Charyn Canyons, 180 km from Almaty, span 100 km and host relict trees like Sogdian ash and Turanga.
Kolsai Lakes, 300 km southeast of Almaty, are in a national park established in 2007, home to diverse wildlife.
Saty (1st lake) lies at 1,818 m altitude; Mynzhylky (2nd lake) at 2,252 m, 5 km away; Sarybulak (3rd lake) at 2,850 m near Kyrgyzstan.
Connected by the Kolsai River, the lakes offer fresh, mineral-rich water and summer temperatures of 10°C.
Lake Kaindy, named after a birch grove, lies near Kaindy Gorge, with serene stops like Ak Kaiyn grove.
Itinerary:
Day 1
07:00 - Pick up guests from their addresses and depart for the Charyn Canyons (200 km)
10:00 - Visit the Valley of Castles Canyon, the most popular canyon of the Charyn River. Descend and trek with photo stops inside the canyon (2.5 km)
11:00 - Rest on the bank of the Charyn River
12:00 - Ascend from the canyon back to the car park (2.5 km). During high season, a cab service from the national park is available if needed
13:30 - Lunch break
14:00 - Depart for Moon Canyon (25 km)
14:30 - Stop at the panoramic view of Moon Canyon
15:30 - Depart for the next location, the Stone Shelf panoramic view (15 km)
16:00 - Arrive at the Stone Shelf for a photo stop
16:30 - Depart for the “Napoleon” panoramic site (2.5 km)
17:00 - Visit the “Napoleon” site for a photo stop
17:30 - Depart for the “Austrian View” panoramic site (2 km)
18:00 - Visit the “Austrian View” and then depart for Saty village (120 km)
19:00 - Visit the Black Canyon, part of the main canyon of the Charyn River
20:00 - Check in at the guest house and have dinner
21:30 - Enjoy time around the campfire
22:30 - Overnight stay at the guest house
Day 2
08:00 - Breakfast at the hotel
08:30 - Departure to Saty Lake (Kolsay 1st, 20 km)
09:15 - Photo session. Preparatory procedures for trekking
09:20 - Rise to the lake Mynzhylky (Kolsay 2nd). Trekking 9 kilometres in one direction. In the warmer months, the option of horse riding is available to Mynzhylky
12:30 - Arrival at Mynzhylki lake. Rest, photo session, lunch (lunchboxes from the guest house)
13:30 - Slow return to Saty Lake, 9 kilometres
16:30 - Return to the cars, departure to Saty village (20 km)
17:30 - Dinner, overnight stay at the guest house
Day 3
08:30 - Breakfast at the hotel
09:00 - Depart for Kaindy Lake (15 km, unpaved road)
09:30 - Arrive at the parking area and trek to the lake (2 km). Horse rentals are available during the high season (not included in the tour price).
10:30 - Visit three locations at the lake: the shore, the panoramic viewpoint, and the inflow of the Kaindy River into the lake
12:00 - Return to the parking area (2 km)
13:00 - Depart for the guest house, stopping at a panoramic site with views of the Chilik River valley
13:30 - Lunch at the guest house
14:00 - Depart for Almaty (300 km)
18:00 - Arrive in Almaty
