Almaty Tour Package

In the morning, your driver guide will meet you at your hotel lobby for a comfortable car ride to Almaty Museum. Draw a full picture of the city’s evolution through artifacts such as the statue of nomadic warrior ‘Golden Man’, ethnic attire, and Soviet-era videos.

Next, let’s head to the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, where the Ascension Cathedral - also known as Zenkov Cathedral and world’s second highest wooden structure - stands as its center. This Orthodox spiritual landmark miraculously survived a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in 1911, beckoning you to savor holy icons decorated with golden leaf and frescoes depicting biblical scenes inside.Our next stop is Almaty’s largest comprehensive market, Green Bazaar (Zeleny Bazar). Orderly arranged counters sell fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts, and spices, while occasionally a lady touts hot tea among them. Because of Kazakhstan’s harsh climate, locals are fanatics of meat stalls, deprecating themselves, “no one can eat meat like Kazakhs, except wolves.” 

Post a sensory feat, let’s venture into the Medeu Gorge! Wear your thick jacket as temperatures there are often 10℃ to 15℃ (18℉ to 27℉) cooler than downtown. We’ll ascend to Shymbulak Ski Resort Area by cable car, during which you’ll take in pine and fir forests set against the Zailiysky Alatau Mountain, with skiers below making linked turns down the mountain. Once off the cable car, explore around to immerse yourself into the wilderness.

Later, we’ll drive northwest to Kok-Tobe Hill embedded in the city’s fringe. The scenic area’s eco-bus will lead you to the top for a panoramic city view at sunset: randomly scattered concrete jungle sandwiched between the Heavenly Mountain and flat grassland. Travel downhill by cable car before the night snatches away the golden afterglow. Later, your driver guide will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Renion Park Hotel, Almaty (3 stars) or similar

After the hotel pickup, your driver guide will escort you on a 3.5-hour ride to Basshi Village, the gateway to Altyn Emel National Park. As Kazakhstan’s largest protected nature reserve, this semi-desert sanctuary unfolds across Gobi-like expanse, rocky mountain terrain, grasslands, and streams. We’ll focus on its desolate beauty today. After check-in and a brief rest, make sure your gear is ready for the adventure ahead: sun-protective attire, comfy shoes, and plenty of water.

★ Singing Dune: A Natural Horn for Silk Road Caravans

Let’s make a beeline along the bumpy gravel path for the showstopper: the Singing Dune. This crescent-shaped dune rises in solitary grandeur amidst a gravel plain, framed by the distant silhouettes of barren mountains. On dry, windy days, shifting sands emit a long, deep song, similar to the melodic organ playing or jet engine’s roar, audible for kilometers around. Since louder sounds signal more unpredictable weather, Silk Road caravans historically used this natural horn to guide their journeys. Yet, nothing beats playing the song firsthand! Slip off your shoes, feel the sand beneath your feet, and hike to the summit for panoramic views of the vast Ili River and the endless desert horizon.

At dusk, your driver guide will escort you back to your hotel in Basshi Village.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Basshi Hotel

Your driver guide will greet you at your hotel lobby, and set off once more into Altyn Emel National Park to explore the Aktau Mountains. Although viral videos often dub it ‘Mars on Earth’, the reality is far more colorful. Formed from seabed deposits over 400 million years ago, the mountains reveal stratified bands of white, ochre red, brick yellow, creamy white, and light grey, resembling a multi-layered cake. Keep your keen eyes for traces of prehistoric life, such as fossilized plant imprints and remnants of freshwater creatures.  

★ A Soothing Overnight Stay at Chunja Hot Spring Resort

Departing from the national park, we’ll return to Basshi Village for lunch and drive 2 hours to the Chunja Hot Springs resort. Nourished by volcano lava underground, these mineral-rich hot spring waters hover between 37℃ and 50℃ (99-122℉), perfect to relieve muscle tension after a day on trails. Wish you a deeply relaxing night! 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Kara Dala Hot Springs Resort or similar

After breakfast, you’ll enjoy a 1.5-hour private car transfer with your driver guide to Charyn Canyon National Park, hailed as the Grand Canyon’s ‘little brother’, despite its compacted size. Rightly, they are two peas in a pod, involving the dramatic vertical walls and iconic red sandstone stara carved by rushing water over millions of years. Yet compared to its counterpart, Charyn Canyon feels more rugged, sculptured by fierce winds into pillar and tower formations. 

