9-Day Best of the Almaty Region: Charyn, Kaindy & Big Almaty Lake

Start at the Medeu skating rink, at 1691 meters one of the highest mountain rinks in the world. In winter the ice is smooth; in summer the stadium is a cool mountain amphitheater, with a walk along the dam and views of the gorge. In the morning, ride up to the Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) on a three-stage cable car; the top station at Talgar Pass (3200 m) is reached in about 25 minutes and opens a full panorama of the Trans-Ili Alatau. The slopes are for skiing and snowboarding in winter, and for walks and cafés with a view in summer. In the evening, take the cable car up Kok-Tobe (about 1100 m), the city’s best-known viewing point. Almaty lies at your feet, with the Alatau mountains behind your back, especially striking at sunset, when the peaks turn pink and the city lights begin to glow in the valley. Return to Almaty by evening.

A very early start (about 06:00) for a long day of about 14–15 hours, much of it on the road. Descend into Charyn Canyon and walk through the “Valley of Castles”: the canyon stretches for 154 km, and this best-known section is a 2–3 km walk among red sandstone towers that glow copper in the midday sun. The trail follows the river between jagged cliffs. Next is Moon Canyon, Charyn’s neighboring valley with gray and bluish rock formations, a landscape that feels like another planet. Before lunch, visit Black Canyon with volcanic walls and narrow passages, a dark palette in contrast to red Charyn. After lunch, walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m) in Kolsai Lakes National Park, surrounded by centuries-old Tian Shan spruces, with mountain quiet all around. In the late afternoon, visit Kaindy Lake, formed after the 1911 earthquake. Spruce trunks rise from the water like masts of a sunken fleet, and the turquoise surface between them is one of Kazakhstan’s most recognizable images. Drive back to Almaty, arriving late at night.

In the morning, trek to Bear Waterfall, 30 meters high, with the roar of water, a rainbow in the spray, and a coolness you can feel a hundred steps before the cascade itself. For lunch, stop at a trout farm in Turgen, where fresh fish is grilled beside the mountain river. In the afternoon, visit Issyk Lake (1756 m), with conifer-covered slopes and clear water. The burial mounds of the Saka kings, where the Golden Man was found, lie near the town of Esik rather than by the lake. Return to Almaty by evening.

Trip to Big Almaty Lake (2511 m), a turquoise reservoir about 15 km from the city center in a straight line (around 35 km by road). The water changes color from aquamarine to deep turquoise depending on the clouds; photo spots are on both shores and at the high viewpoint. Then comes the falconry show at the Sunkar Center. A golden eagle takes off from a glove and returns precisely to the circle, the ancient hunting art of the nomads brought to life. Closer to lunch, walk through Alma-Arasan Gorge with its mineral thermal spring, mountain stream, and trails along cascades beneath a canopy of conifers. In the afternoon, stop at the Ayusai eco-park in the Small Almaty Gorge, with wooden boardwalks, alpine flowers, and a trail toward a waterfall on the way to Big Almaty Lake. Return to Almaty by evening.

Walk through Panfilov Park, a shaded green area in the city center with the memorial to the 28 Panfilov heroes who fell near Moscow in 1941. Old oaks and quiet alleys keep a bit of old Alma-Ata inside the modern city. In the morning, visit the Zenkov Cathedral built in 1907, one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, assembled without a single nail and standing through the earthquake that leveled much of the city. Inside is an iconostasis from the late 19th century, and the domes outside rise 56 meters. Closer to lunch, tour the Museum of Folk Musical Instruments named after Ykylas with a collection of 1200 dombras, kobyz and zhetygens. The guide will play a kui, Kazakh instrumental music that is best heard live. After lunch, visit the Green Bazaar, operating since 1875, a real eastern market with piles of dried apricots and raisins, rows of kazy and shuzhuk (horse sausage), barrels of honey from the jailau, and friendly vendors who let you taste everything before buying. Then make a short stop at the flagship Rahat chocolate store, the oldest Kazakh brand, with gift boxes in a 1970s design, a handy place for gifts. By evening, visit the Central State Museum, Kazakhstan’s main cultural and historical complex. One hall is devoted to the Golden Man, the others to ethnography and Bronze Age archaeology. Next, a stop at the Central Department Store (TSUM), a Soviet-era department store on Zhibek Zholy, where you can still find souvenirs, felt, and local clothing at a good price. The day ends at the Eternal Flame in Panfilov Park, a memorial of granite, fire and silence in memory of the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War.