charyn.kz an independent guide to wild Kazakhstan

The Kazakh steppe: where to see it, and where you are allowed in

The finest steppe in Kazakhstan sits inside reserves you cannot simply drive into. Easier options include Buiratau National Park and the high valley at Kegen. Here is the steppe sorted by access and season.

  • 8 places on the list
  1. 01 Korgalzhyn UNESCO steppe and lakes 130 km from Astana, with flamingos and migrating birds. Only by arrangement, with a guide. May–October About 130 km from Astana day trip
  2. 02 Naurzum The other half of the UNESCO site: steppe, white sand and pine forest, six ecological trails. Summer About 190 km from Kostanay 3+ days
  3. 03 Buiratau National Park Dry steppe and low hills 131 km in a straight line from Astana. A paid-entry park with four routes. May–September 131 km from Astana (line) day trip
  4. 04 The Ereymentau Mountains Rocky hills rising above a narrow band of unploughed foothill steppe. June, August 127 km from Astana (line) day trip
  5. 05 Kegen and the Kokpek Pass High steppe at around 2,000 m on the road to Charyn and Kolsai, visible from the car. June–August Almaty 191 km (straight) weekend
  6. 06 Assy Plateau Summer pasture at 2,200–2,750 m, about 75 km from Almaty, with a road for a good crossover or 4x4. Late spring, summer ~75 km from Almaty weekend
  7. 07 Ulytau Mountains Granite hills in the central steppe with the mausoleums of Jochi and Alasha Khan. May, September ~106 km to Zhezkazgan 3+ days
  8. 08 The Mugodzhar Mountains, the low southern tail of the Urals in Aktobe Region Low ridges over the steppe, where the Urals run out. We have not checked the roads. May, September Aktobe ~207 km, straight 3+ days

To see the Kazakh steppe, go to Korgalzhyn or Buiratau from Astana, or stop in the high Kegen valley on the road east of Almaty. Korgalzhyn is the most rewarding but needs arranging in advance, while the other two are straightforward. If you want the geography of zones and soils, read about the natural zones of Kazakhstan. This page is about the trip.

Pick by access first

The steppe looks open, yet the legal status of each stretch decides your plan. A reserve needs prior approval, a national park charges entry, and roadside steppe needs nothing at all.

PlaceBaseSteppe typeAccess
KorgalzhynAstana, about 130 kmsteppe and salt lakesreserve: permit and guide
NaurzumKostanay, about 190 kmsteppe, sand, pinereserve: by arrangement
BuiratauAstana, 131 km straight linedry steppe, hills, birch grovesnational park: paid
EreymentauAstana, 127 km straight linefoothill steppeBuiratau branch
KegenAlmaty, 191 km straight linehigh steppefrom the road
Assy PlateauAlmaty, about 75 kmmountain pastureeco-post, 0.15 MCI on foot
UlytauZhezkazgan, about 106 km straight linesteppe and granitecheck the road

Fees are set in MCI units, and the fee calculator converts them for the current year. If you do not speak Russian or Kazakh, get a local contact to arrange Korgalzhyn for you.

Naurzum: naurzum steppe with white sand dunes and scattered pines, August
Naurzum: steppe, white sand and pines in one frame. Tomiris · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Saryarka: the steppe UNESCO listed

The World Heritage site covers 450,344 ha across Korgalzhyn and Naurzum, including 200,000 ha of Central Asian steppe. UNESCO says it shelters more than half the species of the region’s steppe flora, threatened birds and the saiga.

Administration routes at Korgalzhyn run from May to October with an escort, and the big draw is birdlife on the lakes, including the flamingos at Tengiz. Naurzum has six ecological trails, and its lakes fill and shrink in multi-year cycles, so ask the reserve office about the current state.

Easier steppe, no reserve rules

If you are heading to Charyn or Kolsai anyway, the Kegen valley gives you open high steppe at around 2,000 m with no effort. There is nothing specific to see at the village, so treat it as a long stop.

Assy Plateau, 2–2.5 hours each way from Almaty, is greener mountain pasture with herds in summer. The Assy-Turgen observatory stands there at 2,750 m, and the Fesenkov Institute reports no light pollution, which also makes the plateau a place for stargazing and meteor showers. From Astana, Buiratau is the most direct: a park of 88,968 ha created in 2011, in dry steppe and low hills. Skip the Irgiz-Turgai reserve, whose boundary signs read no entry, and the Turgai geoglyphs, which you can really read only from satellite images.

When to go

The steppe has a short green season, so timing matters more than distance. By high summer, the lowland grass burns off and there is no shade.

MonthsWhat you getWhere
April–Mayflowers, migrating birdsKorgalzhyn from May, Ulytau
June–Augustgreen high pastureKegen, Assy, Buiratau
Septembermilder heat, birds againKorgalzhyn, Ulytau
November–Marchsnow, frost, uncertain roadsnot recommended

Bring more water than seems reasonable, a hat and offline maps, because signal disappears quickly out here. For flowers, see wild tulips of Kazakhstan. For animals, read the guides to wildlife and saigas.

Not verified yet
  • Current procedure and lead time for arranging visits to Korgalzhyn and Naurzum.
  • English-speaking guides at either reserve.
  • Road conditions on the steppe stretches of Ulytau.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Kazakh steppe?
It runs across the north and centre of Kazakhstan, between forest steppe and semi-desert, and into Russia. Wikipedia gives the ecoregion an area of 804,500 km². For most visitors the nearest access is from Astana.
Can I visit the steppe without a tour?
At Buiratau you pay at the entrance, and at Kegen the steppe lines the road. Korgalzhyn and Naurzum are strict reserves, so you arrange the trip with the administration first.
Which month suits the steppe?
May for flowers and birds, and June to August for high pastures. Wild tulips start in the south in late March and bloom later further north.
Will I see saiga antelope?
Probably not. UNESCO names the saiga among the species the Saryarka steppes protect, but we found no route that promises a sighting. Treat it as luck.

Sources