ONE DAY TOUR TO USTYURT PLATEAU:
Ybyktysai Gorge - Karaman Ata Underground Mosque
Tour details:
Price: starting from 150 USD per person (see full info below)
Type of Tour: Private
Duration: one day
Pick up and drop off at your hotel or anywhere else you’re staying in Aktau. Airport pick up and/or drop off are also available.
Meals: full board; vegetarian or vegan options are available.
What's included:
- 4WD transport with an experienced driver
Food & water (1 lunch)
What to take with you:
- Comfortable shoes
- Hat
- Sunscreen
Tour Overview:
This full-day Mangystau expedition focuses on the intersection of Mangystau’s unique geological formations and its profound spiritual heritage. The tour contrasts the raw, artistic erosion of the landscape with the silent, historic sanctity of one of the region’s oldest pilgrimage sites. The terrain showcases millions of years of natural weathering, resulting in “otherworldly” landscapes, while the site serves as a place of historical peace, where local traditions and religious history converge.
In Dostar Trips we treat each our guest as a friend whom 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, we will always be happy to help you with anything you wish – 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:
- Ybyktysai Gorge: Explore a canyon defined by unique, sponge-like rock textures and unusual erosion patterns, ideal for exploration and photography.
- Karaman Ata Underground Mosque and Necropolis: Discover an architectural marvel carved directly into a marl hillside, featuring a prayer hall, a tomb chamber, and natural skylights, and a historically significant site known for its legends of Sufi mysticism, ancient oaths, and its connection to the master Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.
- Immersive Desert Photography & Heritage: Experience the profound silence of the Mangystau steppe and capture panoramic views of Western Kazakhstan’s most photogenic gorges while learning about local legends and traditions.
Itinerary:
Aktau - Ybyktysai Gorge - Karaman Ata Mosque - Aktau
Begin your journey at the Ybyktysai Gorge, a secluded canyon famous for its unreal, sponge-like rock textures and bizarre formations carved by millions of years of erosion. The landscape feels otherworldly, making it a perfect place for short walks, exploration, and photography.
Continue to the sacred Karaman Ata Underground Mosque, carved into the slope of a marl hill. The complex includes a narrow entrance corridor, a small prayer hall, and a round chamber believed to hold the tomb of Karaman Ata. Skylights cut into the roof let natural light filter into the cool, quiet interior, creating a peaceful, spiritual atmosphere.
Your guide will share the legends surrounding Karaman Ata Necropolis, one of Mangystau’s oldest and most revered sacred sites. According to tradition, people came here to make unbreakable oaths, negotiate peace, and seek blessings. Karaman Ata himself is said to have been a companion of the great Sufi master Khoja Ahmed Yasawi before journeying west to found this sanctuary.
Return to Aktau in the evening, enriched with stories, history, and the striking desert landscapes of Mangystau.
Duration: 1 Day
Total distance: 280 km
Your Ustyurt 1-Day Tour on the map:
Prices for the Ustyurt 1-Day Tour, USD:
This is a private tour. Each listed price is the total for your group size (1-5 guests), not a per person rate. Usually we don’t match solo travelers or combine separate bookings, sometimes we can do it only if participants agreed and their dates match, however unfortunately it rarely happens.
If your party size changes, the price will adjust to the corresponding group tier.
For groups of 6+ guests, please contact us for options.
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One guest - Private tour $365
Private only, no group matching.
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Per group of two guests $370
Private only, no group matching. 185$ per person for group of two guests
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Per group of three guests $375
Private only, no group matching. 125$ per person for group of three guests
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Per group of four guests $420
Private only, no group matching. 105$ per person for group of four guests
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Per group of five guests $750
Private only, no group matching. 150$ per person for group of five guests. Trip will be performed on two suv vehicles.
What's included:
- 4WD transport with an experienced driver
Food & water (1 lunch)
