Date Established: 30 June 1931
HQ Location Address: Kazbek Bi 5
Website: https://naurzum.kz/turizm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naurzum_gpz/
Phone: +7 714 542 1141
Cost: 400 Tenge per person and 950 Tenge per group up to 6
The dry steppe of northern Kazakhstan blooms with life in the springtime, as late snows thaw and early rains water wildflowers left dormant beneath the soil and broad estuaries fill with migrating birds returning from winter quarters in warmer climes. At least 687 species of plants and 282 bird species live in or pass through Naurzum, a massive proportion of those to be found across the entire Kazakh steppe, and the reserve is also crucial habitat for 47 mammals including the critically endangered saiga antelope.
The current boundaries protect a vast 191,381 hectare reserve and further 147,885 buffer zone, separated into three geographically distinct territories connected by an 'eco-corridor' that links the reserve into one contiguous territory. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site jointly with nearby Korgalzhyn Reserve in 2008 and as a RAMSAR Wetland in 2009, Naurzum is paradoxically one of the most important natural habitats in Kazakhstan and yet one of the least explored by tourists – around 1000 visitors come each year, a majority of them locals on day trips from nearby regional centre Kostanay. The reserve has six tourism routes developed, for which guides are mandatory and visits to which must be reserved and paid in advance via park headquarters,
Park headquarters 51.652072, 64.210656 is on the southwestern edge of Karamendy village, 197km from Kostanay city (along the R-265 and P-284 roadways) and 681km from Nur-Sultan via the M-36, R-262, A-16, R-263, R-265, and P-284 roadways. At the reserve headquarters, park staff offer Russian and Kazakh-language tours of the on-site museum (400 Tenge per person, 10am-1pm & 2-6pm) exploring the flora and fauna of the reserve and the environmental significance of the territory which the park protects. Expect plenty of taxidermy.
Reserve headquarters can in theory arrange transportation in and around the reserve in sedan or minibus for 250 Tenge per kilometre though in fact this is often not available, while private vehicles can access the reserve for 250 Tenge per day.
Shared taxis travel between Karamendy 51.652072, 64.210656 and regional centre Kostanay (3 hours, 2500 Tenge), but no public transportation extends into the park. For private transfers and tours from Kostanay contact Igor (+7 714 254 2798).
