Kolsai Kaindy Lakes with Charyn Canyons Day Tour (lunch included)
Overview
Available languages
17 hours
Mobile ticket
This tour is the best way to visit the most popular natural sites of Almaty region in 1 day if you do not have time to go on a full 2-day tour. Within a day you will visit the 5 natural landmarks of Almaty - Charyn Canyon, Black and Moon Canyons, Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes. In this regard, this tour is long and has a tight schedule.
The tour itinerary is designed in such a way that you have time to visit all the tour sights, and so that you have enough time to take stunning photos. A small tour group will allow you not to get lost in the crowd and be part of one team. Our comfortable minibus will create such comfortable conditions for you that you will not get tired during long trips. And finally, our English-speaking tour guide will take you through all points of both the driving and walking parts of the route, show you the tour sights from the best angle and provide you with comprehensive information about them.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Important note: Children under 5 y.o. are not allowed on the tour
Not allowed for travelers who can not withstand long trips by car, long walks and hikes
Not allowed for travelers with disabilities, injuries, diseases that limit physical abilities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
National parks entrance fees
Comfortable minibus with A/C
Home-cooked lunch of local cuisine (vegetarian option is available)
Bottled water
Transfer to Kaindy Lake on the legendary Soviet van
Boating and horseback-riding (from 7000 KZT/person depending on route/duration)
Special food and soft drinks
What To Expect
Charyn Canyon
Walking along the canyon, visiting different photo spots, photographing
Uzunbulak Canyon (Moon Canyon)
Shortstop at Moon Canyon, viewing spot
Options
Without Kaindy Lake
Small group of up to 15 people
Lunch included
Without Kaindy Lake in route: excluded due to seasonally short daylight hours and difficulties accessing the lake. Replaced by Moon Canyon.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibus
Pickup included
Group tour (shared basis)
Small-group tour: small groups of up to 17 travelers
Lunch included
Comfortable minibus with A/C: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Pickup included
Private tour option
Individual tour: only you travel, without other people.
Vehicle type: 2-5 pax - SUV;
6-7 pax - Toyota Hiace;
8-15 pax - Mercedes Sprinter.
Pick-up/drop-off: any custom location in Almaty city.
Pickup included
Reviews
206 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Kolsai, Kaindy Lakes and Charyn Canyons May 2025
Alistair L,
May 25, 2025
- Viator
5.00A very entertaining and worthwhile tour with spectacular scenery. Aidar is clearly very passionate about his job and very knowledgeable about the subject matter especially for someone so young. Note that this trip is a VERY long day (16-17hrs) and some of the hiking activities are quite challenging so make sure you bring suitable footwear and are in a reasonably healthy condition. The separate activities are well spaced out though with time for sensible toilet and food/coffee breaks and the minibus we went in was very comfortable with decent aircon. I would definitely use this tour operator again and can happily recommend Aidar especially. He really made us all feel welcome and ensured we got to see everything worth seeing within the allotted time span. For those people who are pushed for time and who are energetic and outgoing this is a very worthwhile and excellent value for money trip. Highly recommended.
Great experience
ROHIT A,
May 6, 2025
- Viator
5.00It was a very long tour. We left the hotel at 6am and were dropped back at 10.30pm. Jenis the tour guide was amazing in handling the group and making sure that the group adhered to the timeline. We were able to cover 5 spots in the day and they were quite distant from each other. The food was amazing at lunch. Highly recommend this if you want to cover all places in just one day. But if you are a slow traveller then go for a 2 day tour as it lets you explore more as you have a little extra time at hand.
Five Star experience
GVRamesh P,
Apr 10, 2025
- Viator
5.00Had a wonderful day visiting three canyons and two lakes in a good bus, with pleasant hikes overall and a nice horse ride. The day started very early, so I changed my hotel booking to Hotel Kazakhstan in order to be picked up there rather than having to find my way to one of the designated pickup points. Our host Mukhtabar set up a WhatsApp group ahead of time, so there was clean communication and sharing of pictures afterwards. Lunch was OK. Mukhtabar also led some nice trivia games, and karaoke on the long bus ride back to Almaty in the evening. An efficient way to see Kazakhstan for a no-nonsense middle aged solo traveler like me.
Good experience
vananh p,
Mar 3, 2025
- Viator
4.00Riding the 4 wheel drive bus was fun and also riding the horse. The trip was long from 6 am until 10 pm.
I had an incredible...
Adib A,
Jan 21, 2025
- Viator
5.00I had an incredible experience on the one-day tour to Kolsay Lake, Kaindy Lake, Charyn Canyon, and Black Canyon in Kazakhstan. Our guide, Mr. Kuansyh, was exceptional—both professional and incredibly hospitable, with a great sense of humor that kept the day fun and engaging. The pickup was punctual, and everything was well-organized, allowing us to fully enjoy each destination without any stress. The natural beauty of the lakes and canyons was simply breathtaking, and Mr. Kuansyh’s knowledge and stories made the experience even more memorable. The highlight, however, was the food. The meal provided felt like a home-cooked feast, with a wonderful spread of local dishes that were both delicious and satisfying. I truly felt taken care of every step of the way. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to explore the stunning landscapes of Kazakhstan!
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Operated by Kazakhstan Guided Tours