Standard — up to 4 travellers
- A sedan or minivan for you alone
- Depart at any time you like
- Stops wherever you ask
- Flexible route — we adjust as we go
Altyn-Emel and the Singing Dune
A hundred and fifty metres of sand that hums under your feet, and chalk mountains banded in the colours of different eras — both inside one national park, five hours east of Almaty.
Price agreed in advanceYou get the full figure in the chat before the trip, and it does not change en route.
Contract and documentsWe work under a contract; companies get an invoice and closing documents.
Dispatcher around the clockWe answer on WhatsApp at any hour, night arrivals included.
Private, never sharedThe car is yours alone — no strangers on board, and the driver stays reachable the whole way.
We speak English, Russian, Kazakh, Arabic and Malay — so nothing gets lost in translation.
The park in photographs
Scale is deceptive here: people on the dune's slope turn into dots.
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How the tour runs
Door to door for the whole day — nothing to find and nowhere to get to on your own.
Total time: about 12 hours in one day, or 2 days
- 01The car arrives at your address
- 02About 3.5 hours on the road; we sort the park permit at the gate
- 03The Singing Dune: the climb to the ridge, around 1.5 hours
- 04The chalk Aktau mountains, around 1.5 hours
- 05A night in a guesthouse, or the drive back to Almaty
Rates
Pick a format — we confirm the exact figure for your date and group in the chat.
Group — 5 travellers and up
- A minibus for your whole party
- Private too — no strangers on board
- Room for the whole group’s luggage
What Altyn-Emel is
This is one of the largest national parks in Kazakhstan — more than four thousand square kilometres of steppe, mountain and semi-desert between the Ili river and the Dzungarian Alatau range. The distances inside the park are substantial in themselves: an hour of gravel driving between landmarks is normal.
The main reason people come is the Singing Dune. It lies across a valley, roughly three kilometres long and a hundred and fifty metres high, and unlike most dunes it does not travel: winds from two directions have held it in place for centuries.
The second reason is the Aktau mountains — the “white mountains”: layered hills where red, ochre and chalk-white strata sit on top of each other in visible bands. This is the floor of an ancient sea, lifted and eroded until geological time can be read with the naked eye.
The distance and how much time to allow
The park lies about 250 kilometres north-east of Almaty. The drive takes around five hours: first the highway along the Kapchagay reservoir, then steppe. Inside the park we drive you between the landmarks too — they sit far apart.
We start early. A single day is possible but tight — most of it is spent in the car. If you want both the dune and the chalk mountains without racing, plan on two days with a night in a guesthouse inside or near the park.
Distance
About five hours of driving each way.
The Singing Dune
Up to the crest and back takes about an hour; the sand is steep.
Aktau mountains
Another hour or so from the dune; better given its own day.
Our private tour
The trip runs as a private charter: the vehicle and driver are yours alone. We arrange the park permit in advance — we only need passport details and your date.
Transport, fuel and the driver are included. Park entry fees, meals and the overnight stay on the two-day version are paid separately, and we quote them before you travel.
What our guests say
Short video reviews our guests filmed on their trips.
About us
Baqtaq Travel is not just a travel agency — it is a community of guides who speak English, Malay and Arabic. We put together memorable tours across Almaty and the Almaty region — a land where alpine lakes of the Tian Shan, Charyn Canyon, singing dunes and mountain meadows all lie within a day of the city.
These lands are rich in the history of the early Turkic peoples, and the sheer range of natural scenery surprises even seasoned travellers — as does the hearty, one-of-a-kind local cooking. We will show you the most beautiful places, and the customs and culture of the people who live here.
Discover the heart of the Eurasian continent with Baqtaq Travel.
Book this trip
Tell us the date and how many of you there are — we reply with a firm price for this trip.
Frequently asked
Why does the dune sing?
In dry weather, sand sliding down the slope produces a low hum that people compare to an organ or a distant aircraft. It does not happen every time: after rain the sand is damp and stays silent.
Do I need a permit for Altyn-Emel?
Yes. The park is a restricted area with a paid entry permit. We arrange it in advance — all we need from you are passport details.
Can it be done in one day?
It can, but the day is very long: about five hours of driving each way plus the distances inside the park. Many guests prefer two days so the dune and the Aktau mountains both fit without rushing.
Can we see both the dune and the chalk mountains?
In a single day, usually only one — they sit at opposite ends of the park. Over two days, both are comfortable.
When is the best time to go?
April to June and September to October. Midsummer in the steppe is genuinely hot with almost no shade, and in winter the tracks inside the park can be hard going.
Looking for something closer to the city? See the Charyn Canyon trip — three hours each way instead of five.
Other destinations
Where else we go from Almaty.
