Private Great Almaty Loop 3 Days: Lake Issyk & Assy Plateau To Charyn And Kolsai Lakes
About this tour
The Great Almaty Loop is a three-day private road trip for travellers who want variety: a mountain lake, a forest waterfall, a high plateau, a night in yurts, the red rocks of Charyn Canyon and the Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, with off-road driving and short walks in between.
On day 1 you walk down to Lake Issyk, trek to Bear Waterfall in the Turgen Gorge and drive up to the Assy Plateau and its observatory, before an evening in yurts at the Aul Tumar ethno-village. Day 2 is all about Charyn Canyon: the Valley of Castles, the Lunar Canyon, the Stone Shelf and the Napoleon and Austrian viewpoints, then the Black Canyon on the way to Saty village. On day 3 you see Kaindy Lake and its sunken forest from three spots and stroll along the shore of the lower Kolsai lake.
Two very different nights are part of the experience: one in yurts and one in a guest house in Saty village.
Highlights:
- Walk down to Lake Issyk and trek to Bear Waterfall
- Drive up to the Assy Plateau and its observatory
- Spend a night in yurts at the Aul Tumar ethno-village
- See the Valley of Castles and more viewpoints of Charyn Canyon
- Visit Kaindy Lake and the lower Kolsai lake
- 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 Asy plateau, Batan, Kazakhstan
Your guide-driver picks you up from your hotel at 07:00. Around 09:00 you take a short walk down to Lake Issyk, about 1 km each way. In the Turgen Gorge you trek to Bear Waterfall, about 4 km round trip. Then you check in to the yurts at the Aul Tumar ethno-village and have lunch. In the afternoon you drive up to the Assy Plateau and the observatory for a walk and photos, then return to Aul Tumar for dinner, a free evening and the night in the yurts.
Day 2: Charyn Canyon National Park, Tamerlik, Kazakhstan
After breakfast you drive to Charyn Canyon and walk the Valley of Castles, about 2 km each way between red rock towers. After lunch at a local cafe you visit the Lunar Canyon, the Stone Shelf and 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 3: Saty, Kazakhstan to Almaty, Kazakhstan
After breakfast you drive 15 km and walk about 2 km to Kaindy Lake, where spruce trunks rise from the water, and see it from three spots. On the way back to the guest house you stop at a viewpoint over the Chilik River valley, then have lunch. In the afternoon you drive 15 km to the lower Kolsai lake for a short walk along the shore, then drive back to Almaty, arriving around 20:30.
What's included
Private tour: only your group, with your own guide-driver and SUV, with hotel pickup and drop-off anywhere in Almaty. 1 night in yurts at the Aul Tumar ethno-village and 1 night in a Saty guest house in a private room with a private bathroom, with 3 meals a day except breakfast on day 1 and dinner on day 3. National park fees and 1.5 liters of drinking water per person per day.
Personal expenses. Optional horse riding at Kolsai Lake. Pickup from outside Almaty city costs extra.
Languages spoken
What to know
Walks include about 1 km each way at Lake Issyk, about 4 km round trip to Bear Waterfall and about 2 km each way at Kaindy. Parts of the route are off-road and bumpy, so we don't recommend it for travellers with back problems. The Assy Plateau is at about 2,800 m, so take it slow if you are not used to altitude. The tour runs from April to November, as Lake Issyk, the Turgen Gorge and the Assy Plateau are closed in winter. The Assy park can shift its dates with the weather: we check before your tour, and if it is closed we tell you and change the plan. Bring walking shoes, sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, a warm layer, a change of clothes and toiletries. 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 Asy plateau, Batan, Kazakhstan