Towards ancient civilizations with Din-JeepTrip! On a jeep tour along the Great Silk Road, you will visit Southern Kazakhstan, where the main trade artery connecting East and West passed. You will visit many archeological and architectural monuments that have survived to this day.

Start: Almaty city

Finish: Beyneu village (the program can end in the cities of Turkestan, Kyzylorda, Baikonur, Aralsk)

Duration: 4-7 days

Seasonality: all year round..

Map: in picture gallery above.

Day 1:

Early in the morning, on the first day of the tour, we visit the visit card of the city of Almaty - the high-mountain ice skating rink Medeu. Next, we leave the city along the new highway “Western Europe - Western China,” which is often called the modern Silk Road. At the end of the day, we arrive at the open-air museum - Tanbaly. They are petroglyphs of the archaeological landscape and are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. More than 5,000 images are collected in the gorges. They are considered masterpieces of ancient rock painting art.

Day 2:

On the morning of the second day, we leave the Almaty region and find ourselves in the Zhambyl region, where the most land-dwelling people on Earth live (in the Zhambyl region there is a point that is farthest from all the world's oceans). In the Zhambyl region we visit the Akyrtas archaeological complex, the main object of which is the ruins of a Buddhist monastery. It is not truly known whether it was a Buddhist monastery, a Nestorian church, or a royal palace. At the end of the day, we will arrive in the city of Taraz, which was a transit point even before the Middle Ages.

Day 3:

The third day of the trip will begin with exploring the main attractions of the city of Taraz, such as the historical and cultural complex “Ancient Taraz”. Archaeologists discovered there about 50 thousand artifacts of the 6th-12th centuries, a medieval citadel, a mosque of the 7th-9th centuries, a madrasah, a Zoroastrian altar, a zindan (prison), an embankment of the ancient bed of the Talas River, the foundations of residential buildings and much more. We will also visit the Tekturmas complex. The name translated from Kazakh means “stays there for a reason.” From the heights there is a panoramic view of the city of Taraz below. The impression is enhanced by the nearby Talas River, which gave the name to the ancient city. The area was the basis of an ancient settlement, the age of which scientists approximately date to the beginning of our era. Afterwards we will visit the mausoleum of Aisha Bibi and Babaji Khatun, with whose personality many interesting legends are associated. Nearby is the ancient settlement of Barkuap (10th century). It is one of the most interesting settlements in our region. Exploring its underground labyrinths is an experience of a lifetime! At the end of the day, we will arrive in the third most important city of Kazakhstan – Shymkent.

Day 4:

The fourth day of the trip will begin with a visit to a natural attraction that you simply cannot pass by - the Akmeshit cave. Locals come to the cave to pray, because many feel the unprecedented energy that emanates from this place. In the afternoon we will visit the medieval settlement of Otyrar. Before the Mongol invasion, Otyrar was the largest city in Central Asia, and now it is a place of attraction for tourists from all over the world. At the end of the day, we will visit the Arstan Bab mausoleum. Before visiting the masterpiece of architecture - the mausoleum of Khoja Akhmet Yasawi, you must visit the place where his spiritual mentor, Arstan Bab, rests (as Khoja Akhmet himself bequeathed). After visiting the mausoleum, we will arrive in the city of Turkestan.

Day 5:

The fifth day will begin with exploring the Kazakh Mecca, because three visits to the city of Turkestan are equivalent to a pilgrimage to Mecca. There we will visit the Azret Sultan Museum-Reserve, the center of the composition of which is the mausoleum of the famous Sufi - Khoja Akhmet Yasawi. The mausoleum built by Tamerlane is a recognized masterpiece of medieval architecture. Afterwards we will visit the Keruen Saray complex, which includes a street of traders and artisans from the Silk Road times, a “flying theater”, an amphitheater for horse shows, an oriental bazaar, and shopping arcades. All this is connected by a water canal, which is called “Venice”. Then we again move along the “New Silk Road” highway, and the next location is the medieval settlement of Sauran. Sauran was first mentioned in Arab chronicles in the 11th century and has always been large and important. It is reported that in the 14th century Sauran was the capital of the White Horde. By the end of the day, we will arrive in the city of Kyzylorda.

