Almaty and Charyn Canyon

Welcome to Almaty, Kazakhstan!

16:00 — Welcome to Almaty – City of a thousand colours! After clearing custom & immigration procedures followed by baggage collection, you will be met by your English-speaking guide in the arrival hall.

17:00 — You will be escorted to your vehicle. Chocolates & refreshing napkins will be served on board your vehicle. Enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi on board your vehicle. Please ask your guide for login details.

18:00 — Welcome to your hotel & check-in to your room.

20:00 — Dinner as per your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own)

22:00 — Hotel drop-off and good night sleep.

Shymbulak Ski Resort

Breakfast at the hotel.

10:00 — Visit the Shymbulak Ski resort – Level 3 via Gondola. In just 1 hour, you can get from Almaty city center to its highest point (3200 meters) and drink coffee in the highest bar in the CIS using a 3 tier world-class Gondola. On Shymbulak, you can have a great time even if you can’t ski or snowboard. All-day entertainment for the whole family is provided by cafes and restaurants with excellent cuisine, an observation deck with powerful binoculars that rotate 360 degrees and a playground. For those who want to enjoy the mountain silence and admire the snowy slopes, the resort offers high-class hotels and various kinds of adventure activities such as Zip Lining, Paragliding, Horse riding etc.

14:00 — Enjoy lunch in Shymbulak or a choice of your restaurant in the city. (On Own)

16:00 — Proceed to your hotel for some relaxation.

18:00 — Panfilov & Arbat walking tour. Evening walk around Panfilov promenade. The promenade which overlooks the Kazakh Opera & Ballet theatre is lined with small shops, eateries, and cafes & beautiful lights. You will enjoy hearing many local musicians singing songs & playing local musical instruments. The tour will end on Arbat street with lots of shopping outlets and street entertainment.

20:00 — Dinner as per your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own)

22:00 — Hotel drop-off and good night sleep.

Panfilov Park & Zenkov Cathedral · Koktobe

Breakfast at your hotel.

10:00 — Almaty city tour. Explore the city of Almaty by quickly getting acquainted with discovering major areas of interest – During this introductory tour, you will visit the First President Park, Republic square, State Opera and Ballet Theatre, museums at the Academy of Sciences, Abay Square, Kazakhstan Hotel, Palace of the Republic.

12:00 — Panfilov Park & Zenkov Cathedral. The Park is named and dedicated to the Panfilov Heroes who were 28 soldiers of an Almaty Infantry. Their memories are etched at the fearsome war memorial east of the Zenkov Cathedral which depict soldiers from all 15 soviet republics on the map of the USSR. The Park is a lush green area and it’s a good place to sit, rest, relax and see the bustling sights of the city. ‘Zenkov Cathedral’, is one of the most beautiful, magnificent, and architectural monuments of the city of Almaty with a height of 56 meters and is in the green Panfilov Park of Almaty. A. Zenkov had supervised the construction of this cathedral in the early 19th century and legend goes that it was built without a single nail. But unfortunately, it’s not true. Although the design is remarkably unique, it’s because of the advanced technological expertise of that time.

14:00 — Enjoy lunch at your favourite restaurant. (On Own)

16:00 — Proceed to your hotel for some relaxation.

18:00 — Visit to KokeTobe Hill. KokTobe is the highest point in the city of Almaty standing on a 1100 m hill at the south-east edge of the city. It is worth a visit to KokTobe because of its panoramic view of the city from all directions. To reach the KokTobe hill, one should take a cable car ride which starts near Hotel Novotel and goes over some of the oldest parts of Almaty and the magnificent fruit growing gardens. Once you reach the KokTobe hill, you would see the famous 372 m high TV Tower which is visible from far and offers great views of the mountains and the city plus many attractions at the top including many restaurants serving cuisines from across the globe.

20:00 — Dinner as per your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own)

22:00 — Hotel drop-off and good night sleep.

Green Bazaar + Rakhat Chocolate Shop

Breakfast at the hotel.

10:00 — Green Bazaar + Rakhat Chocolate Shop. If you are among these, who don’t like to go to a mall and prefer the outdoor market among fresh air and belong to the old-school shopping type, then without wasting any time, head straight towards the Zelyony Bazaar located close to the Panfilov Park in Almaty. Also, known as the Green Market, this market is your typical local market where you can purchase everything from meat to spices to fruits to even clothes and furniture. The key to shopping here is that you should have a flair for bargaining, and you can get everything at a very reasonable rate. You will be delighted to see the colourful atmosphere and the variety of goods available. Right next door is the famous Rakhat Chocolate shop. Rakhat which means pleasure in Kazakh is the oldest manufacturer of chocolates dating back to almost 70 years. Around 3500 workers work in basically 2 factories, one located in Almaty and one in Shymkent city. They also make chocolates for people suffering from diabetes and their low-calorie products like candies, cookies and waffles are a range among the people and tourists.

14:00 — Lunch at an Indian restaurant (On Own)

15:00 — Shopping. Almaty is a paradise for all your shopping, so you can head to some of the swankiest malls the city has to offer. We recommend Dostyk Plaza, Esentai Mall & Mega Mall for high-end quality shopping.

20:00 — Dinner as per your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own)

22:00 — Hotel drop-off and good night sleep.

Charyn Canyon (195 Kms)

Breakfast at the hotel.

10:00 — Day excursion to Charyn Canyon. Charyn Canyon, located 200 km from Almaty, perhaps is the most atypical sight of Kazakhstan, as well as one of the most famous. The canyon extends for 154 kilometres and is located where the Great Steppe ends, and the Tien Shan mountains begin. Charyn Canyon is the largest canyon in Central Asia, and its age, according to scientists, is about 12 million years. The canyon looks amazing at any time of the year! The tour starts early in the morning as the road from Almaty to the Charyn Canyon takes more than three hours. You will see gorgeous landscapes, walk on high panoramas and along the Valley of Castles, among the steep cliffs with a height of more than 100 meters. Here you can take beautiful photos, sip delicious tea at the edge of the canyon and just enjoy the incredible scenery created by nature. Be prepared to spend the whole day on the trip, the duration of the tour will be about 10-12 hours.

14:00 — Lunch in a local café or packed lunch(On Own)

17:00 — Return to the hotel. Time to unwind in the comfort of your room.

20:00 — Dinner as per your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own)

22:00 — Hotel drop-off and good night sleep.

Return Home

04:00–04:30 — Packed breakfast & check-out from the hotel. It’s time to say good-bye to this beautiful city. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to the airport for your flight home or to an onward destination.