Aktau lies between the desert and the Caspian Sea, hundreds of kilometres from any other big city, and gets almost all its water from desalination. It is home to just over 300,000 people and is the capital of the Mangystau region, about 1,700 km west of Astana. Aktau began in 1958 as a closed Soviet town for the uranium mines nearby, was called Shevchenko from 1964 to 1991 and was built from scratch to a plan by Leningrad architects, so most of its buildings date from the Soviet era. Its nuclear reactor (1973–1999) powered the seawater desalination plant that made the city possible. Later Aktau grew to serve the oil industry, which is still its lifeline today.
Aktau is a gateway to Central Asia by air from the Caucasus and Istanbul. The city is growing fast on the wealth of the oil industry and is Kazakhstan’s main base for offshore oil and gas and for the sea route west across the Caspian. Its beaches offer the usual resort fun, but for a traveller the real value of Aktau is as the base for Mangystau tours – and there are a few nice sights in and around the city too.
Aktau at a glance
- What: a city on the Caspian Sea and the starting point for every Mangystau tour.
- Time needed: half a day in the city, plus as many days in Mangystau as you have.
- Getting there: several flights a day from Almaty and Astana, and international flights from Istanbul, Baku, Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi, seasonal flights from Dubai and Urumqi (Yerevan from December 2026).
- Visa: citizens of the EU, the UK and the US can visit Kazakhstan visa-free for 30 days.
- Best time: April–June and September–October; beach season from late May to August.
Tours from Aktau
Jeep tour to Mangystau (from Aktau)
This 2-day small-group jeep tour takes you from Aktau deep into the desert landscapes of Mangystau, one of the most…
Mangistau 7 days tour
Explore the wild desert landscapes of Mangystau in western Kazakhstan on this 7-day small-group camping tour from…
Unforgettable 3 days in Mangystau Tour
A compact 3-day small-group jeep tour from Aktau through the best of the Mangystau region: the white cliffs of Akespe…
Day trips from Aktau
- Torysh, the valley of stone balls – about 110 km
- Shakpak-Ata underground mosque and the Kapamsay canyon – about 130 km
- Sherkala, Kokala and Airakty – about 180 km
- Bozzhyra, Kyzylkup and Tuzbair – 250–300 km, too far for a comfortable day trip: plan at least one night
All our Mangystau tours start in Aktau, from the 2-day jeep tour (from $320) to the 8-day Mangistau – Karynzharyk Tour. Compare them on our Mangystau tours page.
How many days in Aktau and Mangystau?
One evening in Aktau is enough for the seafront promenade and the Caravel of Columbus. Then head into the desert: 2 days for the highlights, 4–5 days for most of Mangystau, and 7–8 days if you also want Zhygylgan, Shakpak-Ata and the Karynzharyk depression.
What to see in Aktau
Skalnaya tropa - the coastal promenade of Aktau
‘Skalnaya tropa’ translates from Russian as the ‘rocky path.’ The length of this coastal promenade is about 1,5 km and it follows the rocky coast of the Caspian sea where it was very hard to walk before installing the man made walking path. The promenade has about 20 viewing platforms, and the whole path is equipped with ambient music equipment accompaniment by different colored lighting that make those rocky terrains look like as a fascinating underwater show especially after sunset. On holidays, there is a laser show which in addition to tourists also attracts the local Aktau people. Here you can also enjoy street food.
Aktau Lighthouse
Aktau’s lighthouse is one of the most unusual in the world: since 1974 it has stood on the roof of a 10-storey apartment block in the 4th microdistrict. The tower is about 10 m tall, and after years of standing dark it was lit again in May 2024. You can see it from the seafront along Primorsky Boulevard.
Monument
"Caravel of Columbus"
This ship monument stands in Astana Square, in front of the Aktau city administration. It is a copy of the flagship of Columbus, whose voyage set out to find a sea route to India and reached the Americas instead. The monument, by the sculptor Edige Rakhmadiev, was a gift for Aktau’s 40th anniversary: with its wave-shaped pedestal it is 11.8 m tall and weighs about 150 tonnes, while the bronze ship itself weighs about 3 tonnes.
Aktau Botanical Garden
The Mangyshlak Botanical Garden, about 2 km from the city centre, is the green pride of Aktau. Hundreds of species of trees, shrubs and flowers that can survive the desert climate grow here, and its shady paths are a pleasant break from the heat.
Caspian beaches
The city beaches are busy from late May to August, when the sea warms up to over 20 °C. Parts of the shore are rocky, so wear water shoes.
Sights around Aktau
For millions of years, roaring river flowed here making its way to the Caspian Sea and forming mountain valleys and gorges while at it. Over the long period of time, the rivers became shallow, creating magnificent natural features called canyons. Occasionally the rivers themselves disappear after that, leaving behind deep dry gorges. A unique ecosystem has developed in these places, and they amaze tourists with their unusual appearance and bizarre shapes.
Kapamsay Canyon
Kapamsay canyon lies about 131 km north of Aktau, about 4.5 km from the Shakpak-Ata underground mosque, so the two are usually visited together. Its walls are snow-white, cream and in places almost silvery, and rise up to 70 m high.
Ybykty-Say gorge
Ybykty-Say is a dry gorge whose porous cliffs are full of holes, hollows and small natural arches carved by wind and water. It is a quiet place for a walk, and birds of prey often circle above it. Tours from Aktau to Tuzbair and Bozzhyra usually stop here together with the Karaman-Ata underground mosque. Read more about Ybykty Sai on our Mangystau page.
Sultan Epe Complex
According to legend, Sultan-Epe is the protector of sailors: those drowning in the Caspian who call on him will be saved. Today Sultan-Epe is a complex with an underground mosque, monuments, a garden with a well and the remains of ancient settlements, about 57 km east of Fort-Shevchenko. The whole complex is dedicated to the saint, including his tomb and the underground mosque, which resembles Shakpak-Ata and consists of several rooms and low passages. Archaeologists have found prehistoric artefacts here too. Sultan-Epe is one of the five rock mosques of Mangystau added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2026.
Tuzbair salt flat
Tuzbair is a salt flat ringed by white chalk cliffs, with arches and small canyons along its edges. After the spring thaw it is covered with shallow water that mirrors the sky; in summer the crust dries out and you can walk on it. It lies about 270 km from Aktau, so it is visited on tours of two days or more. Read more about Tuzbair on our Mangystau page.
Travel to Aktau
Aktau by Plane
Most travellers fly to Aktau. Air Astana, FlyArystan and SCAT fly several times a day from Almaty and Astana, with direct flights also from Atyrau, Shymkent and other Kazakh cities. International flights connect Aktau with Istanbul (FlyArystan and Pegasus), Baku, Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi, with seasonal flights to Dubai and Urumqi, and flights to Yerevan start on 16 December 2026. Aktau airport is about 23 km north-west of the city, about half an hour by taxi.
Aktau by Train
Aktau has no railway station of its own: trains stop at Mangyshlak station, about 20 km from the city, which is connected to Aktau by bus 105 and by taxi. From Almaty the train takes about 2.5–3 days, so most people fly.
Aktau by Ferry
Cargo ferries from Alat port near Baku now arrive at Kuryk port, south of Aktau, not in Aktau itself. Regular passenger service across the Caspian has been suspended since 2020, so check the current situation with us before planning a crossing.
It is also possible to drive to Aktau but it is a long long drive from almost anywhere in Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan
More sights from Aktau
Written by Anssi Karppinen, Central Asia Guide · Page updated