Tour of Almaty Region: Charyn, Kolsay, Kaindy [Charyn Canyon + Moon Canyon] · 2 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 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, a panoramic view of Moon Canyon, a neighboring valley of Charyn with gray and bluish rock formations. An otherworldly landscape, where it is easy to forget time and your phone. Closer to lunch, 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 walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m), a turquoise surface surrounded by centuries-old Tien Shan fir trees. The ringing silence of the mountains, the rare cry of a falcon, and trout that bite right from the shore. Return to Almaty by evening.

A visit to the Green Bazaar, operating since 1875, a true Eastern market with mountains of dried apricots, 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 you buy. In the first half of the day, a short stop at the flagship Rahat chocolate shop, the oldest Kazakh brand, with gift boxes in 1970s-style design. An ideal place for souvenirs and gifts to take home. Closer to lunch, a drive past the campus of the Kazakh-British Technical University with its modern architecture and atrium, one of the symbols of modern Almaty.