Kazakhstan in 10 days: Almaty, the Tian Shan lakes and the mysteries of Mangystau

Highlights

• Almaty, the wooden Ascension Cathedral and Kok-Tobe hill
• Issyk gorge and the kurgans of the Saka “Golden Man”
• Charyn Canyon, the “brother” of the Grand Canyon
• Kaindy Lake and its sunken spruce forest, and the first Kolsai lake
• The mesas of Bozzhyra and the “tiramisu” hills of Kyzylkup
• Tuzbair salt lake and the Ayrakty “floating castles”
• Sherkala, Kokkala canyon and the stone spheres of Torysh

By airBy road

1. 1 AlmatyDays 1–2, 4, 6 By air → Charyn Canyon
2. 2 Charyn CanyonDay 4 By road → Kaindy Lake
3. 3 Kaindy LakeDay 5
4. 4 Kolsai Lakes
5. 5 Mangystau

Positions are exact; lines show the order of the route, not the road.

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
6. 6
7. 7
8. 8
9. 9
10. 10

1. Day 1Flight to Almaty

   International flight to Almaty. Meet our team and transfer to the hotel to settle in and rest.

2. Day 2Almaty

   Astana is the political capital, but Almaty is still the financial and cultural heart of Kazakhstan and the liveliest city in Central Asia.

   City tour: the Ascension Cathedral, the second-tallest wooden building in the world; the square of the 28 Panfilov heroes; the Museum of Musical Instruments; the central square and the Green Bazaar. End on Kok-Tobe hill for the view over the city.

3. Day 3Issyk gorge and lake

   Drive to the Issyk gorge, one of the most beautiful in the Trans-Ili Alatau, once on the caravan route to Kuldja, and climb to 1,756 m for the view over Lake Issyk. Visit the Issyk history and culture reserve, with some 80 kurgans of the Saka-Scythian peoples; here the famous “Golden Man”, a Saka warrior prince in gilded armour and one of the symbols of Kazakhstan, was found in 1969. Back to Almaty.

4. Day 4Almaty – Charyn Canyon – Chundzha280 km

   Drive to the Valley of Castles in Charyn Canyon and walk among canyons carved over 12 million years, so like the Grand Canyon of North America that they are called its “brother”. Night in a hotel near Chundzha.

5. Day 5Chundzha – Saty – Kaindy Lake170 km

   Leaving the desert behind, head for the Tian Shan, the “Heavenly Mountains”, with lunch in Saty, the village closest to the Kolsai and Kaindy lakes.

   Kaindy Lake, at 2,000 m, was born when the great earthquake of 1911 set off a landslide that dammed the river and flooded the valley. The water is so cold that the needles of the drowned spruces are still visible through the clear surface, while their dry trunks rise out of the lake. The track is rough, so we swap the bus for old Soviet UAZ vehicles: about two hours’ drive each way and two hours of walking around the lake. Night in Saty.

6. Day 6Kolsai Lake – Almaty – AktauEvening domestic flight

   Walk to the first of the Kolsai lakes, about a kilometre long, with fine reflections of the mountains. Return to Almaty for the evening flight to Aktau on the Caspian Sea.

7. Day 7Aktau – Bozzhyra – Kyzylkup – KogezBy 4x4

   Today we begin to explore Mangystau, the most mysterious region of Kazakhstan, in the far west on the borders of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, with hundreds of kilometres of Caspian coast.

   By 4x4 onto the Ustyurt Plateau to Bozzhyra, perhaps the most iconic sight of the region, and the Kyzylkup hills, nicknamed the “tiramisu hills” for their coloured layers. Picnic lunch, then on to the Kogez ethnographic village for dinner and a night in yurts.

8. Day 8Bozzhyra canyons – Tuzbair – KogezBy 4x4

   Through the canyons of Bozzhyra towards Mount Naiza, with a picnic lunch, then to Tuzbair, a salt lake below white cliffs and one of the natural wonders of Kazakhstan. Back to Kogez for dinner and a second night in the yurts.

9. Day 9Ayrakty – Sherkala – Kokkala – Torysh – Aktau

   By 4x4 to Ayrakty, the valley of the “floating castles”, and Mount Sherkala, where an ancient fortress served as a beacon for Silk Road caravans. Picnic lunch, then the many-coloured Kokkala canyon and Akmysh, and last the Torysh valley, scattered with strange spherical stones. Back to Aktau; dinner is free tonight.

10. Day 10Departure from Aktau

    Transfer to the airport for your international flight, for example with Turkish Airlines.

Hotels, transport & meals

Gallery

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