Mount Bokty

Mount Bokty rises 165 meters (541 ft) above the surrounding plains. The mountain, striped with shades of white, yellow, coral, and brown, looks like a layered cake due to the clearly visible boundaries between its multi-colored deposits of clay and sandstone. Mount Bokty looks the most spectacular at sunset or sunrise, when the rocks reflect the light in a fiery glow. Admiring this colorful beauty, don’t forget to look under your feet; you will likely find fossilized teeth of ancient sharks, as this area used to be at the bottom of an ancient ocean.

During your trip to Mount Bokty be sure to visit other attractions of Mangystau Province: Senek Sands, Bozjyra Tract, the Beket Ata and the Shopan Ata Underground Mosques.

Useful tips for 2020-2021

How to get there

We highly recommend going to Mount Bokty as a guided tour. A GPS navigator may fail you in remote areas, and getting lost in the middle of the desert can be dangerous. If you decide to go there on your own, drive a high-clearance vehicle because in some areas there are no roads. It is best to set off for a trip in fine weather; the soil becomes viscous during rain, and driving may become a challenge.

The mountain is located about 250 km (155 mi) away from the city of Aktau. First drive 152 km (94 mi) to the town of Janaozen. Then drive another 20 km (12 mi) to the village of Kyzylsay (in some maps you may see its former name – Uzen). At the fork in the road in Kyzylsay turn right towards the village of Senek. There you can marvel at the Senek Sands, dunes of up to 30 meters (100 ft) high. The paved road ends in the village and the dirt road begins. After about 25 km (15.5 mi) you’ll see the old cemetery. This area is called Besokty. You’ll need to exit the dirt road there and drive northeast through the desert. After 15 km (9 mi) you’ll see Mount Bokty. It’s visible from afar, so you won’t miss it. The famous Bozjyra Tract, where you’ll see Mangystau’s most spectacular views, is just 20 km (12 mi) away so be sure to visit it too.

Food and accommodation

The area is very remote, so gas up, take spare tires, food, water, medical supplies, and a tent.