Cycling Kazakhstan's Nomad Trails

We ride a total of 412 km over six back-to-back cycling days. The cycling arena for this tour is located in the southeast of Kazakhstan which, though only a small pocket of the country, contains its most diverse array of landscapes. We experience everything from the arid, Martian-red labyrinths of the Charyn Canyon to the lush, high-altitude jailoos (summer pastures) of the Tien Shan foothills. The views are as spectacular as the rides are thrilling, taking us across a mix of dirt and gravel trails interspersed with true off-road sections on dry riverbeds and tarmac on provincial roads. To bypass the heavy traffic of the main highways and reach the best cycling terrain, we utilise vehicle transfers on Days 1 and 2. From there, the heart of the journey consists of three point-to-point rides between remote tented camps set up by our support team. On Day 7, we have a short post-ride transfer to the Chundzha Hot Springs, followed by a longer drive back to Almaty on Day 8. Non-cycling highlights include a hike through the “Valley of Castles” and admiring the panorama of Khan Tengri mirrored in the waters of Tuzkol Salt Lake. And, of course, you won’t forget the incredible hospitality of the Kazakh villagers and shepherds, as well as the sight of herds of semi-wild horses that cross our path along the way.

The trip is fully supported, and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of water and refreshments along the way.

Suitability: This is an active-level tour, and riders can expect to be challenged by both the route and the terrain in various ways. South-eastern Kazakhstan’s rugged geography involves a sequence of steady ascents and descents, though long periods of flat or gently rolling sections provide a well-balanced overall pace. Daily distances are consistently between 65 and 75 km (not including the slightly shorter first day), which equates to full days in the saddle when factoring in surface conditions, elevation gains, and breaks. As an adventure designed specifically for mountain biking, you should have experience cycling on rough surfaces and off-road trails. This requires confident bike-handling skills, particularly on the descents. Cycling at altitudes of over 2,000 metres adds a further layer of challenge, as the thinner air can affect exertion levels and recovery times. A support vehicle follows the group throughout the journey, but please be aware that it cannot always follow directly behind; instead, it will meet the group at designated intervals. Furthermore, as the group approaches lunch or the end of the ride, the support vehicle will need to drive ahead to prepare the meal and set up the campsite. Please note that passenger seats are limited and you should come prepared to ride the full daily distances.

Biking Conditions: Riders can expect approximately 75% of the route to consist of vehicle-width dirt and gravel tracks, alongside sections of singletrack and off-road riding. The remaining 25% is made up of paved surfaces, ranging from high-quality tarmac to broken, bumpy, and cratered roads. The non-paved portions of this trip offer fantastic riding for mountain bikers, though it is important to remember that some sections consist of loose gravel and sandy patches that require careful navigation. Additionally, several descents are quite rocky and demand extra caution. While traffic on the paved sections is generally minimal, be prepared to share the road with cars, motorcycles, and buses, particularly when approaching towns (which, overall, are few and far between!). Kazakhstan can be windy, which may work for or against our favour depending on the direction; regardless, you will certainly need a buff to protect your mouth and nose from the dust on the steppe. Depending on the month you join this tour, rainfall can also have an impact, leading to muddy or slippery conditions, particularly in the late spring. It is all part of the adventure, and your expert guide will ensure you are safe at all times!

Accommodations: In Almaty (Days 1 and 8) we stay in a modern, centrally located 4 star hotel. In Bayseit (Day 2) we stay at a simple local guesthouse; low-frills but cosy. In the Charyn Canyon (Day 3) we stay at a camp managed by the National Park which is quite modern, offering a mix of bespoke tents and modular houses. Days 4, 5, and 6 are the highlight for most riders as this is when the local team sets up camp sites just for us in beautiful, remote locations. Our camps include trekking tents with mats to sleep in but please bring a sleeping bag, a camping mattress (such as a Therm-a-Rest for insulation), a sleeping bag liner for added warmth or hygiene, and a pillow. Our camps also include a dining tent, a toilet tent and even a sauna tent! On Day 7 we stay at a local hot spring resort in the region of Chundzha replete with comfortable rooms and a thermal pool. Please be aware that some older properties, while charming, may show signs of wear and tear. Room sizes may vary, and beds can be firmer than you are used to. Don’t expect all hotel or campsite staff to speak English. For larger groups, we may need to use more than one accommodation and, in case of limited availability, switch to an alternative property from the one listed in the itinerary.

Bikes

Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section. We provide hardtail mountain bikes from Haro or similar brands. If you bring your own bike, we suggest it is a full-suspension or hardtail mountain bike in good mechanical order. We don't suggest bringing a gravel bike for this tour due to the rough nature of some of the off-road trails. E-bikes are not available for hire on this tour.

Bike Repairs

Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.

Guides

You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.

If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:

FLEXIBLE BOOKING CONDITIONS

CONFIRMING YOUR BOOKING

Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.

You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.

TRIP STATUS

There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.

BOOKING ONLINE

From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).

If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.

BOOKING OFFLINE

Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.

DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS

We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.

The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.

In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.

In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.

The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.

FULL FLEXIBILITY FOR TOUR CANCELATIONS

If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).

If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).

Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.

If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.

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