Kazakhstan

On the Ancient Silk Road

Price

1,350 USD

Duration

6 Days

Level

easy

Date

July 21, 2023

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Overview Itinerary Details What’s Included Get Inspired

6 days

1,350 USD / 415 KWD / 4,975 AED / 5,125 SAR

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Overview

Kazakhstan, in Central Asia, is the largest landlocked country and the 9th largest country in the world. Nomadic groups and empires have historically inhabited its territory – the influence of both being evident in the local culture.
With this trip, you will have the opportunity to explore a small part of Kazakhstan, mostly in the broader vicinity of Almaty. Prepare to enjoy snow-capped mountains and desert landscapes, vast valleys and hidden lakes, nomadic settlements and modern cities. This itinerary has all the necessary ingredients to make this adventure an unforgettable experience.
Trip Highlights:
Get ready to...

Discover the secrets of Almaty: the city of Apples and, maybe, the proverbial Garden of Eden.
Hike around the “Bear Waterfall” and the Shymbulak Ski Resort.
Camp under the stars, living like a Kazakh.
Explore the Charyn Canyon (the Asian version of the Grand Canyon), including the Valley of Castles and the Lunar Canyon.
Hike around the magical Kayindi Lake, also known as the “sunken forest” lake.
Enjoy a traditional Eagle and Falcon Show.

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Activities: cultural interactions, cultural sightseeing, hiking/trekking, nature watching, Bread making workshop, Eagle/Falcon show

Itinerary Details

Day 1 (21st July 2023): Arrival at Almaty – City Tour (D)

Upon your arrival at Almaty international airport, you will be welcomed by a Rahhalah representative and transferred to the hotel.

Note: one group airport transfer is included in the price. Additional transfers can be arranged at an extra cost.

You will then enjoy a half-day tour around the most famous landmarks of the city. Almaty means 'city of apple trees', and, because of its relatively mild climate, it has a wide range of apple trees. The Almaty area is said to be the ancestral home for many varieties of apples and is often visited by researchers and scientists in search of the real beginnings of this domesticated fruit. A folktale suggests that Eve tasted the famous apple (in the old testament) in Almaty. Also, the Turkic name for apple is Alma, and Ata means forefather, indirectly connecting Almaty with the Garden of Eden. The city, located at an altitude of around 850m in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau, is particularly beautiful as the the backdrop of mountains against the taller buildings makes a dramatic and impressive sight.

Welcome dinner at the Central Asian Restaurant, where you will also enjoy traditional Central Asian performances.

Accommodation: 4-star hotel in Almaty.

Day 2 (22nd July 2023): Shymbulak Ski Resort: Hiking and Eagle Show (B)

After breakfast, you will head towards the Shymbulak ski resort, at an altitude of 2,000m (an approx. 40-50-min drive, 25 km).

There, a cable car will take you even higher, to the snow-capped peaks (over 3,000m altitude), for a 3-hour scenic hike above the clouds.

In the afternoon, you will head to the Sunkar falcon farm (a 1-hour drive) to will watch a 1-hour Eagle and Falcon show, one of the most traditional activities of the nomad Kazakhs. You will then return to your hotel for the night (a 40-min drive).

Accommodation: 4-star hotel in Almaty.

Day 3 (23rd July 2023): On the Silk Road – Hiking around the Bear Waterfall – Kazakh night under the stars (B, L, D)

After breakfast, you will jump on the 4x4 cars and leave Almaty for an authentic Kazakhstan adventure on the ancient “Silk Road” path. On the way (after about a 2-hour drive, 92 km), you will stop at a place locally known as ‘Bear Waterfall’. A medium-level, 1.5-hour hike takes you across a rapid, limestone-infused river that flows through the dense foliage and into the lush green hills, reaching, in the end, a grand waterfall (altitude around 1700m.

You will then continue on the Silk Road for about one hour, heading towards the vast plains of the Djaylau Valley (3000m+ altitude).

There, amidst stunning landscapes, you will be introduced to the traditional Kazakh lifestyle: you will meet the local nomads, observe their daily routine, and live for a while like them. You may even help them chop firewood and prepare the meal.

