Four-day tour to Torysh (Valley of Balls), Kokkala, Sherkala, Airakty Shomanai (Valley of Castles), Ethnic village “Kogez”, Karaman-Ata (underground mosque), Ybykty Sai (openwork canyon), Tuzbair (lower panorama)
Four-day tour to Torysh (Valley of Balls), Kokkala, Sherkala, Airakty Shomanai (Valley of Castles), Ethnic village “Kogez”, Karaman-Ata (underground mosque), Ybykty Sai (openwork canyon), Tuzbair (lower panorama)
Day 1: Torysh (Valley of Balls) – Kokkala – Sherkala – Airakty Shomanai (Valley of Castles) – Ethnic village “Kogez”
Torysh (Valley of Balls) – Kokkala – Sherkala – Airakty Shomanai (Valley of Castles) – Ethnic village “Kogez”
After meeting your guide in the hotel lobby, you will set off on the most intense tour of Western Kazakhstan, including the Ustyurt Plateau and the Mangyshlak Peninsula.
Your first stop is Torysh (a tract on the Mangyshlak Peninsula), located 150 km from the city of Aktau. The tract is also known as the “Valley of Balls” due to the spherical concretions deposited on the surface, ranging in diameter from 10-15 cm to 4 meters, which were formed at the bottom of the ancient Tethys Ocean.
After a walk along the Valley of Balls, the route continues to Kokkala – a tract famous for its bizarre erosions of motley and colored clays and a mountain gorge with spring water and looks like a real tunnel to the era of dinosaurs, where you can touch the nature of the Jurassic period.
Next, you head to one of the visiting cards of Mangystau – Mount Sherkala. Its name translates as “Lion Fortress”, and indeed: one side of the mountain resembles a sleeping lion, and the other – an ancient fortress. Its limestone slopes are steep and only towards the top become gentle, forming a giant tent resembling the top of a yurt. There is a popular belief that if you make a wish before going around Sherkala, it will definitely come true.
The next stop is Airakty Shomanai (Valley of Castles). The stone remnants of this area seem to line up in a real fortress wall, for which the valley got its name. Sometimes on the trail you meet steppe horses and mountain sheep – mouflons.
In the evening, you arrive at the ethno-aul “Kogez”, where dinner and overnight stay await you.
Day 2: Karaman-Ata (underground mosque) – Ybykty Sai (openwork canyon) – Tuzbair (lower panorama)
Karaman-Ata (underground mosque) – Ybykty Sai (openwork canyon) – Tuzbair (lower panorama)
This morning after breakfast you will set off on a journey through the mysterious and atmospheric places of Mangystau.
The first stop is Karaman-Ata, one of the oldest necropolises in Mangystau, and its most ancient burials date back to the 8th-9th centuries. The earliest tombstones date back to the 8th century, when the Oghuz and Kipchaks lived here.
The route then takes you to Ybyktysay (Openwork Canyon), where some walls and cornices are covered with a pattern of holes that resemble a honeycomb, a bone under a microscope, or porous chocolate. That is why it is also called the “Porous Ybykty Gorge”. It is believed that this attraction belongs to the Paleogene era, when the Neotethys Ocean existed here, that is, about 60-40 million years ago.
The last stop for today will be the lower panorama of the Tuzbair Salt Marsh. The rocks above the salt marsh are ancient chalk deposits of the ancient Tethys Ocean and reach a height of over 60 meters. The arch on the Tuzbair salt marsh is a natural arch that was formed due to the erosion and collapse of neighboring rocks. By evening, you reach the camp site. Dinner and overnight in tents under the open sky await you.
Day 3: Bozjyra (3 upper panoramas) – Bozzhyra (lower panorama)
Bozjyra (3 upper panoramas) – Bozzhyra (lower panorama)
Today after breakfast you will go to one of the most impressive and recognizable places in Mangystau – Bozjyra.
The first part of the day is dedicated to exploring the three upper panoramic points “Aurora” and “Amphitheater”. From the heights, breathtaking views of the snow-white chalk cliffs open up, reminiscent of the teeth of a fantastic ridge. Millions of years ago, the waves of the ancient Tethys Ocean splashed on the site of the current Bozzhyra tract. Over time, the water retreated, leaving behind chalk and limestone deposits, which today form the impressive canyons and cliffs of this place, two of which are called Fangs.
After lunch, you go down to the lower panorama. Here you can fully experience the scale of the natural amphitheater, surrounded by majestic cliffs.
In the evening, you stop for the night in a tent camp at the foot of Bozjyra.
Day 4: Bozjyra (middle panorama) – Gorge with birds' nests – Mount Bokty – Kyzylkup (Tiramisu) – Tuesu sands (dune dunes) – Aktau
Bozjyra (middle panorama) – Gorge with birds' nests – Mount Bokty – Kyzylkup (Tiramisu) – Tuesu sands (dune dunes) – Aktau
Today you continue your journey through the fascinating landscapes of Mangystau.
The first point of the day is the middle panorama of Bozjyra. From this point, a balanced view of the famous “fangs” opens up.
Then the route goes to the gorge with bird nests, which is a junction of two salt marsh rocks in which steppe birds settle.
The next stop will be Mount Bokty. From one side, the mountain looks like a giant boat with an inverted keel. From the southern side, the mountain looks like a horizontal multi-colored pyramid.
After this, the route goes to the Kyzylkup tract, also called “Tiramisu” because the slopes of the hills and cliffs resemble the famous Italian dessert. Like all the attractions on the route, the tract owes its origin to the ancient Tethys Ocean.
The final point of the route will be a piece of Sahara in Western Kazakhstan in the form of the Tuesu sands. The sand massif stretches from the southeast to the northeast for 30 km.
At the end you return to Aktau, where you will have dinner and return to the hotel.
THE PROGRAM INCLUDES:
◉ Accommodation in prepared SUVs;
◉ Driver-guide;
◉ Accommodation in 2-bed tents;
◉ Entry fee to the territory of the GNPP (State National Nature Park and Reserve);
◉ Camping equipment (sleeping bag, tent, sleeping pad);
!! Tourists actively participate in setting up and dismantling the camp
◉ WATER (for the entire route);
◉ MEALS (Breakfast – in the camp, Lunch – snacks at the locations, Dinner – hot food in the camp).
THE PROGRAM EXCLUDES:
◉ International air tickets;
◉ Transfer on the first day;
◉ Single accommodation (in hotels, motels)
◉ Meals in the city;
◉ Personal expenses.
RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN PLANNING YOUR TRIP:
◉ The temperature in the city and outside it is different, so when going outside you need to wear warm clothes;
◉ In addition to cold weather, the temperature can rise significantly, so we recommend taking hats and sunscreen with you.
IMPORTANT:
◉ Some changes are allowed in the program, with the exception of reducing the number of booked excursions;
◉ If the place of visit is closed to visitors, it will be replaced with an alternative;
◉ In certain places, photography and video shooting may be prohibited.
PAYMENT:
Payment must be made no less than 25 days before the planned date of arrival of the group of tourists, by transferring funds to our bank account according to the invoice
CANCELLATION FEES:
Cancellation prior 30 days – no charges apply
Cancellation prior 20 days – 50% charge of the total price
Cancellation prior 7 days – 100% charge of the total price
Note:
This is a private guided tour. No other tourists will join you/your group during the tour.
You can choose the sequence of visits to the attractions yourself. You can choose a convenient start time for the tour: from 09.00 to 16.00. The tour can start directly from the airport / train station, where our guide will be waiting for you.
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