Golden Ring of Zhetysu

The opportunity to enjoy the nature of south-eastern Kazakhstan is fully provided by a popular tourist route - "Golden Ring of Zhetysu", a five-day trip through two administrative regions - Almaty and Zhetysu.
The route is full of mountain trekking (Kolsay lakes, Aktau mountains), visiting earthly, Martian landscapes (Aktau mountains), walking inside canyons (the network of Charyn canyons), getting acquainted with culture, traditions of the peoples of Kazakhstan (mosque-museum in Zharkent city, Uyghur cuisine, traditions of Kazakhs in Saty village).

Aktau Mountains, Altyn-Emel National Park, photo by Azamat Mukhametzhanov

As part of the trip, the guests will visit three national parks in two administrative regions of Kazakhstan - Altyn-Emel, Kolsay Lakes and Charyn National Park.
Each of the national parks is special, primarily climatic and natural conditions: Altyn-Emel abounds in sandy and stone deserts. Charyn is a vast network of canyons, according to the route "Golden Ring of Zhetysu" guests visit two canyons and four stunning panoramic sites.
Kolsai lakes resemble Swiss lakes located in the middle mountains. Tourists will visit the lower and middle lakes, as well as the unique lake "Kaindy" - a sunken herringbone forest in the thickness of a mountain lake.
Altyn-Emel and Charyn National Parks were included in UNESCO International Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2018. Kolsay Lakes National Park joined the UNESCO network in 2021.

Golden Ring of Zhetysu route map, Google Maps

The itinerary of the five-day tour in figures

Route kilometrage: 1,400 km.
Tracking length: (Aktau Mountains, Sculpture Valley, Singing Barkhan, Kolsay 1-Kolsay 2, Kaindy, Charyn): 39 km.
Height differences during the route: from 600 to 2250 metres above sea level.
Landscapes: the first day and a half - sands, desert and Martian landscapes. Third day canyons, fourth and fifth day mountain valleys with lakes at 1800 to 2250 metres altitude.
Overnight accommodation: the first night in a guest house in Altyn-Emel, second night in a hotel in Zharkent. Third and fourth nights in a guest house in Saty village.

Kolsay lower lake, photo by Azamat Mukhametzhanov

TIMING AND PROGRAMME

Day 1. National Park "Altyn-Emel"
07:00. Breakfast in the hotel (Almaty).
08:00. We leave to auyl Bashy - the head office of the National Park "Altyn-Emel". (260 km).
11:30. Payment of ecosurcharges of the National Park, acquaintance with the state visit centre "Altyn-Emel".
12:30. Lunch in "Aktau" cafe.
13:30. Departure to the chalk mountains of Aktau (70 km).
15:00. Photo session at the car park of the mountains. Preparation for 10 kilometres of trekking inside Aktau mountains (main canyon, small canyon, climbing to the top of one of the mountains).
18:00. Departure to the seven hundred years old willow tree (40 km).
19:00. Dinner in a cafe. Overnight stay in a guest house.

Day 2. National park "Altyn-Emel" and Zharkent city
08:00. Breakfast in cafe, drive to Singing Barkhan (Aigai Kum, 55 km).
10:00. Climb to the ridge of Dune (1 km, height 130 metres).
12:00. Visit to the Oshaktas stele (15 km).
12:30. Return to Bashy village (40 km). Lunch.
14:00. Drive to the panoramic site "Sculpture Valley" (90 km).
15:30. Walk inside the Valley (2 km), taking photos.
16:30. Departure to Zharkent city (30 km).
17:30. Visit to Zharkent mosque-museum.
18:30. Dinner in a cafe, acquaintance with Uyghur cuisine.
19:30. Accommodation and overnight stay at the hotel.

Singing Barkhan, Altyn-Emel

Day 3. Charyn canyons.
08:00. Breakfast in the hotel cafe, luggage loading. We leave for the national park "Charyn" (180 km).
Refuelling at the fork near Chundja village.
11:30. Arrival at the car park of the National Park, we descend to the canyon "Valley of Castles" (Kyzylsai, trekking 2,5 km along the bottom of the canyon). Lunch in the cafe of the visit centre.
15:00. Drive to the panoramic site with a view of the Moon Canyon (25 km).
16:00. We move to the next panoramic site - "Stone Shelf" (15 km).
16:45. Departure to the viewing platform of the Valley of Castles ("Napoleon", 5 km), "Austrian View" (2 km). Then we move to aul Saty (Kolsai Lakes, 110 km).
19:00. Arrival to Saty village (area of Kolsai lakes). Dinner. Overnight stay in a guest house.

