Kazakhstan Guided Tours — Local services in Almaty

The tour was great and well planned. The best part about the tour was our tour guide Azmat who gave us interesting snippets of information, was very clear and polite in his instructions, was always available to guide us and answer our questions, and clicked some great looking pictures for and of us.

The tour took us to Kaindy Lake, followed by Kolsai Lake, and ended with a sunset view at Charyn Canyon. We also had a great lunch at Saty that had both Vegeterian and Non Vegetarian options.

The tour offers 7 pick up spots across Almaty that allowed us to choose the one closest to where we were staying. We were picked up timely (i.e. at 6 am) from Hotel Kazakhstan in a Mercedes Sprinter van. The tour covers a distance between 500-600 kms from and back to Almaty (the distance from Almaty to Kolsai Lake, which is the farthest point of the tour, is between 250-300 kms).

The journey to Kaindy Lake was the longest though as it required us to change a couple of Russian Old World vans from the spot until where our Mercedes Sprinter was allowed to go! These vans are included in the tour package and don’t require any additional payment. The first stretch of the path to Kaindy Lake takes us to a spot after which the journey to Kaindy Lake can be covered only in one of 3 ways: walking (it’s a short climb of 20-30 minutes), in another Van, or on horse back (which is not covered in the tour package and would need you to pay separately if that’s what you want to do, and the route on horse back is different from the walking and van routes, which are the same). The path was unpaved and was an experience in off roading with a couple of water-crossings and a mostly jumpy ride; though we enjoyed it thoroughly with a mix of Kazakh, English, Russian, and, to our surprise, a couple of old Hindi songs.

We took the van option as it was included in the package and once we reached the spot until where the van could take, we had to walk down a bit of a steep decline to the lake (which was totally worth it). The lake was beautiful and the weather was a bit cloudy, which to me was perfect. There is a deck a bit high beside the lake where you can click pictures, and there is also a different spot which is right on the bank of the lake. We were given around 1 to 1.5 hours at the lake after which we needed to walk back up the incline to our van’s pick up spot.

We were taken to a small village called Saty where we had the best food during our stay in Kazkhistan, and there was so much to choose from.

After lunch, we were taken to Kolsai Lake. This lake was a bit different from Kaindy Lake, though it also had the same bluish hue and clear & clean water. We had to walk down a paved incline (there were wooden stairs as well, which were more convenient to walk down) to the lake. There were wooden pathways on both sides of the lake. The views were beautiful, though the weather this time around was sunny with a few scattered clouds.

From Kolsai, we drove around 50 kms to a spot called Black Canyon where, from a deck high above, we got to see a deep canyon with the Charyn river flowing through it. There was a small tea shop where we had some tea alongside enjoying the sights and clicking pictures. It was here that we got to experience Azmat’s (our guide) great photography skills.

After 30 minutes at Black Canyon, we left for Charyn Canyon, which was another 50 kms, for the sunset view. Charyn Canyon was beautiful with its reddish hues (possibly because of the setting sun) and deep pathways. We did not walk down to the pathways at the bottom of the canyon, but did walk to the farthest point at the top. The view was beautiful and we clicked a lot of pictures. We also had a great chat with Azmat during our walk back to where our Sprinter was waiting to take us back to the city.

After the sun had completely set and it had gotten dark, we boarded our Sprinter to travel back to the city with a day truly well spent. After around 3.5 hours we were dropped off at...

UPDATE:After I wrote this review, I received a very childish message directly to my Whatsapp. My dissatisfaction was clearly not taken well. The screenshot will probably be flagged inappropiate so I will not be able to put this screenshot but many very vulgar words insulting me and telling me I was s*t for leaving a bad comment and they don't care about people like me...

