Home / Almaty Attractions / 4-Day Active Tour
4-Day Active Tour
Duration
4 days
Overview
-
Highlights:
• Enjoy a 4-day trip to the best natural parks around Almaty;
• Open the mystery of Singing Dunes; hike the fantastic “lunar” Aktau mountains – 70 millions year ago it was a bottom of an ancient Tethys Ocean;
• Enjoy a breathtaking scenery and take spectacular photographs while hiking around the lakes; visit a sunken forest of Kaindy lake; experience Kazakh cuisine and culture in a carefully selected homestay family;
• See Charyn Canyon, one of Kazakhstan's natural treasures.
-
What you can expect:
-
Day 1st:
-Get picked up from your hotel by air-conditioned 4WD vehicle with an experienced driver and meet your guide. Along the scenic drive you will pass the little villages and farmers’ markets, artificial lake and Kapchagai town – one of two places in Kazakhstan where gambling is officially allowed.
• It usually takes 3-4 hours to reach a hotel at Bashi village that is located on the territory of Altyn Emel National Park, here we stop for a lunch and rest break.
• Departure to Katutau & Aktau mountains
• Arriving to Katutau mountains formed by lava and some associated volcanic rocks. Time, water and the sun have created intricate rock rarities here. Snap photos as your guide explains the origin of such a fanciful landscape, and then continue the trip to see Aktau mountains. Arriving to Aktau mountains - the museum of the earth's distant past. Fantastically-shaped natural sculptures rise from the bottom of an ancient sea in all the colors of the rainbow, from the pale blue "Lunar landscape" to the "red mountains". These mountains are 30 km long, 800 m high - and 400 million years old.
• Leaving Aktau mountans, road back to the hotel will take around 1-1.5 hour
• Dinner. Don't forget to enjoy starry night sky above Bashi village - it is so bright away from the city lights!
-
Day 2nd:
-Breakfast at hotel’s café
• Departure to Singing Dune
• Its time to see next miracle of our trip – Singing Dunes, rising about 150 meters and stretching for a distance of approximately 2-3 km. Learn how is it possible that sand dunes are appeared in steppe vast area and, with luck, listen to the organ-like song of Singing Dunes. Never have climbed a dune before- Here we will have a lot of time for hiking, taking magnificent photos and enjoy amazing panoramic view!
• It’s time to go back to the hotel at Bashi village for a lunch before heading to Charyn Canyon
• Lunch at Bashi village
• Leaving the hotel, our next destination is Charyn Canyon.
• Charyn Canyon National Park – time to explore this magnificent natural wonder! Marvel at dramatic rock formations shaped by the elements and time, and keep your camera handy for amazing photos. There's time at leisure for exploring on your own at your own pace.
• Leave for the Satty village, which is the closest place to Kolsay & Kaindy lakes.
• Arrival to the village, homestay with a local family (very basic conditions), dinner.
• Overnight in Satty village.
-
Day 3rd:
-Breakfast at Satty village.
• We drive to the first Kolsai lake and start hiking to the second lake. It is 16 km (around 16 miles) both ways, with the highest point 2700 metres (1.7 miles), it takes around 3-4 hours to reach the second lake.
Important: please take an actual passport (not a copy) for hiking, cause the border line with Kyrgyzstan is located in around 10 km from second Kolsai lake and you can be asked to show passport by the border guards.
• Picnic at the shore of the second Kolsai lake.
• Coming back to the first Kolsay lake, time to take the last photos and drive back to Satty village.
• Arrival to the village, homestay with a local family, dinner, Russian banya.
• Overnight in Satty village
-
Day 4th:
-Breakfast
• Departure to Kaindy Lake.
Unusual and mysterious Kaindy Lake (Birch lake) is located at the altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. Kaindy lake was formed as the result of a huge landslide after the powerful earthquake in 1911. The landslide blocked the river and the water has flooded the valley. That is how appeared the lake with Tien Shan fir trees in the middle. The water of the lake is very cold, that is why the needles of the flooded trees are well preserved and clearly visible through the transparent surface of the water, and dry stems of fir trees overlook the water surface. It is impossible to describe in words all this mystical splendor of the lake – it is necessary to go there and see everything with own eyes.
• Leaving to the city - there is a long way back to Almaty - around 5 hours, on the way we will stop for a lunch in one of the village cafes.
• Arrival to the city.
Reviews
Similar Activities
from €366.07
Kolsai Lakes 3-Day Group Tour, Inclusive of Meals & Accommodation
from €23.47
Almaty Walking Group Tour, Inclusive of Subway Experience
from €118.00
Charyn Canyon: Valley of Castles, Moon Valley & Bartogay Lake
from €124.61
Historical city tour at Almaty
from €59.65
Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes - Pearl of the Northern Tian Shan
from €269.71
2-Day Tour to Charyn Canyon