Tour from China (Khorgos) to the Singing Dune in the Altyn-Emel Nature Reserve
Trip to the Singing Dune in the Altyn-Emel Nature Reserve. We invite you on a tour from China to Kazakhstan for travelers from China (Chinese citizens) and travelers transiting from China to Kazakhstan.
The Singing Dune, or Akkum Kalkan, is a 160-meter-high and 3-kilometer-long sand dune located in the Altyn-Emel Nature Reserve, 183 kilometers from Almaty in the Almaty Region.
This very popular sand dune is famous for the sound it makes when a strong wind blows. The sand here is blown by the wind from the nearby Ili River.
This magical and unusual place has many theories and legends about the origin of the sound, from the most fantastical to the official ones. The sound can range from very faint to a very loud organ-like sound.
We invite you to experience this sound yourself, visit this place, and at the same time see the Altyn-Emel Nature Reserve. Along the way, we'll also see the sights of the Almaty region and take a trip around the area.
- Distance of the route:
636 km
- Season time:
May – September all season
- Best time:
July - September
- Group size:
not more 12 person
- Days & nights:
3 days - 2 nights
Tour itinerary:
Khorgos checkpoint – Zharkent city – Koktal village – Konyrolen village – Basshi village (145 km).
We meet at the Kazakh-Chinese border at the Khorgos checkpoint. We complete customs and border formalities and drive to Zharkent, which is 32 kilometers from the border. Upon reaching Zharkent, we will visit a wooden mosque, built without a single nail and donated by Uyghurs, designed by the Chinese master Hong Pik.
Legend has it that the Chinese architect designed and built a beautiful structure in his homeland. But envious people began to fear that the master would create something else. To prevent him from designing or building anything else, they decided to kill Hon Pik. After learning of the assassination attempt, Hon Pik's natural inclination was to leave the country.
Hon Pik thus ended up in Zharkent and met Vali Akhun Yuldashev, who was searching for an architect. Later, upon returning to Beijing, he was executed. After visiting the mosque, we'll visit the Orthodox church and temple in Zharkent. After lunch at a café, we'll head to the village of Basshi. We'll reach the village after 113 kilometers. We'll check into a hotel, stroll around the village, have dinner, and rest.
Altyn-Emel National Park (201 km).
After breakfast, we'll head to Altyn-Emel, a state national nature park. Its protected area covers 520,000 hectares, encompassing mountain, sandy desert, and rubble-clay desert landscapes.
The most famous sites in the national park include the Singing Dune, a dune one and a half kilometers long and up to one hundred and thirty meters high; the Aktau (White Mountains), clay mountains cut by canyons; and the Katu-Tau, mountains formed by volcanic rock. Our first stop will be the Katu-Tau rock massif.
After 55 kilometers, we'll reach the site and stroll through the nearby rocky terrain. Next, we'll head to the Aktau (White Mountains). Upon arrival, we stroll through the surrounding area, take photos, and have lunch. After lunch, we head to the Singing Dune, stopping en route at the Mynbulak cordon, where we'll visit a pond home to several species of fish.
We stroll and take photos against the backdrop of ancient willows by the pond. Upon reaching the Singing Dune, we stroll through the surrounding area, then climb up the dune itself and take photos. Descending from the dune, we return to the village of Basshi, passing the Mynbulak and Zhantogai tracts. After 45 kilometers, we have dinner and rest at the hotel.
Basshi Village – Besshatyr Mounds – Terekty Gorge – Almaty City (290 km).
After breakfast, we leave Basshi Village. Our route leads to the ancient Besshatyr burial mounds. Once there, we climb the main mound, Besshatyr, which offers a picturesque view of the Ili River and a row of mounds stretching toward the river. We explore and take photos.
After descending the mound, we drive to Terekty Gorge, home to the Tanbalytas petroglyphs. Upon reaching the gorge, we stroll around and examine the rock carvings, which depict wild animals and the process of hunting. After visiting Terekty Gorge, we drive to Almaty. The journey to the city is 154 kilometers.
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