High Land

Tour 3: High Land
Duration: 9 days
In short: Astana – Almaty – Tamgaly – Issyk lake – BAO – Sunkar – Altyn Emel – Charyn Canyon – Almaty

Day 1: Astana
The tour will start by seeing historical center of the city. There are modern parts as well.  first you can see the Constitution Square, where the president of Kazakhstan N.A.Nazarbayev announced the decision of transferring the capital of the country from Almaty to Nur-Sultan (Astana). Then you will have the opportunity to visit the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan* with the Golden man. Moving on you can continue visiting the largest and amazing shopping center Khan Shatyr. There is the elevator to the top of the “Astana-Baiterek” monument, where you can find the wonderful panorama of the Kazakhstan capital from the special observation deck. Afterwards you will cross Ishym river and get to the Kazakh Eli Square. The next destination is the Palace of Peace and Accord as well as Khazret Sultan mosque. Don’t miss to visit the National Museum of History of Kazakhstan*. Being there you will see plans of the development of Nur-Sultan as well as its historical background. Please note that the * Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and National Museum of History of Kazakhstan is closed on Mondays. You can visit another sites. Afterwards is transfer to hotel.

Day 2: Astana – Almaty
You will drive to airport for the next departure to Almaty. Today you will see the central part of Almaty and main parts. Don’t miss to visit the Green Bazaar. It is very famous among travelers. You will have the opportunity to buy national goods and enjoy the colorful bazaar. Later on you can visit Almaty parks as Panfilov Park and find one of the most beautiful wooden buildings in the world as Zenkov Cathedral. The next destination is the Memorial of Glory and Eternal Flame. It is dedicated to the memory of the fighters who died for freedom and independence of the country. Then we can visit the Medeo Gorge. It is the highest mountain skating rink in the world. Afterwards we will visit the Kok-Tobe hill where the tallest TV tower in the world is located. In Kok-Tobe Park you will enjoy wonderful nature and visit shops. Your tour will end with the short ride from the top of the hill to the center of the city by the famous Almaty cableway. Afterwards is transfer to hotel.

Day 3: Almaty – Tamgaly – Almaty
We are glad to inspire you by the unique landscape of Almaty region. So today you will find Tamgaly petroglyphs as one of the oldest and most striking monuments of rock art of Zhetisu. It is under protection of UNESCO since 2004. Tamgaly Gorge is located 170 km north-west of Almaty city. This is an ancient art gallery where placed individual animals and people as well as the whole scenes from the life of ancient people. The total number of paintings in the main gorge is about 2,000. In the course of a tour you will find images of solar deities, clowns, soldiers, married couples, pregnant women, multi-figure compositions, scenes of hunting and sacrifice. Most of them belong to the Bronze Age and are made in "animal" style of Sakas. Many years ago valley of Tamgaly recollected value of the preserve. There were ritual ceremonies, worship of the gods and the spirits of ancestors and others.

Day 4: Almaty – Issyk Lake – Almaty
Today we will drive to Trans-Ili Alatau − Issyk Gorge. This wonderful gorge lies along the Kuldja tract, where traders travelled. You will be told about its history and see the burial mounds of Saka period, where the famous "Golden Man" was found. Later it became the state symbol of the Republic of Kazakhstan. On the way you will have the chance to see the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “ISSYK”. There are expositions dedicated to the history and culture of the Saka period as well as a copy of Golden Man and golden items, ancient ceramics, weapon, elements of horse equipment and the model of Saka burial mound. You will drive to an altitude of 1756 meters above sea level where you can see amazing mountain Lake Issyk. The lake was formed about 10,000 years ago due to colossal landslide. In addition you will listen about the natural disaster of 1963. We are sure it will be interesting for you.

Day 5: Almaty– BAO – Sunkar – Almaty
Today we will drive to the Big Almaty gorge. It is situated at an altitude of 2,510 m above sea level. You will be impressed by the one of the most picturesque lakes in Trans-Ili Alatau. The lake is surrounded by mountains and considered to be very famous in Kazakhstan. The Big Almaty Lake was formed as a result of movement of an ancient glacier and that’s why it is always cool even in July. The access to the lake is limited. You will walk higher the Big Almaty Lake to the altitude of 3300 meters above sea level and see one of the most beautiful panoramic views surrounded by mountain peaks covered with Tian-Shan fir-tree, aspen and juniper. The nature of the country is special and thus there are a lot of travelers visit it. In addition you will have the chance to visit the Falcon Farm, where you will enjoy seeing trained hawks and hunt with them. Don’t miss to take photos!

