The Beauty Of The Almaty Region For 4 Days
About this tour
Is Almaty a business metropolis or the cultural capital of Kazakhstan?
Almaty is a friendly passer-by, with multinational smiles.
Almaty is mountains. The mountain peaks surrounding the city are full of dozens of bright and juicy shades under the precious radiance of the sky. The unsurpassed beauty of nature is closely intertwined with the modern city and the history of the people. The abundance of historical and archaeological monuments and the variety of landscapes make the region of Almaty region unique for travel. After driving a little from the city along a modern highway, through small villages, comfortably smelling of stove smoke and homemade cuisine, turning onto a dirt road is breathtaking, the dunes of the desert and the great expanses of the steppe with its special smell of wormwood. The dizzying highlands with a cluster of spruce forests are replaced by the red canyons of the Charyn River – the creation of an inspiring duet of nature and time, layers of all kinds of rocks and epochs. Chains of the purest high-altitude lakes, the piercing color of the blue evening sky, wild coniferous forest, the aroma of resin, and lush grasses. Noisy rivers and small dancing streams fill the steppe and endless pastures with life. The space here is so wide and breathable that it is difficult to immediately grasp it with your eyes or mind. Everything around is pristine, refreshing, and real. And all this is the edge of Semirechye – Zhetysu.
The ancient caravans of the Great Silk Road passed through here, the troops of the Shaker of the Universe, Genghis Khan, were marching, and craftsmen who studied nature and created great things worked here. The descendants of the Nomads live here.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Medeu, Almaty, Kazakhstan to Shymbulak, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Airport – Almaty (30 minutes). Your guide will meet you at the Almaty International Airport to accompany you to the city. He will help you check into the hotel so that you can relax after the flight and gain strength for an amazing trip around the Almaty region. Day 1. Almaty – Medeo – Shymbulak - Airport (80 km). After breakfast, departure for an excursion to the world-famous alpine complex "Medeo". Medeo is located 25 kilometers from Almaty at an altitude of 1700 meters above sea level. A legendary ice rink with a huge area of artificial ice field; a mighty dam with a breathtaking view; steep mountains covered with dense coniferous forest – this is only the first thing that catches your eye. Clean mountain air and birdsong, almost always bright sun, and picturesque greenery of the slopes will leave bright memories and colorful photos about the Medeo tract. Our next point is the famous mountain resort of Shymbulak. The resort is the oldest and most popular resort in Kazakhstan. We will take a cable car up to the base station (2200m). Here we will have lunch with a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains. After lunch, we will climb to the resort's highest point – the Big Talgar Pass (3200m). From here we will have an unforgettable panorama of the northern spurs of the Trans–Ili Alatau and the highest point of our mountains - Talgar Peak (5015m). We go down the same path. Check-in and dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Day 2: Almaty, Kazakhstan to Altyn Emel National Park, Алматы, Kazakhstan
Day 2. Almaty – Altyn Emel Park (350 km). After an early breakfast, we meet and drive to Altyn Emel Park. On this day we will visit the 700-year-old Willow Tree. Have lunch in the shade of an ancient tree (lunch boxes). In the continuation, visit the Red (Katutau) and White (Aktau) mountains. Katutau translates as "harsh mountains". In the Permian period (about 240 million years ago), two large volcanoes were active in this place. The mountains are composed mainly of lava and associated volcanic rocks. In the northern part of Katutau, as well as Aktau, sedimentary rocks of the bottom of the ancient Tethys Ocean have been preserved. We have lunch at the foot of the Aktau mountains — the White Mountains. The mountains Aktau of the Cretaceous period are a world-famous paleontological deposit. The remains of ancient animals (crocodiles, turtles, giant rhinoceroses, primitive predators) have been preserved here, the age of which is estimated at 25-30 million years. In the evening, we check into a mini-hotel or guest house, have dinner, and prepare for a new day.
Day 3: Altyn Emel National Park, Алматы, Kazakhstan to Saty, Kazakhstan
Day 3. Altyn-Emel – Charyn – village Saty (400 km). The day starts with an early breakfast at 7 o'clock. Check out from the hotel and transfer to Altyn Emel Park at 8 am. On this day you will visit the Singing Dune, the Spring of Chokan Valikhanov. The Singing Dune is a natural phenomenon, it has a length of up to 3 km and a height of 150 m. It is famous for the fact that in dry weather the sands emit a sound similar to the melody of an organ. The Dune offers a beautiful view of the surrounding area. In the south, a thin strip of the Ili River is visible, the purple mountains of Sogety and Boguta, beyond which the Ketmen ranges lookout with white peaks. We had lunch in the village of Basshi and moved to another amazing place in the Almaty region – the Charyn National Park. This park is located in the valley of the Charyn River. You will descend into the Charyn Canyon, popularly nicknamed the "Valley of Castles". The Canyon is a unique natural monument composed of sedimentary rocks, which have been worked on by wind and water for about 12 million years. The depth of the Canyon reaches 300 m, with a length of about 160 km. Mysterious landscapes will leave an indelibly vivid impression. We are moving to the village of Saty, where you can immerse yourself in the hospitality and way of life of the local culture. Dinner, rest.
Day 4: Kolsai Lake, Kazakhstan to Almaty International Airport, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Day 4. The village of Saty –Kolsai Lake – Almaty (380 km). After breakfast, morning transfer to the famous Kolsai Lakes excursion. We drive cross-country vehicles to the high-altitude Kaindy Lake. Kaindy Lake is located on the northern slope of the Kungei Ala-Too mountain range at an altitude of 1867 meters above sea level among a dense coniferous forest. The length of the lake is about 400 meters, and the maximum depth of the lake is 30 meters. Lunch in the village with residents. After lunch, we will visit Lake Kolsai 1. Kolsai lakes are one of the most beautiful places of Kazakh nature. They are located at altitudes of 1800, 2250, and 2700 meters above sea level. They are distinguished by a unique watershed mountain landscape consisting of three natural zones, and a variety of rare plants and animals. Kolsai Lakes are called the pearl of the Northern Tien Shan. Departure to the city at 17:00. On the road for about 4 hours. Dinner at the hotel restaurant. Overnight at the hotel. Transfer to the airport.
What's included
- Accommodation in the hotel for 2 days (standard category based on breakfast). - Accommodation according to the program in holiday homes and guest houses for 2 days. - Meals according to the program: breakfast, lunch, and dinner (without alcohol), 1 day only dinner. - Transportation service throughout the tour, including transfers. - All excursions indicated in the tour, including entrance and environmental fees. - Guide throughout the tour. - Mineral water at crossings of 1 liter per person per day.
- Early check-in and single occupancy. - Mini bar and other services in hotel rooms. - Air tickets. - Visa support to Kazakhstan. - Medical expenses and insurance. - Additional excursions not included in the tour program. - Alcoholic beverages. - Tips for personal services.
What to know
The hotel is 3-star. This tour can be customized. Please get in touch with me.
Route & locations
Medeu, Almaty, Kazakhstan to Shymbulak, Almaty, Kazakhstan