1-2 Days Singing dunes & Aktau mountains grouptour to Altyn Emel
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Almaty, Kazakhstan
- 16 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Bottled water
- National parks entrance fees
- English speaking guide
- LunchHearty lunch of local cuisine (vegetarian option is available)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We will send you all information of pick up and transport the day before the tour We wil waiting for you in front of your hotel or in lobby during pick up time
Itinerary
1
Aktau Mountains
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Katutau Mountain
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Singing Barkhan
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 11 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
lavanya_k
We had an excellent experience on this 2-day tour. Everything was very well organized, and the guide, Sayazhan, was knowledgeable, highly responsible, full of energy, and very friendly. She shared fascinating insights throughout the journey, making the trip both enjoyable and informative.
Kassym was not just a driver but also a guide—safe, professional, and very informative. He made even the bumpy off-road drives feel easy and comfortable, pointed out interesting spots along the way, and shared helpful local knowledge that enhanced the experience.
On the first day, we explored the beautiful Aktau Mountains and stayed overnight in Basshi village, which offered a wonderful and authentic local experience. On the second day, we drove across the incredible Altyn-Emel National Park to visit the Singing Dunes, a truly unique and unforgettable highlight—the dunes really “sang.”
The entire journey was safe and comfortable, allowing us to relax and enjoy the stunning landscapes. Overall, it was a smooth, memorable, and highly recommended tour.
Reviews
4.9
based on 135 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Harshit_V, Aug 2026
Very nice tour! Loved the Aktau mountains and the singing dunes. The dunes can actually sing and the guide teaches you how to make them sing!
Food at the guesthouse was amazing.
Butter was a great guide throughout, very knowledgeable and always thoughtful of our experiences.
Bartlomiej_P, Jul 2026
One day tour to Altyn Emel and Singing dunes was intense but very cool experience! The driver picked us up and drove to the gas station where we met our guide John and could buy some snacks/coffee.
After arriving to the the reserve the guide did some historic introduction and shared fun facts about the nature and animals living in the reserve.
Our group was small (7 people + guide + 2 drivers) and I really liked it! John turned out to be really cool and funny guy.
We drove to the Altyn Emel and walked around beautiful desert and chatted with the guide and other tourmates. John explained how the mountains were formatted and took some cool pictures of us.
Also our drivers was so nice to help some tourists with their car as it stopped driving in the middle of nowhere (driving there alone sounds really risky!).
Then we drove to the lunch spot. Everything was homemade and really good! I really appreciate they have prepared vegetarian option of the soup and lagman for me.
After that we drove to the Singing Dunes and unfortunately the weather got worse. The wind was getting stronger and stronger so the sand was everywhere! I recommend leaving your belongings in the car and wearing long pants, a hat/scarf and sunglasses (i had sand in my eyes anyway! would not wear contact lenses if I knew) and don’t reapply SPF before going to the dunes - the sand will stick to all of your skin and there is a long way back in the car ahead of you 😅
Sliding down the dunes was fun and we could really hear the vibrations!
That was pretty long and instense day, but it was planned well and I really liked chill atmosphere and a small group. Definitely recommend!
Bharany_B, Jun 2026
Our experience on the Singing Sand Dunes day trip was extremely disappointing and far below expectations.
The journey lasted approximately 16–17 hours, yet our guide JOHN provided virtually no information throughout the day. Aside from a brief explanation at the actual site, he remained mostly silent for the entire trip. There was no commentary about the places we passed, no historical facts, cultural insights, stories, or points of interest—nothing that one would reasonably expect from a guided tour. He didn’t even ask us all our name , or anything else to make the tour fun, neither did we know anyone’s else’s name in the group throughout the tour. Absolutely no effort to engage with anyone.
What made the experience even more frustrating was the guide’s apparent lack of friendly interest in engaging with us ( we are a family of 4 with 2 teenagers ). Most of the time, he was either sleeping or quiet , on the return journey he was sitting in the front chatting loudly with the driver in their local language frequently stopping for smoking breaks . On the return journey, despite it being a long, hot and very tiring day and my family passengers wanting to rest and take a nap, the guide and driver continued their loud conversations for so many hours it was crazy . Even after repeated requests to lower their voices, they continued talking, making it difficult to relax or sleep.
We returned around 9:30–9:45 PM, exhausted and frustrated. The guide came across as disinterested, unfriendly, and unwilling to perform the basic responsibilities expected of a tour guide. This felt more like a transportation service than a guided tour. Maybe even a knowledgeable taxi driver would have done the same job at 1/10th the cost.
Overall, this was a very unpleasant experience, and we would not recommend this tour to anyone looking for an informative, engaging, or professionally guided long day trip.
The local food was also far below average and sparse.
