Discover Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)

Day 1. Almaty

Arrival in Almaty, transfer to the hotel. Today you will discover Almaty — the beautiful, hospitable and interesting city, which was the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997. It is also a big economic and political center, in recent years it has become popular among tourists who want to know more about Kazakh culture. Almaty is considered as the cultural capital of the country with 14 theaters, 2 philharmonics, 7 concert halls, 32 museums, 13 historical ensembles, as well as many monuments, architectural complexes, cinemas and other cultural institutions

Day 2. Almaty — Altyn — Emel National — Park.

The largest national park of Kazakhstan, Altyn-EmelI lies in the heart of Central Asia, about 250 kilometers from Almaty. The area is about 520,000 hectares. It was declared to a natural reserve on the right bank of the Ili river on 10 April 1996, to preserve the unique flora and fauna. Lunch in the village Basschi and in the afternoon excursion to the Singing Dune. Accommodation in the guest house in Basschi. (B,L,D).

Day 3. Altyn — Emel National Park

The day in the national park is ful of hiking through the beautiful natural scenery of the Aktau and Katutau mountain ranges. These are majestic chalk mountains that are reminiscent of a lunar landscape. The reason for the amazing mountain landscape is that these mountains have risen from the seabed. They are over 400 million years old, 30 kilometers long and form an impressive natural spectacle. Lunch as a packed lunch or in the hotel.

Dinner, overnight in guest house in Basshi village. (B,L,D)

Day 4. Altyn — Emel National Park — Zharkent — Chundzha

After breakfast yo depart to Zharkent. In 1882 the city was located on the direct border between Russia and China, which can still be seen in numerous buildings today. You will visit the old mosque and Orthodox Church, which unites elements of Chinese and Central Asian architecture in an impressive manner and was built by Chinese master builders without a single nail. Lunch in Zharkent.

Continue trip to Chundzha.

Accommodation in a hotel by the hot springs near the village. (B,L,D)

Day 5. Saty — Kaindy Lake

After breakfast you depart to Kaindy Lake. The lake is 2000 meters above sea level and has a length of 400 meters. In some places it is up to 30 meters deep. It was created by a large limestone landslide. The limestone slope blocked the canyon to Kaindy like an artificial dam, and rainwater gathers in the basin. In the middle of the lake there are dead spruce trunks. In the afternoon you take trip to to Kolsai Lake. Hike, return, dinner and accommodation at the guest houses of Saty. (B,L,D)

Day 6. Saty- Charyn Canyon — Almaty

Today you take a tour through a varied landscape walking at Charyn Canyon. The Charyn Canyon extends for 154 km along the river of the same name and is located about 195 km east of the capital to the border with China. Gigantic rock formations delight visitors every day. About two hours to hike and drive in the direction of Almaty.

Lunch on the way in a café and then visit the museum for the «Golden man».

Return to Almaty. Night train to Turkestan (lunch included)

Day 7. Turkestan

Arrival at Turkestan at noon and trip directly from the train station to the mausoleum of Khodja Ahmed Jassawi. Return to the city and check in hotel

Day 8 Turkestan — Aksu Jabagly

Tour Turkestan — Arystan Bab — Otrar — Shymkent — Aksu Jabagly. Otrar — was one of the largest medieval cities of Kazakhstan, on the way of the Great Silk Road till XVIIcentury. Today Otrar is a major tourist spot in Kazakhstan. Since 1969, when the archaeologists have found the ruins of the ancient settlement — Otrar is slowly restored. Dinner and accommodation in Aksu Jabagly

Day 9 Aksu-Jabagly

Aksu-Jabagly — is the oldest national nature reserve in Central Asia. It is located in the south of the Republic of Kazakhstan and includes the northwestern chains of the Tien Shan mountain range. The name of the nature reserve is derived from the name of the largest river of the protected area, the Aksu. In the evening transfer to Taraz. overnight in the hotel.

Day 10 Taraz

Taras is the town full of monuments and mausileums and has its secrets as well as the other old cities and towns of Central Asia. Very famous mausoleums are Ajsha-Bibi Mausoleum, Babadschi-Chatun Mausoleum and Mausoleum of Daudbek. Overnight at hotel

Day 11 Taraz – Akyrtas

Excursion to Akyrtas. Akyrtas is a palace complex from the 8th to 9th centuries, located in the Kazakh region of Zhambyl, 45 km from the town of Taraz. Return to the hotel.

Day 12 Taraz – Astana

Transfer to the airport and flight to Astana. Arrival, transfer to the hotel. Astana is the new capital of the country. After Kazakhstan’s independence from the collapse of the USSR, the city and its region were renamed to Aqmola in 1992 and nominated as the future capital in 1994. The River Esil divides the administrative city from the older, mostly Soviet-style, district right bank. The result is unusual, impressive and modern.

Day 13 Astana

City tour includes visit to Alzhir. Today you will see Nurzhol Boulevard on the left bank of the Ischim River, the city’ s landmark, the Baiterek Tower by British architect Norman Foster, the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center (the world ’s largest tent, 150 m high), Opera, Atameken and many other sights. ALZHIR Camp was located near Akmola village, where thousands of family members of state treasoners lived and died in the 1930s. In the spring of 2007, on the commemoration day of the victims of political deportations, a special memorial was opened — the Museum of the History of Political Deportation and Totalitarism «ALZHIR»

Day 14 Flight home

Transfer to the airport. Flight home

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