It’s not every day a place wows me. I’ve traveled to over 100 countries, and the bar is set high. But Kazakhstan did just that, and today I want to share my itinerary for spending 4 days in Mangystau with you. Often referred to as “Mars on Earth,” this part of Central Asia is famous for its otherworldly landscapes, stunning salt flats, and Caspian Sea coastline. If you want to travel somewhere that will truly amaze you, read on for my guide to how to visit this unique region. I’ve included a map, too.
4 Days in Mangystau
One of the downsides of running a travel blog for a living is that the more of the world I experience, the harder it is for a new place to really fill me with a sense of awe. It’s rare that I go on a trip that genuinely takes my breath away. Enter Mangystau.
If you’ve read my recent blog post with an itinerary for Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, you’ll know I’ve traveled to Central Asia to speak at a conference in Almaty. After my talk at TBEX, I’m off to western Kazakstan for a post-conference tour sponsored by the organizers.
The 4-day itinerary for Mangystau promises a mix of urban highlights and off-road adventure through surreal natural landscapes. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for my group.
Day 1: Aktau
After a 3-hour flight from Almaty to Aktau, my group lands at 2pm and meets our guide in the arrivals hall. From there we’re driven to our accommodation, the Dostyk Business Hotel. We drop our bags in our rooms and head off on a walking tour of the city.
Aktau Walking Tour
Our first stop is right near the hotel. There are three murals of Kazakh female heroes from World War II painted in larger-than-life form on the sides of buildings. From pilots to machine gunners, their stories are inspirational.
The next stop on our walking tour of Aktau is the Eternal Flame Memorial. It’s also dedicated to those who fought in World War II, and there are statues all around it.
From there we walk to the Caspian Riviera Hotel, which is right on the sea. We’re here to learn about the region’s famous sturgeon fish and see the hotel’s impressive in-house aquarium (it even has a glass floor).
The final stop on our tour is the Rock Trail. Walking along this seafront boardwalk is one of the most popular things to do in Aktau, and we’re lucky to arrive during golden hour.
The light is beautiful, and it’s fun to watch the boat cruises from the waterfront as we walk beside the cliffs.
Dinner
When the tour is finished, we hop in vans for the ride to the Rixos Water World resort, a family-oriented hotel with a water park. We arrive at sunset and enjoy stunning views from the beach. Afterwards we have a buffet dinner in a huge dining room before heading back to our hotel for the night.
Day 2: Mangystau
The next morning we wake up early, have a quick breakfast at the Dostyk Business Hotel, and hop in vans for the drive to the Mangystau desert in the interior of the region.
Tuzbair Salt Flat
After 4 hours on the Aktau-Beyneu highway and a series of dirt tracks, we arrive at the Tuzbair Salt Flat. This stunning place is 9 miles (15 kilometers) long, and it looks like something from another planet.
The landscape is sparkling white as far as we can see, and the dramatic cliffs of the Ustyurt Plateau rise up around the edges. We even spot mirages that look like lakes. It gives me goosebumps.
Soon we stop at a unique natural rock arch in the cliffs to take pictures. As we do, our guide tells us that this place is 200 million years old. It was once at the bottom of the prehistoric Tethys Ocean, and there are seashells, urchin skeletons, and fossilized shark teeth embedded all around us.
After our photo stop, we drive a bit farther into the salt flat for a picnic lunch. It’s hot and breezy outside, but our drivers do an impressive job setting up a table with a midday feast for us to enjoy.
Mount Sherkala
Leaving the salt flat, we drive to Mount Sherkala. Also known as the Fortress of the Lion, it’s a solitary chalk-and-limestone mountain rising up out of the flat landscape around it.
Located near the town of Shetpe, Mount Sherkala tops out at nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the desert plain surrounding it.
As we photograph the mountain, our guide tells us that there was once a medieval fortress and a caravanserai in the area. Traveling merchants used Mount Sherkala as a waypoint and rest stop on their journeys.
Valley of the Castles
After a second stop to photograph Mount Sherkala from another perspective, we drive to a popular spot in the Airakty-Shomanai Mountains. Ukranian writer and artist Taras Shevchenko dubbed this place the “Valley of the Castles” when he came here to paint it in 1851.
After photographing the stunning orange rock formations (aka “castles”), we drive deeper into the valley to watch the sunset. It’s magical here, what with wild horses running through the hills and the moon rising between jagged peaks as the sunset paints the sky orange and pink.
As much as I love photographing and filming it all, I can’t help putting my camera and phone away after a while so I can soak up the magic of the moment.
Yurt Camp
When the sky starts to darken, we drive into Shetpe to spend the night in yurts at Qazaq Camp. We each get our own spacious accommodation, complete with air conditioning and linens that look brand new.
