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Charyn Canyon Tour: Explore Kazakhstan's Beauty
5.0
19 Ratings
Charyn Canyon
Explore Charyn Canyon, Kolsay, and Kaiyndy on a private tour. Discover Kazakhstan’s iconic landscapes with expert guidance and exclusive access. Book your adventure today.
Explore Charyn Canyon, Kolsay, and Kaiyndy on a private tour. Discover Kazakhstan’s iconic landscapes with expert guidance and exclusive access. Book your adventure today.
Duration:
18 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Charyn Canyon - Start your journey with the awe-inspiring Charyn Canyon, often called the “Grand Canyon of Kazakhstan.” Here, explore the renowned “Valley of Castles,” where towering rock formations sculpted by wind and water resemble ancient fortresses. Stroll along the canyon’s trails, capturing stunning photos of its red and ochre walls that…
- Charyn Canyon - Start your journey with the awe-inspiring Charyn Canyon, often called the “Grand Canyon of Kazakhstan.” Here, explore the renowned “Valley of Castles,” where towering rock formations sculpted by wind and water resemble ancient fortresses. Stroll along the canyon’s trails, capturing stunning photos of its red and ochre walls that radiate under the sun.
- Kaindy - Next, visit the enigmatic Kaindy Lake, home to a submerged forest formed by an earthquake. The crystal-clear, turquoise waters conceal ancient trees whose tops rise above the surface, creating a haunting yet beautiful scene. A walk around the lake offers breathtaking views and the opportunity to experience nature’s serene, surreal beauty.
- Kolsai Lake - End your day at the peaceful Kolsai Lakes, a series of alpine lakes nestled in the Tian Shan mountains. Enjoy a tranquil lakeside walk, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and admire the reflection of the surrounding peaks in the clear waters. This calming stop is ideal for relaxing and appreciating Kazakhstan’s natural beauty.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- On-board WiFi
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- In-Person Tour Guide
- Tea and coffee
- Private transportation
- On-board WiFi
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- In-Person Tour Guide
- Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic beverages
- Alcoholic beverages
Additional Information
Set off on a private journey to explore Kazakhstan’s magnificent Charyn Canyon, Kaiyndy, and Kolsay Lakes. Experience a fully tailored adventure with expert local guidance, adaptable itineraries, and exclusive access to awe-inspiring natural attractions. This tour distinguishes itself by providing unmatched comfort, personalized pacing, and the…
Set off on a private journey to explore Kazakhstan’s magnificent Charyn Canyon, Kaiyndy, and Kolsay Lakes. Experience a fully tailored adventure with expert local guidance, adaptable itineraries, and exclusive access to awe-inspiring natural attractions. This tour distinguishes itself by providing unmatched comfort, personalized pacing, and the opportunity to visit hidden gems. Ideal for nature enthusiasts and adventurers, discover Kazakhstan’s most renowned landscapes while enjoying a smooth, memorable trip designed specifically for you. Reserve now for an unforgettable day of exploration!
- Total stops take 9 hours including (2 hours in Caryn Canyon, 3 hours in Kaiyndy Lake and 4 hours in Kolsay Lake) and driving time take 6-8 hours including both sides. Stop times might be customized by traveler’s request.
Location
Charyn Canyon
Charyn National Park, Charyn River
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(19 Ratings)
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1 star
William_w
Oct 31, 2025
Wonderful & Memorable Day Trip from Almaty - I had a great experience with Sam's Tour on its one day private tour to Charyn Canyon, Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes. My guide, Ayan was extremely engaging, helpful and supportive throughout the trip, and most importantly a safe driver. Although this was a long day tour (12+ hours), the time passed quickly because Ayan was great company and we enjoyed our conversations in English. If you are considering a day tour whilst in Almaty, you can’t go wrong in booking this tour with Ayan as your guide and driver. It’s money well spent as you’ll return to your accommodation in the evening having learnt more about Kazakhstan, and having had sufficient time to admire the lakes and canyons at your own pace and learn of their history. The lunch provided at a restaurant overlooking Kaindy Lake was also very good! All in all, Ayan will take very good care of you!