Day 6:

The sixth day will be dedicated to the first and the world's largest operating cosmodrome - Baikonur. It is from this place that manned launches to the ISS (International Space Station) take off. You will visit the city of Baikonur, which requires a special pass, and a local guide will introduce you to the history of the formation of astronautics, as well as how the most space-faring people in the world live. Late in the evening we move to the city of Aralsk.

Day 7:

On the seventh day we will give you the opportunity to feel like real travelers from the times of the Great Silk Road. During the day we will cover about 500 km off-road in the sultry desert. You will see with your own eyes the environmental disaster that has befallen Kazakhstan - the disappearance of the Aral Sea. In the place where quite recently a huge sea spread out, you will see only salt, thickets of saxaul and lonely camels. On the way we will visit two villages of Akespe. The first village was once located on the shores of the Aral Sea, but now it is a lifeless desert. Village houses are disappearing into the sands every week, but many indigenous people refuse to move to a new village and regularly dig up their houses. Not far from Akespe there is a hot spring, which in 2019 was cultivated and adapted for bathing. You will also have the opportunity to make sure that the entire periodic table is present in the depths of Kazakhstan, since we will pass by a huge number of gas and oil pumps. The route along the Great Silk Road ends with an arrival in the village of Beineu, Mangistau region, but routes along Mangystau, as well as to Uzbekistan, begin from the village of Beyneu.

Tour locations: • 1. Petroglyphs "Tanbaly" • 2. Archaeological complex "Akyrtas" • 3. Mounds "Zhetytobe" • 4. Petroglyphs "Karasai" (if spending the night in tents) • 5. Archaeological complex "Ancient Taraz" • 6. Mausoleum and monument “Tekturmas” • 7. Ruins of an ancient mosque • 8. Mausoleum of Aisha Bibi and Babaji Khatun • 9. Ancient settlement of Barkuap • 10. Glade of rock climbers (for overnight stay in tents) • 11. Cave “Akshemit” • 12. Medieval settlement Otrar • 13. Mausoleum of Arystan Bab • 14. Bank of the Syrdarya River (if spending the night in tents) • 15. Mausoleum of Khoja Akhmet Yassaui • 16. Complex "Keruen Saray" • 17. Medieval settlement of Sauran • 18. Medieval settlement of Syganak • 19. Cosmodrome “Baikonur” • 20. Akespe villages • 21. Hot spring • 22. Chinks at the source (overnight in tents) • 23. “Aralkum” desert • 24. Salt lakes • 25. Gas and oil pumps

1. An identification document or passport is required. Since the route partially passes through the border zone, document verification is possible.

2. Individual medicines and personal hygiene items. All our jeeps are equipped with medical first aid kits, but only you know what and in what quantity is right for you.

3. Clothes and personal hygiene items. We always recommend that you take care first, of comfortable shoes and sun protection (hat, sunscreen). Depending on the season, you will need a raincoat, wind coat, or warm jacket.

► Off-road transportation

► Services of a guide-driver

► Fuel

► Services of a tour guide

► Entrance tickets to the national parks and attractions

► Special passes to the city of Baikonur, services of a local guide

► Environmental fees

► Accommodation in hotels along the entire route

► Passenger insurance

► Meals (three times a day)

► Drinking water

► Hiking

► Pictures from the trip

► Flights to Aktau/Beineu and back

► Airport transfer

► Hotel in Almaty

► Train from Beyneu

► Alcoholic drinks (optional)

Tour cost:

The final and exact cost of the tour is calculated individually depending on the number of people, wishes and preferences for overnight accommodation. For example, a seven-day full program for two tourists, on an all-inclusive basis, with overnight stays in good hotels, will cost from $4,110 ($2,055 per person).

You can also make a reservation and ask questions here:​