4 Day Tour Altyn Emel Kolsay Kaindy Lakes
About this tour
Available in French, English
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Almaty, Kazakhstan to Kalinino, Kazakhstan
Morning departure to Altyn Emel National Park. Along the way you will see the Kapshagai reservoir and several mountain passes. Upon arrival at the park office, we receive a pass and go to the singing dune. 50 kilometers off-road to this place. The walk around the dune can take about an hour or more if you wish. The protected area of the park must be left before sunset. Return to the village. Dinner. Overnight in a guest house with shower and toilet inside
Day 2: Kalinino, Kazakhstan to Zharkent, Kazakhstan
After breakfast, we leave for the colorful mountains of Aktau. From a distance these mountains have a light tint. The round trip journey will take about 150 km, half of which is off-road. A walk through a small canyon of these mountains can take about one and a half to 2 hours. Lunch in the form of a picnic. Then, we go to the mountains of solidified lava, where we take pictures and walk for about 15-20 minutes. Then we go to the village. The road from the village to the small town of Zharkent will take about an hour and a half. This city is located just 35 km from the border with China. Dinner in Zharkent and overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Zharkent, Kazakhstan to Saty, Kazakhstan
After breakfast (starts no later than 8 a.m.). We are going to visit the Zharkent mosque-museum. This is a very original mosque that looks like a Chinese temple. After the mosque, we go to the Charyn Canyon. We will visit the Valley of Castles, the most popular place among tourists. The descent on foot along the lower path will take about 40-50 minutes. The hike will take from 40 minutes to 1 hour. The national park also offers a ride (for an additional fee) to the bottom of the stairs where the trail begins. This will save time, provided there is no long queue. You can order lunch for an additional amount at the restaurant near the parking lot. Then we go to the observation deck of the Moon Canyon. The stop will take about 15 minutes. Then, we go to the village, which is located near Lake Kolsai. Along the way, a short stop at the black canyon. Arrival at the village. Dinner. Overnight in a guest house with toilet and shower inside the house.
Day 4: Saty, Kazakhstan to Almaty, Kazakhstan
After breakfast, we go to Lake Kaiyndy. The road to the lake is off-road and takes about 45 minutes one way to the parking lot. Directly to the lake it will be a tedious walk of about 40 minutes from the parking lot or less, but on horseback (for an additional fee). Walk by the lake. Lake Kaindy is small, about 400 meters long, with tree trunks in the middle. After a walk by the lake, we return to the village where lunch awaits us. After lunch, we go to Lake Kolsai, where we can take a walk. Then we have a long road ahead to Almaty (about 4 hours / 300 km).
What's included
Breakfast Day 1 Lunch - Day 3 Dinner Day 4 Transfer from Charyn river to the stairs Transfer from Kaindy parking to Kaindy lake on horseback Boat at Kolsay lake
What to know
This tour can be customized. Please get in touch with me.
Route & locations
Almaty, Kazakhstan to Kalinino, Kazakhstan