Altyn-Emel

Altyn-Emel State National Natural Park — Almaty Region. Established on 10 April 1996.

Key figures

209,553 ha at its creation in 1996, later expanded.

Entrance tariff

0.2 MCI per pedestrian, 0.9 MCI per car. In 2026 that is 865 ₸ and 3,892.5 ₸.

The tariff is set by appendix 12 to Order No. 232 of 2 October 2024.

The tariff is set in MCI units rather than tenge, so the amount changes with each January budget.

What to see

• Singing Dune
• Aktau chalk mountains
• Besshatyr kurgans

Altyn-Emel in short

Altyn-Emel is a desert national park in the Ili River valley: the Singing Dune, the striped clay mountains of Aktau, the volcanic Katutau range, the Saka burial mounds of Besshatyr, and thousands of kulans and goitered gazelles. The park office is in Basshi village, about 250 km from Almaty. Go in spring or autumn — summer days here pass +40 °C.

The key difference from Charyn Canyon or Kolsai: you cannot simply drive in and wander. You need a one-day pass for one route chosen in advance, and the sights are tens of kilometres apart on dirt tracks.

Since 2023 Altyn-Emel, together with the Barsakelmes reserve, has been part of the transnational UNESCO site “Cold Winter Deserts of Turan” — see UNESCO heritage in Kazakhstan.

Permit, routes and escort

According to Tengrinews (May 2026):

• the pass is issued and paid for at the park administration in Basshi and is valid for one day;
• the park has three main routes, and you choose one in advance;
• online payment works through Kaspi or Halyk only; keep the e-receipt, as checks are strict.

Trekking Club adds that permits are issued only at the central office in Basshi or the park’s Almaty office — you cannot buy one when entering from the Shengeldy side — and that the western and northern entrances have posts where the pass is checked.

The entry rate is shown in the park card above; in Altyn-Emel it is charged per day. For the amount in tenge use the national park fee calculator.

Distances

The road from Almaty follows the highway towards Ust-Kamenogorsk. Tengrinews describes the asphalt after Saryozek as full of potholes and cracks, giving way to dirt closer to the park. Trekking Club suggests allowing 2–3 days for the whole park.

Planning your days

Because each pass covers one route for one day, it makes sense to plan by day:

1. Day 1. Drive from Almaty to Basshi, arrange the pass, and visit the Singing Dune (about 40 km from Basshi) in the evening once the heat eases.
2. Day 2. A new pass for the Aktau and Katutau route (about 70 km each way), stopping at Kosbastau.
3. Day 3 (optional). The Besshatyr mounds from the Shengeldy side — a separate entrance and a separate pass that must be arranged in advance in Basshi or Almaty.

There is almost no infrastructure on the routes, so carry water, food and spare fuel. Tengrinews describes broken asphalt after Saryozek and dirt closer to the park, so a low-clearance car is an unnecessary risk. For combining the desert with canyons and mountains elsewhere in the south-east, see building a route around Charyn.

The Singing Dune

The dune lies between the Big and Small Kalkan mountains, not far from the Ili River. Sources disagree on its size: Russian Wikipedia gives 1.5 km long and up to 130 m high, The Astana Times up to 120 m. The low hum it is named for comes in dry weather when sand slides down the slope.

Climbing tips, timing and the sound are covered on the Singing Dune page.

Aktau and Katutau mountains

Aktau are clay mountains banded white, red and orange and cut by small canyons. The Astana Times reports that palaeontologists found 56 species of Early Miocene flora here and remains of ancient animals 25–30 million years old; Tengrinews notes there was a sea here about 50 million years ago.

Katutau next door are volcanic: according to Tengrinews, two volcanoes were active here millions of years ago. On the way, most visitors stop at Kosbastau to see a willow estimated at more than 700 years old.

Both are reached on one route from Basshi. More on the Aktau and Katutau page.

Besshatyr burial mounds

The name is usually translated as “five tents”. Besshatyr is a Saka necropolis (8th–3rd centuries BC) about 3 km from the Ili. The Astana Times counts about 30 mounds. Access is from the Shengeldy side rather than from Basshi, so plan it as a separate day. The Tamgaly-Tas petroglyphs are in the same part of the park.

Kulans and gazelles

Kulans are the park’s biggest conservation success. In 1982, 32 kulans were brought from the Barsakelmes reserve, and the herd has grown roughly a hundredfold: the February 2025 count gave about 3,600, and a November 2025 report by 24.kz nearly 4,000. Goitered gazelles number more than 5,500. According to Wikipedia, Przewalski’s horses were also returned to the park from German zoos in the early 2000s, though no current count is published. Since 2006, 307 kulans have been moved to other protected areas, including Ile-Balkhash.

You will usually see them at a distance from the route. Leaving the road or marked area to get closer is not allowed, and sightings are never guaranteed.

Season and heat

Figures from Trekking Club. The Astana Times names April–June and August–October as the best months. Annual precipitation is no more than 300–330 mm, and there is almost no shade on the routes. In summer, set off at dawn, climb the dune early or late, and carry plenty of water.

Where to stay and mobile signal

Basshi is the base: The Astana Times mentioned small hotels there, while Tengrinews in 2026 advises planning on a tent or camper. Overnight stays are allowed only at designated sites; according to 2023 QazaqGeography guidance, camping at the Singing Dune is prohibited.

Tele2/Altel says its 5G network is available in the park (October 2026), but Tengrinews notes the signal fades once you leave the asphalt. Before setting off, go through what to check before visiting a national park.

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