Motorcycle tours in Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan (Pamir), Uzbekistan. Enduro tours. Jeep 4x4 tours
KAZAKHSTAN
THE MYSTERIOUS USTYURT
ENDURO MOTORBIKE TOUR IN KAZAKHSTAN
9 DAYS
Do you want to ride your motorcycle through a place that genuinely looks like another planet? Then welcome to the Mysterious Ustyurt Enduro Motorcycle Tour — the wildest and most unreal landscape we’ve ever explored.
Twenty million years ago, this region was a deep ocean. Today, it’s a silent, endless desert that has barely changed since ancient Sufi ascetics came here to disappear from the world. Hardly anyone travels through Ustyurt, and that’s exactly what makes it special. It’s one of those rare places that still feels untouched. We’re proud to offer a route that no one else has — a true expedition into the unknown.
What will you see here?
You’ll cross the Karagiye Depression, riding at the bottom of a dried ocean basin, 132 meters below sea level, where prehistoric shells and shark teeth still lie under your boots. You’ll spend the night inside Bozzhirau Canyon, surrounded by massive white cliffs glowing in the sunrise. You’ll walk through the Valley of Balls, a desert full of perfect stone spheres that geologists still can’t fully explain. You’ll explore the ancient underground Sufi mosques of Shopan-Ata and Shakpak-Ata — places that feel almost supernatural. You’ll stand before Sharkala Mountain, a giant rock formation rising out of the flat steppe like a crashed starship. You’ll visit the dramatic Zhygylgan collapse and end your journey at the serene Blue Bay of the Caspian Sea.
And then there are the nights: real wilderness camping, absolute silence, a sky full of stars, and the fire cracking in the dark. No hotels, no crowds — just you, the desert and the feeling of being far from everything.
P.S. We do not describe some places and roads on our website because it is an exclusive part of our itinerary and commercial secret.
Motorcycle tours in Kazakhstan. Ustyurt.
Duration: 9 travel days, 7 riding days
Country: West of Kazakhstan. Mangistau region.
Start/Finish: Aktau city
Total Distance: 1500 km
Bikes: Suzuki DR650SE
Roads: about 30% paved road and 70% dirt road.
Accommodation: twin room in hotels (4 nights), yurt camp (1 night), tents (3 nights)
Group size: min 6 and max 8 riders. 2 seats for passenger in car support available.
Country: West of Kazakhstan. Mangistau region.
Start/Finish: Aktau city
Total Distance: 1500 km
Bikes: Suzuki DR650SE
Roads: about 30% paved road and 70% dirt road.
Accommodation: twin room in hotels (4 nights), yurt camp (1 night), tents (3 nights)
Group size: min 6 and max 8 riders. 2 seats for passenger in car support available.
Date: 18.04.2026 - 26.04.2026
Places: 7 available
Price: USD 3500
Tour price includes:
Tour price excludes:
Requirements:
Tour price includes:
- Suzuki DR650SE bike and third-party insurance
- Guide on a motorcycle
- Support vehicle with passenger carrying ability
- All stays (shared twin room)
- Breakfast, water
- All entry fees
- Airport transfer
Tour price excludes:
- Possible damages to the motorcycle
- Damage deposit — USD 500 (refundable if no damage)
- Lunch and dinner
- Flights
- Visas (if required)
- Personal insurance
- Fuel
- Any other expenses not included in the price
- Alcohol
Requirements:
- International driver’s license with motorcycle category
- Minimum age: 21 years
- At least 3 years of riding experience
- Very good off-road skills (especially on sand)
- Readiness for an adventurous journey
- Physical strength and endurance
- Pure optimism and respect for local laws and culture
PRICE INFO
1. Aktau
Arrival in Aktau. Transfer and check-in. Aktau is a beautiful city located on the Caspian Sea in western Kazakhstan. You will meet the support team, receive a briefing, and check the motorbikes. Dinner will be at a restaurant. Overnight stay at the hotel.
2. Aktau – Turtle Lake – Mys Tyub-Karagan
We leave Aktau and ride toward Turtle Lake, a quiet spot hidden among rocky formations. The route continues toward Cape Tyub-Karagan, where the desert drops into the Caspian Sea. We set up our camp directly on the bay — a peaceful, untouched place with incredible sunsets. Overnight in tents, dinner prepared by our chef.
3. Mys Tyub-Karagan – Jigalgan – Sartas Visitor Center
Morning ride along the dramatic coastal cliffs of the Mangystau Peninsula. We stop at Jigalgan — “The Fallen Earth” — an enormous land collapse that looks like a giant piece of the steppe simply broke away. We continue to the Sartas Visitor Center for a comfortable hotel stay and dinner.
4. Sartas Visitor Center – Valley of Balls – Yurt Camp
We begin the day by riding to Shakpak-Ata, an extraordinary underground mosque carved into the limestone cliffs between the X–XIII centuries. This ancient Sufi sanctuary feels hidden from time itself — quiet chambers, cool stone corridors, and centuries-old carvings that create an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Mangystau.
After exploring the site, we head into the open steppe to search for real shark teeth, preserved in the soil since the days when this entire region was a prehistoric ocean. From here the route takes us to the Valley of Balls, a surreal desert field filled with perfectly rounded stone spheres whose origin remains a geological mystery. In the evening, we arrive at a traditional yurt camp for dinner and an overnight stay.
5. Yurt Camp – Sharkala Mountain – Tuzbayir
We ride toward Sharkala Mountain, one of Mangystau’s most iconic landmarks, standing like a giant stone ship in the middle of the steppe. From there the route leads to Tuzbayir, a dramatic white clay-and-salt landscape known for its pure silence and endless horizons. Overnight in tents at a remote camp.
