Kazakhstan route: Singing Dunes to Zharkent City, 6 stops
This route covers a 3,418 km journey through Kazakhstan's Almaty Region, featuring diverse landscapes from the Singing Dunes in Altyn-Emel National Park to the Turtle Mountains and the Chinese-style mosque in Zharkent. Travelers experience the unique terrain of southeastern Kazakhstan, including sand dunes, mountain ranges, and barren steppe formations.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- First Look at Kazakhstan
- End
- Zharkent City
- Stops
- 6
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- First Look at Kazakhstan
- Almaty Arrival — Former capital nestled against the Tian Shan mountains, serving as Kazakhstan's cultural and economic hub with bustling markets and Soviet-era architecture.
- Minsk Layover
- Altyn-Emel National Park — Protected area southeast of Almaty featuring diverse ecosystems including mountains, sand dunes, and river valleys with unique desert terrain.
- Aktau Mountains — Colorful mountain range in Altyn-Emel National Park known for striking geological formations and unusual desert landscape.
- Zharkent City — Historic trading town in southeastern Kazakhstan renowned for its ornate Chinese-influenced mosque, a rare architectural gem blending Islamic and Asian design traditions.
Useful for your trip
- Transport
- Flying to Kazakhstan from Europe involves a layover in Minsk, Belarus. Route example: Munich → Minsk (2 hours) → Almaty (3 hours, landing at 5am local time with 4-hour time difference).
- Timing
- Arrive early morning in Almaty (5am) and take a short nap before exploring to manage jet lag. Consider joining organized groups for day trips from Almaty.
- Tip
- Visit Altyn-Emel National Park to see the Singing Dunes between two mountains and a river. Sound occurs on sunny days when walking up the dunes due to wind conditions.
- Tip
- Explore Turtle Mountains in Altyn-Emel National Park for unique barren terrain resembling Mars-like landscapes with distinctive coloring.
- Food
- Try local Kazakhstan food including buckwheat and vegetables dish called gretchen, available at local spots and hotels.
- Tip
- Visit Zharkent Mosque, a rare Chinese-Islamic architectural style building that now functions as a museum with wooden grand hall interior.
- Where to stay
- Hotels in the Zharkent area have hot spring pools from underground sources. Temperature reaches up to 70°C; alternate between hot and cold pools.
- Avoid
- Hot springs can be extremely hot (boiling water temperature). Most visitors cannot tolerate more than 5 minutes at peak temperature.
- Tip
- Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world, located above India, below Russia, with China to the side. It's an untouched region suitable for group tours.
Video on this route
First Thoughts on Kazakhstan (not what we expected)