Review provided by Viator
Sarah_h
Oct 5, 2025
Great one day tour! - We took this tour to the canyon and lakes with Sam. It was such a great day!! Everything was well organized and the schedule was flexible throughout the day. All of the sights were amazing, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Sam was great to spend the day with - very professional, patient, and easy to talk to. We felt well taken care of. I would definitely recommend any tours with him!
Review provided by Viator
Rickmundm
Sep 23, 2025
Excellent Service. - Ayan is an excellent tour guide and exceeded my expectations. He speaks well in English, accommodating to all my requests and very professional. I am very satisfied with his companion eventhough it's raining ( not your fault) however he took a lot of awesome photos for me. He is customer centric oriented, highly recommended and superb. Kudos to him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandy_n
Sep 20, 2025
This is a long excursion... - This is a long excursion but very rewarding and really worth it. The scenery is stunning and our guide Sam was excellent. He was very engaging and his command of English is very hood.. The trip by Russian taxi to the lake was fun!
Review provided by Viator
Sonja_v
Sep 11, 2025
Great day trip from Almaty - Great tour to very interesting/beautiful places. It is a long day with a lot of driving, but it is definitely worth it. The drive to Kaiyndy Lake is very adventurous and memorable. Everything was well organized and the guide/driver was very friendly. I can only recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Christine_c
Sep 8, 2025
Excellent outing - The night before I contacted the tour operator to ask what the pickup time was and received a prompt reply. My husband and I were picked up at our hotel at the stipulated time of 7.30 am by Ayan, our young guide/driver. We thoroughly enjoyed our outing to the canyon and the lakes. Ayan was fiemdly, informative, very accommodating and most importantly he was a very good driver. We had lots of time to wonder around and never felt rushed. This is a very good tour, though expensive but then it’s a private tour so it was well worth the money. We got back to the hotel at 8.30 pm, tired but thoroughly enjoyed our outing. Thanks Ayan!id highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Yousuf_n
Sep 4, 2025
The Most memorable Trip - We had a great experience with Sam’s Tour. Our one day private tour to charyn, Kolsai & Kaindy was excellent!! Our guide Ayan from Sam’s tour was helpful and supportive throughout the trip. Though this was a long day tour, we didn’t find any difficulties because our guide was ready to help and guide us during the long treks. His car and his driving skills through out the trip was perfect! He speaks really well in English, so you won’t face any language restrictions. If you ever get a chance to book at Sam’s tour, do ask for our guide Ayan.
Thanks to everyone we had a great time in Kazakhstan.
Review provided by Viator
Natashadahl_n
Sep 2, 2025
Had such a great time,... - Had such a great time, truly beautiful wonders of nature and extremely picturesque! Definitely worth visiting, and even the long drive was made super comfortable and fun with our guide Sanzhar (Sam)
Review provided by Viator
Mobile43530351321
Aug 22, 2025
Beautiful canyon and lakes worth a long day trip - It was a 15- hour adventure involved hiking and some bone jarring rides in beat-up but supposedly indestructible old Soviet era vans to and Lake Kaiynday, a lake formed by an earthquake just over a century ago with dead trees still eerily standing.
Charyn Canyon is spectacular for its rock formations and it was a easy hike to the cooling river at the end of the hike, to reach the two lakes more strenuous hikes were required.
This long day trip may not be for everybody but our tour guide Ayang(sorry if my spelling is off) made our private tour more enjoyable and worthwhile. We even had a peddle boat ride with his help in beautiful Lake Kolsay.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charliecyc
Aug 12, 2025
Great Trip. Wonderful... - Sam is our guide for this one day tour. From the beginning, Sam had communicated with us with details and information. On the day of our trip, Sam explained the detail and keeps us informed about all the option routes and makes great advises.
Of course, the scenes we see are spectatular. We do enjoy our trip with Sam. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
