The reserve covers about 1,300 square kilometres at the western end of the Tien Shan range, rising from 1,100 metres at the foothills to the 4,236-metre summit of Mount Sairam. It protects more than 1,200 plant species, around 240 bird species, and large mammals including the Tien Shan brown bear, Siberian ibex, Argali wild sheep, and a small population of snow leopards.
Entry is by permit only, in the company of a registered guide. The Zhabagly village ecotourism cooperative handles everything — permits, guides, transport, horses, and food. There is no infrastructure inside the reserve itself: no roads, no buildings, no fences. Treks are camping affairs, and the weather above 2,500 metres can turn from sunshine to snow within an hour even in July.