Kazakhstan Tour Packages from Almaty: 3, 5 and 7-Day Itineraries
Multi-day trips built and run by a local operator in Almaty — not resold from another agency. Canyons, alpine lakes and the Singing Dune in one route, with your own guide and vehicle, and hotels either booked by us or left to you.
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- Local operator in Almaty, we run the tours ourselves
- Guides in English, Russian and Turkish
- Every route adjustable — nothing here is fixed
How our packages work
A package here means a route, a guide and a vehicle for the days you are in the country. We build every one around your arrival and departure times, so the first and last day are never wasted. There are two ways to take it:
With hotels
We book the hotels and the guesthouse in the mountains, and hand you one plan for the whole trip. Breakfast comes with the hotel.
- You choose the hotel class: 3, 4 or 5 star in Almaty
- Guesthouse in Saty village on the lakes night
- One quote covering rooms and touring
Tours only
You book your own hotel or apartment; we handle everything from the moment we pick you up each morning.
- Useful if you have hotel points or a preferred district
- Pickup from any address in Almaty
- Lower total cost, more freedom in the evenings
Airport pickup and drop-off can be added to either format as a separate service — tell us your flight numbers and we will include it in the quote.
The packages
These three routes cover what most travellers come to the Almaty region for. Every one of them can be shortened, extended or reordered.
3 days — Almaty Essentials
The short version: the city, the canyon and the mountains, with every night in Almaty and no long transfers.
2 nightsNo overnight outside AlmatyGood for a stopover| Day 1 | Almaty city tour — Panfilov Park and Zenkov Cathedral, the Green Bazaar, Republic Square and the cable car up Kok Tobe for sunset. |
| Day 2 | Charyn Canyon — a full day east, with the walk down through the Valley of Castles to the river and back. |
| Day 3 | Big Almaty Lake in summer, or Medeo and Shymbulak together in winter. Back in the city with time before an evening flight. |
Works well for anyone transiting through Almaty or adding a few days to a business trip.
5 days — Canyons and Lakes
Our most booked route. One night in a mountain village turns the two hardest lakes from a punishing drive into an easy two days.
4 nights1 night in Saty villageMost popular| Day 1 | Almaty city tour — the old centre, the market and Kok Tobe. A gentle first day after the flight. |
| Day 2 | Charyn Canyon, with the option of adding Black Canyon and Moon Canyon on the same day as the 3 Canyons route. |
| Day 3 | Drive east into the Tian Shan to Kolsai Lakes. Afternoon at the first lake, then overnight in a guesthouse in Saty village. |
| Day 4 | Kaindy Lake by 4x4 in the morning light, when the sunken forest photographs best, then the drive back to Almaty. |
| Day 5 | Big Almaty Lake or the Central State Museum, depending on your flight and the weather. |
Why the overnight matters. Kolsai and Kaindy can be done as a single day trip from Almaty, but that means fourteen hours with roughly nine of them in the car. Sleeping in Saty turns it into two relaxed days and puts you at Kaindy early, before the tour buses arrive.
7 days — The Full Almaty Region
Everything worth seeing within reach of the city, at a pace that leaves room to stop when you want to.
6 nights1 night in Saty villageIncludes Altyn Emel| Day 1 | Almaty city tour and Kok Tobe. |
| Day 2 | 3 Canyons — Charyn, Black Canyon and Moon Canyon in one long day. |
| Day 3 | To Kolsai Lakes; overnight in Saty village. |
| Day 4 | Kaindy Lake by 4x4, then back to Almaty. |
| Day 5 | Altyn Emel National Park — the Singing Dune and the striped Aktau hills. The longest day of the week, and the most unlike anywhere else. |
| Day 6 | Medeo and Shymbulak, or Issyk Lake with the Golden Man museum. |
| Day 7 | Turgen Gorge waterfalls, the Green Bazaar for what to take home, or a free day. Transfer to the airport. |
Crossing into Kyrgyzstan
Almaty sits close enough to the border that Issyk-Kul, the great lake on the Kyrgyz side, works as an extension rather than a separate trip. We add three to four days onto any of the routes above and handle the crossing, the vehicle and the guide throughout.
It suits travellers who want the whole Tian Shan rather than one country's slice of it, and it is the only way to see both Kolsai and Issyk-Kul on one holiday without backtracking. Border rules differ by passport, so tell us your nationality when you ask and we will confirm what applies before you commit to anything.
