Almaty House
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Kazakhstan: Tien Shan Five
Meridian Overland
Runs this trip
5 Days · 4 Nights
Fully planned multi-day journey
Accommodation
Almaty House
Fully guided
A guide travels with the group for the whole trip.
Group trips
Five days in the Tien Shan, visa-free
Low Intensity
Travelers can expect comfortable transfers and light walking
Group size on request
Age range on request
Ask the operator about the age range for this batch
Where this operator goes
5 days · 11 stopsItinerary
5 days, planned by Meridian Overland
Zenkov Cathedral is one of the tallest wooden buildings anywhere and survived the 1911 earthquake that flattened the rest of the city.
AlmatyHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer, then the city on foot
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationAlmaty House
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Hotel night
LANDMARKS Green Bazaar Zenkov Cathedral Panfilov Park Start point Almaty, Almaty International Airport (ALA) 00:00 - 23:59The lake supplies the city its drinking water, which is why you cannot swim in it and why it is that colour.
Almaty, Medeu, Shymbulak, Big Almaty LakeHow the day runs
- 1 hrs9:00 AM — the gondola up the Tien Shan
- 2 hrs2:00 PM — up the other valley to the lake
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationAlmaty House
Included Activities
- Cable car tickets
- Private transport
- National park fees
LANDMARKS Medeu skating rink Shymbulak Big Almaty Lake Three kilometres of red sandstone the Charyn has cut into towers. Walk down it and take the shuttle back up.
Almaty, Charyn CanyonHow the day runs
- 4 hrs7:30 AM — east towards the Chinese border
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationKolsai Lakes Lodge
Included Activities
- Park entry
- Private transport
- Guesthouse night near Saty
LANDMARKS Valley of Castles Charyn river An earthquake in 1911 dammed a valley and drowned a spruce forest; the trunks still stand out of the water, bare and grey.
Kolsai Lakes, Kaindy LakeHow the day runs
- 2 hrs8:00 AM — 4x4 up to the sunken forest
- 3 hrs1:00 PM — the walk to the second lake
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationKolsai Lakes Lodge
Included Activities
- 4x4 to Kaindy
- Park fees
- Guesthouse night
Optional Activities
- Horse ride to the second Kolsai lake
LANDMARKS Kaindy sunken forest Kolsai first lake Kolsai second lake Back in Almaty by mid-afternoon for an evening flight.
Kolsai Lakes, AlmatyHow the day runs
- 5 hrs9:00 AM — the long drive west
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Transport to the airport
- Day 1Day 1 · Arrive Almaty
- Day 2Day 2 · Shymbulak and Big Almaty Lake
- Day 3Day 3 · Charyn Canyon
- Day 4Day 4 · Kolsai and Kaindy
- Day 5Day 5 · Back to Almaty and out
Pickup point
Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026
Meet atAlmatyAlmaty International Airport (ALA)
Reporting time00:00 - 23:59
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Included in the price
You arrange yourself
Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.
Where you'll stay
Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.
Kolsai Lakes Lodge
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
What you'll eat
4 breakfasts and 3 dinners across 5 days, at the lodges you sleep in. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 5.
- DinnerServed on days 1, 3, 4
- BreakfastServed on days 2–5
7 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered everywhere; Jain and gluten-free on notice at booking
Who runs this trip
Operated by
Meridian OverlandVerified
“Europe and the far north on a fixed calendar”
Based in New Delhi Running treks since 2017
- Rating
- 4.4(7 reviews)
- Response time
- Within 8 hours
- Team speaks: English, Hindi
Cancellation policy: Full refund up to 21 days before departure
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.4/5
Based on 7 reviews
Review summary
Food4.4/5
Guide4.4/5
Itinerary4.3/5
Transport4.0/5
Accommodation4.1/5
Tour operator4.1/5
Sort by:Recommended
2
T
Tom Bergman – Auckland2026-04-14 · Verified booking
Too much time on the coach and not enough at the places we'd come for.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.
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5
C
Carla Mendes – Zurich2026-04-14 · Verified booking
Well paced over 5 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. Would send friends their way.
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5
T
Tara D'Souza – Indore2026-04-14 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Rooms were comfortable and the locations meant we could walk most evenings.
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5
S
Sameer Khan – Pune2026-04-14 · Verified booking
Almaty & Tien Shan done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves. Would send friends their way.
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5
F
Farah Qureshi – Kolkata2026-04-14 · Verified booking
Almaty & Tien Shan done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. No hesitation recommending them.
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4
N
Nina Hoffmann – Amsterdam2026-04-14 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Recommended.
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5
R
Rohit Verma – Jaipur2026-04-14 · Verified booking
Almaty & Tien Shan done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
Was this helpful?
Questions people ask
No. Kazakhstan allows visa-free entry for Indian passport holders for stays up to fourteen days, which is what makes this a short-notice trip.
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