ARRIVAL: Almaty International Airport / Hotel
A guide holding a sign will meet you at the airport and will take you to a hotel. You'll have an opportunity to get to know him and discuss an upcoming trip during the drive. After checking into the hotel and having some rest, we'll have dinner at the Kazakh cuisine restaurant and take you back to your hotel located in the city's center.
DAY 1:
Introduction to Almaty
After a 9.00 a.m. breakfast at the hotel, a guide will meet you in the hotel lobby. We'll get acquainted with Almaty city and its vicinities on the first day.
The first sight will be Big Almaty Lake, where we will make a 1-hour stop and go for a walk.
The next place of our visit will be "Medeu" high-mountain skating rink and "Shymbulak" ski resort. We will go up to an altitude of 3200 meters above sea level towards glaciers of Talgar pass.
At 2:00 p.m., we will have lunch at the national cuisine restaurant. Once in the city, we will visit Zenkov Cathedral, Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, City's Central Square, Central Mosque and will eat some Kazakh delicacies at the Green Bazaar and have a walk on the city's art site "Arbat".
We will watch the sunset on the observation deck of Kok-Tobe Mountain. A great end of the day will be marked by a dinner at a hotel, after which, a guide will take you to your hotel.
DAY 2: Almaty / Aktau mountains / Katutau mountains / Basshy village
After an 8:00 a.m. breakfast at the hotel, we are going out on adventures. Today we'll start getting acquainted with natural sights of Almaty region.
Altyn-Emel National Park will be the first destination. We'll check into the hotel at 12:00 p.m. in Basshi village and have lunch.
We'll spend the rest of the day in wildlife. We'll go hiking in the Ak-Tau mountains, will take incredible photos in the Katu-Tau mountains, and will drink some spring water in the middle of a desert.
This exciting day will be ended with a dinner and tasting of Kazakh cheese Kurt at the hotel.
DAY 3: Basshy Village / Singing Dune / Zharkent / Hot Springs
After having a hearty breakfast, we'll climb the Signing Barkhan, take a walk in the Tiger Mountains, and drive to Zharkent city. We'll visit a Chinese style wooden mosque in Zharkent and bargain a little at a noisy city bazaar.
At 2:00 p.m., we will have the tastiest lagman in Kazakhstan, will go to the Chundzha hot springs and will stay in a comfortable hotel. Swimming pools are open 24 hours a day and are open-air.
At 7:00 p.m., we will have a main national Kazakh dish "Beshbarmak".
DAY 4: Hot Springs / Bestomak, Temerlik, Moon Canyons / Saty village
Today we are going to a country of canyons of Charyn National Park. At 08:30 a.m., we are having breakfast and are packing up.
We are dropping in on Chundzha city to pick up lunchboxes from the restaurant to have a meal later on the bank of the raging Charyn River. We will be driving off road all day long and getting acquainted with canyons, all looking different.
We will go down into the Bestamak Canyon and have lunch there. We'll visit several canyon panoramic view sites, which will make you dizzy.
We are going spend this night in a guest house in Saty village. The hostess will cook a Kazakh dinner and local children will perform a nation dance show.
At 7:00 p.m.- putting up at the guest house and having dinner.
DAY 5: Saty village / Kolsai 3 / Kolsai 2 / Saty village
We'll have breakfast at 7:00 a.m., pack up our camping stuff and go to the Kolsay Lakes parking area.
Today we are going hiking 16 km from the first Kolsay lake to a second one. One-way walking trip will take around 4 hours (you may cover this distance riding a horse).
At 2:00 p.m., we will have lunch from lunchboxes taken from the guest house, and a guide will make us some tea.
We are coming back to the parking area after lunch and are going to Saty village, where a steam bath will be prepared for us.
We will try Kumys (mare's milk beverage) today during a dinner at 7:00 p.m.
DAY 6: Saty village / Kaindy Lake / Charyn Canyon / Almaty
We are having breakfast in the guest house and are visiting Kaindy Lake, where we'll spend two hours and will visit three locations to get a better picture of the lake.
At 1:00 p.m., we are having lunch in Saty village and are coming back to Almaty.
On the way to Almaty we will get acquainted with the most popular Kazakhstani sight - the "Valley of Castles" canyon of Charyn National Park.
After having dinner at a kebab restaurant, we will come back to the hotel in Almaty around 9:00 p.m.
DAY 7: Hotel / Almaty International Airport
Free day and transfer to the Airport. Breakfast is included in the price.
Program can be changed or supplemented according to your desire.