Desert tour of Mangyshlak
Photo tour of Mangistau –
Jeep tours on the Ustyurt plateau –
A tour of Mangistau (Mangyshlak), a peninsula, a desert, boundless sing washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea, includes 8 days of travel in comfortable jeeps. There is incredible nature here, it is especially beautiful here in spring and early summer, the area is filled with colors. Our journey through Mangyshlak begins in the city of Aktau, which is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Further, according to the program, we will have an excursion in the city of Fort Shevchenko, from the city we will go to the Zhygylgan tract, the Sultan-Epe canyon, along the famous Ustyurt plateau. Next, we will visit such natural and architectural sights as: the Shakpk-ata underground mosque, and the Torysh tract, where we will see stone balls, or stone pearls of Mangistau. Further along the way we will visit Sherkala mountain, Kokal valley (tract), Airakty mountains and tract, Karatau mountains, Bokty mountain, Shopan-ata underground mosque, Boszhira valley (tract), Zhanaozen city, etc.
The route of the tour through the deserts of Mangyshlak:
Almaty - Aktau - Fort Shevchenko city - Tubezhik necropolis - Zhygylgan tract - Karagashty aulie and Ushtam necropolises (XVI - IX centuries) - Sultan epe canyon - Shakpak ata mosque - Shakpakatasai chalk canyon - Kapamsay canyon - Torysh tract - Mount Sherkala - the Kokala tract - the Akmyshtau valley - the medieval city of Kyzylkala - the chalk mountains Airakty and Ktayrakty - Akmyshtau - Mount Tomalak - the Eastern Karatau mountains - Zharmysh - Sauskan sands - the Shopan ata mosque - the Ulkenkuduk monument - the Tuesu sands - Mount Bokty - the Boszhira tract - the Akkurpa tract - Baysary tract - Kamysty depression - Zhanaozen city - Aktau
Detailed tour program day by day on the Tupkaragan Peninsula and the Ustyurt Plateau:
- Distance of the route:
1085 km
- Season time:
Summer time
- Best time:
Spring
- Group size:
1-25
- Days & nights:
9 days, 8 nigts
Tour itinerary:
Departure from Almaty. Arrival in the city of Aktau. Meeting at the airport, transfer to the hotel, accommodation. City tour: visiting the city historical museum, the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation parish, visiting the city mosque Beket ata, the monument to Taras Shevchenko on the shore of the Caspian Sea, the city embankment, a walk in the vicinity of Cape Melovy, a walk along the central city square Intymak, a walk in the vicinity of the city pier with panorama of the city, sightseeing tour of the city with a visit to the old part of the city. Lunch at a local restaurant. Dinner, overnight at the hotel.
Breakfast. Transfer: Aktau - the city of Fort Shevchenko (135 km). The purpose of our trip is to visit the museum complex in the city of Fort Shevchenko, the Zhygylgan tract - a grandiose geological failure located on the shores of the Caspian Sea and to examine the fossilized traces of animals of the Neogene period (hoofed and saber-toothed cats, 15 million years ago).
On the way visit the archaeological site Tubezhik.
Walking tour (3 km) with descent and ascent to the Ustyurt plateau (- 100 meters).
Transfer: Zhygylgan tract - Sultan epe canyon (30 km, country road). On the way, visit the ancestral necropolises of Karagashty-aulie and Ushtam (XVI - IX centuries). On the right side of the canyon, at its very beginning, there is the tomb of St. Sultan and an underground mosque. Visiting the underground mosque, walking around. Overnight in
tents.
Breakfast. Transfer: necropolis Sultan epe - underground mosque Shakpak ata (30 km, grader and country road). On the way, visit and view the chalk canyon Kapamsay with the workshops of the Stone Age.
Radial walk to the chalk canyon Kapamsay (6 km). On the way, visit the Shakpak-Ata underground mosque, carved into the rock, here on the walls of the mosque there are unique drawings and epigraphy (X - XIII centuries).
After visiting the underground mosque, transfer: Shakpak ata mosque - Torysh tract (50 km, country road, grader, asphalt). Our path passes through the large chalk canyon Shakpakatasai, which leads to a huge field of spherical nodules - amazing geological formations reaching a diameter of 2.5 m. Walk among the stone balls. Overnight in tents.
