Almaty

Welcome to Kazakhstan! After landing, our driver guide will welcome you at the arrival hall and escort in a private car to the downtown hotel. You can spend the rest of the day in the hotel and adapt to the temperature in Almaty.

Museum Of Almaty

Our journey will begin at the Almaty Museum, located within a historic wooden structure built for Russian royalty.

Then, head to the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, which was built to commemorate 28 fallen warriors in the war safeguarding Moscow.

Ascension Cathedral

Following the avenue, you’ll drop by their majestic statues and finally stop in front of the Ascension Cathedral (Zenkov Cathedral), a landmark in Almaty.

Near the park, lose yourself among the vibrant stalls in Green Bazaar (Zeleny Bazar), one of the oldest markets in Almaty.

Afterward, the driver guide will escort you out of Almaty city to Medeu Gorge in the southeastern suburb. Take a cable car to the Shymbulak Ski Resort at an altitude of about 3,000 meters (9,840 feet).

Then, return to the city and follow your driver guide to view the sunset at Kok-Tobe Hill. After going downhill by cable car, the driver guide will transfer you back to the hotel.

Lake Kaindy

Today, we will drive a 4.5-hour bumpy trail deep into the Heavenly Mountains, arriving at Kaindy Lake. The 1911 great earthquake caused a large-scale landslide of the mountaintop glacier, whose melted water could not flow out but formed this lake. The original spruce forest was thus submerged, with only higher trunks exposed above the water. However, since the lake is icy all year round, the tree trunks have not rotted and still maintain their original appearance, forming a magical natural wonder.

Lower Kolsai Lake

After visiting Kaindy Lake, head west for about 11km to another charming alpine lake, Lower Kolsai Lake. Surrounded by dense fir trees and mountain meadows in the valley, the lake looks extraordinarily blue and clear in the sun, enchanting beyond words. Finally, the driver guide will transfer you to Saty Village, where you will stay overnight at the local guest house.

Charyn Canyon National Park

Today, we will begin at Saty Village and drive for 1.5-2 hours to Charyn Canyon National Park, exploring specific astounding landforms of several branch canyons. We will have a deep exploration of its most marvelous part, the Valley of Castles, whose rock walls have been formed into colorful rock layers by the magic of nature for 12 million years. After admiring the breathtaking sunset scenery of the canyon, we will drive for about 3 hours back to Almaty. Upon arrival, you’ll be escorted to the hotel for a brief respite before being transferred to the railway station for your overnight sleeper train to Taraz.

After waking up from the cracking train in the morning, you’ll arrive in Taraz. Meet our local guide at the train station and directly head to the Karakhan Mausoleum, the tomb of a potentate of the Karakhanids (840-1212), and an architectural symbol of Taraz in the 11th century.

Aisha Bibi Mausoleum

Then, move on to visit the Aisha Bibi Mausoleum, the tomb of a noble female from the 11th to 12th century AD.

The driver guide will also show you around the Ancient Taraz City, which witnessed the first and only confrontation between the two most powerful empires in history, the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Arab Empire (632-1258), in 751 AD, namely the Battle of Taraz.

Shymkent

Finally, a 3-hour drive will transfer you to Shymkent, where we will take a stroll around the downtown. After that, the driver guide will take you to the hotel.

Today, we’ll drive for 1.5 hours to Ak Meshit Cave, a spacious yurt-shaped cave made of limestone formed during the Neolithic period (8000-1500 BC), with growing mulberry and caragana trees.

Then, continue to Otrar, one of the important towns in the fertile Syr-Darya Valley in the past. Still, Otrar is home to the Mausoleum of Arystanbab, a legendary mentor of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, whose mausoleum we’ve visited yesterday.

Finally, another 1-hour drive will take you to Turkestan.

Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi

Today’s Turkestan sightseeing will start at the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. As a famous Turkic poet and Sufi 800 years ago, he played a crucial role in promoting Islam in the Turkic-speaking world by translating obscure Islamic scriptures and doctrines into Turkic poems to help Turkic people understand, absorb, and gradually believe in Islam. We will also explore several other buildings in the mausoleum complex. Go down to the Hilvet Underground Mosque, built to protect worshippers from the scorching summer heat. Next, watch the Ancient Baths built for pilgrims in the 15th and 16th centuries. Then, learn about specific items used by mosques in the Juma Mosque Museum. Opposite the museum is our last spot today, the Mausoleum of Rabia Sultan Begum. Finally, you’ll be transferred back to Shymkent.

Early this morning, the driver guide will accompany you to visit local bazaars in Shymkent, especially the best one, Qyrgy Bazar, where everything is cheaper than stores or supermarkets. Friendly sellers offer a tempting variety of fresh fruits, nuts, local cheeses, and snacks. Your driver guide will help you avoid tourist rip-offs if you want to buy some as food supply or to take home. Afterward, our driver guide will escort you to the airport for a 1-hour flight to Almaty. Upon arrival, the driver in Almaty will greet you and provide a private transfer to the hotel for check-in.

Almaty

On the last day of our Kazakhstan tour package, the driver guide will pick you up and escort you to the airport. We wish you a smooth journey home! If Kazakhstan leaves you panting for more to explore its young capital, Astana, or expand your trip to other Central Asian countries like Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, etc., you can contact our travel consultants to customize the itinerary!