Kazakhstan on Foot

Fly to Almaty from the UK.

Upon arrival in Almaty in the morning you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 

In the afternoon your guide will take you on a sightseeing tour of this cosmopolitan city. The Green Bazaar is the first stop and it’s hard to resist all the delicious, weird and wonderful food the sellers try to feed you, from sliced horse meat sausage to sweet pieces of honey and dried fruits. Continue to the Central Mosque and then stroll through the peaceful and tree lined Panfilov Park from the impressive war memorial to the Cathedral of the Holy Ascension, one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world. (L)

After breakfast leave the big city and drive to Issyk town, for a short visit to the Scythian museum with its ancient burials and where the remains of a Scythian warrior – the Golden Man, one of Kazakhstan national symbols) was found. Continue to Issyk Lake for a lunch stop before you move on to Turgen gorge, you take a short hike (1.5 hours) to the Bear waterfall. 

In the late afternoon arrive at the permanent campsite (set up for the duration of the Summer) where you overnight in furnished safari-style tents with a porch, seating area, and a separate bedroom with beds and bedding. Meals will be taken in the spacious mess tent and there are permanent toilets and hot showers available. (B,L,D)
 

After breakfast at the camp, you go on a jeep tour and drive along the Asy plateau at 3000m. This exciting five-hour takes in immense highland pastures where you can spot horses, sheep and goats, and offers great views of the Tien Shan mountain range with its snow peaks and glaciers. You pass yurts, local nomads, burial pyramids and bronze age rock carvings. Look out for marmots, vultures, foxes and ibexes. After a picnic, you will be taken on a short visit to the Asy Space Observatory, before you return to the camp. (B,L,D)

It’s time for the first big hike. After breakfast After breakfast. Hike to the Kairak waterfall, the biggest in the area (70m tall). It’s 8km from the confluence of Turgen and the camp near the Kishi-Turgen rivers to Kairak, so the hike can take up to five hours. The path is not difficult and there are plenty of stops to take in the beautiful views of the flowering meadows and dense spruce forests. Arrive back at the campsite in the for a nice hot shower before dinner. (B,L,D)

Today drive from Turgen Gorge to Charyn Canyon, where a two-hour walk along the bottom of the Valley of Castles awaits you. It's the country’s most famous canyon, and more like a smaller version of the Grand Canyon in the US. Walk along stunning orange-coloured rock formations to the Charyn River

Retrace your steps and have a break to take your lunch, before you continue by car to Kolsai National Park. No camping tonight, but an overnight stay in a local guesthouse inside the National Park.  (B,L,D)

The longest walk will be today. After breakfast, drive to the lake’s viewpoint and walk down to the first Lake. Continue to the second Lake (4km), which should take around 3 hours and walk along the deep turquoise lakes and picturesque landscape of the Kungei Alatau Mountains with its spruce forest and alpine meadows to your lunch spot. Retrace your steps and return to the viewpoint. Return to the guesthouse. (B,L,D)

Leaving your guesthouse behind after breakfast, transfer to another nearby neighbouring gorge Kaindy, famous for its submerged forest. It will take around an hour to get to the emerald coloured lakes where only the tops of the dead trees can be seen. If you don’t fancy the walk back, then you can hire a horse back to the vehicle. After a lunch, head back to Almaty. Upon arrival in the late afternoon, you have the remainder of the day at your leisure. (B,L,D)

After breakfast, transfer to the cable car near the Medeo skating rink and ride up to the Shymbulak ski resort and further up to the Talgarsky pass (3000m). From here hike to the Bogdanovich glacier and back, four hours. Stop for lunch along the way and enjoy the stunning views of the surrounding snow-covered peaks. Take a cable car down to back down to Medeo and back to the hotel. The rest of the day is free. (B)
 

It’s time to say goodbye to Kazakhstan. After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport in time for your flight home. (B)