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Kolsai Lake Tour: Scenic Lakes and Canyon Views
5.0
14 Ratings
Saty
Explore Charyn Canyon’s stunning geology, capture breathtaking photos, and enjoy a scenic outdoor lunch on this unforgettable day trip from Almaty.
Explore Charyn Canyon’s stunning geology, capture breathtaking photos, and enjoy a scenic outdoor lunch on this unforgettable day trip from Almaty.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Kolsai Lake - At 6:00 AM, a comfortable jeep or SUV will collect you directly from your hotel, and the journey to Kolsai Lake will begin. The drive is approximately 4 hours (around 300 km). During the trip, enjoy views of steppe landscapes, mountains, and authentic village life. Spend a few hours at the lake, with an optional lunch at Tary, which…
- Kolsai Lake - At 6:00 AM, a comfortable jeep or SUV will collect you directly from your hotel, and the journey to Kolsai Lake will begin. The drive is approximately 4 hours (around 300 km). During the trip, enjoy views of steppe landscapes, mountains, and authentic village life. Spend a few hours at the lake, with an optional lunch at Tary, which offers stunning panoramic views over the water.
- Lake Kaindy - Following this, we will drive to Lake Kaindy (a 15-minute car ride). From the parking area, it’s an easy 15-minute walk to the lake. For those who prefer not to walk, a horse ride or UAZ vehicle is available (2000 tenge).
- Charyn Canyon - Next, we proceed to Charyn Canyon (100 km, 2.5 hours). Arrival is perfectly timed for sunset. Enjoy the golden hour views from above and take a ride in an improvised safari vehicle (1,800 tenge). The return drive to the city is about 3 hours, with drop-off at your hotel around 8:00 PM. Optional additional costs include horse rides, UAZ transfers, restaurant meals, and safari vehicle rides. Feel free to ask your guide to take photos — they will be delighted to capture your memories!
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Entrance fees
- Guide
- Parking fees
- Private transportation
- Entrance fees
- Guide
- Parking fees
What's Not Included
- Brunch
- Brunch
Additional Information
At 6:00 AM, a comfortable jeep or SUV will pick guests up directly from their hotel to begin the journey to Kolsai Lake. The drive is approximately 4 hours, covering around 300 km. Along the route, travelers will enjoy views of steppe landscapes, mountains, and authentic village life. A couple of hours will be spent at the lake, with an optional lunch…
At 6:00 AM, a comfortable jeep or SUV will pick guests up directly from their hotel to begin the journey to Kolsai Lake. The drive is approximately 4 hours, covering around 300 km. Along the route, travelers will enjoy views of steppe landscapes, mountains, and authentic village life. A couple of hours will be spent at the lake, with an optional lunch at Tary, which offers panoramic views over the water. Following this, the trip continues to Lake Kaindy, a short 15-minute drive away. From the parking area, it’s an easy 15-minute walk to the lake, but for those who prefer not to walk, a horse ride or UAZ vehicle is available for 2000 tenge. The journey then proceeds to Charyn Canyon, which is 100 km away and takes about 2.5 hours to reach. Arrival is perfectly timed for sunset, allowing guests to enjoy the golden hour views from above and take a ride in an improvised safari vehicle for 1,800 tenge. The return drive to the city takes about 3 hours, with guests being dropped off at their hotel around 8:00 PM. Optional extra costs include the horse ride, UAZ transfer, restaurant, and safari vehicle. Guests are encouraged to ask their guide to take photos, as they will be delighted to capture these memorable moments.
Location
Kolsai Lake
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(14 Ratings)
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Andrewcb1696tx
Feb 26, 2026
To see the world behind walls, draw closer, to find each other. and to feel. That is the purpose of life. - Such a great day spent with our guide. We were picked up here at our hotel bright and early and taken to a quick stop for breakfast.
Drove 3 hours straight through the bare terrain of Kazakhstan to Candi Lake then onwards to several other jaw dropping canyons and rivens.
We counted ourselves lucky having met our guide who was not only professional efficient and knowledgeable, but also very friendly and kind.
On top of diving all day to each location, which was hard work in and of itself, our guide took beautiful candied pictures of us without us needing to ask. All from the sidelines.. which was a very thoughtful gesture!
Everything went smoothly. We felt very safe and comfortable, which is very important when visiting an unfamiliar place. 10/10 would recommend friend and family.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeffba3520yz
Feb 23, 2026
The Best experience ever - Thank you so much for the amazing service! I had one free day in Almaty and made the most of it with this express tour, seeing all the top sights in just one day. The team provides outstanding service they picked me up from my hotel and dropped me off there in the evening. They answered all my questions and were incredibly helpful. You can really tell they love what they do. Book this tour you won’t regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Architachakraborty
Feb 23, 2026
Thank you Qazaq Adventure for the wonderful memory - We went for this tour with QazaQ Adventure . It was such a wonderful experience. Had a really wonderful time. Thank you Nikita , our guide , who really made this tour and Kazakhstan experience a memorable one .
