Private Golden Ring Of Zhetysu 5 Days: Altyn-emel And Charyn To Kolsai & Kaindy
About this tour
The Golden Ring of Zhetysu is our most complete route: five private days from the desert of Altyn-Emel to the mountain lakes of Kolsai and Kaindy, with your own guide-driver the whole way. It is made for travellers who want to see the whole region properly, with time to walk, hike and take it all in.
In Altyn-Emel you trek through the layered colored hills of the Aktau Mountains, stop at a 700-year-old willow, climb the Singing Dune and walk through the Sculpture Valley, then visit the Zharkent Mosque. Charyn Canyon follows, from the Valley of Castles to the off-road viewpoints of the Lunar Canyon, the Stone Shelf and the Napoleon and Austrian viewpoints. The last two days belong to the mountains: a hike from Saty Lake, the first Kolsai lake, to Mynzhylky Lake with lunch by the water, and a visit to Kaindy Lake and its sunken forest.
You stay in guest houses with private rooms and private bathrooms, plus one night at a hotel in Zharkent. Since 2016, more than 14,000 guests have travelled with Nomad Outfitters.
Highlights:
- Climb the Singing Dune and trek through the colored Aktau Mountains
- Walk through the Sculpture Valley and visit the Zharkent Mosque
- See the Valley of Castles and the off-road viewpoints of Charyn Canyon
- Hike to Mynzhylky Lake and visit the sunken forest of Kaindy Lake
- Guest houses with private rooms and bathrooms, plus a hotel night in Zharkent
- A private tour: only your group, with your own guide who speaks English, Russian and Kazakh
Activities included
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Almaty, Kazakhstan to Altyn Emel National Park, Алматы, Kazakhstan
Your guide-driver picks you up from your hotel at 07:30 for the 255 km drive to Basshi village, the Altyn-Emel park headquarters. You check in at the park office and visit the visitor center, then have lunch at a guest house. In the afternoon you trek about 7 km among the layered colored hills of the Aktau Mountains: the main canyon, a small canyon and a summit. On the way back you stop for photos at a 700-year-old willow, then have dinner and spend the night at the guest house in Basshi, in a private room with a private bathroom.
Day 2: Basshiy, Kalinino, Kazakhstan to Zharkent, Kazakhstan
After breakfast you drive 55 km to the Singing Dune (Aygaykum) and climb it, then return to the guest house for lunch. In the afternoon you drive 90 km to the Sculpture Valley for a 2 km walk, then 30 km to Zharkent to visit the Zharkent Mosque. Dinner is at a cafe, and the night is at a hotel in Zharkent.
Day 3: Zharkent, Kazakhstan to Charyn Canyon National Park, Tamerlik, Kazakhstan
After breakfast you drive from Zharkent to Charyn Canyon and start at the Valley of Castles (Qyzylsay), with a walk of about 2 km each way between red rock towers. After lunch at a local cafe you drive off-road to the Lunar Canyon (Zhabyr, Uzunbulak), step onto the Stone Shelf and finish at the Napoleon and Austrian viewpoints. On the way to Saty village you stop at the Black Canyon, then check in at the guest house for dinner and the night.
Day 4: Saty, Kazakhstan to Kolsai Lakes National Park, Алматы, Kazakhstan
After breakfast you drive 15 km to Saty Lake, the first Kolsai lake, and trek about 8 km (around 3 hours) to Mynzhylky Lake, the second Kolsai lake. Lunch is by the lake, brought from the guest house. Then you trek about 8 km back to Saty Lake and drive 15 km to Saty village for dinner and a second night at the guest house.
Day 5: Saty, Kazakhstan to Almaty, Kazakhstan
After breakfast you drive 15 km to Kaindy Lake, where spruce trunks rise from the water, and see it from the shore, the viewpoint and the inflow of the Kaindy River. Then you have lunch at the guest house and drive 295 km back to Almaty, arriving around 18:00.
What's included
Private tour: only your group, with your own guide-driver and SUV, with hotel pickup and drop-off anywhere in Almaty. 4 nights: a guest house in Basshi, a hotel in Zharkent and 2 nights in a Saty guest house, with private rooms and private bathrooms in the guest houses. 3 meals a day except breakfast on day 1 and dinner on day 5, national park fees and 1.5 liters of drinking water per person per day.
Personal expenses. Optional horse riding at Kolsai. Pickup from outside Almaty city costs extra.
Languages spoken
What to know
The longest walk is the trek to Mynzhylky Lake, about 8 km each way, at about 2,300 m; your guide carries extra drinking water. The Aktau trek is about 7 km. We run the tour all year. May to early October is the best time, and June and September have the best balance of warm days and cool nights. In winter we provide crampons and trekking poles for the Kolsai hike, free of charge. The guest houses have private rooms with private bathrooms, Wi-Fi and hot water; twin beds are available. Meals are home-made local food with halal meat, and special diets can be arranged if you tell us in advance. Bring walking shoes, sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, a warm layer and a change of clothes. Mountain weather changes fast. Child seats are available on request, and your luggage can stay in the car during the tour. If weather or a closed road makes the route unsafe, we move the tour to another day or refund it in full. Prices are per person for groups of 1 to 4. For 5 or more people, message us for a price.
Route & locations
Almaty, Kazakhstan to Altyn Emel National Park, Алматы, Kazakhstan