Tour around Almaty and Almaty region
Interesting sights of Almaty region -
Journey from Bishkek to Almaty -
This tour of Almaty city and Almaty region is designed for 13 days. The tour is combined, and it can be made longer or shorter – everything depends on your wishes.
Around the city of Almaty are the Tien Shan mountains. We will explore their natural attractions, climb into the mountains and visit such places as the Medeo high-mountain skating rink, the Chimbulak high-mountain base and the Small Almaty mountain gorge.
Further, our program will continue through the Big Almaty Gorge, located in another part of the city, where we will visit the Big Almaty Lake.
The second part of the program takes place in the Almaty region. We will visit the city of Kunaev (Kapchagai), see the Kapchagai reservoir and head to the reserve – Altyn-Emel park.
In the park we will explore natural attractions such as the Ili River, the Aktau mountains, the Tamgaly-tas tract, the Katutau mountains and the Kosbastau tract.
Next we will travel to the city of Zharkent, see the 700-year-old Karagach tree, visit Chundzha village, explore the Charyn canyon, the Temerlik canyon, the Kolsai lake No. 1, the Kolsai lake No. 2 and the Kaindy lake.
Road trip route along the Zailiysky Alatau in the Central Tien Shan:
Almaty - Medeo tract - Shymbulak ski resort - Ili river - Altyn-Emel National Park - Zharkent city - Charyn river canyons - Kolsai lakes - Kaindy lake Almaty
- Distance of the route:
1729 km
- Season time:
Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Best time:
Summer
- Group size:
1-25
- Days & nights:
13 days, 12 nights
Tour itinerary:
Arrival in Almaty, meeting at the airport with a sign, transfer to the Astra hotel, accommodation, rest, overnight. Beginning of the city tour: visiting the park of 28 Panfilov’s, the cathedral, the museum of musical instruments (the museum of musical instruments will present a 20-minute concert on Kazakh folk, musical instruments - playing the dombra, kobyz, sabyzgy, singing to the accompaniment of dombra) , National Museum.
Visit to the Medeo tract, walk in the surroundings. Lunch at the national restaurant "Kazakh aul", Kazakh national cuisine. After lunch, transfer to the city, ascent on the cable car to Mount Kok-Tube (Blue Sopka) 1070 meters above sea level, walk around the surroundings. Here is the television tower of the city, 371 meters high. Return to Almaty. Continuation of the city tour: visiting the green bazaar and the brand shop of the Rakhat chocolate factory. Return to the hotel, overnight.
Breakfast. Today we have a walk to the Bogdanovich glacier in the Maloalmatinsky gorge. Transfer to Shymbulak. Ascent by cable car to the Bolshoi Talgarsky pass 3163 meters above sea level.
Walk to the glacier Bogdanovich 3410 meters above sea level on the way we will see the snow-capped peaks of the surrounding mountains. Picnic on the moraine. Return to the Bolshoi Talgarsky pass, descent by cable car to Shymbulak. Transfer to the tract (2 km), hotel accommodation, dinner, overnight.
Breakfast. On the way we will visit the nursery of birds of prey "Sunkar", here we will see falcons, golden eagles, eagles, vultures, eagle owls. After visiting the nursery, we will continue our journey further to the lake, passing the Second Hydroelectric Power Station, then the First Hydroelectric Power Station, and along the serpentines of the mountain road we will soon reach the mountain lake.
Walk around the lake. After a walk by the lake, transfer to the Dzhusaly-Kezen pass 3377 meters above sea level, a walk to the alpine meadows, where high-altitude alpine flowers grow. Lunch on the way. There is a station for studying cosmic rays (Cosmostation) on the pass. Return to the GAISH observatory, accommodation in a guest house, dinner, overnight.
Breakfast. Today, after breakfast, we will have a beautiful walk to the place where the Ozernaya River flows into Bolshealmatinskoye Lake (5 km), and then we will climb the old abandoned road along the river to the ancient moraine.
Panorama of peaks and glaciers from north to south in the ridge that lies in the west, we are surrounded by peaks - Tourist 3965 meters above sea level, Choi-Bolsan, Karniznaya 4047 meters above sea level, which are closed by Ozernaya peak 4126 meters above sea level. Lunch on the way. The east is dominated by the beautiful peak of the Soviets 4317 meters above sea level. Return to the guest house, dinner, overnight.
Breakfast. Transfer to the Ili River (121 km). Rafting on the Ili River (21 km, 4 hours). We pass Kapchagay, go to the river, which is located behind the mountains in a deep canyon, go down the narrow gorge to the Ili River, prepare a raft for and start rafting. A huge river is sandwiched in a narrow rocky canyon, clean, clear water of the river.
