7 Days / Altyn Emel, Kolsai, Charyn e Kaindy

We will arrive in Almaty in the early afternoon, after meeting you at the airport we will drive to the beautiful Almaty lake about 30 km from the city. The large Almaty lake also called BAO is located at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level in the mountains of the Alatau Trans-Ili plateu.
According to scientists over 2,000 years ago there was a strong earthquake in these places that literally moved mountains. As a result of this natural cataclysm a natural dam 38 meters deep was formed creating the lake. Even on hot summer days the water temperature in the lake does not exceed 12 degrees Celsius while the color of the water changes according to the season, the weather and the water temperature. It is a wonderful lake to admire both in summer and in winter.
We will walk near the area and enjoy the view, then we will see some Kazakh traditions and customs in a location near the great Almaty lake.

Included: Breakfast - Lunch
Hotel: 3 or 4 star hotel depending on availability and group size

2-3 Day / Sand Dunes and White Mountain of Altyn-Emel

On the first day we will visit the Altyn-Emel sand dunes. These famous dunes about 250 km from Almaty do not move despite the strong wind that blows there. Various legends tell that Genghis Khan passed through here 800 years ago with his Mongol army. The largest dune is 150m and the landscape from the top is magnificent.
Often these dunes emit sounds created by the wind, sand and particular trees around the area. We will be able to walk up to the top of the dunes and explore the area. On the second day we will visit the White Mountain near the area, called Aktau. This mountain extends into a valley of various colors, from yellow, to red, white and purple due to the presence of various types of minerals. We will be able to walk inside the valley for about 30-40 minutes and get closer to the most beautiful mountain in the area.

Overnight: Local Guesthouse
Included: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

4-5 day / Kolsai Lake, Kaindy Lake and Charyn Canyon

The magnificent 3 Kolsai lakes are located 290 kilometers southeast of Almaty. This area is surrounded by three beautiful alpine lakes, called Kolsai-1, Kolsai-2 and Kolsai-3, located respectively at an altitude of 1700, 2252 and 2650 meters above sea level. Many people consider them the pearl of the northern Tien Shan mountains. The depth of these lakes is also impressive: the deepest point of the first lake is 80 meters, the second about 50 meters and the water in all the lakes is very dark indeed. Kaindy Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Kazakhstan, it is located at an altitude of 2000 m, 26 km from the Kaindy River of the same name, near Lake Kolsai. Translated from the Kazakh "Kaindy" means "abundant with birch", the meaning of the name is because it is full of large birch forests, located near the area and inside the lake in a spectacular way.
Canyon Charyn is located in Charyn National Park established in 2004 by the Kazakh government. The Canyon Valley is 3km long, a dried up canyon adjacent to the main river of the same name. The river itself now flows along a different path, and millions of years ago this place was just under the sea which now extends from modern Alakol Lake to the Caspian Sea. This explains the rock formations around the area or stones strongly pressed with clay, which can easily change shape under the influence of wind and water. This material is great for creating sculptures and nature creates fantastic shapes with this particular type of sand / rocks.
In these two days we will explore the two lakes, and on the first day we will do a trekking / walk around the first Kolsai lake to get to the second one (possibly it can be done on horseback) and on the second day we will visit Kaindy lake and Charyn Canyon.

Overnight: Local Guesthouse, overnight in Yurt
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

6 Day / Shymbulak and trekking / walking around the area
We will return from the spectacular Canyon and head towards Shymbulak. Shymbulak is a ski resort near Almaty, in the Medeu valley, next to the majestic Zaiilisky Alatau mountain range and also the largest ski resort in all of Central Asia.
It is possible to organize tailor-made treks or a simple walk according to your level.

Hotel: 3 or 4 star hotel depending on availability and group size
Included: Breakfast - Lunch

7 / Coming back to Almaty
Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan, located in the southeastern part of the country and the population is approximately 1.8 million inhabitants. The city is very famous for being the old capital and the city still remains the economic, financial and cultural center of all of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. It is a very ethical city, full of old buildings, oriental bazaars, church, mosques and many other interesting places.

Following the program of the city tour:

09.30 - Visit of the Cathedral of the Ascension, a famous Russian Orthodox cathedral

10.00 - Visit of the Green Bazaar and the Central Mosque

12.00 - Transfer to Koktobe and lunch in a fantastic restaurant where you can see the whole city from above

16.30 - Return to the city and end of the tour