Kolsay and Kaindy Lakes 2-Days Tour via Charyn Canyon
Tour details:
Price: starting from 250 USD per person (see full info below)
Type of Tour: Private
Duration: Two Days
Pick up and drop off at your hotel or anywhere else you’re staying in Almaty. Airport pick up and/or drop off are also available.
Meals: lunch, dinner, breakfast; vegetarian or vegan options are available.
What's included:
- Transportation
- Accommodation in guest house is based on two people sharing a double/twin room. Single supplement is available for additional 30 USD per person. Here is more information and photos of guesthouses.
- Food – 2 lunches, 1 breakfast, 1 dinner
- Tour-guide (for Standard option only)
- All fees & tickets
What to take with you:
- Comfortable shoes (better if it is waterproof & with rubber relief sole)
- Warm rain jacket (it’s possible to have some rain on the way to the second lake)
- Hiking sticks
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Insect repellent
Tour overview:
Few corners of Central Asia stop you in your tracks quite like South-Eastern Kazakhstan. This tour takes you deep into the Zhetisu region – through the sculpted rock of Charyn Canyon, the mirror-still waters of Kolsay Lakes, and the ghostly submerged forest of Kaindy Lake.
At Dostar Trips, “dostar” means friends in Kazakh – and that’s genuinely how we think of the people who travel with us. From the moment we pick you up to the moment we drop you back, we’re here for whatever you need.
Highlights:
- Visit the most beautiful national parks in Kazakhstan
- Take the splendor of Charyn Canyon with a nice hike in the Valley of Castles
- Enjoy breathtaking scenery of Kolsay lakes and ascend from the first lake to the second
- Tackle a mystery of a sunken forest at Kaindy lake
- Experience Kazakh cuisine and culture in a carefully selected Kolsai lakes guesthouse
Itinerary:
Day 1: Almaty – Charyn Canyon (Valley of Castles) & Kaindy lake;
Day 2: Kolsay lakes – Almaty.
Day 1: CHARYN CANYON & KAINDY LAKE
Explore Charyn Canyon and see the sunken forest at Kaindy lake
Photos for “Kolsay and Kaindy Lakes Tour via Charyn Canyon” are from Slawomir Adamczak, Pawel Plocienniczak, Stephen Bridger and our tours guides.
Your guide and driver will collect you directly from your hotel and set off along the Khorgos-Almaty highway – the new Silk Road of our times. En route, your guide brings Kazakhstan to life: its culture, its people, its layered history. The drive to Charyn Canyon takes around 2.5 hours with stops along the way (approximately 220 km / 136 miles from Almaty).
The road itself is part of the experience. Watch the landscape shift around you – lush orchards and village farmland giving way to the vast, spare steppes stretching all the way to the horizon, where the occasional lone herder guides a small flock through the silence.
We stop at a traditional Uyghur village market – vivid, lively, and filled with the irresistible smell of grilled meat and tandyr samsa, a flaky savory pastry baked fresh in a clay oven.
At Charyn Canyon, we make a gentle descent into the Valley of Castles, where towering sandy-beige formations rise around you, streaked with dark veins of ancient magma near the river. The Charyn River below has been carving this landscape for 12 million years – you can feel it. After exploring the canyon floor, we head to a nearby local café run by a wonderful female entrepreneur whose home cooking has become one of our favourite stops on this route. After around three hours in the canyon, we make the short scramble back to the surface and hit the road again.
Sturdy shoes with a good sole are recommended for the canyon trails.
Next stop: Satty village, the gateway to Kolsay Lakes – about 2.5 hours from the canyon (92 km / 57 miles). The road is brand new and the scenery along the way is more than worth the drive.
From Satty, we head straight to Kaindy Lake — one of those places that genuinely defies description. Sitting at 2,000 metres above sea level, this extraordinary lake was born from a massive landslide triggered by the 1911 earthquake, which dammed the river and flooded the valley. What emerged was something otherworldly: a lake filled with the silver trunks of Tien Shan fir trees, their needles perfectly preserved beneath the ice-cold, crystal-clear water, their bare stems reaching above the surface like something out of a dream. You simply have to see it.
As evening settles, we drive back to Satty village for a hearty dinner at a local family guesthouse – warm, generous, and exactly what you need after a day like this. A traditional banya (sauna) is available if you fancy it.
Overnight at the guesthouse.
Day 2: KOLSAY LAKES
Hike and scramble from the first Kolsay lake to the second through the spruce forest.
Some photographs for “Kolsay and Kaindy Lakes Tour via Charyn Canyon” are from Slawomir Adamczak, Pawel Plocienniczak & Stephen Bridger; some are taken during our tours by guides.
Wake up in the heart of the Northern Tian Shan mountains. Fuel up on breakfast at the guesthouse — you’ll want the energy for what’s ahead.
Today is all about the hike from the first Kolsay Lake to the second, and it’s a day you won’t forget. The trail winds through ancient spruce forest in a wonderful rhythm of ascents and descents, with the mountains revealing themselves at every turn. The full hike takes around 6–7 hours return (16 km, with around 500 metres of elevation between the two lakes) — a proper adventure that rewards every step.
