5 Nights in Almaty with Charyn Canyon

1600 Hrs:  Welcome to Almaty – City of a thousand colors! After clearing customs & immigration procedures followed by baggage collection, you will be met by your English-speaking guide in the arrival hall.

1700 Hrs: You will be escorted to your vehicle. Chocolates & refreshing napkins will be served on board your vehicle. Enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi on board your vehicle. Please ask your guide for login details. 

1800 Hrs: Welcome to your hotel & check in to your room.   

2000 Hrs: Dinner is your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own) 

2200 Hrs: Hotel drop-off and good night's sleep.  

• Breakfast at the resort.  

1000 Hrs: Visit the Shymbulak Mountains – Level 3 via Gondola  In just 1 hour, you can get from Almaty city center to its highest point (3200 meters) and drink coffee in the highest bar in the CIS using 3 tier world-class Gondola. On Shymbulak, you can have a great time even if you can’t ski or snowboard. Cafes and restaurants provide all-day entertainment for the whole family with excellent cuisine, an observation deck with powerful binoculars that rotate 360 degrees, and a playground. For those who want to enjoy the mountain silence and admire the snowy slopes, the resort offers high-class hotels and various kinds of adventure activities such as Zip Lining, Paragliding, Horse riding, etc.   

1400 Hrs: Enjoy lunch in Shymbulak or a choice of restaurant in the city. (On Own) 

1600 Hrs: Proceed to your hotel for some relaxation.  

1800 Hrs: Panfilov &Arbat walking tour Evening walk around Panfilov promenade. The promenade which overlooks the Kazakh Opera & Ballet Theatre is lined with small shops, eateries, and cafes & beautiful lights. You will enjoy hearing many local musicians singing songs & playing local musical instruments. The tour will end on Arbat Street with lots of shopping outlets and street entertainment.   

2000 Hrs: Dinner is your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own) 

2200 Hrs: Hotel drop-off and a good night's sleep.  

Breakfast at the hotel.

1000 Hrs: Almaty city tour- Explore the city of Almaty by quickly getting acquainted with discovering major areas of interest – During this introductory tour, you will visit the First President Park, Republic Square, State Opera and Ballet Theatre, museums at the Academy of Sciences, Abay Square, Kazakhstan Hotel, Palace of the Republic  

1200 Hrs: Panfilov Park & Zenkov Cathedral- The Park is named and dedicated to the Panfilov Heroes who were 28 soldiers of an Almaty Infantry. Their memories are etched at the fearsome war memorial east of the Zenkov Cathedral which depicts soldiers from all 15 soviet republics on the map of the USSR. The Park is a lush green area and it’s a good place to sit, rest, relax, and see the bustling sights of the city. ‘Zenkov Cathedral’, is one of the most beautiful, magnificent, architectural monuments of the city of Almaty with a height of 56 meters and is in the green Panfilov Park of Almaty. A. Zenkov supervised the construction of this cathedral in the early 19th century and legend goes that it was built without a single nail. But unfortunately, it’s not true. Although the design is remarkably unique it’s because of the advanced technological expertise of that time.

1400 Hrs: Enjoy lunch at your favorite restaurant. (On Own)

1600 Hrs: Proceed to your hotel for some relaxation.

1800 Hrs: Visit KokeTobe Hill- KokTobe is the highest point in the city of Almaty standing on a 1100 m hill at the south-east edge of the city. It is worth a visit to KokTobe because of its panoramic view of the city from all directions. To reach KokTobe Hill, one should take a cable car ride which starts near Hotel Novotel and goes over some of the oldest parts of Almaty and the magnificent fruit-growing gardens. Once you reach the KokTobe hill, you will see the famous 372 m high TV Tower which is visible from far away and offers great views of the mountains and the city plus many attractions at the top including many restaurants serving cuisines from across the globe.  

2000 Hrs: Dinner at the restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment)  

2200 Hrs: Hotel drop-off. 

Breakfast at the hotel.

1000 Hrs: Green Bazaar + Rakhat Chocolate Shop - If you are among those, who don’t like to go to a mall and prefer the outdoor market among fresh air and belong to the old-school shopping type, then without wasting any time, head straight towards the Zelyony Bazaar located close to the Panfilov Park in Almaty. Also, known as the Green Market, this market is your typical local market where you can purchase everything starting from meat to spices to fruits to even clothes and furniture. The key to shopping here is that you should have a flair for bargaining, and you can get everything at a very reasonable rate. You will be delighted to see the colorful atmosphere and the variety of goods available. Right next door is the famous Rakhat Chocolate shop. Rakhat which means pleasure in Kazakh is the oldest manufacturer of chocolates dating back almost 70 years. Around 3500 workers work in basically 2 factories, one located in Almaty and one in Shymkent city. They also make chocolates for people suffering from diabetes and their low-calorie products like candies, cookies, and waffles are a range among people and tourists. 

1400 Hrs: Lunch at a restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment) 

1500 Hrs: Shopping - Almaty is a paradise for all your shopping, so you can head to some of the swankiest malls the city has to offer. We recommend Dostyk Plaza, Esentai Mall & Mega Mall for high-end quality shopping.  

2000 Hrs: Dinner at the restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment) 

2200 Hrs: Hotel drop-off. 

Breakfast at the hotel.

1000 Hrs: Day excursion to Charyn Canyon - Charyn Canyon, located 200 km from Almaty, perhaps is the most atypical sight of Kazakhstan, as well as one of the most famous. The canyon extends for 154 kilometres and is located where the Great Steppe ends, and the Tien Shan mountains begin. Charyn Canyon is the largest canyon in Central Asia, and its age, according to scientists, is about 12 million years. The canyon looks amazing at any time of the year! The tour starts early in the morning as the road from Almaty to the Charyn Canyon takes more than three hours. You will see gorgeous landscape, walk on high panoramas and along the Valley of Castles, among the steep cliffs with a height of more than 100 meters. Here you can take beautiful photos, sip delicious tea at the edge of the canyon and just enjoy the incredible scenery created by nature. Be prepared to spend the whole day on the trip, the duration of the tour will be about 10-12 hours. 

1400 Hrs  Lunch in a local café or packed lunch (On Own) 

1700 Hrs  Return to the hotel. Time to unwind in the comfort of your room.  

2000 Hrs Dinner at the restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment) 

2200 Hrs Hotel drop-off. 

0400 – 0430 Hrs: Packed breakfast &check-out from the hotel.  

0430 Hrs: It’s time to say goodbye to this beautiful city. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to the airport for your flight home or to an onward destination