Itinerary - Kazakhstan 360°: Almaty, Turkestan and the Mangystau Desert in 4x4

Our adventure begins in the most populous city and, until 1977, the capital of Kazakhstan. After the entry formalities, we are ready to immerse ourselves in the local culture with a tour that touches the symbolic places: the Ascension Cathedral , completed in 1907, with its 56 meters is the second tallest wooden building in the world and the only building in Almaty that remained intact following the devastating earthquake of 1911. Visit to the Park of the 28 Panfilov Guards, the Republic Square and the Museum of National Musical Instruments . The museum collection features over 1000 objects, including rare finds dating back to the 17th century. There are a total of 60 types of national instruments: kobyz, dombyra, syldyrmak, etc.

You can't miss a visit to the Green Bazaar , the oldest and largest market in Kazakhstan where you can find and try typical products of the country, such as fresh camel milk. At sunset we could take a cable car up the Kok Tobe hill to admire the city from above and the majestic mountains that frame it. Dinner and evening in a local restaurant to taste traditional first courses.

Our adventure in Kazakh land officially begins this morning: we will meet the local guide and the driver who will accompany us for the next three days to discover the eastern part of this region. We load our backpacks on the van and off we go, direction Charyn Canyon !

This place is a unique natural complex not only in Kazakhstan, but in the whole world. It was formed in the Paleogene era. The height of the steep slopes of the canyon reaches 150-300 m. Wind and water have created here the most beautiful “Valley of Castles” where you are surrounded by whimsical towers made of sedimentary rocks inside a valley about 2 km long.

Transfer to Kolsay Lakes State Natural Park. Kolsay Lakes are a system of three lakes called “pearls” of the Northern Tien Shan. The lakes are surrounded by coniferous forests of spruce. We take the opportunity to take a nice walk along the Lower Lake and if we have time we could reach the Central Lake which is located at 2250 m above sea level.

Late in the evening we reach the village of Saty and the guesthouse where our first family dinner awaits us.

The lake, which reaches a depth of 30 meters and is located at an altitude of 2000 m, was formed following the strong earthquake (7.7 on the Richter scale) of 1911, which caused a limestone landslide and created a natural dam. An event that changed the morphology of the place, giving life to a mirror of rainwater with a thousand shades and a very low temperature, which has allowed a forest of Asian Red Fir to be kept practically intact. The now bare trunks stand out above the surface while, below, the branches and leaves have remained frozen since that day in 1911.

A unique spectacle in the world that attracts especially divers who come here to admire this extraordinary phenomenon. If the weather permits, we could go on a horseback ride to enjoy the flora and fauna that surrounds this incredible place. After lunch, we return to Almaty to take the night train to the city of Shymkent, along the Silk Road.

Shymkent is the second most populous city in Kazakhstan and is a place where past and present coexist in harmony.

In fact, the city was founded in the 12th century as a " caravanserai " to protect the city of Sayram on the Silk Road and grew as a market center for trade between Turkic nomads.

Over the years, first Islamic architecture and then 19th-century Soviet architecture have transformed the city. A local guide will introduce us to this thousand-year-old history with our tour around Shymkent.

Our journey through Turkestan continues through the ruins of Otrar , an ancient settlement destroyed by the Mongol invasions of Genghis Khan in 1219. Excavations begun in 1969 have brought to light the remains of numerous brick structures, including a palace, mosques, a bathhouse and ovens.

Before arriving in the city of Turkestan, we make a stop at the mausoleum of Arystan Bab .

During the late Middle Ages, Turkestan was a place of residence for Timurid and then Shaybanid deputies. The Kazakh Khans chose the city as their capital and the center of Muslim spiritual life of all their subject lands.

Soon the city became a large trade center, a place of transshipment for merchants from various countries, a place for travelers from different countries. We will visit the famous Mausoleum of Hodja Ahmed Yasaw I, the first Kazakh UNESCO heritage site in 2002, dedicated to the Turkish Sufi poet, one of the first mystics who exerted a powerful influence on the development of Sufi orders throughout the Turkic-speaking world.

