Almaty House
Hotel
Days 1, 2
Kazakhstan: Tien Shan Five - 5 Days (Almaty, Medeu, Shymbulak, Charyn Canyon & Kolsai Lakes)
Five days in the Tien Shan, visa-free. Five days with private transport, a guide throughout and the better guesthouses at Saty.
Meridian Overland
Runs this trip
Group trips
Five days in the Tien Shan, visa-free
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Green BazaarZenkov Cathedral is one of the tallest wooden buildings anywhere and survived the 1911 earthquake that flattened the rest of the city. Medeu skating rinkThe lake supplies the city its drinking water, which is why you cannot swim in it and why it is that colour. Valley of CastlesThree kilometres of red sandstone the Charyn has cut into towers.
Itinerary
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 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 2Cable car tickets
- Day 2Private transport
- Day 2National park fees
- Day 3Park entry
- Day 3Guesthouse night near Saty
- Day 44x4 to Kaindy
- Day 4Park fees
- Day 4Guesthouse night
- Day 4Horse ride to the second Kolsai lakeCosts extra
- Day 5Transport to the airport
- Day 1 · 2 nightsAlmaty House
- Day 3 · 2 nightsKolsai Lakes Lodge
- Day 1Almaty to AlmatyTransfer, then the city on foot
- Day 2Shymbulak to Big Almaty Lake2:00 PM — up the other valley to the lake
- Day 3Almaty to Charyn Canyon7:30 AM — east towards the Chinese border
- Day 4Kolsai Lakes to Kaindy Lake8:00 AM — 4x4 up to the sunken forest
- Day 5Kolsai Lakes to Almaty9:00 AM — the long drive west
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Kolsai Lakes Lodge
Lodge
Days 3, 4
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
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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
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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.
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Questions people ask
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