Kolsai Lake & Charyn Canyon tour

Shaitankol, The dead lake Karkaraly national park

Overview:

Almaty Expeditions team offers you a great day tour that includes the best highlights of the Almaty region. The tour starts with early morning pick up and continues with visiting the main attractions such as Kolsai Lake, Kaindly Lake and Charyn Canyon. It will be a long day, lots of stunning natural sights, traditional villages, hiking along the lakes, enjoying traditional meals and at the end of the trip you will have so many memories and a tired legsJ

Kolsai Lake is one of three Kolsai Lakes located on the northern slopes of the Tien Shan Mountains. It is a system of three lakes, the Lower Kolsai Lake at an altitude of 1818 metres, the Middle Kolsai Lake at an altitude of 2250 metres and the Upper Kolsai Lake at an altitude of 2850 metres.

Our tour includes a visit to Lower Kolsai Lake with its picturesque scenery. Here you can enjoy a boat ride on the lake. Take your time and enjoy the view!

Lake Kaindy was formed after an earthquake in the 1911’s caused a large landslide that formed a natural dam. The stunning blue lake is also known as an underwater forest. The trees are dead and it looks a bit eerie. Take a walk to the lake and back which takes about 1.5 hours. If you like horse riding we can arrange a horse trek. The lake is also famous for diving.

Charyn Canyon is one of the best highlights of Almaty, where you can enjoy a picturesque red sedimentary canyon. The canyon is about 150 kilometres long and has many popular spots.

We will stop at a place called Black Canyon. Enjoy your day!

Pick up at 6:00 am

We will pick you up at 6am and make our first stop at Charyn Canyon. Today you will be accompanied by an English speaking guide and an experienced driver. At Charyn National Park you can enjoy the beautiful canyon and take an unforgettable picture. Drive to Kolsai Lakes National Park. Leave your car at the car park and take a short walk to the viewpoint.

Here you can take a boat trip and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Lunch is taken in the traditional village of Saty. In the afternoon we walk to Kandly Lake. This is a slightly longer walk and if you prefer we can arrange a horse ride. Kandy is one of the most beautiful lakes in the country.

At the entrance to the lake valley you can taste some traditional dairy products. Drive back to Almaty. On arrival in the city we will take you to one of the best restaurants. End of the trip. Drop you off at your hotel. Thank you for coming!

Almaty is a big city and there will be a lot of traffic during your day tour. Please be patient.
If the any of attractions are not open, we will replace it with other highlights that are no less exciting.
The tour can be booked the day before. Please let us know your preferred date and wait for confirmation.
The tour can started with a picking-up from the airport.

Good to know:

This is one of the four Altmaty Day Tours that we offer. All four tours have different highlights. These tours can be combined and you can see the best of Almaty in 2-4 days.

We are flexible and always happy to offer the best. If there is a special event, concert or tournament, we are happy to include it as a highlight of the tour.

Kolsai Lake & Charyn Canyon tour

Duration: 2-Days
Availability: Four seasons
Best time: April-November
Begin and end: Almaty
Tour type: Outdoor, Around Almaty
Price from: 250 USD p.p

Our highlights

Enjoy the gorgeous Kolsai Lakes National Park
Charyn Canyon National Park
Kaindy Lake, and traditional village Saty

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Tour Price Includes

Transportation + fuel
Experienced driver
English speaking guide
All permits and fees
Lunch and Dinner
All activities

Tour price excludes

Personal needs
Alcoholic beverages
Gratitude

Tour details:

What To Bring?

Please get dressed according to the weather forecast. And please, make sure your phone is fully charged. Take a day pack with the following items: sunglasses, fresh water, sunscreen, waterproof jacket, hand sanitizer, toiletries. And please have some cash in case you want to go shopping or buy souvenirs.

Toilet & Shower

There are toilets at the national park. But not everywhere so please let your guide know in advance. Thank you very much.

Who Can Join The Group?

This is one of four Almaty’s Day Tours and it is based on visiting the more remote attractions, including all three tourist sites. Recommended for nature lovers!

Your Responsibility

Our guide is a tour leader, we kindly ask you to follow his/her instructions and respect his/her job. Please do not hurt the feelings of the locals and respect their traditions.

Please be prepared for the trip and get ready on time.

Please remember that we are happy to meet you and it is our pleasure to guide you today. It is going to be a great day, so please enjoy your trip

Our Responsibility

We are responsible for visiting the places and seeing the attractions that we have mentioned in our itinerary. We are responsible for guiding you with pleasure and giving you a great expediton.

We are not responsible for any unplanned inconvenience during the tour. We are not responsible for the traffic in the city and finally we are not responsible for the bad weather conditions that you have to be prepared for in advance.

Weather:

The Almaty City Tour is available all year round. Please check the weather forecast once you have chosen your tour date. And try to pack an extra jacket for the evenings.

Payment

We kindly ask you to pay a deposit to confirm your trip.

The remain balance can be paid 7 days before the start of the tour (but we are very flexible with payment terms)

Cancellation Policy:

Here is our cancellation policy that we recommend our clients to follow.

Cancelling the tour within more than 2 months, 50% of your deposit payment will be reinbussed

Cancelling the tour less than one month, the deposit payment will not be reinbussed

Accommodation

The Almaty Day Tour does not include accommodation.

Meals:

During the tour you will have the opportunity to taste the traditional meals. If you are vegetarian or vegan please let us know in advance. There is a wide choice of meals so we hope you will enjoy the traditional meals. In the evening we will take you to one of the best restaurants in town.

Support Team

This is a fully guided day tour where you will be accompanied by local guides. We have an experienced driver and a comfortable vehicle.