Built at the end of the 14th century, its architecture is very reminiscent of the Uzbek one, in fact legend has it that this mausoleum was also commissioned by the Mongol conqueror Tamerlane who ordered its construction on the side of the tomb of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. The double dome with characteristic turquoise tiles measures 28 meters in height and is the largest built in Central Asia. We return to Shymkent in the afternoon and internal flight to Aktau with arrival in the evening

We climb into our jeeps towards Zhygylgan , a huge crescent-shaped cliff, which scientists say was formed a million years ago as a result of a meteorite shower. At the base you can see traces of herbivorous and predatory animals from the Triassic period (millions of years ago): saber-toothed tigers, lions, the ancestors of today's horses inhabited this area.

Then, we continue towards the picturesque Kapansay , a narrow chalk canyon, which impresses with its sheer and uniform walls, which reach a height of 70 meters.

We will then stop at the Shakpak-Ata underground mosque, a UNESCO heritage site dating back more than 1000 years. The mosque's design bears similarities to some of the earliest Persian mosques. Rock-cut tombs suggest that this shrine, founded even before the arrival of Islam in these lands, was a Zoroastrian temple.

After lunch, we head to Torysh , a large barren expanse occupied by hundreds of mysterious spherical rock formations. These stone balls have a size of about 3-4 m in diameter. The time of formation began 180-120 million years ago.

A local legend says that swarms of invaders came like locusts to Mangystau. The locals raised their hands to the sky to pray for help and were heard. The heavens opened with storms, thunder and lightning. In an instant the enemies turned to stone. At the end of the day, we arrive at the ethnic village of Kogez for an overnight stay in traditional Kazakh yurts.

The second day on the road begins with a natural symbol of Kazakhstan - the multicolored mountain of Sherkala . From a certain angle, it looks like a giant yurt. One of the legends says that once upon a time brave knights defended their territories from hordes of enemies on Mount Sherkala. They fought like tigers. The last knights disappeared into the underground passages of the mountain and remained there forever. Hence the name of this bastion of heroism and independence - Sherkala or Tiger City.

Our journey continues to the vast Ustyurt plateau, where nature has created another miracle: the magnificent Tuzbair salt lake. First we admire it from above and then we will descend for a walk along the salt flats. During heavy rains or melting snow, the salt marsh fills with water and turns into a huge salt mirror that reflects the sky.

The chalk cliffs are carved and riddled with deep channels that form countless chains of fantastic columns. At the end of the lake there is a giant natural semi-arch created by the wind, the Tuzbair Arch . At sunset we reach the tented camp. We will spend the night in a tent surrounded by a starry sky. Dinner prepared on the fire in the camping area.

On this last day on the road we drive to a place of extraordinary beauty: the Boszhira Valley . where mother nature has given complete freedom to her imagination, creating an otherworldly landscape in shades of white. Here everything is white: canyons, peaks, mountains-towers, mountains-castles, mountains-yurts. Among these rock formations rises the Bokty Mountain , a colorful striped mountain nestled in the desert, which is depicted on the 1000 tenge banknotes of the local currency.

Today we will have a picnic lunch in a unique place in the world, at the foot of the Kyzylkup Hills, better known as Tiramisu Hills !

These hills are reminiscent of a tiramisu because of the bizarre horizontal stripes of pale pink, burgundy, gray and white rock. An easy climb will allow us to take some crazy photos of this incredible place still little known to mass tourism.

On the way back to Aktau we cross the Karagie Depression, the fifth deepest in the world with a depth of 132 meters below sea level. Here we reach a great viewpoint: the Sautty tract cliff. Its name translated from the Kazakh language as "black cavity".

We return to the civilization of Aktau . After checking in, we go in search of a traditional restaurant for our last Kazakh dinner.

It's time to say goodbye, but if the flights are late in the evening (yes, it's an invitation to take them as late as possible) we still have a chance to visit the city of Aktau together.