Lunch will be picnic style, while diner will be traditional, cooked at the camp.

Overnight: camping under the stars.

Day 4 (24th July 2023): Exploring the amazing Charyn Canyon (B, L)

After an early breakfast you will head to the Charyn Canyon (a 3-hour drive, 170 km) which, with its thinly stratified red sedimentary rock, is said to resemble the Grand Canyon in the US (though it is smaller).

Charyn Canyon consists of 5 canyons, of which the Valley of Castles is the most well-known and easy to access. It got its name from the pillars and rock formations that resemble man-made towers and turrets. You will explore the canyon, hiking through its formations and taking amazing photos of the landscape (a total hiking distance of around 5 km).

You will then head to the Lunar (or Moon) Canyon, which is strikingly beautiful as a spring with crystal clear water flows between its white walls. After a picnic lunch there, you will visit the "Stone Shelf" and the “Napoleon” location, before heading to Saty Village (an approx. 2-hour drive, 110 km)

Optional activity: exploring Kolsay Lake. If the group opts for a visit to the lake, then less time will be spent in Charyn Canyon.

Overnight in an eco-hotel/guest house.

Day 5 (25th July 2023): At the Magical Lake (B, L)

After a traditional breakfast at the eco-hotel, you will head to Kayindi Lake (a 40-min drive, around 12 km). The lake is widely known for its scenery, especially the trunks of submerged birch trees that rise above the surface of the water. The area is often referred to as the "sunken forest". You will spend a few hours around the lake, hiking (2 hours, 1800 m altitude), relaxing in the serenity of nature, and enjoying a picnic lunch.

In the afternoon, you will return to Almaty (approx. a 4-hour drive, 293 km).

Accommodation: 4-star hotel in Almaty.

Day 6 (26th July 2023 ): Departure from Almaty (B)

Today, you can enjoy some free time exploring the city at your own pace and maybe do some last-minute shopping until you head to the airport for your flight back home.

Note: One group airport transfer is included in the price. Additional transfers can be arranged at an extra cost.

Notes

This cost is based on Double Occupancy. Single Supplement cost applies. Single accommodation amounts to 300 USD per person.
All services stipulated above are subject to availability at the time of booking/reservation.
All prices are subject to change.
All accommodation is subject to change to a similar one depending on availability.
The above cost is valid for a group of min 4 travelers. Rahhalah reserves the right to change the price if the trip runs with a smaller group.

The Price Includes:

3-nights’ accommodation in a 4-star hotel (double/twin plus breakfast).
One group airport transfer on Day 1 and one on Day 6.
All transportation according to the itinerary.
1-night accommodation in an eco-hotel in Saty Village.
1-night accommodation in tents (including sleeping bags, liners, mattresses, tents, pillows, washbasin, table, chair, camp lighting, portable toilet).
All meals according to the program as described above (B, L, D).
Entrance fees and eco fees according to the program.
English-speaking guide.
1-lt bottled water per person per day.

The Price Excludes:

International flights.
Visa fees.
Travel insurance.
Optional activities.
Beverages.
Meals not listed above.
Personal expenses.
Tipping and gratuities.
PCR test and quarantine expenses, if required.

Important: The itinerary and schedule are subject to change due to weather, road challenges or operating conditions. At any moment, the guide has the RIGHT to change the program for the safety and convenience of the travelers.

Also, the trip's price does not cover expenses that may occur due to conditions beyond Rahhalah's control (force
majeure). Such cases include but are not limited to extreme weather conditions, flight cancellations or delays, and natural phenomena (earthquakes, volcano eruptions, hurricanes, etc.). We, the Rahhalah team, both in our HQ and on the ground, will do our best to assist you with alternative arrangements (like new accommodation and/or transportation arrangements, revised itinerary and activities etc.), but ALL NEW COSTS incurred because of force majeure are to be covered by the traveler.

We strongly recommend that, before your departure, you purchase travel insurance that covers trip cancellation costs, loss of baggage or personal items, medical emergencies, and other unexpected circumstances that cannot be controlled by Rahhalah or any traveler.