Everything you need to plan your day
By Nomad Outfitters · Updated 30 October 2026
About 5,000 carvings
UNESCO counts about 5,000 petroglyphs in 48 groups, around 3,000 of them in the five main groups. The oldest date from the Bronze Age, in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, and people kept carving here until the early 20th century. Look for sun-headed figures, figures dressed in furs and animals.
A protected museum-reserve
Tanbaly is a museum-reserve in the Anrakay mountains, near the village of Karabastau, about 170 km northwest of Almaty. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage site in 2004. Guided excursions on site cost 2,000 tenge an hour.
An easy walk
You walk about 2 km in total on dirt paths between the carving groups, with a few rocky steps up to the viewpoints. Spring is the prettiest, when the steppe turns green and poppies flower in May. On summer days we start early, before the midday heat.
Best months
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage List; Tanbaly museum-reserve: tickets; Archaeology.kz.
Tanbaly PetroglyphsПетроглифы Танбалы
A guided walk among Bronze Age carvings, with a picnic lunch near the petroglyphs.
- 08:00 to 17:30hotel to hotel
- Privateyour own guide and car
- About 2 kmeasy walking
- Picnic lunch
- Entrance fees and drinking water
- Free cancellation
What you will see
The carving groups and the landscape around them.
The rocky slopes
Dark rock faces where most of the carvings are.
The carvings
Animals, sun-headed figures and scenes from daily life.
The landscape
Views over the steppe from the viewpoints above the site.
Tanbaly questions
How far is Tanbaly from Almaty?
About 170 km, a drive of about 2.5 hours each way.
How old are the petroglyphs?
The oldest date from the Bronze Age, in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, and carving went on until the early 20th century.
How many petroglyphs are there?
UNESCO counts about 5,000, in 48 groups.
How much is the ticket?
Under the July 2025 price list, 2,000 tenge for a foreign adult and 1,000 tenge for a Kazakhstan citizen. Entrance fees are included in our tour.
Is it hard to walk?
No. You walk about 2 km in total on dirt paths, with a few rocky steps up to the viewpoints.
