4N / 5D
Almaty Mountains
Almaty • Shymbulak • Charyn
Suits A first visit
Price on enquiry. It moves with your dates, hotel category and availability.
Almaty
Mountains at the end of the street, three hours from Delhi.
Almaty city, Shymbulak and the Charyn canyon. Hotels, transfers and sightseeing included.
VisaVisa-free entry for Indian passport holders for short stays. Confirm the current permitted length before booking
Best seasonApril to October for the mountains; December to February for snow
Typical length4 to 5 nights
CurrencyKazakhstani tenge (KZT)
Flying time
- Delhi
- About 3 h direct
- Mumbai
- About 5 h 30 m with one stop
- Bengaluru
- About 7 h with one stop
- Chennai
- About 7 h 30 m with one stop
- Kochi
- About 8 h with one stop
- Kolkata
- About 6 h with one stop
Visa rules and flight schedules change. We confirm both for your passport and your dates before you pay anything.
About this trip
What a Almaty trip looks like
Almaty sits directly under the Tian Shan, and the mountains are visible from most of the city. That is the whole reason to go: you can be on a glacier road twenty minutes after breakfast.
It became a short-haul favourite from India on a three-hour flight and visa-free entry. Four nights is enough: two for the mountains, one for the canyon, and one for the city and its markets.
It works in both seasons and they are different trips. Summer is hiking, Big Almaty Lake and the canyon. Winter is Shymbulak and snow, and the canyon road can be closed.
Designed for you
Almaty packages
Three shapes we build most often. Each is a starting point. Change the nights, the stops or the hotel category and we requote it.
5N / 6D
Almaty in Winter
Almaty • Shymbulak • Medeu
Suits Snow and skiing
Price on enquiry. It moves with your dates, hotel category and availability.
3N / 4D
Almaty Long Weekend
Almaty city and the near mountains
Suits A short break
Price on enquiry. It moves with your dates, hotel category and availability.
6N / 7D
Almaty & the Lakes
Almaty • Charyn • Kolsai
Suits Mountain travellers
Price on enquiry. It moves with your dates, hotel category and availability.
Explore locations01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Where you actually go
Shymbulak
The ski resort above the city, reached by cable car in three stages through Medeu.
Medeu
The highest Olympic-size skating rink in the world, at 1,691 metres, on the road up to Shymbulak.
Big Almaty Lake
A turquoise reservoir an hour of switchbacks above the city, ringed by peaks.
Charyn Canyon
Red sandstone three hours east, with a walk down the Valley of Castles to the river.
Kolsai and Kaindy lakes
Alpine lakes further east, Kaindy with a drowned spruce forest standing in it.
Kok-Tobe
The hill above the city, reached by a 1,620-metre cable car, with the whole valley below.
Green Bazaar
The central market: horse meat, dried fruit and the best cheap lunch in Almaty.
Ascension Cathedral
A wooden Orthodox cathedral in Panfilov Park, built without nails and still standing after earthquakes.
Alma-Arasan Gorge
An alpine valley in the Ile-Alatau national park, with hot springs and a river through it.
Tian Shan range
The wall of mountains the city sits under, visible from most streets on a clear day.
What is in it
Highlights of the trip
Cable car up through Medeu to Shymbulak
Big Almaty Lake by 4x4
Charyn canyon day trip with the Valley of Castles walk
Kok-Tobe hill and the city panorama
Green Bazaar and a Panfilov Park walk
Airport transfers and a private car throughout
Day by day
The itinerary
This is the shape of the trip. Every day of it can be changed before you book.
The shape we build most often.
Day 01Arrive AlmatyMet at the airport and driven in. Flights from Delhi land early, so the day is usable.+
Highlights
- ·Airport transfer
- ·Check in
- ·Panfilov Park and the cathedral
Stay
Almaty
MealsNil
Optional
Kok-Tobe cable car at dusk
Day 02Medeu and ShymbulakUp the valley by road to Medeu, then the cable car in three stages to the top station.+
Highlights
- ·Medeu skating rink
- ·Cable car to Shymbulak
- ·Talgar pass at the top station
Stay
Almaty
MealsBreakfast
Optional
Skiing in season · Butakovka waterfall walk
Day 03Charyn canyonA long day east: three hours out, a walk down the canyon, three hours back.+
Highlights
- ·Valley of Castles walk
- ·Charyn river at the canyon floor
- ·Steppe drive both ways
Stay
Almaty
MealsBreakfast, lunch
Optional
Kolsai and Kaindy lakes as an overnight instead
Day 04Big Almaty Lake and the cityThe lake in the morning while the light is on it, the markets after.+
Highlights
- ·Big Almaty Lake by 4x4
- ·Green Bazaar
- ·Arbat and the city centre
Stay
Almaty
MealsBreakfast
Optional
Ascension Cathedral · First President’s Park
Day 05DepartureTransfer to the airport for the flight home.+
Highlights
- ·Last shopping
- ·Airport transfer
Stay
—
MealsBreakfast
Optional
Late checkout on request
Adds an overnight at the Kolsai lakes, which the day-trip version cannot reach properly.