Day 6: Almaty – Altyn Emel
You will be met by the guide at 08:00 and start your journey in Zhetisu. You will drive for about an hour on a highway (120 km) and see artificial Kapshagai water reservoir. It is the biggest in Almaty region, with the casinos of "Kazakh Las-Vegas" on its bank. After that you will arrive to Tamgaly Tas. Tamgaly Tas is the outstanding monument where you will see images of Buddha’s and texts in Tibetan, Kalmyk and other languages on the old rocks. Scientists try to find this mystery for over 150 years. Your guide will tell you more about it and you will enjoy fantastic view of the nature. Then you will see the site in the style of medieval Kazakhstan that was built for the filming “The Nomad” movie. Afterwards we will drive to Basshi village (185 km). It is located at the territory of Altyn Emel National Park. Then you will have excursion to the Singing Dune (80 km). The height is about 150 meters and a length of about 3 km. You will find it located on the corners of the Altyn-Emel National Park, just a few kilometers from the Ili river between the mountains of Big and Small Kalkan. There is pure sand, which starts to "sing" in windy weather as the organ music. We have no doubt you will love it. Over the time you can see panorama views and enjoy outstanding landscape. On the way you will see purple mountains of Sogety and Boguty which looks from the white peaks of theKetmen ridge. On the west the horizon is the Big Kalkan, and the Small Kalkan from the east. In the north, there are violet-blue ridge of Djungarian Alatau mountains, Chulak mountain, Matai and Altyn-Emel. After pleasant day you will return to Basshi village for overnight.  

Day 7: Altyn Emel
After having a hearty breakfast at 08:00, you will drive on unpaved park roads over 80 km (2 hours) to the Aktau Mountains. Aktau Mountains (White Mountains) are famous paleontological field. In the layers of Paleogene lacustrine you will find ancient animals of 25-30 million years. In addition you can see the giant rhinos, crocodiles, turtles. It looks like the Egyptian pyramids of different shapes and colors. Walking among them you will see its surface like magic, very attractive. For sure you will take dozens of photos and remember this trip for a long time. On the way you can see wild shy goats and gazelles living there. Fun is guaranteed there! Mountains (Harsh Mountains) are very ancient ruined mountains with conserved volcanic outputs. They are very fragile and break down under the physical impact. Rocks are carved die to wind and water. There is sedimentary rock of the bottom of the ancient Tethys Ocean as well which has the form of intricate figures and landscapes.

Day 8: Altyn Emel – Charyn Canyon – Almaty
The tour will start by travelling to Charyn Canyon at 08:00. It will take about 2 hours to reach the canyon. When you reach there you will have the chance to see panorama and walk for about 2 km through the maze of the Castles Valley. Charyn Canyon is a natural complex and famous around the world. It was formed during Paleogene and recaps the Grand Canyon of Colorado River in North America in size. The height of the canyon is up to 150-300 meters. It has different shapes and colors. It is important to note that wind and water gave the beautiful "Valley of Castles" with sedimentary rocks. The length of the valley is more than 2 km, width − 20-80 meters. You will have the opportunity to spend hours walking among the unique towers and columns. The nature is wonderful there! The bottom of the Canyon has slight descend to the end of the walk, so that you will see icy cold Charyn River. There is eco-park with several yurts − dwellings. But a small open air café works only in the summer. Then you will drive to see other panoramic views. After spending 3-4 hours in the canyon you will return to Almaty approx. at 19:00.

Day 9: Flight
Transfer to airport.

Price per person:
02 pax – 1 640 $
04 pax – 1 050 $
06 pax – 820 $
08 pax – 690 $
10 pax – 615 $
Single – 150 $ 

Early check-in – 30 $
Single early check-in – 45 $

Half board – 180 $
Full board – 290 $ 

English speaking guide – 860 $ per group 

Flight Astana – Almaty – from 100 $ per person

Transport
02 pax – Sedan, Sprinter in Altyn Emel
04-10 pax – Sprinter

Service includes:
- Transport
- Accommodation:
      Astana – “Ibis” Hotel 3*
      Almaty – “Kazakhstan” Hotel 3*
      Altyn Emel – “Aigaikum” Guesthouse
- Entrances to all museums
- Mineral water during the tour            

Service does not include:
- Full board
- Single rooms
- Early check-in
- Travel insurance
- Visa and visa support
- English speaking guide

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