6. Tuzbayir – Boszhira canyon
A full day of riding through changing desert terrain as the white clay flats of Tuzbayir slowly rise into the dramatic Boszhira plateau. The landscape grows sharper and more unreal with every kilometer — towering white cliffs, needle-like formations, and shapes that genuinely look carved by another planet’s wind. By late afternoon we reach one of the best viewpoints in all of Mangystau, where the vastness of Boszhira opens beneath us. We set up our camp right on the edge of this panorama, watching the cliffs turn gold in the sunset. Overnight in tents under a sky that feels impossibly wide.
7. Boszhira – Zhanaozen
We start the morning surrounded by Boszhira’s white cliffs, riding to several panoramic viewpoints that reveal the full scale of this otherworldly landscape. After a final descent from the plateau, the terrain slowly changes from wild desert shapes to the open steppe as we head toward Zhanaozen — a working town in the heart of the Mangystau oil region. It’s a different side of Western Kazakhstan: local cafés, busy streets and the feeling of returning from complete wilderness back to civilization. We check into a comfortable hotel, have dinner, and enjoy a well-earned rest after days of camping under the stars.
8. Zhanaozen – Karagiye Depression – Aktau (celebration dinner)
The final riding day takes us through the Karagiye Depression — one of the lowest points in the world, a dried seabed sitting 132 meters below sea level. After exploring this unique place, we head back to Aktau. In the evening, we gather for a celebration dinner and mark the end of our desert expedition. Overnight at a good hotel.
9. Aktau. Departure day
Enjoy a relaxed morning in Aktau. Depending on your flight time, you can walk along the Caspian Sea promenade or simply rest after the adventure. When it’s time, we’ll arrange your transfer to the airport and see you off. Thank you for riding with us — you’re always welcome back on the next SilkOffRoad adventure.
Arrival in Aktau. Transfer and check-in. Aktau is a beautiful city located on the Caspian Sea in western Kazakhstan. You will meet the support team, receive a briefing, and check the motorbikes. Dinner will be at a restaurant. Overnight stay at the hotel.
2. Aktau – Turtle Lake – Mys Tyub-Karagan
We leave Aktau and ride toward Turtle Lake, a quiet spot hidden among rocky formations. The route continues toward Cape Tyub-Karagan, where the desert drops into the Caspian Sea. We set up our camp directly on the bay — a peaceful, untouched place with incredible sunsets. Overnight in tents, dinner prepared by our chef.
3. Mys Tyub-Karagan – Jigalgan – Sartas Visitor Center
Morning ride along the dramatic coastal cliffs of the Mangystau Peninsula. We stop at Jigalgan — “The Fallen Earth” — an enormous land collapse that looks like a giant piece of the steppe simply broke away. We continue to the Sartas Visitor Center for a comfortable hotel stay and dinner.
4. Sartas Visitor Center – Valley of Balls – Yurt Camp
We begin the day by riding to Shakpak-Ata, an extraordinary underground mosque carved into the limestone cliffs between the X–XIII centuries. This ancient Sufi sanctuary feels hidden from time itself — quiet chambers, cool stone corridors, and centuries-old carvings that create an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Mangystau.
After exploring the site, we head into the open steppe to search for real shark teeth, preserved in the soil since the days when this entire region was a prehistoric ocean. From here the route takes us to the Valley of Balls, a surreal desert field filled with perfectly rounded stone spheres whose origin remains a geological mystery. In the evening, we arrive at a traditional yurt camp for dinner and an overnight stay.
5. Yurt Camp – Sharkala Mountain – Tuzbayir
We ride toward Sharkala Mountain, one of Mangystau’s most iconic landmarks, standing like a giant stone ship in the middle of the steppe. From there the route leads to Tuzbayir, a dramatic white clay-and-salt landscape known for its pure silence and endless horizons. Overnight in tents at a remote camp.
6. Tuzbayir – Boszhira canyon
A full day of riding through changing desert terrain as the white clay flats of Tuzbayir slowly rise into the dramatic Boszhira plateau. The landscape grows sharper and more unreal with every kilometer — towering white cliffs, needle-like formations, and shapes that genuinely look carved by another planet’s wind. By late afternoon we reach one of the best viewpoints in all of Mangystau, where the vastness of Boszhira opens beneath us. We set up our camp right on the edge of this panorama, watching the cliffs turn gold in the sunset. Overnight in tents under a sky that feels impossibly wide.
7. Boszhira – Zhanaozen
We start the morning surrounded by Boszhira’s white cliffs, riding to several panoramic viewpoints that reveal the full scale of this otherworldly landscape. After a final descent from the plateau, the terrain slowly changes from wild desert shapes to the open steppe as we head toward Zhanaozen — a working town in the heart of the Mangystau oil region. It’s a different side of Western Kazakhstan: local cafés, busy streets and the feeling of returning from complete wilderness back to civilization. We check into a comfortable hotel, have dinner, and enjoy a well-earned rest after days of camping under the stars.
8. Zhanaozen – Karagiye Depression – Aktau (celebration dinner)
The final riding day takes us through the Karagiye Depression — one of the lowest points in the world, a dried seabed sitting 132 meters below sea level. After exploring this unique place, we head back to Aktau. In the evening, we gather for a celebration dinner and mark the end of our desert expedition. Overnight at a good hotel.
9. Aktau. Departure day
Enjoy a relaxed morning in Aktau. Depending on your flight time, you can walk along the Caspian Sea promenade or simply rest after the adventure. When it’s time, we’ll arrange your transfer to the airport and see you off. Thank you for riding with us — you’re always welcome back on the next SilkOffRoad adventure.
ITINERARY
SilkOffRoad Motorcycle Tours
Kazakhstan, Almaty
Kazakhstan, Almaty
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