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Photographers ask different questions about Almaty than other visitors. Which hour at which location. Which lens. Whether the tripod is worth the weight. This route answers those over five days: the city, Charyn Canyon, the Kolsai lakes, the Singing Dune at Altyn-Emel and the high mountains above Shymbulak. One thing first: if landscape is the point, think twice about mid-July to mid-August. In our experience that's when haze flattens the distant ridges most often.
Key facts
- Best season
- April to mid-June and September to October. Spring has snow on the peaks and green slopes; autumn has the clearest air and yellow larch and birch around Kolsai.
- Astrophotography
- May to September, in the week around a new moon.
- Time zone
- Almaty is on UTC+5. Sunset is around 19:35 in late June and around 16:20 in late December, so check the exact time for your dates.
- Transport
- a private driver-guide for the whole route. A 4WD is needed inside Altyn-Emel and is the safer choice for the last dirt stretch to Kaindy in wet weather.
- Payments
- cards and Apple Pay work in the city, at cable cars and in most guesthouses. Carry cash for park gates, village cafes and tips.
- Gear
- shoot with whatever kit you know best. The notes below mention focal lengths only where they change the picture.
Day 1: Almaty city (architecture and sunset)
- Sunrise. Ascension Cathedral in Panfilov Park. Finished in 1907 and built of wood, it takes the first warm light on its east side. A 16-35mm covers the whole building, a 24-70mm the domes and carved detail. Early morning is also when the park is nearly empty.
- Morning. coffee near the park, then the Green Bazaar while the stalls are being set up. Use a 35mm or 50mm for the rows of dried fruit, spices and horse-meat sausage, and ask before you photograph vendors. The market is being renovated, so expect parts of it to look different from older photos.
- Afternoon. a Soviet modernist walk past the Hotel Kazakhstan tower, the Wedding Palace and Republic Square. Low afternoon light brings out the texture of the concrete.
- Evening. the cable car up to Kok-Tobe, about 1,100 m above sea level. Stay for sunset and the blue hour that follows, when the city lights come on under the dark line of the Trans-Ili Alatau. A 24-70mm frames the city with the mountains behind it. After sunset you'll want the tripod.
Day 2: Charyn Canyon (golden hour on the rim)
06:00 Leave Almaty. Charyn is about 200 km east, three to three and a half hours by car.
09:30 The Valley of Castles. In the morning the east-facing walls are in deep shadow, which gives strong contrast. Use a 16-35mm for the rim views and a 70-200mm to pick out single sandstone towers. In the shaded canyon floor a tripod makes long exposures easy.
The trail runs down through the Valley of Castles to the Charyn river. Walking down is easy; the climb back up in the midday heat is the part to plan for.
- Midday. lunch near the visitor area, then a slow afternoon on the rim.
- From about 16:00 to sunset. this is the reason to come. The rock turns from pale grey to amber and long shadows split the towers.
- After sunset. drive back to Almaty, about three and a half hours. If you leave the canyon earlier, the Golden Man museum and the Saka burial mounds at Issyk are close to the road; check the opening hours on the day.
Pay the national park entry fee at the gate.
Day 3: Kolsai (the mirror lake)
07:00 Leave Almaty for Saty village via Kegen, about 300 km and four and a half to five hours.
- Midday. lunch at a guesthouse in Saty.
- Afternoon. walk to Lower Kolsai, at 1,818 m. For mirror reflections, the lake is calmest early in the morning and in the evening when the wind drops. Use a wide-angle for the spruce slopes reflected in the water. A 10-stop ND filter turns ripples into smooth water on a 30-second exposure.
- Evening. sunset and blue hour on the lake, then overnight in Saty.
Pay the Kolsai national park entry fee at the gate.
Early next morning (optional): Lake Kaindy, the drowned spruce forest that formed after the 1911 Kemin earthquake dammed the gorge, at around 1,860 m. It's about an hour from Saty, and the last stretch is a dirt road. The trunks standing out of the turquoise water are best in soft, even light.
Day 4: Altyn-Emel (the dune and the night sky)
05:00 Leave Almaty. The drive to Basshi village, the entrance to Altyn-Emel National Park, takes most of the morning; allow five hours. If you add Kaindy, plan an extra day instead of driving from Saty.
- Late morning. buy your park permit in Basshi. The Singing Dune is about 35 km further on a dirt track, so this is where the 4WD earns its keep.
- Late afternoon. the Singing Dune, a ridge of sand about 1.5 km long and well over 100 m high, standing alone between two mountain ranges. The climb to the crest takes around half an hour. Late golden hour on the sand gives you clean ripples and long shadows.
- Night. astrophotography. The dune is far from any town, and on a moonless night the sky is properly dark. Use a 14-24mm at f/2.8, ISO 3200-6400, 15-25 second exposures and a tripod. A star tracker helps but isn't required.
Overnight at a guesthouse in Basshi. The striped Aktau chalk hills are in the same park, but they are a long drive from the dune and deserve a day of their own if you can add one.
Day 5: Shymbulak (high mountains)
08:00 Leave for Medeu, about 30 minutes from the centre, and take the gondola up to Shymbulak at about 2,260 m.
- Morning. the early light shows the texture of the snow and rock best. Continue on the upper chairlifts to Talgar Pass, at about 3,200 m. Bring a warm jacket even in summer, because it is much colder up there than in the city. A 70-200mm isolates ridges and peaks; an ND filter lets you show the clouds moving over them.
- Lunch. at the Shymbulak base, then the gondola back down and the drive back to the city.
- Winter alternative. half a day at Shymbulak shooting skiers and snowboarders, then an hour of Soviet modernist buildings in the city.
Practical info
- Drones. In Kazakhstan, drones over 250 g, and any drone with a camera, have to be registered. Outside towns you can fly in the open category up to 50 m and at least 5.5 km from airfields. Over cities, including Almaty, you need a special permit. National parks set their own rules, so we check with the park before the trip.
- Batteries. Cold drains them fast in the mountains and at night on the dune. Carry spares and keep them in an inside pocket.
- Backup. Guesthouse Wi-Fi in the villages is slow, so bring an external SSD and back up every evening.
- One lens only? A 24-70mm f/2.8 covers most of the route. Add a 16-35mm for the canyon, the lakes and the night sky.
- Tripod. You'll use it for long exposures at Charyn, the Kolsai reflections and the night at Altyn-Emel.
FAQ
Is it worth hiring a photographer-guide?
If you want the best light at every stop, yes. A local guide knows where to stand and when, which saves a lot of scouting time. Ask our manager and we'll arrange one for your dates.
What is the weather like in spring?
Mild in the city and warm at Charyn and Altyn-Emel, but cold in the mountains and at night. Pack layers for every day of the route.
What if I only have 3 days?
Day 1 the city and Kok-Tobe at sunset, day 2 Charyn, day 3 Kolsai. Leave out Altyn-Emel and Shymbulak.
When is the best time for astrophotography?
From May to September, in the week around a new moon. The core of the Milky Way is highest in early summer.
Can I fly a drone in the national parks?
Register the drone first, then check the rules of each park before you fly. We confirm them with the parks when we plan your route.
This is a custom trip
A photographer's route is never off the shelf. The light sets the order of the days, the moon phase decides the desert night and your own shot list decides the rest. Send us your dates and what you want to shoot, by email or on WhatsApp, and we'll build a private five days around them.
Please note: During summer months (June–August) temperatures in the canyons can exceed +35 °C. Be sure to bring enough water and sunscreen.