Breakfast. Transfer: tract Torysh - Mount Sherkala. Our path runs through bizarrely washed out motley colored clays in the Kokala tract (40 km, country road). Mount Sherkala is a unique natural object, if you look from one side, the mountain resembles a giant yurt. Hiking in the vicinity of the mountain (3 km). Climbing to the top (30 meters ascent with climbing equipment - optional).
Transfer: Mount Sherkala - mountain valley Akmyshtau (20 km, asphalt and country road). On the way visit and inspection of the remains of the medieval city of Kyzylkala (X - XIII centuries) in the Akmysh tract, ancient rock paintings of nomads. Our travels pass through a picturesque area along the chalk mountains of Airakty and Katayrakty. Overnight in tents.
Breakfast. After breakfast, we climb the mountain path to the top of Mount Tomalak, which offers a magnificent, fantastic panorama of the surroundings (4 km). Return to the tract Akmyshtau.
Transfer: Akmyshtau valley - Zharmysh tract (70 km, country road, asphalt). Walk along one of the gorges of the Eastern Karatau ridge. Here, along the bottom of the gorge, a mountain stream flows with cool mountain water (3 km). Overnight in tents.
Breakfast. Transfer: Zharmysh tract - Sauskan sands (80 km, country road, asphalt). Our path runs through the Eastern Karatau ridge. Sands Sauskan - a huge array of swollen dune sands. The dunes are up to 15 meters high.
Walk on the sands. Transfer: sands Sauskan - underground mosque Shopan-Ata (70 km, country road). Near the underground mosque Shopan-Ata (X-XI centuries) there is the tomb of St. Shopan-ata - this place is often visited by pilgrims. Visit to the archaeological site of Ulkenkuduk (mid 2000 BC). Overnight in tents.
Breakfast. Transfer: underground mosque Shopan-Ata - Basjira tract (100 km, country road). Our path passes along the edge of the Tuesu sands, near the most beautiful Tynymbay mountains 227 meters above sea level and Bokty. The Boszhira tract is a picturesque cliff of the Ustyurt plateau, composed of chalk mountains and pointed chalk peaks, their height reaches 280 meters. On the southeast side, a large, dry, salty lake Karashek adjoins the cliff. Here we will see huge spherical formations and petrified marine fauna. Before dinner, we will have time to take a walk along one of the trails to the dominant peak (5 km). From here a majestic and unique panorama of the surroundings opens. Overnight in tents.
Breakfast. Transfer: Baszhira tract - Zhana-Ozen city - Aktau (country road, asphalt). The end of our journey passes along the unique galleries of stone columns of the Akkurpa tract and the unique Baisary tract along the bottom of the ancient Kamysta sea.
Our way to Aktau lies through the third deepest depression in the world - Karagie. Arrival in Aktau. Accommodation in a hotel, overnight.
Transfer to the airport. Departure to Almaty.
1 person - 4096
2 people - 2190
3 people - 1659
4 people - 1613
5 people - 1396
6 people - 1297
7 people - 1278
8 people - 1235
9 people - 1194
10 + 1 - 1212
Supplement for 1-bed accommodation 286.
Supplement for lunches and dinners - 478.
Supplement for dinners - 276.
The cost of the program "Tour of the deserts of Mangyshlak" includes:
All transfers according to the program.
Entrance tickets to museums according to the tour program.
Meeting and seeing off at airports.
Interpreter and guide services.
Excursions according to the program.
Accommodation in hotels (in 2-bed, standard rooms with breakfast).
Entrance and environmental fees.
Permits for special zones.
Accommodation in 2-person tents during the tour.
Guide advice.
Mineral water at the crossings.
The cost of the program “Tour through the deserts of Mangyshlak” does not include:
Nutrition.
Any deviation from the program described above.
Food and drinks not included in the menu according to the program.
Personal expenses of the tourist (excess baggage at the airport, hotel room service, medical insurance, photo and video shooting in museums).
Air tickets.
Tipping, additional excursions not included in the tour program.
Personal expenses, laundry, telephone, e-mail.
Alcoholic drinks.
Mini-bar and other services in hotel rooms.
Airfare): Almaty - Aktau - Almaty - $520 (economy class).
1. On our journey we will meet saigas, goitered gazelles (steppe gazelle, Ustyurt mouflon (a kind of mountain sheep), wolf, jackal, foxes, hares, snakes, lizards, various birds of prey.
2. There are very strong winds under the cliffs of the Ustyurt plateau in the Baszhira tract.
Photogallery:
