Charyn Canyon and Kolsay Lake: Scenic Day Trip

Explore Charyn Canyon and Kolsay Lake on a day trip from Almaty. Hike, ride, and boat through stunning landscapes and experience Kazakh culture.

Duration: 16 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Charyn National Park - Explore the canyons, enjoy a short hike to Sharyn River, and capture stunning photos.
  • Charyn Canyon - Spend 15 minutes at the Black Canyon viewpoint.
  • Charyn Canyon - Spend 15 minutes at the Lunar Canyon viewpoint.
  • Kolsai Lake - Stroll around Kolsai Lake. Optional horse riding and boating are available for an additional fee. Don’t forget to take amazing photos.
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • Entrance fees to Charyn National Park
  • All fees and/or taxes
  • Professional Guide
  • Transportation
  • Entrance fees to Kolsai lakes National Park
What's Not Included
  • Special food & drinks
  • Boating and horse-riding (30 min boat ride $10 per group of 4 people, horse riding $10 for 30 min)
Additional Information

Discover the unique landscapes of Charyn Canyon and Kolsay Lake on a day trip from Almaty. The tour includes various activities such as hiking, horseback riding, and boating, allowing tourists to engage with the environment actively and enjoy different perspectives of the lakes. Kolsay Lake, often referred to as the “Pearls of the Northern Tien Shan,”…

Location
Abay Ave 50
Abay Avenue
Please wait for our guide or bus before entering the metro. If you see transport (bus, minibus) come and show your voucher. Make sure you go to your tour operator and to your tour
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(49 Ratings)
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869camilliac
Nov 6, 2024
Amazing trip, highly recommended - I had an incredible experience with JoinMe and our guide, Zhibet, on the tour from Almaty to Charyn Canyon, Moon Canyon, Kolsay Lake, and Kaindy Lake! The team was punctual, and made sure the journey was safe. Zhibet’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the area's history made the journey truly memorable. She was always ready to help—even when we accidentally left a bag in the van. Highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to explore Kazakhstan’s natural wonders with a friendly and reliable guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mobile67782237924
Nov 3, 2024
Travel with Nature - The tour guide was amazing and the guest houses which we have stayed were excellent. Though they were language barriers, our guide made sure that we receive the best service.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Somshubhrar
Nov 2, 2024
Exploring Kazakhstan’s beauty with Joinme - For our hike to the Big Almaty Lake we had the ‘best guide and best driver’ Abu Khair. He was very empathetic and kept checking on us throughout our climb while sharing some interesting facts about the local culture and geography. It was a small group and we had a good time. For our day trip to Charyn canyon, Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, we were happy to find an enthusiastic guide in Zhanna who kept us on time. Despite the unfavourable weather and hectic schedule, her bubbly personality kept us motivated. We were also pleasantly surprised to experience snowfall on our way to Kolsai and finding a totally white landscape when we got there. We are glad to have experienced the natural beauty of Kazakhstan with Joinme and thanks to our Airbnb host for introducing us to this agency.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
645craftyp
Nov 1, 2024
3 days of Craziness, party, meeting new people and visiting new places - Me and my friends went on 3 days Almaty trip accompanied by Abubhair and Daniyal,The guide were very good and friendly especially Abubhair, he took us to full day tour and we enjoyed a lot, at night we left for a village for 2 days, we had a group of 30 people and Daniyal (Sugar Candy) showed us lots of places and we met lots of people, the whole trip was crazy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zoreeny2
Nov 1, 2024
Day trip adventure to Charyn Canyon and Black Canyon. Then to the snowy Kaindy and Kolsai lake. - The trip was full of fun experience for us. Our nice tour guide Zhaana explained the location details to us visitors in both Russian and English. The driver was also great at keeping us safe and comfortable in a Mercedes Sprinter. Trip day was on 28th October, so the weather is windy and snowy. We highly recommend you to bring enough warm clothes if you are visiting after mid October. Use the washroom while you have the chance, the distance from point to point will take hours. Prepare some coins for the toilet entrance fee as well (KZT 100/entry) and also extra cash for lunch and other location activities. Conclusion, we will highly recommend Joinme to everyone if you're looking for a one day trip to the mentioned location.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
_t7579gl
Oct 29, 2024
Great. - Zhibek, Bergen You are professionals in your business. A very interesting tour. Special thanks to Zhibek, very interesting talks about the history, culture, life of the people of Kazakhstan
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherryca7547gf
Oct 16, 2024
JoinMe tour experience - The views are very beautiful, quite hard to hike since it’s raining but it’s manageable but all will be worth it for a breath taking scenery. Two thumbs up to our guide Zhanna, very lively and informative. Tour is well organized and she’s always ready to help and answer your questions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jet802090
Oct 29, 2024
A Wonderful Day - I did not expect that our trip to Kazakhstan will be fun and exciting. Well, it was my first time in the country and I am loving it. The weather is nice and the foods are great and tasty and not to mention that it less costly. During our whole day trip, we were delighted with the beautiful sceneries of this amazing country. Our day was filled with excitement and joy. It was my first time as well to experience the snow though it is not that much during our visit. What I love about this trip is that how helpful our tour guide is and her name is Tomi. I love the energy and she was very good on what she is doing. She assisted us in everyway possible with our questions. She is very friendly and easy to talk with. I can't imagine having a tour guide speaking the local and foreign language at the same time for the whole day! Overall, our visit to this beautiful country is well taken care of! We will definitely come back for sure and bring along some friends as well! See you soon Kazakhstan!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W6833ehjocelyns
Oct 22, 2024
Amazing tour - The Overall, the tour experience was amazing! The places we visited were beautiful and truly worth seeing. The staff was very kind, and the admin was always there to assist us. Tomi, our tour guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and provided us with a wealth of information about Almaty and the sites we explored. She was also patient and sweet. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for an affordable and worthwhile experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
326maidena
Oct 16, 2024
A must see Kazakhstan - The places are wonderful.It is a once in a lifetime experience. Our tour guide Zhanna is amazing and lively. I recommend Joinme for this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
December 2024
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