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© SAIGA Tours
Start
May 10, 2026
Kurchatov
Kurchatov
2026-05-10
End
May 11, 2026
Semey
Semey
2026-05-11
Duration
2 days
Price
US$830.00
TOUR OVERVIEW
Heard of Chernobyl? You know, possibly the most famous accident in recent history, so disastrous that it’s almost unbelievable. Well this is Kazakhstan’s answer to Chernobyl – but it was done on purpose. The test site at Semeypalatinsk, or the Polygon, is where the Soviet Union did the majority of their nuclear testing, performing 456 nuclear tests between 1949 and 1989, with a total of 2,500 times the power of the bombs dropped at Hiroshima.
This tour is a quickfire roadtrip around the area, with the entire itinerary centred solely on the Soviet nuclear history, starting in Kurchatov and ending in Semey. If you would like to see a little more of Kazakhstan as well as exploring the Polygon areas, check out our more extensive Kazakhstan Polygon Tour , and if you want to see even more of Central Asia, have a look at our 5 Stans Spring Tour , or our 5 Stans Spring Budget Tour .
If you like the look of this tour but the dates don't work for you, or you'd like to do part of the tour, please get in touch and let us know. All our tours are able to be split into smaller sections, we're always scheduling new tours and your dates might work for one of them, or we can always organise an independent tour.
INCLUSIONS:
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Accommodation in twin share at roughly 3 star hotels/guesthouses, breakfast included |
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Transport as per itinerary |
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Entrance fees to most sites (as per itinerary) |
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Guiding |
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $50
What is the single supplement? This is paid to guarantee a single room. If you are travelling alone and would like to be roomed with another single traveller, you do not need to pay this.
EXCLUSIONS:
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Visa fees if necessary |
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Visa support if necessary |
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Meals other than breakfast |
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Transport to and from the start and end of tour |
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Personal expenses such as souvenirs or any optional activities |
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
See the surreal Atomic Lake
Explore the former closed Soviet town of Kurchatov
Get a glimpse of the notorious Plutonium Mountain
Itinerary
Day 1Sun May 10
Kurchatov, Polygon, Kurchatov
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Meet in Kurchatov first thing in the morning.
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Leaving the town,
we'll start seeing the nuclear sites themselves
. Our first stop is the famous atomic lake. This lake was made by an explosion 25 times greater than Hiroshima. While it might look like the lake was an interesting consequence of the testing, it was in fact an intentional side effect, as the experiments were designed for earth-moving purposes to artificially create lakes, harbours and canals. Unbelievably, locals fish in the lake, despite warnings by authorities that it is hazardous.
- We’ll then head to the town of Kurchatov, a formerly closed city, where the headquarters of the nuclear testing was based. This town is known as the Soviet “Los Alamos”, named after the founder of the Soviet nuclear program Igor Kurchatov.
- And we'll spend the evening exploring this eerie and bizarre town. Due to its importance and the stature of the residents, this was a resplendent town, full of grandeur - wide boulevards, impressive buildings with grand entrances, the most expensive housing available. Most of the town is derelict now as there is no employment to sustain the town’s population, so it's a great place to explore and get your abandoned Soviet stuff fix.
- The accommodation tonight will also be a very Soviet experience, in the only hotel in town.
Day 2Mon May 11
Kurchatov, Polygon, Semey, End of Tour
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Leaving Kurchatov in the morning, we’ll continue on to more of the nuclear test site –
known as the Polygon
. 456 Nuclear tests were conducted here, and the effects can be witnessed first-hand with the destroyed surroundings and large craters caused by the explosions.
- We’ll explore the bunkers used by those performing the tests and the epicentres of the explosions.
- Later on, we’ll check out the Chagan abandoned airbase. During the Cold War this was home to one of the Soviet Union’s main air force bases for the deployment of long-range bombers carrying nuclear weapons. The location is interesting as it’s on the Chinese border. Part of the reason for its location was the rising tensions due to the Sino-Soviet split.
- Before arriving in Semey, we'll make a little detour to Sarzhal, a small traditional Kazakh village which was the closest settlement to the nuclear test site. From here we’ll really be able to get the context of how close some of these people were to the nuclear testing.
- We’ll be able to see Degelen, also known as Plutonium Mountain. The many underground nuclear tests that took place here changed this once nomadic oasis into the post-apocalyptic moonscape that it now is.
- And as a little bonus, in Sarzhal, we will also have the chance to try what is considered the most famous horse milk in Kazakhstan. We’re not sure if we believe them, but the locals swear it’s not radioactive. Up to you whether you try some (possibly) radioactive horse milk or not!
- We'll arrive in Semey in the evening, and this brings the end of this tour.
Other Tours
Kazakhstan Polygon Spring Tour
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4 Stans Spring Tour
A 17 day adventure through Silk Road settlements, vast mountain ranges, winding valleys, and some of the coolest Soviet stuff that's still around.
5 Stans Spring Budget Tour
From Almaty to Ashgabat, we'll venture into nature, immerse ourselves in culture, explore cities, delve into recent and ancient history, and have a lot of fun doing it!
5 Stans Spring Tour
This is the tour for anyone who wants to get a great snapshot of what Central Asia has to offer. Can be done all in one whack, or in smaller sections, whatever you like!