What is included
Always included
- Private vehicle for the whole trip — sedan, VIP car, minivan or 4x4 as the roads require
- Local guide throughout, in English, Russian or Turkish
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel every day
- National park and entrance fees along the route
- Bottled water in the vehicle
- Hotel breakfast, when we book the hotels
Not included
- International flights
- Lunch and dinner — we stop at local places and you pay there
- Airport transfers, available as an add-on
- Cable car and museum tickets, unless you ask us to include them
- Travel insurance
- Tips for the guide and driver
Guides in Hindi or Arabic can be arranged with enough notice. Tell us when you write.
Why we quote instead of listing a price
A package price for two people in a sedan in March is a different number from six people in a minivan in August, and a 4x4 to Kaindy costs more than the road to Charyn. Putting one figure on the page would mean either overcharging the small group or promising the large one something we cannot deliver.
So we quote each request. What moves the number: how many of you there are (the biggest factor, since the vehicle and guide are shared), the season, whether we book the hotels and at what class, and how many days need a 4x4. Send your dates and group size and you will have an exact figure, usually within a couple of hours and always within a day.
When to come
| Months | What the packages look like |
|---|---|
| April – May | Green steppe and full waterfalls. Charyn and the city are at their best; the high lake roads may still be closed early in the season. |
| June – August | Every road open, so the 5 and 7-day routes run in full. Hot at midday in the canyons and at Altyn Emel — we start early. |
| September – October | The best window of the year. Clear air, autumn colour in the gorges, fewer people at every viewpoint. |
| November – March | A winter version: Shymbulak, Medeo, the city and the canyons under snow. Kolsai and Kaindy are harder to reach, so we usually swap them out. |
Frequently asked questions
Do the packages include hotels?
They can, either way. We either book the hotels in Almaty and the guesthouse in Saty and quote you one price for everything, or you book your own accommodation and we quote the touring only. Say which you prefer when you write and we will price it that way. When we book the hotel, breakfast is included.
How many people do you need for a package?
Packages run privately, so there is no minimum group size — a couple or a solo traveller can book the same route as a family of six. The price per person falls as the group grows, because the vehicle and the guide are shared.
Can I change the itinerary?
Yes, and most people do. These three routes are starting points. Swap a canyon for a lake, add a rest day, start at sunrise for the photography, skip the museum — it is your vehicle and your guide for the week.
Where do we stay on the lakes night?
In a guesthouse in Saty, the village at the foot of the Kolsai valley. Rooms are simple and clean, the food is home-cooked, and the point of it is the location: you are at Kaindy the next morning before anyone driving up from Almaty.
Do you meet us at the airport?
Yes, as an add-on. Send your flight numbers and we will include the arrival and departure transfers in the quote. Almaty airport is about 20 minutes from the centre outside rush hour.
Are meals included?
Breakfast is, when the hotel is booked through us. Lunch and dinner are not — we stop at local restaurants and roadside cafés along the route, and you pay there. It keeps the package price honest and lets you eat what you actually want.
Can we add Kyrgyzstan or Issyk-Kul?
Yes. We add three to four days and handle the border crossing, the vehicle and the guide throughout. Tell us your nationality when you ask, because entry rules differ by passport and we will confirm what applies to you first.
What languages do the guides speak?
English, Russian and Turkish as standard. Hindi and Arabic speaking guides can be arranged if you give us enough notice — mention the language when you send your dates.
How do we book and pay?
Send your dates, the number of travellers and whether you want hotels included. We reply with a route and an exact price. A deposit confirms the booking and the balance is paid when you arrive, in cash or by transfer.
What if we need to cancel?
A package can be changed or cancelled up to 72 hours before it starts, with a partial refund of the deposit depending on what we have already paid out to hotels. Later cancellations are non-refundable. If we cancel for weather, road closures or anything on our side, you get a full refund or new dates.
Prefer to build it yourself?
- All day toursAll 18 trips, one page
- Charyn CanyonThe one to do if you do only one
- Kolsai LakesThe heart of the 5-day route
- Almaty City TourThe right first day
Tell us your dates and we will send a plan
How many nights you have, how many of you there are, and whether you want hotels included. You get a route and an exact price back, usually the same day.
WhatsApp +7 707 717 71 01 info@almatytourkz.comAlmaty Tour KZ · 22 Zenkov Street, Medeu District, Almaty · Local tour operator
Get your price for this tour today
Tell us your dates and group size. We come back with availability and an exact price — usually within a couple of hours.
- Rated 5.0 on Google
- Answer within 24 hours
- Free cancellation up to 72 hours
- English · Russian · Turkish
