Tour of the Almaty Region: Charyn, Kolsai, Kaindy, Medeu and Shymbulak [Medeu + Shymbulak] · 2 days

A visit to the Medeu skating rink at an altitude of 1691 meters, the highest-altitude stadium in the world. In winter, the ice is perfectly smooth here, in summer, it is a cool mountain amphitheater with a walk along the dam and views of the gorge. In the first half of the day, a ride up to the Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) by a three-stage cable car, which takes you to 3200 meters in 25 minutes and opens a full panorama of the Trans-Ili Alatau. In winter, skiing and snowboarding, in summer, hiking and cafés with a view. Around lunchtime, a photo stop at the Kazakhstan Hotel, a 25-story building from the late 1970s with a huge smalt mosaic on the facade, a classic example of Almaty social modernism. In the second half of the day, a visit to the Green Bazaar, operating since 1875, a true Eastern market with piles of dried apricots, apricots and raisins, rows of kazy and shuzhuk (horse sausage), barrels of honey from the jailyau, and friendly vendors who let you taste everything before buying. After lunch, a short stop at the flagship Rahat chocolate store, the oldest Kazakh brand, with gift boxes designed in the style of the 1970s. The perfect place for souvenirs and gifts to take home. By evening, a walk along pedestrian Zhibek Zholy, Almaty’s “Arbat” with street artists, guitarists at sunset, stalls selling local handmade goods, and cafés where you can unwind after an active day. The day ends with a ride up to Kok-Tobe by cable car (1070 m), the city’s signature viewpoint. Almaty lies at your feet, with the Alatau mountains behind; sunset is especially striking, when the peaks turn pink and the lights of the metropolis begin to glow in the valley. The day ends with a walk through Panfilov Park, a shady green space in the city center with the memorial to the 28 Panfilov Heroes, who fell near Moscow in 1941. Centuries-old oaks, quiet alleys, the ringing of bells, and the atmosphere of old Alma-Ata, preserved within the modern metropolis. The day ends with a visit to the Zenkov Cathedral from 1907, one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, assembled without a single nail and surviving the earthquake that leveled half the city. Inside is an iconostasis from the late 19th century, outside are 56-meter golden domes. The day ends with a stop by the Eternal Flame in Panfilov Park, a memorial composition of granite, flame, and silence in memory of the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. The day ends with a tour of the Ykhlas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments, with a collection of 1200 dombras, kobyz and zhetygens. The guide will perform a kui, Kazakh instrumental poetry that is best understood live. The day ends with a drive past the campus of the Kazakh-British Technical University with its modern architecture and atrium, one of the symbols of new Almaty. Return to Almaty by evening.

Descent into Charyn Canyon and a walk through the “Valley of Castles,” 154 kilometers of red sandstone where the midday sun turns the rocks to copper. The trail runs between jagged towers along the river, and the feeling is as if you have stepped onto a western set. In the first half of the day, an viewpoint of Moon Canyon, Charyn’s neighboring valley with gray and bluish rock formations. An otherworldly landscape where it is easy to lose track of time and your phone. Around lunchtime, a visit to Black Canyon with volcanic walls and narrow passages, a dark contrast after the red tones of Charyn. In the second half of the day, a visit to Kaindy Lake, formed after the 1911 earthquake. Fir trunks rise from the water like the masts of a sunken fleet, and the turquoise surface between them is a place outside of time, one of Kazakhstan’s most recognizable images. After lunch, a walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m), a turquoise expanse surrounded by centuries-old Tien Shan firs. The ringing silence of the mountains, the rare cry of a falcon, and trout that bite right from the shore. By evening, transfer to Saty village, a mountain aul in the Ile-Alatau National Park, the base for Kolsai and Kaindy. Guesthouses serve homemade beshbarmak, manti and herbal tea.