of the history of the development of rocket and space technology and space exploration, the ethnographic hall, the exhibition hall, and the exhibition gallery.
After completing the tour of the museum, we will visit the monument to the first builders of the city and the cosmodrome itself. Next, we will have a sightseeing tour of the city, where we will visit Cosmonauts Alley.
After the tour, we will visit the complex, which includes many monuments. We will stop at the Syrdarya embankment and the military unit located there. At the end, we will visit the local bazaar. Then we return to the hotel, have dinner and relax.
Baikonur city – Kyzylorda city – Turkestan city (546 km).
After breakfast, we leave Baikonur for Turkestan, passing Kyzylorda on the way. We'll have lunch on the way. Arriving in Turkestan, we check into a hotel, have dinner and relax.
The city of Turkestan – the city of Shymkent – the city of Tashkent (285 km).
We have breakfast and drive to the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. We go through all the formalities, meet with an Uzbek travel agency and go to Tashkent.
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