Ankesh_S, May 2026
We booked a 2-day trip to Altyn-Emel National Park with Kazakhstan Very Nice, and it was incredible! Our guide, Kassym, was fantastic—extremely welcoming and deeply knowledgeable about the history and million-year-old geology of these natural wonders.
The itinerary was perfect: we visited the 600-year-old willow tree, the volcanic Katutau mountains, and went on an adventurous hike through the breathtaking, colorful Aktau mountains. We stayed overnight at Basshi village, where we enjoyed relaxing accommodations and a decent vegetarian meal. Finishing the trip at the Singing Dunes the next morning was unforgettable. Highly recommended!
Mohana_M, May 2026
Well organised trip, good time management, average food need to be improved, vehicle was broken down while returning, total harassment ,returned at 11 pm
alex_t, May 2026
It was everything I expected and more, comfort, fun, interesting. It was a long day, but we were prepared for it. We met lovely people and everyone was very friendly
M_Y, Apr 2026
It is so amazing
Singing dunes and aktau mountains are very beautiful
It’s a long trip , you have to walk a lot and it may be quite tough at some hiking moment, but totally worth it
John is friendly, strongly recommend this tour
lavanya_k, Apr 2026
We had an excellent experience on this 2-day tour. Everything was very well organized, and the guide, Sayazhan, was knowledgeable, highly responsible, full of energy, and very friendly. She shared fascinating insights throughout the journey, making the trip both enjoyable and informative.
Kassym was not just a driver but also a guide—safe, professional, and very informative. He made even the bumpy off-road drives feel easy and comfortable, pointed out interesting spots along the way, and shared helpful local knowledge that enhanced the experience.
On the first day, we explored the beautiful Aktau Mountains and stayed overnight in Basshi village, which offered a wonderful and authentic local experience. On the second day, we drove across the incredible Altyn-Emel National Park to visit the Singing Dunes, a truly unique and unforgettable highlight—the dunes really “sang.”
The entire journey was safe and comfortable, allowing us to relax and enjoy the stunning landscapes. Overall, it was a smooth, memorable, and highly recommended tour.
Romain_H, Aug 2025
The guide was so nice and freindly. the car was really confortable . Lunch was local and delicious. we were able o see many sites of the park. i had an amazing day
Bryan_B, Aug 2025
I had an incredible day trip to Altyn-Emel that ran like clockwork from the 5:30 a.m. hotel pickup to our return in the evening. Our guide, Bek, was outstanding—friendly, encouraging, and amazingly attentive. He learned everyone’s name within minutes, explained the plan clearly, and kept our group motivated through the heat (around 100°F). After a smooth drive from Almaty, we switched to 4x4s and hiked a dry riverbed into the Aktau (Chalk) Mountains. The layered colors were surreal, and when the climb got steep, Bek’s encouragement helped me push to a fantastic viewpoint.
We made a quick stop at the volcanic Katutau formations, then enjoyed a delicious family-style lunch at a local guesthouse—plenty of cold water, which was very welcome. The highlight was the Singing Dune: with Bek’s guidance, our group slid in unison and the dune let out a deep, organ-like hum you could hear and feel. It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced.
Transportation was comfortable, the air conditioning worked well, and the whole day felt safe and well organized. Pro tips: bring 2–3 liters of water, sunscreen, a hat that clips on (it’s windy), sturdy shoes, and be ready for squat toilets in places. I highly recommend this tour—and especially Bek—for anyone looking to see the best of Altyn-Emel in one day.
Georgina_C, Apr 2025
This trip was well planned and we had a great day out! The trip itself was great and our lunch at a local house was delicious. Our guide, Bek, was very knowledgeable, friendly and great to spend the day with. Our driver was lovely too and we felt safe and looked after all day.
Triavianti_L, Jun 2024
Kassym is a definitely friendly and informative guides. The hiking journey is not tiring due to great conversation. Nice lunch at the local guest house is definitely a warm and exciting experience.
Dean_W, May 2024
We were a group of 3 and visited Aktau mountains as well as the Singing Dunes. Our guide Elnar did a fantastic job at showing us the destinations as well as giving explanations about them. The tour was organized well and didn‘t feel rushed. The lunch that was served in a guest house on the way was very delicious, too. Fully recommend this tour.
Jessie_L, Apr 2024
We didn’t make it to the Aktau mountains due to weather conditions but thank you for the drivers and tour guide Aya for bringing us back safely! Will definitely join this tour again if I visit Almaty again next time.
Chao_W, May 2026
It was a long trip, leaving at 5.30am and returning to the hotel at 11.30pm. The time was spent mostly on the road, with two attractions combined for a three-hour tour and the Arkin Desert being great. The guide takes care of everyone's emotions in the group. Lunch was too rudimentary, with only meat buns and vegetable salad, and Katutao on the itinerary didn't go.
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From $200.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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