Secret Trails of the Valley of Castles

Visa rules depend on your citizenship: many nationalities enter Kazakhstan visa-free — the current list is published by the Kazakh migration service, so check it before you travel. We do not issue invitation letters. If a consulate needs a document confirming the purpose of the trip, we provide a contract for guide services. We do not assist with registration on arrival.

We start forming the crew for your date as soon as you book and confirm the final format 3 days before departure. If the group is not filled, the choice is yours: travel on your date privately, paying the full price of the vehicle, or move the trip to a date where a crew is already forming — there the shared-tour price applies. We never cancel a departure or change its format without your agreement.

A booking is secured by a 10% deposit; the balance is paid before departure. If the group is filled, the tour runs as a shared trip. If it is not, the deposit is never lost: it goes towards a private trip on your date, transfers in full to another date, or becomes a travel voucher for the whole amount plus a 5% bonus. The voucher is valid for 12 months and can be passed to someone else.

Yes, but the routes cross desert and off-road terrain: long drives in a 4x4, stony ground, climbs and descents. Children under 5 are not accepted on every route, so tell us the child's age before booking. On easy driving routes children are admitted after we agree it with you; on demanding hikes, long off-road sections and nights in remote areas participation of small children may be limited. Each case is decided individually — by age, route difficulty, weather and how the child is feeling.

There is no cellular network on the plateau. The guide keeps a satellite link with base, and the vehicles of the group hold a constant radio channel between them. Satellite internet for guests is not fitted to every vehicle: if you need it, tell us when booking.

The guide passes the coordinates to base over satellite and fixes common faults on the spot. If a repair is impossible, the vehicle is replaced: another one leaves the base and arrives within 3 to 6 hours depending on where you are on the route.