After about 4 hours we reach the Tamgaly-Tas tract, where there are rock images of Buddha on the coastal rocks, we find here ancient writings on the rocks and mysterious drawings, a walk in the surroundings. Peak nickname by the river. After lunch transfer to Baschi village (160 km). On the way, stop at the colonies of turtles that live near the Ili River. Further stop at the Altyn-Emel pass. Arrival in the village of Baschi, accommodation in a guest house, overnight.
Breakfast. Transfer: Basshi - Aktau mountains (71 km). After the village of Basshi we pass two small villages and after them our path lies to the east between the Aktau mountains and the Ili river. Gradually, the country road leads us to the mountains and the further path runs along the southern slopes of the Katu-Tau and Aktau mountains. Arrival at the colorful mountains of Aktau, a walk up the gorge.
Transfer: Aktau - Katu-Tau gorge (26 km). Arrival at the Katu-Tau rock massif, walks in the vicinity. Dinner.
Transfer: mountains Katu-Tau - cordon tract Kosbastau (27 km). There is a small artificial pond and several hundred-year-old willows at the Kosbastau cordon, one of them is over 700 years old. Walk in the vicinity of the tract.
Transfer: Kosbastau - settlement Basshi (29 km). Arrival in Basshi. Dinner, overnight.
Breakfast. Transfer to Zharkent (190 km). Arrival in Zharkent, walk around Zharkent: visiting the architectural museum - Zharkent mosque. Since 1942, Zharkent was called Panfilov. The Zharkent mosque was built in 1887-1892 with the funds collected by the merchant Vali Akhun Yuldashev. The building of the mosque is surrounded from the outside by an open-type bypass gallery, based on 122 columns.
Visiting the Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1892, visiting the city park, the local bazaar, the art gallery named after Kasteev. Lunch at a local cafe.
Transfer: Zharkent - settlement Koktal - settlement Kieli-Agash (33 km). Not far from the village in a beautiful grove there is a huge, old tree, which is more than 700 years old, the diameter of the tree is more than 6 meters, a walk through the grove.
Transfer: Kieli-Agash village - Chundzha village (90 km). Arrival in Chungju, accommodation in a guest house, dinner, overnight.
Breakfast. Transfer to the Charyn canyon (140 km). On the way, a short walk to the Temerlik canyon. Walk in the big canyon of Charyn to the river Charyn. Lunch at Charyn.
Transfer to Lake Kolsay - I (81 km). On the way, stop at the panoramic sites near the canyons on the Charyn River, viewing the cascade of canyons. Arrival at Lake Kolsay - I, accommodation in a guest house. Evening walk around the lake. Return to the guest house, dinner, overnight.
Breakfast. Today we will take a walk to Lake Kolsay - II, located at an altitude of 2252 meters above sea level. This lake is located nine kilometers from Lake Kolsay - I. The trail runs along the left bank of the lake from the trail offers magnificent views of the Kolsay lakes and the surrounding mountains.
In lake Kolsay - I lives fish, king trout. From the south side, the Kolsay River flows into Lake Kolsay, the lake is more than two kilometers long, the depth of the lake is up to 80 meters. The most beautiful lake Kolsay - II is surrounded by high mountains, the river Kolsai flows from the southern side of the lake. Lunch at the lake Kolsay - II. Return to Kolsay Lake - I. Dinner and overnight at the guest house.
Breakfast. Transfer to Kurmenty settlement (8 km). Today we have a horse ride in the gorge of the Chilik River, our ride will reach the mouth of the Kuturgan River, we will pass the Botl-Moinok Pass and cross the Taldy River (12 km) on horseback. Return on horseback to Kurmenty village. Transfer to the guest house on the lake Kolsay - I (8 km). Dinner, overnight in a guest house.
Breakfast. Trip to Kaindy Lake (21 km). This is one of the most beautiful lakes of the Northern Tien Shan, in the lake itself there are trunks of Tien Shan firs, the lake is surrounded by tall Tien Shan firs. Walk in the vicinity of Lake Kaindy, descent to the lake, a walk at the mouth of the Kaindy River. Dinner. Return to Lake Kolsay - I (21 km). Dinner, overnight in a guest house.
Breakfast. Moving to Almaty. Lunch in the village of Bayseit. Arrival in Almaty, transfer to the hotel, accommodation. Free time. Farewell dinner, overnight.
Transfer to the airport, departure from Almaty.
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