We’ll first stop at the secluded Temirlik Canyon, where ash trees line the banks of Termirlik River, lending the canyon a rare vitality. Moving on to the nearby Bestamak Canyon, you’ll navigate narrower channels rich with traces of prehistoric animals. After having a lunch box, we’ll continue to Moon Canyon (Uzunbulak Canyon), where deeply grooved formations evoke the mysterious paths on the moon. The final stop, the main valley of Charyn Canyon, comes at dusk, when sunlight sets the red sandstone ablaze in glowing shades of amber and crimson.

Once ticking off all canyons, your driver guide will escort you on a 1.5-hour drive to Saty Village. Have a good rest for tomorrow’s trek. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch-box, Dinner
Accommodation: Saty Village Guest House

In the early morning, your driver guide will pick you up from your hotel for a day of alpine lake exploration. The first stop is the Kolsai Lakes, famed as the ‘Northern Pearls of Heavenly Mountain’ with glass-like waters reflecting the snow-covered mountains and fir forests. We’ll take a peaceful walk around the Lower Kolsai Lake at an altitude of 1,800 meters (5,905 ft.), where you’ll have the chance to encounter squirrels, enjoying shrubs and flowers in the forest, and watch falconers posing for tourist photos with their golden eagles by the lake. Just remember to wear your anti-slip shoes to deal with muddy paths.

► Information for Adventurers:
A one-day hike between the Lower and Middle Kolsai Lakes is available upon request. The 16-kilometer (10-mi) round-trip route takes about 6 hours. The initial section involves a leisurely trek along the slightly inclining path on the lake’s right side, shaded by towering spruce trees. Climbing 200 meters (656 ft.) up ahead, the Middle Kolsai Lake reveals itself with the magnificent backdrop of the Ala-Tau Mountains, and you’ll wow at its size and extra beauty. Refuel with a lunchbox at designated spots, and then return by the same way. If you have limited physical strength, consider renting a horse at your own expense down the mountain like a real nomad. For reference, the renting service is available between April and October, costing about USD 30-40 per person for a round-trip.

Next, get ready for another alpine lake, Kaindy Lake, created by 1911 Earthquake when glacial meltwater filled the gorge and submerged a spruce forest. Due to the water temperature of 6℃ (42.8℉) all year round, some curious travelers who once ventured unprepared into the lake’s depths to see the frozen forest lost their lives to the frigid water, and the lake was thereby deemed the ‘Lake of Death’ by locals.

► Photography Tips:
A focal length of 100-400mm telephoto is ideal for close-up shots at lakeside, while the observation deck on the small hill offers panoramic view of the ‘sunken forest’.

Finally, you driver guide will escort you back to your guest house in Saty Village.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch-box, Dinner
Accommodation: Saty Village Guest House

After the hotel meetup, we’ll journey into another section of the Charyn Canyon National Park for a hike through the Valley of Castles. It is a manageable 2-hour walk along flat trails, as easy as a stroll in a park, but the scenery is surreal! Wind erosion has carved the sheer sandstone cliffs into imposing spires, pillars, and battlements that are straight out of ‘Game of Thrones’. Along the canyon floor, you can unlock more rock formations that mirror roosters, camels, and even armored warriors. The Charyn River awaits us at the terminus, which is flanked by gnarled ash trees, an idyllic spot to pause for photos.

Finally, you’ll enjoy a 3.5-hour private car transfer back to your hotel in Almaty.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Renion Park Hotel, Almaty (3 stars) or similar

On the last day, your driver guide will escort you to Almaty Airport according to your departure flight. We sincerely hope our service and well-planned itinerary have left you with unforgettable memories. Bon voyage!