Polygon Semipalatinsk Test Site and Museum: open or not?

[edu]

update:
I am in contact with a local tour guide... He told me the museum is closed, but the test site and the atomic lake are visitable.

btw: We are doing a tour on 24th + 25th august (if someone wants to join just hit me a message)

Hi there. I'm going to be there at the beginning of September.

Did you manage to do the tour? Could you share rough costs or guide contacts?

Many thanks!

Yes we attended the tour! It was an awesome and really interesting tour.

We hired this guide: https://indy-guide.com/en/yerlan Originally he asked for ~ 1500$ for the 2day tour. In the end we paid 1050$ (for 3 people, so 350$ each) for the 2-day tour.

bad news for you: he wrote me recently, that visiting the test site is now prohibited and we were some of the last visitors

I contacted this guide (Yerlan) and he's offering licensed tours to the polygon again! I've also sent some emails to some more tour operators to see what they say. Yerlan claims he's the only one with a license though, and that other guides operate illegally.

We've discussed doing a two-day tour starting from Semey on the 23rd of August. I'm looking for more people to join the tour to split costs, so if you're interested please let me know!

[melburvivon]

Hello everyone!

This topic has been in hibernation for a long time, so I presume visiting the test site is still out of the question?

[edu]

Hello everyone!

This topic has been in hibernation for a long time, so I presume visiting the test site is still out of the question?

I think it's open again! I've contacted several tour operators who have said that they are licensed and the polygon is issuing permits:

Yerlan from Indy Guide is happy to organise a tour on the 23rd and 24th of August from Semey, which I'm considering! I'm looking to split costs with other people so let me know if you're interested.

Silk Road Adventures have confirmed they are offering this tour: https://silkadv.com/en/content/tour-sem ... -test-site. Although they have mentioned that the "Experimental field of the polygon" is closed. I think this is just one part of the polygon.

Saiga Tours are offering a group tour on fixed dates this August and have confirmed that permits are being issued! They'll let me know about private tour options at the end of August.

[melburvivon]

Hello everyone!

This topic has been in hibernation for a long time, so I presume visiting the test site is still out of the question?

I think it's open again! I've contacted several tour operators who have said that they are licensed and the polygon is issuing permits:

Yerlan from Indy Guide is happy to organise a tour on the 23rd and 24th of August from Semey, which I'm considering! I'm looking to split costs with other people so let me know if you're interested.

Silk Road Adventures have confirmed they are offering this tour: https://silkadv.com/en/content/tour-sem ... -test-site. Although they have mentioned that the "Experimental field of the polygon" is closed. I think this is just one part of the polygon.

Saiga Tours are offering a group tour on fixed dates this August and have confirmed that permits are being issued! They'll let me know about private tour options at the end of August.

Sorry, I just realised I had only seen the first page of the thread and didn't realise there were two more with more recent replies!

That's exciting news, thanks for sharing your updates from guides. Unfortunately I will have departed Kazakhstan by the 22nd (I'm already here) so cannot join you.

I have contacted Silk Road Adventures in the hope there will be a group tour. The Saiga tour is way too expensive (and unnecessarily long) for me.

[Laylarni]

Hi there. I'm going to be there at the beginning of September.

Did you manage to do the tour? Could you share rough costs or guide contacts?

Many thanks!

Yes we attended the tour! It was an awesome and really interesting tour.

We hired this guide: https://indy-guide.com/en/yerlan Originally he asked for ~ 1500$ for the 2day tour. In the end we paid 1050$ (for 3 people, so 350$ each) for the 2-day tour.

bad news for you: he wrote me recently, that visiting the test site is now prohibited and we were some of the last visitors

I contacted this guide (Yerlan) and he's offering licensed tours to the polygon again! I've also sent some emails to some more tour operators to see what they say. Yerlan claims he's the only one with a license though, and that other guides operate illegally.

We've discussed doing a two-day tour starting from Semey on the 23rd of August. I'm looking for more people to join the tour to split costs, so if you're interested please let me know!

Hi, I am in Kazakhstan at this time and would like to join. Please be in touch

[edu]

Hi, I am in Kazakhstan at this time and would like to join. Please be in touch

Hi,

Unfortunately Yerlan ran out of patience with me and doesn't want to deal with me anymore.

I got some quotes from Saiga tours:

1 pax - 1460 USD
2 pax - 900 USD per person
3 pax - 750 USD per person

The itinerary is:
Day 1: Arrive in Semey. City tour.
Day 2: Drive to nuclear test sites. Overnight in Kurchatov.
Day 3: Return to Semey via more sites. Arrive in Semey in the late afternoon or early evening.

That's including:
Accommodation for 1 night in Semey, 1 night in Kurchatov (breakfast included at hotels)
Semey city tour
Guide and transport beginning and ending in Semey
Lunch on days 2 and 3
Permits to the nuclear testing zones

Not including:
Transport to and from Semey
Dinners, drinks
Souvenirs

If we have more than 2 weeks notice there's no issue, however if there's less than 2 weeks notice we need to pay an extra $240 to have the permits done urgently.

This is for three days and it's a little less than what Yerlan was quoting, so I think it's a good value offer. Unfortunately it's quite expensive for me. I'm hoping that if we reduce the tour to just one day, starting in Semey and ending in Kurchatov, it would be a price I'd be prepared to pay. I suppose a taxi can be hired from Kurchatov to Semey passing through the abandoned cities for a cheap price.

Currently I'm planning on arriving in Semey on the 28th and leaving on the 30th, so I could fit a tour in those dates. Would this work for you?

Edu

[saule]

The latest information that we have is that the Polygon authorities don´t organize tours anymore. Which is a shame, because they would be the ones giving a permission for a visit. And we lost the chance to offer it for Caravanistan clients.
Despite what Saiga tour operator says, the only person who has the licence is only one guy from Astana. Probably that is Yerlan mentioned here in the thread. The link to his profile has changed though. Google Yerlan Semipalatinsk test site and you will find it. I think that the price for a tour he is charging is around 1500 USD for 3 days.

[Lutnistas1969]

Is it really impossible to visit at least some part of the polygon on your own? Shall we say "unofficially"
Are there really hordes of policemen's with kalashnikovs looking for the radiation amateurs?
As far as I know, the local peoples goes there to fishing in those nuclear lakes.

I corresponded with a nice lady from the Institute in Kurchatov and she wrote me, that the museum ( or rather the exhibition hall ) can also be visited ( without any permission ) on the eve of important dates like "International Day Against Nuclear Tests" for example.

Anyway, I should be in Semipalatinsk / Semei on July 22 and 23.
I'll try to explore something. Maybe the access to the former military airport in Chagan should be possible.
If anyone is around at that time, we can try to go fishing together

[steven]

Give it a go, do let us know how far you got! I would say that anything is certainly possible if the price is right...

[q50901]

Hi we didn't saw this thread before now we're heading to Semey, and will be staying for a couple days there. Would you guys mind share the latest status / experience you had there? Thank you