Tour to Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes [Panfilov Park + Arbat] · 4 days from Almaty

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 inside a modern metropolis. In the first half of the day, a stroll along the pedestrian Zhibek Zholy, Almaty’s “Arbat,” with street artists, guitarists at sunset, stalls selling local handmade goods, and cafés where you can pause after an active route. Closer to lunchtime, a drive past the campus of the Kazakhstan-British Technical University with its modern architecture and atrium, one of the symbols of new Almaty. In the second half of the day, a visit to 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, and outside are 56-meter golden domes. Return to Almaty in the evening.

Visit to Kaindy Lake, formed after the 1911 earthquake. Spruce trunks rise from the water like the masts of a sunken fleet, while the turquoise surface between them feels suspended outside time, one of the most recognizable images of Kazakhstan. In the first half of the day, a walk around the first Kolsai Lake (1818 m), a turquoise surface surrounded by centuries-old Tian Shan firs. The ringing silence of the mountains, the rare cry of a falcon, and trout biting right from the shore. Return to Almaty in the evening.

Visit to the Medeu skating rink at an altitude of 1691 meters, the highest-altitude 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, an ascent to the Shymbulak mountain resort (2260 m) by a three-stage cable car that climbs to 3200 meters in 25 minutes and opens a full panorama of the Zailiysky Alatau. In winter, skiing and snowboarding, in summer, hiking and cafés with a view. Closer to lunchtime, a cable car ascent to Kok-Tobe (1070 m), the city’s signature lookout point. Almaty lies at your feet, with the Alatau mountains behind it, especially striking at sunset, when the peaks turn pink and the lights of the metropolis begin to glow in the valley. Return to Almaty in the evening.

Visit to Issyk Lake (1756 m), with conifer-covered slopes, clear water, and the burial mounds of Saka rulers in the nearby valley. In the first half of the day, a trek to Bear Waterfall, 30 meters high, where the roar of the water, a rainbow in the spray, and the cool air can be felt a hundred steps before the cascade itself. Closer to lunchtime, lunch at a trout farm in Turgen, fresh fish grilled to the sound of the mountain river. In the second half of the day, a visit to the Museum of the Golden Man, a replica of a Saka warrior from the 4th century BC with 4000 gold plaques on his ceremonial costume. The main symbol of modern Kazakhstan.