7 Days Kazakhstan (Almaty)

Day 1: Welcome to Almaty – Oi Qaragai Mountain Resort

15:00 hrs Welcome to Almaty – City of a thousand colours! After clearing custom & immigration procedures followed by baggage collection, you will be met by our English-speaking office staff in the arrival’s hall.

16:00 hrs Meet & Greet with your tour guide & transfer to the mountain resort Oi Qaragai.
The resort lies in a picturesque mountain gorge and is only a 40-minute drive from Almaty. Upon arriving at Oi Qaragai Mountain Resort, one would feel as though you are somewhere in Europe. Surrounded by the virgin nature of the Tien Shan foothills, offering sincere service, Eurasian culture, providing all guests with the opportunity to get together with the close people, partners, colleagues in active leisure with comfortable living conditions and healthy meals.

17:30 hrs Arrive at the resort & check-in to your rooms.
Remainder of the day at your leisure to explore the property & its surroundings.

Enjoy dinner at one of 5 restaurants available on the resort territory. (Direct payment)

Overnight Stay in Almaty 

Day 2: Oi Qaragai Mountain Resort

Breakfast at the resort.

Day at leisure at the resort.

Enjoy various activities provided by the resort –

Paint Ball
Hiking Tours
Mountain Cart
Archery
Rope Park
Climbing Wall Park
Zip Line
Horse Riding
Spa

Enjoy lunch at one of 5 restaurants available on the resort territory. (Direct payment)

Overnight Stay in Almaty 

Day 3: Welcome to Almaty

15:45 hrs Breakfast at the hotel.

12:00 hrs Check-out formalities. You will be met by your English-speaking tour guide and driver.
Transfer to your city hotel & check-in.

19:00 hrs Panfilov Promenade & 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.

20:00 hrs Dinner at restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment)

22:00 hrs Hotel drop-off.

Overnight Stay in Almaty 

Day 4: Issyk Lake | Alma-Arasan | Falcon Show

07:00 hrs Breakfast at the hotel.

10:00 hrs Visit to Issyk Lake
The Issyk Lake tour is especially designed for all mountain lovers who can first hike to the beautiful cliffs called ‘The Kremlin Walls’ and later camp at the lakeside taking in the fresh air and scenic beauty. The tour would start by taking you to the spectacular gorges of Trans-Ili Alatau along the Kuldja Tract famous for trade caravans. In between, you would get a dose on history, as the tour would take you to see the burial mounds of the Saka Period, the Ostrich Farm and the Issyk Barrow. The route would finally take you to Issyk Lake, where you can enjoy the breath-taking beauty of the turquoise water surface and a view of the surrounding area. One can click photographs to seize the moment or can just laze around and read a book or soak in the silence of the natural beauty.

14:00 hrs Lunch at restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment)

15:00 hrs Almarasan Gorge
The Almarasan Gorge is inaccessible from the bottom; the bridge on the trail along the river has been washed away. And the trail through the former Almarasan Sanatorium is blocked by a private territory guarded by men with machineguns. The private territory stretches for several tens of hectares.

17:00 hrs Falcon Show
You visit falcon farm, where it is possible to see an unforgettable show with birds of prey, and later it will be possible to look at their life, to take a set of pictures and with great mood to return to the city.

20:00 hrs Dinner at restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment)

22:00 hrs Hotel drop-off.

Overnight Stay in Almaty 

Day 5: Panfilov Park & Zenkov Cathedral | Koktobe

07:00 hrs Breakfast at the hotel.

10:30 hrs Panfilov Park & Zenkov Cathedral
It’s Almaty’s most popular strolling and picnic place for people of all ages. 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 depict soldiers from all 15 soviet republics on the map of 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 and architectural monuments of the city of Almaty with the height of 56 meters and is located in the green Panfilov Park of Almaty. A. Zenkov had 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 but it’s because of the advanced technological expertise of that time. They used the construction concept of Semi-ruche which meant using of reinforced concrete, timber preservation and ventilation.

14:00 hrs Lunch at restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment)

17:30 hrs Visit to Koktobe Hill
Koktobe is the highest point in the city of Almaty standing on a 1100 m hill at the southeast edge of the city. It is worth a visit to Koktobe because of its panoramic view of the city from all directions. To reach the Koktobe Hill, one should take a cable car ride which starts near Hotel Kazakhstan and goes over some of the oldest parts of Almaty and the magnificent fruit-growing gardens. Once you reach the Koktobe Hill, you would see the famous 372 m high TV Tower which is visible from far 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.

20:00 hrs Dinner at restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment)

22:00 hrs Hotel drop-off.

Overnight Stay in Almaty 

Day 6: Shymbulak | Green Bazaar + Rakhat Chocolate Shop

07:00 hrs Breakfast at the hotel.

10:00 hrs Visit to Shymbulak Mountains
Proceed on an excursion to the beautiful mountain resort of Shymbulak via Gondola to level 3 and services of our English-speaking guide.
Shymbulak Ski Resort is in the beautiful Zailiyskiy Alatau mountain at 2260 above sea level. It is 25 km from the city centre of Almaty city and has an average temperature of +25°C in the summer & -7°C in the winter months. The average snowfall is around 1.5 m. It is usually very sunny as the average number of sunny days a year can reach 90%. Ski season normally begins in December and can run until April.

14:00 hrs Lunch at restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment)

15:00 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 colourful 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 to 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 rage among the people and tourists.

20:00 hrs Dinner at restaurant of your choice. (Direct payment)

22:00 hrs Hotel drop-off.

Overnight Stay in Almaty 

Day 7: Departure

04:30 hrs Packed breakfast & check-out from the hotel.
It’s time to say good-bye 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.

End Tour