Bes Shatyr is located 195km to the north from Almaty. Translated as “five hills” from Kazak, it looks like ancient necropolis and remains the main ethnographic and archaeological site of Alryn Emel National Park. A huge valley on the north bank of Ili river is used for the thousands of years by different generations of nomads: being a sacred place for ancient people (here they put their dolmens), Bes Shatyr had been also chosen as a burial site by Saki (Scythe) tribes. Dating around middle of I millennium BC it consists of 37 mounds with stone embankment. The largest royal burial mounds up to 17 meters in height are placed in the central part of the necropolis covering area of 2 square kilometers.

Within the trip we will explore the Bes Shatyr and Kyzylauz gorge (in Sholak mountains) known for its rock paintings. The itinerary looks like:
08.00 – 11.30 drive Almaty – Bes Shatyr
11.30 – 13.00 excursion around Bes Shatyr to observe the burial mounds, dolmens
13.00 – 14.00 lunch
14.00 – 14.30 drive to Kyzylauz
14.30 – 15.30 look at rock paintings in Kyzylauz gorge
15.30 – 19.00 drive back to Almaty