Baikonur Cosmodrome

City Baikonur and Cosmodrome Baikonur together makes a complex "Baikonur", leased by Russia from Kazakhstan for the period up to 2050.Cosmodrome "Baikonur" is the first and the largest in the world space center, located on the territory of Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda region between the town and the village KazalinskDzhusaly near the village Tyuratam. Covers an area of 6717 square km.The first and immediately manned orbital flight was made April 12, 1961 was made Cosmodrome in the USSR period. The first manned spacecraft "Vostok" with the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on board made one orbit around the planet and safely delivered astronaut on Earth.

Day 1
Arrival in Almaty, transfer to the hotel and breakfast.
We'll enjoy a city excursion, visiting a.o. the Panfilov Park, Zenkov Cathedrale, Indepence Square and the historical museum. 
In the afternoon, after lunch, we drive up to the high mountains that give Almaty such a fabulous backdrop, visiting the famous Medeo skating rink and Shymbulaq ski-center with operating lifts all year long.
Back to Almaty for dinner and our hotel.

Day 2
A free morning in Almaty (or a visit to the National Museum - optional) followed by a lunch. 
After lunch we are transfered to the airport and catch the flight to Kyzylorda (2,5 hours), followed by a train ride to Baikanur (over 3 hours), where we arrive around midnight and are brought to a hotel.

Day 3
After breakfast we are transfered to Takeoff Platform N254; the cosmonauts receive a message from the chairman of the state commission about the state of readyness for the launch. We attend the launch of the Soyuz rocket.
We have lunch.
After lunch an excursion to Takeoff Platform N2; a visit to the Baikanur museum; visits to the houses of Gagarin and Koroljev; a visit to Takeoff Platform N1 that Gagarin used; a visit to the Launchcomplex "Buran". Transfer to the town followed by dinner.

Day 4
After breakfast we are transfered to the train station and board a train to Turkestan (9 hours). Here we'll visit the largest and holiest site of Kazakhstan, the Mausuleum of the prophet Hodja Achmed Yassawi. We arrive in the early evening and will be lodged in hotel Turkestan.

Day 5 
We visit the Mausuleum and the old town of Turkestan, followed by lunch and time for ourselves to wander around.
Late afternoon we head for the train station for a trip of 18 hours back to Almaty.

Day 6 
Early morning we arrive in Almaty - our program has ended.

Breakfast.Beginning of excursion to Baikonurcosmodrome. Departure from the hotel at 08.00 a.m. , in 400 meters we stop at check point where passports and visit permits will be checked by Russian police. At the entrance to cosmodrome there is another check point. From here unique buildings are seen to the left and to the right. Most of those buildings can be seen at Baikonur only. After documents check we proceed to launch complex "Proton" (55 km, 1 hour). A tour of "Proton". More than 90 different launches are done from "Proton" up to now.
Another check point and drive to universal launch complex of "Energia" (Energy) rocket. Tour of launch place of legendary carrier-rocket "Energia" and space ship "Buran". Those, who wish, may rise up to the observation platform, situated at a height of 80 m - cosmodrome and Baikonur steppe are perfectly seen from there. Transfer by car to the test complex of carrier-rocket "Soyuz". In the eighties "Energia - Buran" complex was built-up there. Transfer to space ship "Buran", which stands under the open sky. There we can see one of the "Burans". There were four space ships "Buran", made on that program.
Transfer to the ground №2, lunch in a cosy cafe where presentations and parties after successful launches and returns of the cosmonauts to the Earth are held. After lunch drive to Gagarin's start, the place is also called ground №1 (8 km, 20 minutes). After 108- minute flight of Gagarin on April 12, 1960 , the name o the ground remained "Gagarin's start". Tour of the launch place and monument to the first artificial Earth satellite. On the 21 st of August, 1957 the first artificial Earth satellite was delivered to the orbit by R-7, the first intercontinental ballistic missile. Taking pictures on the ladder of the launch complex. By September 2004, more than 420 launches of different space ships were carried out from Gagarin's start. More than 100 people started into the outer space.
Transfer to the museum of Baikonurcosmodrome (1 km, 10 minutes). Tour of museum: models of different space ships, personal things of Y. Gagarin, S. Korolev , space food, computers of the 50-ties, presents to the museum. After excursion tour of the memorial house of Yuryi Gagarin and his alternate German Titov, where they stayed a night before the launch. Tour of memorial house of general constructor Sergey Korolev. Transfer to the launch complex "Zenit", tour of complex. More than 30 different launches were carried out there. Return to Baikonur city (50 km, 40 minutes). Rest at the hotel.Dinner at the hotel cafe.Night at "Cosmonaut" hotel.