There are several blocks of bathhouses dotted throughout the camp. Each contains separate rooms with showers, sinks, and toilets. There’s WiFi, too, which is nice in a region with limited mobile reception.
After getting settled in, we enjoy a traditional family-style dinner in the spacious dining yurt. There’s live music to accompany the feast, and we welcome the food and entertainment after a long day of exploring Mangystau.
Day 3: Mangystau
The next morning we have a quick breakfast at Qazaq Camp before heading out to discover more of the region. If yesterday is anything to go by, it’s going to be amazing. Spoiler alert: it’s even more awe-inspiring.
Shopan Ata
Our first stop is at Shopan Ata. It’s comprised of a centuries-old sacred burial site and a unique underground mosque cut into a rock.
Situated along historical caravan routes that connect Mangyshlak to Khorezm, the mosque features 12 interconnected chambers. It’s a testament to the fact that the Kazakh people see Mangystau as a spiritually significant region. I can see why. This place has otherworldly written all over it.
The surrounding necropolis is home to around 4,000 ancient graves, stone monuments, and traditional Kazakh memorial structures.
Shopan Ata is a major spiritual pilgrimage destination, and it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2026. We tour the mosque, stepping inside the rock and exploring the series of small carved-out rooms.
From there we walk through the necropolis, see religious pilgrims being offered holy water from a well, and pass by a tea house where visitors are offered refreshment before they continue their journeys.
Tiramisu Canyon
Our journey continues at the Kyzylkup tract, which is affectionately (and accurately) nicknamed Tiramisu Canyon. After seeing it from above at a viewpoint along the highway, we drive deep into the valley for a closer look.
The rocky layers of the canyon amaze us with their orange, red, and white stripes. We take in the hills, soaking up the views as we photograph and film everything we see.
Afterwards our guide tells us that the colorful strata formed over millions of years on the floor of the Tethys Ocean. Iron oxide, chalk, and gypsum contribute to the varied hues in the rock.
Botky Mountain
From there we drive a short distance to Botky Mountain, where we enjoy a picnic lunch. Like Tiramisu Canyon, Botky Mountain is known for the colorful stripes at its base. It rises dramatically up from the flat plain around it, and it’s the perfect backdrop for our feast.
Bozzhyra National Park
From Botky Mountain things get even more amazing. We drive to Bozzhyra National Park, an awe-inspiring desert tract on the western edge of the Ustyurt Plateau. Known for white limestone rock formations and dramatic landscapes for miles in every direction, this place feels like it’s on another planet.
Our first stop is at The Fangs in Bozzhyra Valley. These two iconic limestone spires form the national park’s most recognized landmark. White in color and surrounded by a cracked plain, they wow us with their otherworldly appearance.
From The Fangs we drive to Dragon’s Crest. We arrive at the clifftop viewpoint just in time for sunset (and are surprised that there are only a few other people here).
The scene takes our breath away. As we stand on the edge of a cliff, we soak up views of white chalk and limestone landscapes as far as the eye can see.
The sinking sun sets the ridge across from us ablaze in orange, and we have to keep pinching ourselves to believe this place is real. It’s genuinely one of the most amazing landscapes I’ve seen on all my travels.
After sunset we drive to another viewpoint called Mars on Earth. This one offers more stunning panoramas of volcano-like mountains and rocky plateaus. It all looks surreal in the light of blue hour.
Zhanaozen
From Mars on Earth we drive to Zhanaozen for dinner at a restaurant locals call Marjan’s Cafe. We arrive at 11pm, and we welcome the family-style feast of excellent pumpkin manti dumplings and other Kazakh cuisine.
Aktau
From Zhanaozen it’s a long drive back to Aktau. We arrive at 2am, check into the Dostyk Business Hotel, and sleep as late as we can.
Day 4: Aktau
The next day we enjoy a big breakfast at the hotel, then pack up for our flight back to Almaty. We’re all still in awe of the landscapes we’ve seen for the past two days, and we can’t help recounting our adventures as we make our way to the airport for our flight.
4-Day Mangystau Itinerary
So there you have it. My itinerary for 4 days in Mangystau. This part of Kazakhstan is truly one of the most memorable places I’ve ever experienced, and I hope I’ve inspired you to come here yourself someday. If I have, you can book a tour with the company I traveled with here, or a slightly longer tour with the same company here. If you found this post helpful, buy me a coffee!
Mangystau Map
As promised, I’ve created an interactive Google map of all the places on my Mangystau itinerary. You can see it here. It will help give you a feel for where things are in relation to one another so you can plan a trip of your own.
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