Charyn Canyon & the Endless Steppe — 5 days

Central Asia's 'little Grand Canyon' and the great Kazakh steppes. Day-by-day itinerary: Arrival in Almaty; Charyn Canyon; Kazakh steppe & horses; Big Almaty Lake & cable car.

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival in Almaty

14:00 — Arrival in Almaty
Transfer to the hotel — Aéroport d'Almaty → Almaty
15:30 — Hotel check-in — Almaty
19:30 — Kazakh dinner — Almaty

Day 2 — Charyn Canyon

Drive to the canyon — Almaty → Canyon de Charyn
11:30 — Hike through the Valley of Castles in Charyn Canyon — Canyon de Charyn
13:30 — Picnic lunch in the canyon — Canyon de Charyn
15:30 — Sogdian ash grove, a relic of the Ice Age — Canyon de Charyn
Back to Almaty — Canyon de Charyn → Almaty
20:00 — Dinner — Almaty

Day 3 — Kazakh steppe & horses

Drive to the steppe — Almaty → Steppe d'Assy
10:00 — Meeting nomadic herders and semi-wild horses — Steppe d'Assy
13:00 — Traditional lunch in a yurt — Steppe d'Assy
15:00 — Horse ride across the steppe — Steppe d'Assy
Back to Almaty — Steppe d'Assy → Almaty
19:30 — Dinner — Almaty

Day 4 — Big Almaty Lake & cable car

Drive to Big Almaty Lake — Almaty → Grand lac Almaty
10:00 — Big Almaty Lake, turquoise water at 2,500m — Grand lac Almaty
13:00 — Picnic lunch — Grand lac Almaty
Back to Almaty — Grand lac Almaty → Almaty
16:00 — Cable car up to Kok-Tobe, panoramic view over the city — Almaty
19:30 — Last dinner — Almaty

Day 5 — Departure

09:00 — Breakfast — Almaty
Transfer to the airport — Almaty → Aéroport d'Almaty
13:00 — Return flight