Almaty and the Kolsai Lakes

Welcome to Almaty, Kazakhstan!

16:00 — Welcome to Almaty – City of a thousand colours! After clearing customs & 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.

Kolsai Lake · Charyn Canyon

Breakfast at the hotel & check out.

10:00 — Proceed for Kolsai National Park! The “Pearl of the Tien Shan”, Kolsai Lakes, is located 300 km from Almaty, in the spurs of the Kungei-Alatau ridge. It is also called Kazakh Switzerland. These are one of the most beautiful mountain lakes surrounded by steep mountain slopes.

13:00 — Enjoy lunch at your resort or any small cafes in the area (On Own)

15:00 — Visit Charyn –A 12-million-year-old Canyon! It is often compared to the American Grand Canyon, to which Charyn is only slightly inferior in size and not at all in beauty. The total length of the canyon is 154 kilometres, and its age is about 12 million years. The river of the same name Charyn flows at the bottom of the canyon, the total length of which exceeds 360 kilometres. The beauty of the canyon brings forth thoughts about Martian landscapes. If you want to feel like you’re on another planet, make sure to come to space, Charyn! Thousands of tourists visit this magical place annually, taking unforgettable impressions, delightful emotions and beautiful photos of the wild, unbridled beauty of Kazakhstan’s nature with them. The «Valley of Castles» is one of the most beautiful canyon gorges. Its steep, vertical cliffs truly resemble the walls of royal houses. You can walk through the valley for 1.5 hours, completing a walk at a crystal-clear mountain river. Also there are other places that are of great interest for tourists, like the «Witch Gorge», «Dragon Gorge» and many other scenic parts of this natural wonder. Check in-hotel in Kolsai.

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

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

Kaindy Lake

Breakfast at the hotel.

10:00 — Visit Kaindy Lake – Ghostly Underwater Forest! You've seen forests, and you've seen lakes. But when you see one inside the other, things start to feel eerie. That's the essence of Kaindy Lake. A landslide a century ago created the lake atop a spruce forest — leading to some breath-taking scenery.

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

16:00 — Proceed to the hotel for relaxation.

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 the hotel & Check out.

10:00–12:00 — 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. 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)

15:00–17:00 — 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. Check in Hotel.

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

22:00 — Hotel drop and relax.

Departure

09:00–11:00 — 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.