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

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 it feels as if you have stepped onto a Western film set. In the first half of the day, an overview 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. Closer to lunch, a visit to Black Canyon with volcanic walls and narrow passages, a dark counterpoint to Charyn’s red palette. In the second half of the day, a walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m), a turquoise surface surrounded by centuries-old Tian Shan firs. Ringing mountain silence, a rare falcon call, and trout that bite right from the shore. Return to Almaty by evening.

A visit to Medeu skating rink at an altitude of 1691 meters, the highest-altitude stadium in the world. In winter, the ice is perfectly level; 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, an ascent to Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) by a three-stage cable car, which takes 25 minutes to reach 3200 meters and opens up a full panorama of the Ile Alatau. In winter, skiing and snowboarding; in summer, hiking and cafés with a view. Closer to lunch, a 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. Centuries-old oaks, quiet alleys, the sound of bells and the atmosphere of old Alma-Ata, preserved within the modern metropolis. In the second half of the day, a visit to the Zenkov Cathedral built in 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, an iconostasis from the late 19th century; outside, 56-meter golden domes. After lunch, a drive past the campus of the Kazakhstan-British Technical University with its modern architecture and atrium, one of the symbols of new Almaty. By evening, 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 jailing honey, and friendly merchants who let you taste everything before you buy. The day ends with a photo stop at the Kazakhstan Hotel, a 25-story building from the late 1970s with a huge smalt mosaic on the façade, a classic of Almaty socialist modernism. The day ends with a short stop at the branded Rahat chocolate shop, the oldest Kazakh brand, with gift boxes in a 1970s design. An ideal place for souvenirs and gifts to take home. Return to Almaty by evening.

A walk through Alma-Arasan Gorge with a mineral thermal spring, a mountain stream and trails along cascades under a conifer canopy. In the first half of the day, a stop at Ayusai eco-park in the Small Almaty Gorge, with wooden boardwalks, alpine flowers and a waterfall on the trail to Big Almaty Lake. Closer to lunch, a cable car ascent to Kok-Tobe (1070 m), the city's classic viewpoint. All of Almaty lies before you, with the Alatau mountains at your back; it is especially striking at sunset, when the peaks turn pink and the lights of the metropolis begin to glow in the valley.