Charyn, Kaindy & Big Almaty Lake 3-Day Trip from Almaty

Start at the Medeu ice rink, at 1691 meters one of the highest mountain skating rinks in the world. In winter the ice is a smooth mirror; in summer the stadium turns into a cool mountain amphitheater, with a walk along the dam and views down the gorge. In the morning, ride up to the Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) on a three-stage cable car; the top station at Talgar Pass (3200 m) is reached in about 25 minutes and opens a full panorama of the Trans-Ili Alatau. The slopes are for skiing and snowboarding in winter, and for walks and cafés with a view in summer. Closer to lunch, walk through Panfilov Park, a shady green space in the city center with the memorial to the 28 Panfilov guardsmen who fell near Moscow in 1941. Old oaks, quiet alleys and the Ascension Cathedral nearby keep a bit of old Alma-Ata inside the modern city. In the evening, the day ends in Almaty.

A very early start (about 06:00) for a long day of about 14–15 hours, much of it on the road. Descent into Charyn Canyon and a walk through the “Valley of Castles”: the canyon stretches for 154 km, and this best-known section is a 2–3 km walk among red sandstone towers that turn copper in the midday sun. The trail follows the river between the cliffs. Next is Moon Canyon, Charyn’s neighboring valley with gray and bluish rock formations, a landscape that looks more like another planet than Central Asia. Before lunch, a stop at Black Canyon with volcanic walls and narrow passages, a stark dark palette after red Charyn. After lunch, a walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m) in Kolsai Lakes National Park, surrounded by century-old Tian Shan spruces, with mountain quiet all around. In the late afternoon, visit Kaindy Lake, formed after the 1911 earthquake. Spruce trunks rise from the water like the masts of a sunken fleet, and the turquoise surface between them is one of Kazakhstan’s most recognizable images. Drive back to Almaty, arriving late in the evening.

A trip to Big Almaty Lake (2511 m), a turquoise reservoir about 15 km from the city center in a straight line (around 35 km by road). The color of the water shifts from aquamarine to deep turquoise depending on the clouds; photo spots are on both shores and from the high viewpoint. After a relaxed day with time for photos, return to Almaty.