4-DAY TOUR TO USTYURT PLATEAU​

In Dostar Trips, we treat each of our guests as a friend we just didn’t meet yet (“dostar” means friends from Kazakh). If you take a trip with us – you can rely on our friendly support during all your stay even after the tour, we will always be happy to help you with anything you need – advise the best place to eat, buy a train ticket, meet locals. Check out what our previous guests are saying about us on TripAdvisor. Let’s be friends!

Highlights: 

  • Discover the most mysterious and least researched destination in Kazakhstan where the Earth is naked “to the bones” 

  • Be impressed by the Ustyurt Plateau’s chalk escarpments, known as “chinks” that are starkly beautiful

  • Enjoy surreal sunsets & sunrises when the white rocks are painted in crazy purple colors 

  • Make insane photos of boundless salty valleys, breathe-taking panoramas & yourself catching wild wind of shiny white clay dessert on the edge of the rock 

  • Forget about civilization and other people for 4 days – embrace a real camping experience with starry skies, bonfires, and freshly cooked food 

Day 1: Aktau city - Valley of Balls - Sherkala - Airakty-Shomanay - Tuzbair Valley

Early morning departure from Aktau city. Today we will have really active day and see a lot of mind-blowing destinations so prepare your cameras! The first place to dive in is the Valley of balls, a place with ferromanganese nodules which are like billiard balls scattered across the plateau. These balls were formed on the bottom of the sea, and then, as more resistant to weathering, they left on the surface while other limestone and dolomites were eroded by water. After walking around mysterious balls our next place to see is Sherkala – a lonely impregnable giant mountain in the kingdom of dessert, the name Sherkala translates as Lion’s Castle. There are rumors that somewhere in this mountain our ancestors built a ladder to go to the top – maybe you will be the one who finds it? After having some time around the mysterious Sherkala mountain we will head to the spectacular Airakty Shomanay mountains. We will finish the long day at fantastic Tuzbair valley, a place of pure beauty with only three colors – white (salt, clay), blue (sky) & brown (soil). You will fall in love with this place as we did once and every year you will feel this unbearable desire to come back.  We will spend the night in camping tent under the bright stars with hot tea and freshly made dinner.

Day 2: Tuzbair Valley - Boszhira Valley

Our second day will start with magical sunrise time on Tuzbair valley (of course only if you like to get up early), we continue the day with leisurely breakfast and then drive to dramatic Boszhira valley making photo-stops on the way at the most breath-taking viewpoints which we will have a lot. Lunch will be served somewhere on the way when you will feel ready for a fresh-air meal. We will drive to Boszhira valley right before the sunset so you could have the opportunity to do really cool pics! Then we will have another camping night with a yummy dinner under the starry night.  

Day 3: Boszhira valley - Panoramic point Boszhira - Bokty mountain - Clay hills

This day you will never forget! After a nice breakfast, you will have two options: to climb up the hill and do a walk or just relax & drive to the most epic view point you have ever seen! Just imagine infinite space of white clay dessert on hundreds of kilometres around and suddenly two sharp stone formations called Boszhira Tusks. It’s impossible to describe these feelings you will have standing on the edge of dangerously high precipice watching panorama from another planer. You just need to go and see it! After such an active start of the day, we will drive to another miracle on the west of Ustyurt plateau – Bokty Mountain. Actually, locals were not so kind to this beautiful mountain – Bokty from the Kazakh language translates as a dung heap. But don’t be tricked by a local sense of humour – the view is really spectacular. After silent admiration in front of Bokty mountain we will drive for our last camping destinations, which is as usually simply fantastic – can you imagine hills where instead of grass shiny crystals are growing right from the soil? Well, you will have plenty of time to check!

Day 4: Clay Hills - Bokty Mountain - Seneka Sands - Zhana Ozen - Karagyie depression - Aktau city

The last day of our adventure to the unknown planet Ustyurt will be quite relaxed. We are going back to Aktau city, on the way we will stop again near Bokty mountain, visit beautiful sand dunes near Seneka village, see real working oil-pumps near Zhana-Ozen town, drive through Karagie depression – the lowest point of all Central Asian region with -132 meters lower than ocean level. By 4-5 pm, we will already be in the city so you could enjoy your well-deserved rest in your hotel room. 

What’s included:

  • 4WD transport with an experienced driver

  • Food & water (3 dinners, 4 lunches, 3 breakfasts)

  • Camping equipment (tents, sleeping bags, table, chairs)

General Terms & Conditions

Book your trip to Kazakhstan with confidence: no deposits, total flexibility & full refund guarantee.

If you are interested in this tour, please contact us for the details and price.