Extremely disorganized company with stressed out cold guy. Below are some of the things I experienced.

pickup location was not properly told to guide therefore he was 30 minutes late. until, I asked they never informed me the guide was coming late and just left it for me to contact them. i was just waiting outside of the hotel with my suitcase and heavy bags looking for the car that was told. I informed the company beforehand about not being able to eat beef, horse and pork. They replied, "I can offer vegetarian food, but I can't promise it’s variety. There will be no cooking of a separate meal for 1 person in guesthouses. There is no possibility to order something separate, tourists eat what they give." However, when we went to the village the woman was extremely surprised and it seemed like she had never heard about this beforehand. There was a meal which served only manti （dumplings）with beef stuffings and there was nothing else other than bread or some chocolate to eat. The Kolsai Lake tour has an option of horse riding. I mentioned twice by email that I'm interested in using horse. They never replied to that and on the tour day the guide tells us it's 20,000tenge per person and another 20,000tenge for the guide for the horse. ONLY CASH. The amount is quite big and should be prepared beforehand but not only they don't tell me or reply to me about this. Poor guide has to loan it to us. The company doesn't organize Kaindy lake tour properly. What happened was the gate was closed with a lock and no one was available to unlock it. Guide tries to use different route, but the route has so many blue berry thorns i have to use my body and branches to avoid the guide's car from getting scratched for 20 minutes. However, this route has a huge hole, and we can't pass. At the end guide uses another route and we finally arrive. Guide doesn't have any band aid or first aid kit for hiking. I got a slash from branches as well as using my body to avoid his car from getting scratched.

About guide just seemed like he was doing his job but was quite cold, not thoughtful and quite rude at times.

just touching phone when eating together. forgetful, forgets gas burner at Kolsai and doesn't even say sorry. just walks on when doing hikes seems like just wants to get job done as quick as possible. loud music which I put the volume down, but he raised it again. 5.puts in tea only for himself says raspberry picking is possible at a part at the mountain but just takes most of raspberry and only a few lefts for me. knows my gf likes stones and is collecting it but just takes some pink shiny stone for himself he found while walking in desert. 9 never talks about how long somethings will take and is lethargic to really communicate. is sighing and being very disrespectful when I was having difficulty. was saying I was wasting an hour of his time, when it’s the same for me too even having the nerve for a tip. even saying, "so I guess you don't have enough to tip, huh" completely unprofessional. only guiding on his mood. when he doesn't feel like it, no explanation or giving advice just say you can walk there...

I recently visited Almaty, Kazakhstan, for a vacation and had the pleasure of discovering Kazakhstan Guided Tours. I joined them for two incredible trips, and the experience was nothing short of amazing.

The first was a two-day tour that began with a visit to the breathtaking Charyn Canyon. After exploring, we enjoyed a delicious traditional lunch at a local village home, followed by a scenic journey to the stunning Kolsai Lake. Along the way, we were treated to magnificent views of the Tianshan Mountains, lush green meadows, vibrant spring flowers, and graceful horses grazing freely. That night, we stayed in a traditional Kazakh yurt—an unforgettable cultural experience.

We were well-fed throughout the trip, with a chance to try a variety of local delicacies during lunch, dinner, and breakfast. The accommodations were clean, cozy, and well-equipped with heaters and electrical plug points. The bathrooms were also clean and had a reliable supply of hot water, which was a welcome comfort.

Our tour guide, Muhta, was truly exceptional. She was thoughtful, engaging, and made every member of the group feel like family. At every stop, she shared fascinating facts and was never tired of answering our many questions. She even organized fun activities like a bonfire and group games that brought us all closer together. Her fluency in English and depth of knowledge added so much richness to the experience.

I was lucky to have Muhta as my guide again for a second day trip to Issyk Lake and Bear Waterfall. During that trip, I had a minor injury, and Muhta immediately attended to me with first aid and genuine care. Her kindness and professionalism were deeply appreciated.

One of the most memorable moments was during our visit to Kaindy Lake, where we got to ride in a Soviet-era minibus on a bumpy, adventurous road. At one point, the ride was so bouncy it literally threw me and Muhta off our seats—resulting in lots of laughter and a moment none of us will forget!

As a hobbyist photographer, I was thrilled to have so many opportunities to capture stunning landscapes and memorable moments. I created lots of content for my Instagram and YouTube channels, which you can find on "TravAlligator"

Our driver also deserves a mention—he was calm, skilled, and ensured a safe journey throughout. I also had the joy of bonding with a wonderfully diverse group of fellow travelers from India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and the UK. We shared stories, laughs, and unforgettable memories.

This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If I ever return to Kazakhstan, I will definitely choose Kazakhstan Guided Tours again. Thank you, Muhta, for your warmth, dedication, and care—keep up the amazing work, and I wish I get to travel...