**Kolsay lakes are border zone (Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan), guests should have identity documents.

Day 4. National park "Kolsai Lakes "
08:00. Breakfast in the guest house. Drive to the lake "Saty" (Kolsay lower lake, 15 km).
Trekking to the lake "Mynzhylky" (Kolsai Middle lake, 8 km, 3 hours of mountain trekking).
13:00. Arrival at the lake "Mynzhylky" (Kolsai Middle Lake). Lunch in the form of lunch boxes.
14:00. Return to the lower lake (8 kilometres, 3 hours of trekking).
17:00. Departure to auyl Saty (15 kilometres). Dinner. Rest in a guest house.

Day Five. Lake Kaindy
08:00. Breakfast at the guest house, luggage loading. We leave for Lake Kaindy (12 km) and further trekking to the Lake. We visit three panoramic locations around the lake.
13:00. Return to Saty village, on the way we visit a panoramic site overlooking the valley of Chilik river. Lunch in the guest house. Drive to Almaty (295 km).
18:30. Arrival in Almaty.

Cost of the trip:

• 540 USD for one guest in a group of 6 people, total 3 240 USD.
• 602 USD for one guest in a group of 5 people, total 3 010 USD.
• 605 USD for one guest in a group of 4 people, total 2 420 USD.
• 720 USD for one guest in a group of 3 people, total 2 160 USD.
• 900 USD for one guest in a group of 2 people, total 1 800 USD.
• 1 600 USD for individual tour.

Price includes:

• transfer by SUV (Toyota Sequoia, Toyota Land Cruiser 100, 200, Toyota Land Crusier Prado, etc.) according to the tour programme,
• English-speaking guide-driver,
• one night of accommodation in a guest house in Bashy village (Altyn-Emel).
• one night stay in a hotel in Zharkent city
• two nights accommodation in a guest house in Saty village (Kolsai Lakes).
• excursion according to the programme,
• entrance tickets of national parks, museums according to the programme,
• mineral water 1,5 litres for one guest daily,
• three meals a day, excluding breakfast on the first day, dinner on the last day of the trip,
• lunch in "Tary" cafe Charyn (Craft burger with beef, caramelised onions and cherries and tea/coffee/water/ice tea),
• Round trip by national park taxi inside Charyn Canyon, from the lower car park to the upper car park of Kaindy Lake.

Guests on the trip overnight in rooms with double accommodation and bathroom inside the room.

There are conditions for children's participation in the trip:

• infants under two years of age travel free of charge,
• children from two to eleven years of age - 50% of the trip cost,
• children from twelve years of age and above - 100% of the trip cost.
  We can provide a child seat, please discuss with the manager before the trip.

Precautions:

• identity documents (border area),
• sunglasses, headgear, sunscreen (warm season),
• repellents (mosquitoes, ticks),
• trekking between Kolsai Middle and Kolsai Lower lakes is cross-country and requires some physical preparation,
• trekking sticks (desirable).

It is possible to book participation in the trip by:

• clicking "Contact Us ",
• by writing to us on WhatsApp or Telegram on +7 777 161 1929, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have,
• by sending an email to greenx.kz@gmail.com.

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Church in Zharkent On the way to Kaindy Lake, a visitor from the UAE Between Lunar canyon and the Stone Shelf, Charyn Moon Canyon, Charyn Small Canyon in Aktau Mountains Small Canyon in Aktau Mountains Inside the museum-mosque, Zharkent city Lake Kaindy, Kolsay Lake Kaindy, Kolsay Lake Kaindy, Kolsay Moon Canyon, Charyn Main gorge, Aktau mountains Museum-mosque, Zharkent city Lake Kaindy, Kolsay Kolsai lower lake Panoramic platform, Castle Valley, Charyn The Stone shelf, Charyn Panorama to the Valley of Castles, Charyn