Day Trip to Charyn Canyon and Kolsai Lake

This full-day trip from Almaty combines two very different sides of the region's scenery, Charyn Canyon's red rock formations and Kolsai Lake's alpine forest, across a long day that runs roughly from 6 am to 10 pm, with national park eco fees for both sites already covered in the price.

Charyn Canyon and the Valley of the Castles

The day begins with the drive east from Almaty to Charyn Canyon, where the tour stops at the Valley of the Castles, a stretch of red sandstone cliffs shaped by wind and water over millions of years into towers and narrow passages that can rise up to 300 metres. Marked paths let you walk between the formations, and the canyon's colors shift with the light, before the group continues the journey toward the mountains.

Onward to Saty Village and Kolsai Lake

From the canyon, the route continues toward Kolsai Lake, climbing gradually into greener, cooler terrain, with a stop along the way at Saty Village, a small settlement that gives a glimpse of everyday rural life in this part of the Tian Shan foothills.

Lower Kolsai Lake

The tour's second stop is the Lower Kolsai Lake, sitting at around 1,818 metres above sea level and ringed by forested slopes, often described locally as one of the pearls of the Northern Tian Shan. You can walk along the shoreline, sit with a warm drink at one of the small cafes by the water, or take an optional boat ride out onto the lake, all at your own pace and cost.

The return drive to Almaty in the evening completes a long day that pairs dry canyon scenery with mountain lake surroundings in a single outing. Rayna's driver-guide manages the route throughout, and the local team is reachable if anything about your booking needs attention before or after the trip.

• Visit Charyn Canyon's Valley of the Castles, with red sandstone cliffs up to 300 metres.
• Continue to Kolsai Lake, an alpine lake known locally as a pearl of the Northern Tian Shan.
• Stop at Saty Village for a glimpse of rural life along the route.
• Walk the shoreline or take an optional boat ride on Lower Kolsai Lake.
• Full-day trip from Almaty covering two contrasting Kazakh landscapes in one outing.

• Roundtrip hotel transfer for the full-day tour
• Professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Kolsai Lakes and Charyn Canyon National Park eco fees

• Personal expenses, including shopping, drinks and dining on-site
• Additional excursions or optional activities
• Entrance fees to attractions other than those listed under inclusions
• Meals and beverages

1. Download the soft copy of your voucher from your dashboard.
2. Keep a copy of the voucher on your phone.
3. Present it to your driver for verification at pickup.

• Be ready in the hotel lobby 15 minutes before your scheduled pickup time.
• Provide accurate hotel address details when booking, to help pickup run smoothly.
• Carry a valid ID or passport with you for identification during the tour.
• If you do not report within the designated time, it is treated as a no-show, with no rescheduling or refund available.
• Stick to the scheduled pickup time, since timings can shift with traffic and other factors.
• Please be punctual for both the transfer and the tour.
• Kolsai Lake sits higher and cooler than Almaty city, so bring a layer even in summer.