Highly recommended for anyone looking to visit Kazakhstan
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U9066hsanna
Feb 23, 2026
Thank you - Thank you for the tour it was absolutely incredible. We arrived at Charyn Canyon right at sunset and caught the golden hour. It was insanely beautiful. The whole trip was very comfortable Nikita has a super comfortable car, and he himself is very welcoming and went out of his way to accommodate everything we asked for.
Thank you!! Your service is amazing!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rozelleb2026
Feb 2, 2026
Very highly recommended, Artem & Bogdan! - It was our first time in Almaty, and Bogdan and Artem were our guides. Everything was absolutely amazing! They were so kind and very accommodating, and I felt safe the entire time.
If I ever come back to Almaty, of course it will be for the views—but more than that, it will be because of our guides. They made us feel truly welcome. It didn’t feel like a typical tour; it felt like we were just friends traveling together.
Thank you so much for this tour. It made our travel experience in Almaty extra special and full of great memories. I highly recommend Bogdan and Artem!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Banananopyjama
Jan 26, 2026
Wonderful last-minute addition to our trip - First of all, we're really grateful that the operator was thoughtful and, for safety reasons, advised us against starting our tour in the wee hours of the morning to try and make our flight, recommending that we instead start one leg of our journey, spend the night at a guesthouse, then resume the rest of it the next day before heading to the airport.
The tour was really well-planned and we had ample time to take in the sights and explore. We also got a wonderful surprise when we found that the guesthouse selected was a beautiful eco-yurt belonging to a wonderful host family.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Conniebk5421zl
Jan 5, 2026
Amazing Almaty, Kazakhstan Tour - Our 3 days private chartered tour in Almaty, Kazakhstan was fantastic!!! Thanks to our professional tour guide and driver, Artem and Bogdan. It was such a pleasure to meet them. They were knowledgeable, very respectful and helpful with planning the trip.
We were able to see the best sceneries of Almaty and have tried if not all, I think almost all of the local dishes in the best restaurants recommended to us.
Unfortunately, due to an accident there were road closures so, we skipped a few on our list but alternatives were offered.
Giving us a reason to come back to Kazakhstan soon 😊
Overall the journey was enjoyable and comfortable.
Thank you for keeping us safe ❤️
Very efficient. Quality service. Highly recommend this company to all 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Babzzzzx
Jan 2, 2026
Best day trips around Almaty - Artem was a blessing in disguise and the best host we could ever imagine. He was approachable, went out of the way to cater to all our needs and was fluent in English making conversations easy & effective. We loved touring with him and everything was immaculate right from starting the trip on time, well maintained SUV, reaching back on time.
Would recommend 100%
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chicanee
Nov 30, 2025
Lakes and Canyons Adventure! - We initially booked a private day tour with Artem and Bogdan for the Big Almaty Lake + Aiyusay Waterfall then decided to go with them for a 2-day tour for the Charyn Canyon, Moon Canyon, Kolsay Lake, and Kaindy Lake adventure. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of our trip!
From the very start, Artem and Bogdan were warm, playful, and genuinely easy to be around. They made long drives feel light with their humor, stories, and good energy, but at the same time, they were very professional and extremely helpful. They took care of everything, from guiding us safely through the trails to making sure we were comfortable, well-informed, and having the best experience in every spot.
They knew the best viewpoints and they never made us feel rushed. You can tell they truly love what they do, and that passion reflects in the way they treat their guests.
Our lodge for the night was also a wonderful surprise, cozy, clean, and comfortable, with hosts who welcomed us like family. After a full day of exploring, it felt like the perfect place to rest and recharge.
Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. If you’re visiting Kazakhstan and want a stress-free, memorable, and fun adventure, we highly recommend finding Artem and Bogdan. Good guys with good hearts, and they made our trip truly unforgettable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Williamjamesd2025
Nov 29, 2025
Amazing almaty experience! - If you are a couple, a group of 4 or 6 then this tour package is for YOU. Nikita and his team will make sure to provide you with excellent service, safe journey and hassle free tour experience to Black and Charyn Canyons, Kaindy and Kolsay Lakes at an affordable price. You may even book the tour package a day before and responds to you promptly.
In our tour, Nikita is the one who guided us around and he always makes sure we are comfortable and safe. He is super nice and he goes above and beyond even assisting us in taking our pictures and riding with us in horses. The best part is, my wife and I booked the tour thinking we would have other groups joining us, but it turns out we had the transport exclusively for us! Now that’s ultimate convenience!
The scenery is so majestic and surreal and so our trip!
Thanks to Nikita for giving us a wonderful experience as first timers in Almaty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
