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Kolsai, Kaindy Lakes and Charyn Canyon Small-Group Tour: Discover Kazakhstan's Natural Wonders
4.9
301 Ratings
Charyn Canyon National Park
Explore the stunning natural wonders of Kazakhstan on our small-group tour! Visit Charyn Canyon, Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, and experience the beauty of Central Asia with comfortable transport, an English-speaking guide, and local food.
Explore the stunning natural wonders of Kazakhstan on our small-group tour! Visit Charyn Canyon, Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, and experience the beauty of Central Asia with comfortable transport, an English-speaking guide, and local food.
Duration:
15 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Charyn Canyon National Park - Walking inside the canyon, visiting the upper viewing spot, photographing 06:00 Pick-up and departure from Almaty 08:00 Shortstop for coffee/WC 10:45 Arrival at Charyn Canyon “Valley of the Castles”, visiting several spots, walking along canyon 11:45 Departure from Charyn Canyon - Charyn National Park - Black…
- Charyn Canyon National Park - Walking inside the canyon, visiting the upper viewing spot, photographing 06:00 Pick-up and departure from Almaty 08:00 Shortstop for coffee/WC 10:45 Arrival at Charyn Canyon “Valley of the Castles”, visiting several spots, walking along canyon 11:45 Departure from Charyn Canyon - Charyn National Park - Black Canyon, viewing spot, photographing 11:30 Shortstop at Black Canyon, viewing spot 11:50 departure - Lake Kaindy - Walking, visiting several spots, photographing 12:30 Arrival at Saty village, transfer to Kaindy Lake 15:00 transfer to saty 15:30 Lunch in the guesthouse - Kolsai Lake - Walking, visiting several spots 16:15 Transfer to the Lower Kolsai Lake from Saty 16:45 Kolsai Lake, walking, visiting several spots, horseback-riding (optional) 17:45 Leaving Kolsai Lakes National Park 20:30 Shortstop for coffee/WC 22:00 Drop-off in Almaty
What's Included
- National parks entrance fees
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- Transfer to Kaindy Lake on the legendary Soviet van UAZ-452
- National parks entrance fees
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- Transfer to Kaindy Lake on the legendary Soviet van UAZ-452
What's Not Included
- Soft & Hard drinks
- Special food & drinks
- Horseback-riding 7000kzt (13$)
- Taxi van instead of hiking 500KZT (1,5$)
- Soft & Hard drinks
- Special food & drinks
- Horseback-riding 7000kzt (13$)
- Taxi van instead of hiking 500KZT (1,5$)
Additional Information
Welcome to Kazakhstan! Experience the remarkable Charyn Canyon and the stunning Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, the jewels of the Tian-Shan mountains. We prioritize our tourists’ comfort by offering convenient transportation, an English-speaking guide, and authentic local cuisine. Join our small group tours to explore the most breathtaking locations in Central…
Welcome to Kazakhstan! Experience the remarkable Charyn Canyon and the stunning Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, the jewels of the Tian-Shan mountains. We prioritize our tourists’ comfort by offering convenient transportation, an English-speaking guide, and authentic local cuisine. Join our small group tours to explore the most breathtaking locations in Central Asia.
Please note: This tour is not recommended for children under 6 years old due to extended travel durations and the itinerary’s nature.
- Not allowed for travelers who can not withstand long trips by car, long walks and hikes
- Not allowed for travelers with disabilities, injuries, diseases that limit physical abilities
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- Not recommended for children under 6
Location
Charyn Canyon National Park
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
4.9
(301 Ratings)
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Deepa_a
Mar 29, 2025
I had an incredible... - I had an incredible experience on this trip! The breathtaking views were simply stunning. A huge shoutout to Mike for his exceptional planning and organization skills - he truly made the trip unforgettable. His curated playlist was the perfect accompaniment to our journey. The adventure-filled ride to the lake was exhilarating, and the delicious, authentic homemade food was a delightful surprise. If you're planning a trip to Kazakhstan, I highly recommend this tour - you won't regret it!
