Altyn-Emel National Park

A wilderness national park on the Ili River with a giant "singing" dune, the colorful Aktau Mountains and Saka burial mounds – the classic two-day off-road trip from Almaty.

Altyn-Emel National Park lies in Kazakhstan's Jetisu Region, between the Ili River–Kapchagay Reservoir and the western end of the Dzungarian Alatau. Covering about 4,600 km², it is one of the largest protected areas in Kazakhstan. The park entrance and headquarters are in the village of Basshi, about 250 km from Almaty (a 4–5 hour drive). The sights are spread out across the desert: in the southwest is the Singing Dune, about 120–150 m high and 1.5 km long, which gives off a low rumble when sand slides down it in dry, windy weather; in the east are the Aktau Mountains ("Moon Mountains"), carved by rain into white, red and orange stripes, where ancient marine strata and fossils are exposed; in between are the volcanic Katutau Mountains and the Kosbastau oasis, with hot springs, poplar groves and a "700-year-old willow". Along the Ili River in the south are the Besshatyr burial mounds of the Saka nobility. The park is also home to more than 2,000 kulans (Asiatic wild asses), goitered gazelles and Przewalski's horses.

Getting around: you must buy tickets and get a permit at the headquarters in Basshi (priced by route), and all roads in the park are gravel or dirt, with off-road driving prohibited. Most visitors hire a 4x4 from Almaty or join a two-day tour: on day one, see the Singing Dune and Besshatyr and stay overnight at a guesthouse in Basshi or in a ranger station's guest rooms inside the park; on day two, take the Katutau–Aktau route, more than 100 km of dirt road each way. The best seasons are Apr–Jun and Sep–Oct; in Jul–Aug desert temperatures often exceed 40°C during the day, so climb the dune early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and some routes close in winter. There are almost no supplies or mobile signal in the park, so bring plenty of water, food and sun protection. On the way in or out, you can stop at the Buddhist rock carvings of Tamgaly-Tas by the Kapchagay Reservoir.

Top sights

• Singing Dune – An isolated giant crescent dune in the desert of the Ili Valley, about 150 m high, whose sliding sand gives off a rumbling sound when it is…
• Aktau Mountains – Clay hills striped in white, red and orange, nicknamed the “Moon Mountains.” Ancient marine layers and fossils are visible in the canyons.
• Katutau Mountains – A range of low hills west of Aktau, formed by cooled volcanic lava, with black and red rocks shaped into bizarre pillars and lava-flow patt…
• Besshatyr Burial Mounds – A burial ground of Saka nobles on the Ili River, dating from the 8th to 3rd centuries BC, with 31 huge stone mounds, the tallest about 17 m…
• Oshaktas Stone Stelae – A group of ancient standing stones on the moorland near the Besshatyr burial mounds, said by local legend to be the hearths of ancient noma…
• Kosbastau Oasis & 700-Year-Old Willow – A spring-fed oasis in the desert, with warm radon springs among the poplar groves and a roughly 700-year-old willow. It is a rest and overn…
• Basshi Village – The gateway village to Altyn-Emel, home to the national park administration, a small natural history museum and guesthouses.
• Tamgaly-Tas Petroglyphs – Large Buddha figures and six-syllable mantra carvings in Chinese and Todo Mongolian script on the cliffs of the Ili River, a classic stop o…

Itineraries

• Almaty Southeast Loop: Dunes, Canyons & Alpine Lakes – A classic road trip loop from Almaty to the Singing Dunes, Charyn Canyon, and the Kolsai Lakes.