The best of the Almaty region —
in one trip
The Martian walls of Charyn Canyon, the turquoise Kolsai Lakes, the sunken forest of Kaindy and the city seen from Kok-Tobe at dusk. Transfers, stays and meals are already arranged — you just take in the view.
Classic set-up: meals three times a day (local and international cuisine), standard itinerary.
Muslim-friendly set-up: all meals halal, prayer breaks built into every day, a visit to Almaty Central Mosque, family rooms on request.
Five days, hour by hour
We meet you at the airport with a name sign and a local SIM card, then check you into the hotel. After lunch — a walk through the Green Bazaar, Panfilov Park and Zenkov Cathedral. We stop at Almaty Central Mosque, one of the most beautiful in Central Asia. In the evening the cable car takes us up to Kok-Tobe for sunset over the city and dinner with a view.
An early start towards Charyn. Two hours walking through the Valley of Castles — canyon walls twelve million years old. A picnic with a view over the canyon (halal) and the viewpoints of the Black Canyon. By evening we reach the mountain village of Saty and have dinner with our hosts.
Morning at the first Kolsai Lake: a walk along the shore, optionally a rowing boat or a horse ride. After lunch we switch to 4x4s and drive to Kaindy — the lake with a sunken spruce forest, one of the most photographed places in Kazakhstan. Prayer breaks are built into the day.
We drive back towards the city across the steppe. On the way — an ethno-village: yurts, an eagle hunter with his golden eagle, a home-cooked dastarkhan (fully halal) and kumys for the brave. In the evening the Medeu — Shymbulak cable car takes us up to 3,200 metres for sunset over the peaks.
In the morning — Big Almaty Lake: turquoise water in a bowl of summits. Then back to the city for souvenirs: "Kazakhstan" chocolate, mountain honey and felt crafts from the Green Bazaar. Airport transfer — you leave with a full memory card.
What's included — and what's not
Included in the price
- Airport meet and greet plus all transfers in a comfortable minivan
- 4-star hotel in Almaty (2 nights) and a guesthouse in Saty (2 nights)
- Meals three times a day — fully halal— local and international cuisine
- Licensed guide (EN / RU, Arabic-speaking on request)
- All entrance tickets, eco fees and 4x4s to Kaindy
- Kok-Tobe and Medeu — Shymbulak cable cars
- A local SIM card with data for every guest
- Drinking water every day · insurance for the whole tour
Paid separately
- International flights to and from Almaty
- Boats and horse rides at Kolsai ($10–15 on site)
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Tips — entirely at your discretion
Five days in frames
Book your dates —
or build your own version
A deposit secures the booking, the balance is due before departure. The price is fixed in the contract in US dollars and never changes.