Singing dunes & Aktau mountains group tour to Altyn Emel
Overview
Available languages
16 hours
Mobile ticket
Explore Altyn Emel National Park — one of Kazakhstan's most surreal landscapes. Hike through the otherworldly Aktau Mountains, volcanic Katutau formations, and climb the legendary Singing Dunes that hum as you descend.
1-Day Tour: Aktau Mountains → Katutau → Singing Dunes. Pickup 5:30 AM, return ~10 PM. Lunch at a local guesthouse included.
2-Day Tour: Day 1 — Aktau Mountains, Katutau, 700-year-old Willow Tree, overnight in Basshi village with homemade dinner and campfire under the stars. Day 2 — Singing Dunes, return to Almaty. Breakfast and dinner included.
Private Tour: Full itinerary for your group only. Flexible pace, personalized experience.
All options include: English-speaking guide, transport, lunch, and all national park entrance fees.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
What To Expect
Aktau Mountains
We will drive out to the bottom of the Ocean to explore the Chalk Mountains of Aktau. Here is schedule for the tour: 5:30 am Pick up time 7:30 am Quick stop to WC/market 9:00 am Bashi village/Enrence to national park Off-road way to first location 10:00 am Arriving to Aktau mountains 12:00 am Departure
Katutau Mountain
Next we will stop in the volcanic mountains of Katutau. Unusual rock forms, created by nature. 12:30 Arriving to Katutau 13:10 Departure to the village 13:50-14:30 Lunch
Options
2 days tour with overnight
1 overnight in Basshi village: We will overnight in Basshi village with private rooms with washroom attached Duration: 2 days Meals are included: First day: Late breakfast and Dinner Second day: Breakfast and Lunch Itinerary of the tour: Timing: First day 7:00-7:30 - Pick up 9:30 - First pit stop 11:30 - National park stop, luncj 13:30-15:30 - Aktau mountains SUV jeep Pickup included
Singing dunes & Aktau mountains 1 day group tour to Altyn Emel
Pickup included
Private tour to Altyn Emel
Private tour to Altyn Emel Pickup included
What‘s Included
National parks entrance fees
Bottled water
English speaking guide
Hearty lunch of local cuisine (vegetarian option is available)
Air-conditioned vehicle
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
119 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Perfect start to my Kazakhstan trip
Mason D,Jun 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A very long day, but one that was definitely worth it ! Didi was a great guide and was friendly and engaging throughout the whole tour, i can't reccomend her enough. I wouldn't have been able to see those beautiful mountains or sand dunes without a tour like this, transportation and everything was organized perfectly so I could just relax and take it all in. A tip: bring some good shoes and snacks. There is a lot of hiking, but the views are worth it. :)
Fabulous trip to beautiful unique landscapes
WellingtonGavin,Jun 26, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fabulous tour. Great driver. Didi was an excellent guide, helpful and engaging. It's a long day but both the journey there and the sites themselves were great. Good to get to see the beautiful Kazakhstan countryside. We'll worth it. I would highly recommend it
Great experience
tomaszwE6520KZ,Jun 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour was great, group was small 3 people, everything on time. Our guide Ayau was very friendly and helpful, she took care of everyone’s comfort. The views and landscape which we visited are amazing.
Dunes tour review
jarrahn2017,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an amazing day with John the guide, he made every part of the trip so great and I would highly recommend him for this tour, Immaculate English speaking and overall a great person, Wouldn’t have gone with anyone else
Collected by 4x4 jeep, drive to mountain for short but steep hike, drive to lunch spot, drive to the dune for last hike
evelynrA5256NR,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The transport was perfect and so comfortable for the trip! It's a long day but totally worth it. Nurzhan (John) was such a wonderful tour guide and made the trip so much fun. He explained the geography and history of the land so well and chatted with everyone in our group. Such a friendly and kind person!
Unforgettable day trip
Safari32029173003,Jun 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Amir was excellent, well-prepared, and provided a lot of information. The locations were very impressive, and our driver Ivan was also great, making even the car rides a unique experience.
Phenomenal, Breathtaking, Joyful
Traveler56835035649,Jun 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really beautiful tour, it is worth every penny! The nature is breathtaking, the food is one of a kind and the day was well spend i definitely recommend it. Our Tourguide Amir was amazing he gave us so many interesting and cool facts about Almaty and the nature behind, also was very funny and enthusiastic! Our Driver was also great, had good music taste and showed us also around and we were in time! If you visit Almaty dont forget to book this tour you wont regret it!
Extremely disappointed with the experience & feeling ripped off for the hefty cost !
Bharany B,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00Our experience on the Singing Sand Dunes day trip was extremely disappointing and far below expectations. The journey lasted approximately 16–17 hours, yet our guide JOHN provided virtually no information throughout the day. Aside from a brief explanation at the actual site, he remained mostly silent for the entire trip. There was no commentary about the places we passed, no historical facts, cultural insights, stories, or points of interest—nothing that one would reasonably expect from a guided tour. He didn’t even ask us all our name , or anything else to make the tour fun, neither did we know anyone’s else’s name in the group throughout the tour. Absolutely no effort to engage with anyone. What made the experience even more frustrating was the guide’s apparent lack of friendly interest in engaging with us ( we are a family of 4 with 2 teenagers ). Most of the time, he was either sleeping or quiet , on the return journey he was sitting in the front chatting loudly with the driver in their local language frequently stopping for smoking breaks . On the return journey, despite it being a long, hot and very tiring day and my family passengers wanting to rest and take a nap, the guide and driver continued their loud conversations for so many hours it was crazy . Even after repeated requests to lower their voices, they continued talking, making it difficult to relax or sleep. We returned around 9:30–9:45 PM, exhausted and frustrated. The guide came across as disinterested, unfriendly, and unwilling to perform the basic responsibilities expected of a tour guide. This felt more like a transportation service than a guided tour. Maybe even a knowledgeable taxi driver would have done the same job at 1/10th the cost. Overall, this was a very unpleasant experience, and we would not recommend this tour to anyone looking for an informative, engaging, or professionally guided long day trip. The local food was also far below average and sparse.
Great trip
142gustavp,Jun 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very lovely trip and a great guide
Interesting tour to see another part of Kazakhstan
rebeccajd4,Jun 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a fun trip! The mountain area was interesting to hike around, and the singing dunes were like nothing I have experienced before. It is windy at the top of the dune, so bring something to cover your hair and eyes if possible. Our guide Nurzhan (John) and the drivers were also great and personable. Recommended!
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