In the afternoon, a well-earned picnic awaits on the shore of the second lake — arguably the most beautiful spot of the entire trip. Take your time here. Breathe it in.
Don’t forget to bring comfortable hiking clothes and sturdy footwear. And an important practical note: please carry your original passport (not a copy) on the hike — the Kyrgyzstan border lies around 10 km from the second lake, and border soldiers may ask to see it.
As the afternoon light softens, we make our way back down to the first Kolsay Lake, take one last look, and begin the drive back to Almaty — around 5 hours with comfort stops along the way (approximately 288 km / 179 miles). Your driver will drop you at your hotel, or at the airport if your journey continues that same evening.
Your 2-Days Kolsay & Kaindy Lakes tour via Charyn Canyon from Almaty on the map:
Prices for the 2-Days Kolsay & Kaindy Lakes tour via Charyn Canyon, USD:
This is a private tour. Each listed price is the total for your group size (1-5 guests), not a per person rate. Usually we don’t match solo travelers or combine separate bookings, sometimes we can do it only if participants agreed and their dates match, however unfortunately it rarely happens.
If your party size changes, the price will adjust to the corresponding group tier.
For groups of 6+ guests, please contact us for options.
Basic
Everything included — accommodation, meals, entry tickets, and water — just without the guide. A practical choice if you'd like to see the highlights while keeping costs manageable.
Solo traveller
$760
total
Private only, no group matching. $760 for one guest.
2 people
$420 / person
$840 total
Private only, no group matching. $420 per person for group of two guests.
3 people
$325 / person
$975 total
Private only, no group matching. $325 per person for group of three guests.
4 people
$265 / person
$1060 total
Private only, no group matching. $265 per person for group of four guests.
5 people
$230 / person
$1150 total
Private only, no group matching. $230 per person for group of five guests.
Standard
Your own expert English-speaking guide, an experienced driver, and everything taken care of — accommodation, meals, entry tickets, and water. Just show up and enjoy.
Solo traveller
$965
total
Private only, no group matching. $965 for one guest.
2 people
$525 / person
$1050 total
Private only, no group matching. $525 per person for group of two guests.
3 people
$400 / person
$1200 total
Private only, no group matching. $400 per person for group of three guests.
4 people
$320 / person
$1280 total
Private only, no group matching. $320 per person for group of four guests.
5 people
$270 / person
$1350 total
Private only, no group matching. $270 per person for group of five guests.
What's included:
- Transportation
- Accommodation in guest house is based on two people sharing a double/twin room. Single supplement is available for additional 30 USD per person. Here is more information and photos of guesthouses.
- Food – 2 lunches, 1 breakfast, 1 dinner
- Tour-guide (only for Standard option)
- All fees & tickets
Upgrade for hotel rooms is available, please contact us via email or WhatsApp and we will check availability.
The price of hotel upgrade based on two people sharing a double/twin room is 30 USD per person or 60 USD for two guests.
Upgrade for single supplement in hotel varies from 60 USD to 100 USD, based on a hotel.
Please keep in mind, if you are upgrading for the hotel, then only breakfast is included. It is possible to order dinner and lunch in hotel’s restaurant and pay with card or cash.
Frequently Asked Questions
What vehicle will be used for the tour, and is it a 4×4 with rear seat-belts and child seats?
For our tours we usually use such cars as Toyota Land Cruiser or Toyota Sequoia.
We utilize only 4×4 vehicles to ensure a safe and reliable journey. Our fleet consists primarily of Toyota Land Cruisers and Toyota Sequoias.
Each vehicle is maintained to a high standard and undergoes a comprehensive safety inspection before every departure. For your safety, all cars are equipped with functional seat belts in the rear seats. Furthermore, if a child seat is required for your trip, we will provide one to ensure the comfort and safety of your younger travelers.
In Basic option - will the driver speak English?
Our drivers have a basic level of English — enough to get by, but don’t be surprised if a phone dictionary makes an appearance now and then. It’s all part of the adventure! If you’d like the full story behind every destination — the history, the geology, the culture — the Standard option with an expert guide is the way to go.
In Basic option - will the driver lead hikes?
For safety reasons we prefer our drivers to stay rested and alert for the road ahead, so they won’t be leading longer hikes. That said, shorter walks and quick explorations are absolutely fine. If guided hiking is important to you, the Standard option is the better fit.
What will I get by choosing Standard?
You will get everything from Basic — accommodation, meals, entry tickets, and water — plus your own expert English-speaking guide. Here’s what that means in practice:
- your driver stays focused on the road, while your guide is fully dedicated to you.
- They’ll bring every destination to life with stories about history, geology, and culture;
- lead every hike; and be by your side throughout the entire tour for whatever you need.
It’s the difference between seeing a place and truly understanding it.
Is it possible to arrange vegetarian meals?