Day 01Arrive AlmatyMet at the airport and driven in. Flights from Delhi land early, so the day is usable.+
Highlights
- ·Airport transfer
- ·Check in
- ·Panfilov Park and the cathedral
Stay
Almaty
MealsNil
Optional
Kok-Tobe cable car at dusk
Day 02Medeu and ShymbulakUp the valley by road, then the cable car in three stages to the top station.+
Highlights
- ·Medeu skating rink
- ·Cable car to Shymbulak
- ·Talgar pass at the top
Stay
Almaty
MealsBreakfast
Optional
Skiing in season · Butakovka waterfall walk
Day 03Big Almaty LakeThe lake in the morning while the light is on it, the markets in the afternoon.+
Highlights
- ·Big Almaty Lake by 4x4
- ·Green Bazaar
- ·Arbat and the city centre
Stay
Almaty
MealsBreakfast
Optional
Alma-Arasan gorge and the hot springs
Day 04Almaty → KolsaiEast across the steppe to the lakes, stopping at the canyon on the way.+
Highlights
- ·Charyn canyon
- ·Valley of Castles walk
- ·Arrive Kolsai for the evening
Stay
Kolsai or Saty
MealsBreakfast, dinner
Optional
Horse ride at the first lake
Day 05Kolsai and KaindyThe drowned forest in the morning, the second lake after.+
Highlights
- ·Kaindy Lake and its sunken spruce
- ·Kolsai first lake walk
- ·Return over the pass
Stay
Kolsai or Saty
MealsBreakfast, dinner
Optional
Trek to the second Kolsai lake
Day 06Back to AlmatyThe long drive west, with a stop at the falconry on the way in.+
Highlights
- ·Steppe drive back
- ·Golden eagle falconry demonstration
- ·Last evening in the city
Stay
Almaty
MealsBreakfast
Optional
Ascension Cathedral · Dostyk Plaza
Day 07DepartureTransfer to the airport for the flight home.+
Highlights
- ·Last shopping
- ·Airport transfer
Stay
—
MealsBreakfast
Optional
Late checkout on request
The fine print, up front
What the price covers
Inclusions
- ✓Hotel accommodation on twin-sharing basis
- ✓Daily breakfast, plus the meals listed in the day plan
- ✓All transfers and sightseeing in a private air-conditioned vehicle
- ✓Arrival and departure airport transfers
- ✓Entry to the sights named in the itinerary
- ✓A travel expert on WhatsApp through your trip
Not included
- —Flights, unless quoted separately with the package
- —Visa fees and travel insurance
- —Lunches and dinners not listed in the day plan
- —Camera fees, guide tips and personal expenses
- —Anything not listed under inclusions
Where you stay
Property names shared with your quoteHotels considered
Quoted at 3-star, 4-star or 5-star in the city. Mountain-side properties at Shymbulak are quoted separately and are limited in season.
[Property names — to confirm. We quote a category, then send the actual hotels with photos once your dates are checked.]
TravellersSample
“From the first conversation to our return home, everything felt genuinely taken care of.”
Personalised itineraries
Every trip can be adjusted around your dates, interests and budget.
Handpicked stays
Hotels and stays selected around the type of experience you want.
Travel expert support
Talk to a real travel expert throughout the planning process.
Transparent planning
Clear package details, inclusions and exclusions before you confirm.
Before you ask
Everything you might want to know
Are the prices per person?+
We quote per person on twin sharing, and we quote per enquiry rather than publishing a rate. Prices move with your travel dates, the hotel category and availability on the day you book. A published number would be wrong for most people who read it.
Can I change the hotels or the number of nights?+
Yes. Tell us what you want changed (a cheaper hotel, one night less, a different city) and we revise the itinerary until it fits, then confirm the booking.
Is the visa included?+
Visa-free entry for Indian passport holders for short stays. Confirm the current permitted length before booking. Visa fees are not included in the package unless the quote says so, and we confirm the current requirement for your passport and dates before you pay.
When is the best time to go?+
April to October for the mountains; December to February for snow. Travelling outside that window is usually cheaper, and we will tell you honestly what you would be trading away.
What do you need to confirm the booking?+
[Advance amount, the documents required and when the balance falls due — to confirm before launch.]
What is your cancellation policy?+
It depends on how far ahead you cancel and on what the hotels and operators in your itinerary allow. The scale that applies to your booking is set out in your quote before you pay. [Standard terms — to confirm before launch.]
How soon do I get the itinerary?+
[Usual turnaround — to confirm. Typically the same working day on WhatsApp.]
Not quite right?
Customise this package.
Nothing here is a fixed departure. Change the hotel, drop a night, add a city, travel on different dates. Tell us what you want and we rebuild the itinerary. The person who sends the quote is the person who books the hotel.
If you would rather not use WhatsApp