Tour in Almaty Region: Charyn, Kolsai, Kaindy, Medeu and Shymbulak [Medeu + Shymbulak] · 3 days

A visit to the Medeu ice rink at an altitude of 1691 meters, the highest mountain stadium in the world. In winter, the ice is perfectly smooth; 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, ride up to the Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) on a three-stage cable car, which climbs to 3200 meters in 25 minutes and opens up a full panorama of the Ile Alatau. In winter, ski and snowboard; in summer, hike and relax in cafes with views. Closer to lunch, take the cable car up to Kok-Tobe (1070 m), a must-see city viewpoint. Almaty lies at your feet, with the Alatau mountains behind you; sunset is especially striking, when the peaks turn pink and the lights of the metropolis come on in the valley. Return to Almaty by evening.

Descend into Charyn Canyon and walk through the “Valley of Castles”, 154 kilometers of red sandstone where the midday sun melts the rocks into copper. The trail winds between jagged towers along the river, and the feeling is like stepping onto a western film set. In the first half of the day, take in Moon Canyon, the neighboring valley of Charyn with gray and bluish rock formations. It is an otherworldly landscape where it is easy to forget time and your phone. Closer to lunch, visit Black Canyon with its volcanic walls and narrow passages, a dark palette in sharp contrast to red Charyn. In the second half of the day, visit 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, walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m), a turquoise expanse surrounded by centuries-old Tien Shan fir trees. The mountain silence is broken only by a rare falcon’s cry and trout biting right from the shore. Return to Almaty by evening.

A walk through Panfilov Park, a leafy 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 sound of bells, and the atmosphere of old Alma-Ata, preserved within the modern metropolis. In the first half of the day, 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 a late-19th-century iconostasis; outside are 56-meter golden domes. Closer to lunch, visit 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 mountain honey from the jailyau, and friendly vendors who let you taste everything before buying.