Canyons & steppe Top pick
Charyn Canyon
The Valley of Castles, red canyon walls and a walk down to the rushing Charyn river.
Price on request
Book 
All tours
Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes
Kazakhstan’s two most famous mountain lakes in one day: spruce-lined shores and a sunken forest.
- Duration
- 13–15 h
- Distance
- 300 km from Almaty
- Altitude
- 2 000 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Season
- May – Oct
- Price
- Price on request
The Kolsai lakes are known as the pearls of the Northern Tien Shan: deep blue water framed by Tien Shan spruce. The first lake needs no long climb — stroll the shore or rent a boat.
Kaindy was born after the 1911 earthquake, when a landslide dammed the gorge and flooded a spruce forest. The trunks still rise out of the turquoise water. We cover the last stretch of road in a local off-roader, followed by a short walk.
Highlights
- First Kolsai lake
- Sunken forest of Lake Kaindy
- Mountain villages of Saty and Kainar
- Views of the Kungey Alatau range
Itinerary
- Early pick-up at your hotel
- Transfer to an off-roader, Lake Kaindy
- Lunch at a guesthouse in Saty
- First Kolsai lake, walk along the shore
- Drive back to Almaty
- Back at your hotel
Times are approximate and depend on the road and your stops.
Included
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Comfortable car and fuel
- Driver-guide in your language
- Bottled water in the car
- National park entrance fees
- Local off-road transfer to Kaindy
Not included
- Lunch and personal expenses
- Boat rental on Kolsai
What to bring
- Passport or ID
- Comfortable shoes
- A warm layer or windbreaker
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
Season
Other tours
Lakes
Big Almaty Lake
A turquoise lake at 2,511 metres — just an hour’s drive from the city.
Price on request
Book 
Lakes
Issyk Lake & Turgen Gorge
A mountain lake with a dramatic past and waterfalls in a spruce-filled gorge.
Price on request
Book