Sayram-Ugam National Park
Sayram-Ugam is the Kazakh side of the same Ugam ridge that stands above Tashkent — the same mountains from the other side of the border. 149,037 ha, topping out at Sayram peak (4,238 m). The main walk runs from the Sayramsu gorge up to the Sayram-Su lakes: 11 km and 1,200 m of climb. From Tashkent via the Gisht Kuprik crossing and Shymkent it is 200 km, 5–6 hours with the border queue. Entry is 649 tenge per person per day (about 17,000 UZS). Each of the park's eleven numbered routes has its own monthly quota — 60 people a month for Sayramsu — so book ahead.
Routes
Weather
At 1 576 mNow: -4° · Clear · Wind 3 km/h
Updated: 9 min ago · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)
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How to get there
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By car: Gisht Kuprik — Shymkent — the gorgeTashkent to the Gisht Kuprik crossing is 25 km, the border to Shymkent 104 km, Shymkent to the alpine camp in the Sayramsu gorge 73 km. That is 3 h 15 min of driving; reckon on 5–6 hours with the border queue. The last 20 km are dirt — a low car will struggle. · 201,0 km · 5 h 30 min
- Toshkent → G'isht Ko'prik Car · 26 min · 24,6 km
- G'isht Ko'prik → Shimkent Car · 1 h 15 min · 103,6 km The border queue is not in this figure.
- Shimkent → Sayram-Su alplageri Car · 1 h 31 min · 72,6 km
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By bus and taxiA marshrutka from Tashkent to Gisht Kuprik, cross the border on foot, then a bus or shared taxi to Shymkent. From Shymkent to the gorge you need a taxi — the park also hires out a car at 1,298 tenge an hour (fuel extra). We have not checked the fares. · 201,0 km · 7 h
- Toshkent → G'isht Ko'prik Public transport · 40 min · 24,6 km
- G'isht Ko'prik → Shimkent Public transport · 2 h · 103,6 km
- Shimkent → Sayram-Su alplageri Taxi · 1 h 50 min · 72,6 km
Questions and answers
Do you need a permit?
Yes. This is a protected area: entry needs permission, or a fee at the gate. You pay at the eco-post and keep the receipt on you. Kaspi QR or cash tenge; foreign cards are not accepted at the gate, so bring cash. Register your route on 112 before going into the mountains — that has been the rule since 9 September 2025. Each of the eleven routes has a monthly quota (Sayramsu 60, Makpal 56, Susyngen 60, Saryaygyr 80, Sazan-Ata 40 people); apply through the form on sugnpp.kz. This is a trip across a border: bring a passport.
How do you get there?
By car: Gisht Kuprik — Shymkent — the gorge: Tashkent to the Gisht Kuprik crossing is 25 km, the border to Shymkent 104 km, Shymkent to the alpine camp in the Sayramsu gorge 73 km. That is 3 h 15 min of driving; reckon on 5–6 hours with the border queue. The last 20 km are dirt — a low car will struggle. There are 2 ways in altogether.
Which months are best?
May–Oct — that is when people go.
How long does it take?
One trip takes about 11 h: 11,2 km of walking and 1 220 m of climbing.
What does it cost?
Park hotel, twin room, per person/night — 102 000 UZS (per person, 3893 KZT @ 2026-09-16), Park entry, per person/day — 17 000 UZS (per person, 649 KZT @ 2026-09-16), Inspector-guide, up to 20 people per day — 68 000 UZS (per group, 2595 KZT @ 2026-09-16), Parking, per day — 11 400 UZS (per car, 432 KZT @ 2026-09-16), Commercial photography, per day — 773 000 UZS (per group, 29410 KZT @ 2026-09-16), The park's own car, per hour (fuel extra) — 34 100 UZS (per car, 1298 KZT @ 2026-09-16). The prices are estimates and can differ on the day.
Is there water on the way?
The path follows the Sayramsu river, so there is plenty of water. Boil or filter it anyway — there is grazing higher up.
Photos
Photos by Wikimedia Commons contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0