Treasures of Almaty lakes Kaindy and Kolsai,Charyn Canyon
Overview
Available languages
17 hours
Mobile ticket
Our advantages
• The company has its own fleet of vehicles, where USB and TYPE-C chargers are installed on each vehicle and on each seat.
• In the summer season, we provide each of our tourists with a neck fan with cold air for free, so that in hot weather they can cool down and feel comfortable throughout the tour.
• In the winter season, we also provide our tourists with warm and touch gloves, a warm blanket for free, and for an additional fee you can buy very warm socks.
• With us you will encounter only informative, experienced, energetic, cheerful guides who know the history of their country very well.
• Only we have the most affordable prices for various types of tours and excursions in Kazakhstan.
Enrich your spring with bright adventures! We invite you on a journey through the colorful natural locations of Kazakhstan. You will admire the grandiose cliffs of the Charyn Canyon and see the lunar landscape on Earth. Enjoy the crystal clear waters of the lakes and green meadows
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
We recommend taking cash in the amount of 5.000-10.000 tenge per person for pocket money
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Kolsai Lake
This is a lake of amazing beauty, surrounded by mountains and pine forests. If you wish, you can take a boat or catamaran ride around the lake. There is also a cafe where you can have lunch. The menu includes pilaf, lagman, manti, shish kebab, and salads.
The water here, due to its purity, is almost invisible, and the surrounding landscape with mountains and green meadows will complement the charm of this place. We will travel to the lake from the village in UAZ vehicles and, at your request, on horses with experienced escorts.
What‘s Included
Waterproof shoe covers for your shoes (in case of rain or mud on location)
Entrance ticket to Charyn Canyon National Park
Entrance ticket to Kaindy National Park
Professional guide
Entrance ticket to Kolsay National Park
Air-conditioned vehicle
Photo for memory
Lunch
Horse riding to get further to Lake Kaiyndy (round trip) KZT 7000 per person
UAZ which covers a distance of 12 km upon arrival in the village of Saty to Lake Kaiyndy
Options
Treasures of Almaty lakes Kaindy and Kolsai,Charyn Canyon
Reviews
218 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Badly organized tour, bait and switch with downgrade to standard large bus tour despite paying for small bus VIP tour
Karens M,May 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00The worst organized tour we have ever taken. We booked over 3 months before for a VIP tour in a mercedez bus that offers only 16 seat, so a small group. Upon arriving we were forced to take the large bus standard tour with 40-50 customers despite our ticket clearly showing “VIP tour” which costed $48 vs standard tour costing $39 per person as of this writing. According to the guide, they had a change in package after we booked, hence the ‘downgrade’, but that’s no excuse, they should have informed us and gave us option. No reply from the head office when I tried contacting them via WA and Viator messaging system, the guide told us head office gave us two choices after being in the bus for 5 hours: accept the tour as it was or wait for a car to take us back to Almaty city if we want a refund, not really a choice since we would have wasted a whole precious day and we can’t even trust this company to follow through with the transport while waiting in the middle of nowhere. The big tour group we were forced to take was chaotic. With large no of participants it was hard to ensure everyone adhere to returning time to bus, and in one spot we had to wait over 30 min over the agreed departure time as some people did not care. The small bus group guide told us that we would be back in the city at 8:30-9 pm; with the big bus we arrived back at 11 pm. The bus air conditioning system was not stable, cool air did not really get delivered to the middle part of the bus and at one point my iphone got so overheated that I could not charge it. While the difference in price in absolute amount is not big for us, the difference in the overall experience between small and big group, and the company’s insincere attitude when dealing with irregularities are really what bothered us.
Excellent tour and tour guide
X356ZFjosephp,Apr 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour through Kazakhstan’s canyons and lakes was an unforgettable experience, made even more special by our amazing tour guide. The landscapes were absolutely breathtaking, from the dramatic canyon views to the crystal-clear lakes, but what truly stood out was our guide’s presence throughout the journey — he was incredibly helpful, always attentive to everyone’s needs, and made sure everything ran smoothly. On top of that, Adam was genuinely friendly and easy to talk to, creating a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for the whole group. His knowledge, warmth, and overall attitude elevated the entire trip, turning a beautiful tour into something truly memorable that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Kazakhstan.
Awesome sights. Smooth operator.
F7282DYjack,Apr 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely brilliant. I've been on many tours and this one really stood out. Charyn Canyon, Kolsai lake and Kaindy lake are each stunningly dramatic. Our guide Adam made it even better. Very friendly, clear and organised even sorting out a transport issue in 15 minutes. I'll probably remember his singing repertoire the most however. Book this tour today.
Great trip
Victor T,Apr 24, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Very nice trip overall. However, we came back very late (0:30)
Amalty Adventure
979siennak,Apr 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What a fun trip! Adam was an awesome guide with tons of energy and the drivers had our safety at first priority. Would do this trip again in a heart beat!
Happy
agustinep2026,Apr 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Adam, you’re a LEGEND! The one day tour with Panda Tour on April 11, 2026 was such a blast. Thank you so much for patiently and responsibly guiding all of us guests from different countries — you even handled 3 cars by yourself and still made everything run so smoothly. You can really see how responsible Adam is with his customers. The rain was totally force majeure, but you kept it 100% under control. Funny story — the three of us were the last ones down from Lake Kaindy and missed our ride up, but we felt safe because YOU were right behind us and took responsibility for us all the way to the meeting point. That meant a lot 🙏 Greetings from Indonesia. We'll be waiting for you to visit Indonesia. Adam jaya jaya jaya! 🔥🔥🔥 Next time we’re 100% requesting you again haha!
Rakhmet Adam from best day 💪🏻
Abdukhamid M,Apr 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Go for Adam. He can replace 3 guides alone. Adam is crazy professional doing it alone for 3 busses. Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy lakes are wonderful. Request exactly him (Adam) 🤙🏻
Karina was the best tour guide!
Abigail B,Apr 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Karina was an amazing tour guide. She is very energetic, friendly, and easy to talk to. She made sure everyone felt included and comfortable throughout the trip. She kept the group engaged, helped us take nice photos, and always reminded us of the timings so everything ran smoothly. She also shared helpful tips on what to do in Almaty, including food, places to visit, and other tours to try with Panda Tours. Her recommendations were very useful and made our trip even better. Karina is very organised, caring, and attentive. She always checked on us and made sure everyone was enjoying. You can really see that she loves what she does. I would definitely join this tour again, and I hope to have Karina as our guide next time. Highly recommended.
Great experience
Freedom65941314639,Apr 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful day trip to Kaindy & Kolsai Lakes with Panda Travels. The experience was smooth and well-organized, and having a private vehicle made the journey very comfortable and flexible. A big thank you to our guides, Adam and Noor, who were friendly, knowledgeable, and made the trip even more enjoyable with their insights. Special mention to our driver Noor as well, who ensured a safe and pleasant ride throughout. Overall, a very positive experience—highly recommended for anyone planning to visit these beautiful lakes!
For the Almaty bucket list !
767klauso,Apr 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Perfect day trip from Almaty including lakes and canyons, even horse riding option. Reservation and payment easy to be done. I enjoyed sharing the trip with travellers from many countries. Adam was the guide one would like to have, giving very good explanations and managing well the tight timeframe. Cheers to him and the driver who drove us safely and quickly for so many hours.
From US$39.00
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Operated by Panda Travel