Kazakhstan Walking & Hiking Tour

Upon arrival at Almaty International Airport, meet your English-speaking guide, who greets you with a name placard and accompanies you to your hotel. With the room booked from the previous day, early check-in, breakfast, and time to refresh are arranged. After an optional lunch, your tour begins at the Green Bazaar, where diverse vendors offer regional specialities, including a guided tasting of traditional treats such as horse milk from Almaty and camel milk brought from a family farm near Turkestan. 

You then visit the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, the Ascension Cathedral, and the National Musical Instruments Museum, followed by Republic Square. The day ends with a cable-car ride to Kok Tobe Hill for panoramic sunset views before returning to the hotel for the night.

Start your morning with breakfast at the hotel before checking out and beginning your journey by SUV toward Altyn Emel National Park, the largest and most culturally significant reserve in Kazakhstan. Along the way, you’ll pause in Saryozek Village for a light meal at a local café, enjoying a shared main dish, a shared salad, tea, and water. 

You will then continue on to the remarkable Singing Dune, where you can hike to the crest and watch the sun set over the Ili River. In dry weather, the dune produces a deep humming sound, adding to its scenic charm. After exploring, transfer to a cosy guesthouse for check-in and savour a homemade dinner with shared dishes, traditional sweets, tea, instant coffee, and water.

You begin the morning with breakfast at the guesthouse before setting off for the Aktau White Mountains, about 90 kilometres away. These ancient chalk formations, dating back roughly 400 million years, reveal striking shades of white, blue, pink, red, and green, which become even more vivid during a relaxed seven-kilometre hike to a scenic overlook. 

A packed lunch is provided for the journey. On the way, you also explore the rugged Katutau Lava Mountains, known for their dramatic volcanic shapes. After the excursion, you return to the guesthouse, where a homemade dinner awaits, including a shared main dish, salad, traditional sweets, snacks, tea, instant coffee, and water for you.

You begin the morning with a scrumptious breakfast at the guesthouse before setting off for Charyn National Park, a journey of about 240 km. On the way, you pause in Zharkent, an ancient trading town located roughly 110 km from the starting point and close to the Chinese border. Founded in 1881 by Uyghur and Dangune settlers who had fled China, Zharkent grew along the route of the Great Silk Road and became known for its artisans and merchants. 

The Uyghur community, whose cultural traditions closely resemble those of the Kazakh people, remains known for its warmth and hospitality. While in town, you explore the 19th-century Zharkent Mosque, a striking structure built in the style of a Chinese temple and decorated with intricate Arabic and Asian motifs. 

You then enjoy lunch in a family-run Uyghur café, where you watch handmade lagman noodles being prepared. Later, you continue to the Valley of the Castles and Bestamak Canyon for easy treks before ending the day with dinner at a guesthouse in Saty Village.

Today, you set off toward the first Kolsay Lake. This trio of high-altitude lakes, often referred to as the “Pearls of the Northern Tien-Shan,” forms a stunning sequence of fresh, clear mountain waters. The first and largest lake is accessible to every visitor and rests quietly in a wide valley, mirroring the meaning behind the name “Kolsay.” Located in the eastern part of the scenic Kungei Tau gorge, roughly 300 kilometres from Almaty, the lakes lie at elevations of 1,800, 2,250, and 2,700 meters. 

Fed by glacial streams from the Kungei Alatau range, they remain remarkably pure and exceptionally deep, with the first lake reaching about 80 meters and the second close to 50 meters. If you prefer not to continue to the second lake, you may spend your time walking along the shores of the first and enjoying the peaceful surroundings. Those who choose to hike continue on an 8-kilometre trail, taking roughly three and a half hours one way. Afterwards, you return to the guesthouse for a homemade dinner and overnight stay.

You make your way to Saty Gorge for a moderate hike along the left bank of the Saty River, following paths shaped by centuries of natural erosion. Your journey includes stops at Aliman Peak and the Jailau Ekiasha high meadow, a three-kilometre walk each way. Along the route, you encounter fast mountain streams, a river that bursts from the ground, another that slips back underground, cascading waterfalls, and wide dry riverbeds. 

The trail is surrounded by tall Schrenka spruce trees and a wide variety of flora, giving you many chances to observe local wildlife such as maral, deer, fox, mountain goat, and badger, along with birds including keklik, pheasant, ular, black grouse, and owl. After returning to your guesthouse, you enjoy a homemade lunch and dinner, featuring shared dishes and drinks.

You will be visiting the Kaindy Lake today. Once you arrive at the lower parking area at Lake Kaindy, you begin a gentle 1.5-hour mountain walk, reaching elevations of about 1,700 meters. After the light hike, you settle by the lake to unwind and take in the remarkable scenery of the Kungey Alatau Gorge. The route is simple and suitable for most travellers. 

Lunchboxes are provided so you can enjoy a relaxed break. Afterwards, you return to Almaty for hotel check-in. If you wish, you may enjoy a late dinner at the hotel before resting for the night and enjoying well-deserved sleep.

It's going to be an exciting day for you today as you will be visiting the Nomad Ethno Centre, where your journey begins with a rich introduction to the Scythian, Saka kurgans, ancient ritual mounds that once made the Almaty region a sacred gathering point for nomadic leaders arriving from Siberia, Altai, the Black Sea, and distant corners of the Great Steppe. 

You learn how these monumental sites were viewed as symbolic links between the sky above and the world beneath. Your visit continues with an engaging exploration of nomadic warfare, featuring traditional armour, weapons, horseback tactics, and demonstrations of classic horse archery. You then discover the structure and meaning of traditional yurts before witnessing the remarkable partnership between Berkutchi and their hunting eagles. 

A hands-on archery session and optional horseback riding follow, adding an immersive touch. A national lunch is served in cosy yurts, after which you return to Almaty for a relaxed walk along lively Arbat Street, enjoying its shops, cafés, street art, and musicians, before transferring back to your hotel.

You begin your morning with breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the Ayusai Gorge. Its name comes from Kazakh and means “Bear Gorge” or “Bear’s Log,” a reminder of the brown Tien Shan bears that once lived here. Although it sits only about 30 minutes from central Almaty, you find yourself surrounded by untouched nature within the Ile-Alatau National Park. 

The three Ayusai waterfalls lie close to one another, allowing you to explore them all in a single day and enjoy their striking scenery along the way. After visiting the Ayusai Visitor Centre, you set out on a 12-kilometre hike to Big Almaty Lake, a moderate 3.5 to 4-hour trek. Lunchboxes are provided, and electric bicycles are available for rent if you prefer. 

At 2,500 meters above sea level, the lake rewards you with breathtaking views before you descend back to Ayusai Gorge and return to your hotel. Dinner at a local restaurant is available if you wish.

After enjoying your morning meal at the hotel, you complete the check-out formalities and proceed with your transfer to Almaty International Airport. Once there, you handle the check-in process for your flight, ensuring all requirements are settled. With everything in order, you then depart smoothly for your upcoming destination.