Review provided by Viator
Angie_w
Mar 28, 2025
Shout out to Mike! - I went on a full-day tour in Kazakhstan yesterday that took us to Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lake, and Kaindy Lake, and I had an incredible time. The tour was about 15–16 hours long, but honestly, it didn’t feel long or exhausting at all. The day was so well-paced and full of beautiful sights that time just flew by.
Our guide, Mike, made the experience even better. He was funny, easy to talk to, and really considerate throughout the entire trip. He took great photos for me along the way, which as a solo traveler, I truly appreciated, especially in such scenic places!
One of the highlights was lunch at a local home. The food was authentic and absolutely delicious. It felt like such a special part of the experience, getting to enjoy a homemade meal in the countryside.
From start to finish, everything was well organized and thoughtfully planned. I’d definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kazakhstan. It’s a long day, but one filled with natural beauty, good company, and unforgettable moments.
Thanks again, Mike, for a wonderful day!
Review provided by Viator
Mohanjit
Mar 26, 2025
Memorable trip to Kolsai Kaindy and Charyn Canyon - It was a long trip starting at 0530, from our property and being dropped back by 2130 hours. Nicely paced, and we had enough time at each of the points. The tour guide, Bek, was phenomenal and very warm and friendly. The traditional lunch that was organised had a nice spread, and our special request for vegetarian and gluten-free meal was also accommodated. Vehicle was nice and clean
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julienl-cn
Mar 23, 2025
What a beautiful trip with a great tour guide - Overall the view was fantastic, and it was totally worth it, although the car driving time was a little bit long. The tour guide Bek’s service was great, and he took a very good care of everyone and I really appreciated it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
511julienp
Mar 21, 2025
Very nice day trip ! - Very nice excursion! Thank you for the very interesting day trip, the experience, friendlyness catering , and the very tasty food at the guest house !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marc_r
Mar 20, 2025
Great day out - It was a fantastic experience. Charyn canyon was mind blowing. And the kolsai and kaindy lakes were also very beautiful. Our tour guide Bek was was incredible. Very informative, helpful and very polite. It was an unforgettable experience which I will always appreciate during my visit in Kazakhstan.
Review provided by Viator
Glenda_g
Mar 12, 2025
Full of Adventure - Incredible Day Tour to the Kaindy & Kolsai Laken as well as to the Charyn Canyon. I had the pleasure of joining a group daytour, and it was truly an adventurous and unforgettable experience.
Review provided by Viator
Karangaur
Mar 10, 2025
Holistic experience - Enjoyed our tour with Bek, whose expertise and friendly demeanor made the experience very enjoyable. would recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Low
Mar 1, 2025
Great Tour! - I went on this trip in February, joining a group of 9 total, we went to:
- Charyn Canyon’s valley of castles, where we walked into the valley and then climbed out the side
- Lake Kaindy: a beautiful (but small) frozen lake, where I took a horse ride with a beautiful view of the canyon
- A cute homestay where we had a delicious Kazakh Plov for lunch
- Kolsai Lakes: a bunch of connected small lakes
My guide, Bek was a really friendly guy who was very knowledgable about not just the sites, but also the villages we passed by along the way. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Prerna_j
Feb 28, 2025
Good tour reliable guide - 15-16 hour long tour, but worth it! We went in Feb end, it was still snowing but still the tour went on as planned and with no delays. Bek was an excellent tour guide who provided the right amount of information for all the landmarks. He was really sweet and caring towards my 74 year old father and helped him during uphill and downhills walking in the snow.
While canyon was still accessible in winters, and the ride in soviet vehicle was super fun, would still recommend travellers to do this tour in summers to enjoy the two lakes (they were completely frozen when we went).
Overall nice time on the tour and with Bek our guide.
Review provided by Viator
