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

Visit to the Medeu skating rink at an altitude of 1691 meters, the highest stadium in the world. In winter, the ice is perfectly flat here, in summer, it becomes a cool mountain amphitheater with a walk along the dam and views of the gorge. In the first half of the day, ride up to the Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) by a three-stage cable car, which climbs to 3200 meters in 25 minutes and opens a full panorama of the Ile Alatau. In winter, there is skiing and snowboarding, in summer, hiking and cafés with views. Around lunchtime, take a walk through Panfilov Park, a shaded green space in the city center with the memorial to the 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, who fell near Moscow in 1941. Centuries-old oaks, quiet alleys, the ringing of bells and the atmosphere of old Alma-Ata, preserved inside a modern metropolis. In the afternoon, visit the Zenkov Cathedral from 1907, one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, built 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. After lunch, tour the Ykhlas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments with a collection of 1200 dombras, kobyzes and zhetygens. The guide will play a kui, Kazakh instrumental poetry that is best understood live. 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 rock copper. The trail runs between jagged towers along the river, giving the feeling of stepping onto a Western film set. In the first half of the day, an overview of the Moon Canyon, Charyn’s neighboring valley with gray and bluish rock formations. An otherworldly landscape where it is easy to forget about time and your phone. Around lunchtime, visit the Black Canyon with its volcanic walls and narrow passages, a dark palette in contrast to red Charyn. In the second half of the day, walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m), a turquoise expanse framed by centuries-old Tien Shan fir trees. The ringing silence of the mountains, a rare cry of a falcon, and trout that bite right from the shore.