Absolutely! We are happy to arrange vegetarian meals for you. Just let us know your dietary preferences when booking and we’ll take care of the rest. We can also accommodate vegan, raw, gluten-free, dairy-free, and most other dietary requirements — no one should have to worry about food on a trip like this. Just let us know and we’ll make it work!
Is it possible to do the Kolsai lake trek on horses?
You may come across locals offering horse rides at the lake — a tempting option, but not one we include in our tours. We prefer to explore on foot, and for good reason: we can’t vouch for the condition of the horses or equipment, and your safety is something we take seriously. The hike itself takes around 6–7 hours return and is very manageable for most fitness levels — our guests regularly surprise themselves with how enjoyable it is. Two legs are all you need.
That said, if horse riding is on your wish list, we’d love to make it happen properly. We can arrange a session at a reputable local riding club with all the right equipment — helmets, proper boots, and horses that are well looked after. Just let us know and we’ll sort it out.
Is this a fully private tour for our family, or could other guests be added?
This will be your fully private tour, no other guests will be added.
Is it possible to upgrade accommodation from guesthouses to yurt or hotel rooms in Satty village?
Yes, absolutely! If you’d prefer something different from a standard guesthouse, we can arrange a stay in a cosy yurt or a hotel room in Satty village for an additional fee. Just get in touch with us before booking and we’ll discuss the available options and find the best fit for you.
I see similar offers from other tour companies with cheaper prices, why your price is higher?
Great question — and we’d rather be upfront about it than defensive.
Our drivers. We work with a small, trusted group of professionals who drive well-maintained premium 4WD vehicles. They don’t speed, they know every rough stretch of road in every national park we visit, and they’ve spent years mastering routes that less experienced drivers find genuinely challenging. If our regular drivers are unavailable, we don’t run the tour — we’d rather reschedule than compromise on who’s behind the wheel.
Our guides. Every guide we work with has gone through our own training programme, speaks confident conversational English, and will take you through the history, geology, geography, flora and fauna of every place you visit. Many have been with us for years. Same rule applies: if our guides are unavailable, the tour doesn’t run.
Our support. Behind every tour is an office team available to help with anything — customising your itinerary, answering questions, and making sure every detail is taken care of before and during your trip.
Our values. We pay our team fairly, because people who take genuine pride in their work deserve to be compensated well for it. That’s how we retain the same trusted faces year after year — and why our guests keep coming back.
Our accountability. We are a fully licensed, tax-paying tour operator — a legitimate company with real accountability to our guests, our team, and the law.
Cheaper options exist, and we respect that budget matters. But when you’re travelling far from home in remote national parks and on rough mountain roads, the question worth asking is: who do I trust to get us there and back safely, and make it truly memorable? We’d love to be the answer to that question.
What's your cancelation policy?
Cancellation policy:
– If you need to cancel your tour and it’s more than 7 days before the start date, you’ll get your full deposit back.
– If you cancel less than 7 days before the tour, unfortunately, you won’t be able to get that deposit back.
In the event that the weather does not permit us to visit the planned locations, your guide will propose an alternative itinerary that is suitable for the current conditions. While we cannot control the weather, please rest assured that we always strive to ensure you have a wonderful experience, no matter the circumstances.
I want to book the tour, how do I proceed?
1. Choose your date — use the calendar to select your preferred departure date. Greyed-out dates are sold out, but you can join the waitlist if needed.
2. Select your group size — pick the package that matches your group. The more people, the better the price per person.
3. Fill in participant details — you’ll be asked for basic information about each person in your group. There’s also a Notes to Organizer field — feel free to use it for any special requests or questions for us.
4. Agree to the terms & conditions — a quick read before you confirm.
5. Travel insurance — you’ll have the option to add travel insurance powered by Trawick International, covering trip cancellations, missed flights, and medical emergencies while travelling. Entirely optional, but worth considering for peace of mind.
6. Payment — choose whichever payment method works best for you: credit or debit card, US bank account, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. All transactions are secure and encrypted. You only pay a 10% deposit today — the remaining balance is due closer to the tour date. Prefer to pay in full upfront? That option is available too.
Hit Confirm Booking and you’re all set. We’ll be in touch shortly to take care of everything else. Looking forward to showing you Kazakhstan!
What is your booking software, is it safe?
We use WeTravel – a secure, user-friendly Dutch platform designed to book and pay for multi-day, specialized group trips. It allows travelers to pay in multiple currencies, set up flexible payment plans, and securely upload necessary documents, all while providing a clear overview of their itinerary and payment status.
Key features for guests include:
– Secure Payment Options: Guests can pay for trips using credit cards or, often, fee-free local bank transfers (ACH, SEPA, etc.), reducing extra costs.
– Seamless Booking Experience: Guests can easily view itineraries, sign up, and manage their trip details in one place.
– Personalized Profile: Guests have access to a dashboard to check their booking status, payment history, and necessary travel documents.
– Communication: Through WeTravel, travelers can receive updates and communicate directly with trip organizers.
– Essentially, it acts as the secure booking portal for boutique travel companies, retreats, and specialized group tours, providing peace of mind for the consumer.
