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A snow-covered Mangystau escarpment: striped plateau slopes under a clear winter sky, two hikers at the foot

A Winter Fairy Tale on the Mangyshlak Peninsula

Duration: 5 daysDifficulty: easyCrew: up to 3 pax
Adventure tourismFamily friendly
from$2,535per vehicle (up to 3 pax)Why the price is per vehicleThis is the charter price of the 4x4 for a group of up to 3 people. A fourth passenger costs an extra $540.
Request a quote
Crew sizeMaximum 3 passengers
BoardFull board, field chef
NightsA tent and a sleeping place for each
CommsVehicle radios, satellite channel with the guide

Route locations

  1. Tamshaly Gorge
  2. The Caspian Sea coast
  3. Kapamsay Canyon
  4. The Sartas visitor centre
  5. The rock-cut Shakpak-Ata mosque
  6. The ancient settlement of Karakabak
  7. Nursai Gorge
  8. Torysh Valley of Stone Balls
  9. Kok-Kala
  10. Mount Sherkala
  11. The Airakty Valley of Castles
  12. The Kogez ethno-village
  13. Tousled Canyon
  14. The Tuzbair salt flat
  15. The salt lake (Tuzbair)
  16. Kyzylkup
  17. Boszhira's upper plateau

17 locations on the programme

Day-by-day itinerary

Arrival times are planned around the light: you are on the viewpoint before it starts, not after.

  1. 08:00Depart the hotel in Aktau
  2. 11:00Arrive at Tamshaly Gorge, a walk to the frozen dripstone falls
  3. 13:00Lunch on the shore of the Caspian Sea
  4. 15:00Depart for Kapamsay Canyon
  5. 17:00Arrive at Kapamsay, a walk with photos
  6. 18:00Overnight at the Sartas visitor centre
  1. 08:00Breakfast
  2. 09:30Depart the hotel
  3. 11:00The rock-cut Shakpak-Ata mosque, a walk inside
  4. 13:00The ancient settlement of Karakabak — drive through the gorge with photo stops, a walk in Nursai Gorge
  5. 18:00Depart for overnight at the Sartas visitor centre
  1. 08:00Breakfast
  2. 09:30Depart the hotel
  3. 11:00Torysh Valley of Stone Balls — trek to the famous round boulder, drive to the upper viewpoint, walk through the valley
  4. 14:00Lunch at Kok-Kala, a walk, viewing Jurassic-period fossils
  5. 16:00Mount Sherkala — view it from the 'Lion' side, climb to the caves, drive around to the 'Yurt of the Gods' view, photos
  6. 17:00The Airakty Valley of Castles — view the chalk rock with 300-year-old petroglyphs, climb the hill overlooking Airakty and the Dragon Ridge
  7. 18:00Depart for overnight at the Kogez ethno-village
  1. 08:00Breakfast
  2. 09:30Depart the hotel
  3. 13:00Lunch at Tousled Canyon
  4. 15:00The Tuzbair salt flat — a trek in search of ancient sea urchins and belemnites
  5. 16:00Head to the salt lake, trek along it, photos
  6. 17:00Depart for overnight at the Kogez ethno-village
  1. 09:30Depart the hotel
  2. 12:00Kyzylkup — a walk over the coloured clays, climb to the upper viewpoint
  3. 14:00Lunch at Kyzylkup's upper viewpoint
  4. 17:00Boszhira's upper plateau, visiting three viewpoints

Route map

The route runs hundreds of kilometres from Aktau — with no fuel stations, no mobile coverage and no recovery services.

The Caspian SeaAktauBoszhira100 km
Distance: ≈ 1,270 kmstops on the route: 15Start and finish — Aktau

A route diagram: the stops are at real coordinates, and the distance is calculated from them with an allowance for dirt roads.

What it costs per person

You charter the whole vehicle. The more travellers join, the less each of you pays.

How many of you are travelling
Expedition cost$2,535

per vehicle (up to 3 pax)Why the price is per vehicleThis is the charter price of the 4x4 for a group of up to 3 people. A fourth passenger costs an extra $540.

Per person$1,270

The charter price does not change with the number of travellers — only your share does.

What the price consists of

$2,535of the budget
  • Fuel and vehicle wear30%
  • Driver-guide24%
  • Camping equipment20%
  • Food and chef16%
  • Reserve entry fees10%

Request this expedition

We reply within one business day: confirm the dates, the group and send a detailed plan.

Age of travellers
Group size
Food and restrictions

From the calculator above: 2 people — $1,270 per person, $2,535 for the expedition

By sending the request you agree to our privacy policy

Price tiers

Price per whole vehicle

Comfort

A real expedition

$2,535

  • Everything included in Econom
  • Three meals a day according to the itinerary
  • A field kitchen and cookware — we do the cooking

You become part of the expedition crew: you help pitch the tents and set up camp, while the food on the route is our job.

This tour runs on a single "A real expedition" rate — with no split into Comfort, Comfort Plus and Lux.

Paid separately

  • A 4th passenger in the vehicle incurs a surcharge of 50,000 KZT per day
  • When visiting a mosque, a voluntary donation (sadaqah) is customary
  • If bad weather rules out overnighting at the tent camp, a stay in an ethno-village is charged separately.
  • Drone filming: 20,000 KZT per location
  • English-speaking guide (price on request)
  • Generator rental: 10,000 KZT per day

Good to know

  • Luggage limited to one 30-litre backpack
  • The tour is booked with a 10% deposit
  • In hazardous weather the guide reroutes to a safer option — the priority is always people's safety and the vehicles' condition.
  • Tips are not included in the price and are left to the guest.

What it looks like

Photos taken on this route

Panorama of the snow-covered plateau
A winter canyon with a traveller
Blue ice formations on the escarpment
A winter camp with kettle and jeeps
A snow-covered outlier under a clear sky
A snow trail towards the frosted escarpment
Stone spheres in the snow by a stream
Ice on the Caspian shore
A stream in the winter gorge
A frozen waterfall with a group of travellers
Ice hummocks on the frozen sea

What is and is not included

Included in the price

  • 4x4 jeep for the entire route
  • Driver-guide
  • Tent and all camping essentials
  • Sleeping bag and camping mat
  • Meals along the route
  • Drinking water
  • Tea/coffee at camp stops
  • Camp and campfire setup where permitted
  • Guide support along the entire route
  • Required conservation fees/entry permits
  • Stops at scenic viewpoints
  • Treks through canyons, plateaus and salt flats
  • Basic expedition equipment
  • In-car phone/camera charging

Paid separately

  • Flights and travel to/from Aktau
  • Accommodation in Aktau before and after the tour
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Personal expenses and purchases during the trip
  • Personal outdoor gear not included in the specific tour programme
  • Additional services and activities not listed in the programme
  • Individual transfers and trips off the route
  • Travel insurance — arranged at the traveller's own discretion
An expedition-prepared Toyota Land Cruiser with a roof rack at the foot of a layered mountain

Fleet and equipment

We are responsible for your safety where the nearest help is hours away. This is what the vehicle carries.

Expedition-prepared 4×4

  • Satellite internet — on request
  • MT/AT tyres
  • Compressor fridge
  • First-aid kit and fire extinguisher
  • Vehicle-to-vehicle radios
All safety protocols →

Frequently asked questions

Answered before you book, not after.

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 5–7 days before the start. 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, and multi-day routes include nights in the field. 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.