What are the highlights?

The Mugodzhar hills where the Urals fade into the steppe, plus river canyons and vast, empty grassland.

When is the best time to visit?

Late spring and early autumn; the steppe is hot in midsummer and severe in winter.

Remoteness and space — deep-steppe country for expedition-style travel well off the tourist trail.

Things to do in Aktobe

Large and empty, Aktobe spans steppe, the southern Mugodzhar hills — the worn-down tail of the Ural Mountains — and canyon-cut rivers, deep in Kazakhstan's west. This is expedition steppe: big, remote and quiet, for travellers who measure a good day in horizons rather than summits.

Hills and canyons

Mugodzhar hill walking, Emba and Or river canyon trips, and remote steppe expeditions, in western Kazakhstan. Open the Book here tab for dates.