Golden ring of Zhetysu tour

5 days

•

Start and end in Almaty

3.5 (2 reviews)

View all
The sites were unique and interesting but our trip was mainly so good because Vladimer is an exceptional guide.
Michael•traveled in July5.0
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Operator: Steppe and sky travel
Safari: Track iconic wildlife on unforgettable game drives
Private Tour: Travel exclusively with your friends and family
Fully Guided: An experienced guide will be with you for the entire tour
Low Intensity: Travelers can expect some light physical activities
Guided in English: Other languages on request: Russian
Ages 12+

Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Itinerary

Day 1
Almaty to Altyn Emel National Park
Almaty to Altyn Emel National Park
Meals
Lunch (Lunch boxes - outdoor picnic at Singing Dunes), Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Singing Dunes (Whistling Sand)
- Outdoor picnic lunch at Singing Dunes
Optional Activities
- Explore Singing Dunes during free time
Landmarks
Altyn Emel National Park
Singing Dunes
Day 2
Altyn Emel National Park
Altyn Emel National Park
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch boxes - outdoor picnic), Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Aktau mountains and rock formations
- Visit Katutau hills
- Outdoor picnic lunch at Aktau
Optional Activities
- Wildlife viewing for argali at Katutau hills
Landmarks
Aktau Mountains
Katutau Mountains
Day 3
Altyn Emel to Charyn Canyon
Altyn Emel to Charyn Canyon
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch boxes - outdoor picnic), Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Charyn Canyon
- Outdoor picnic lunch at Charyn Canyon
Optional Activities
- Explore Charyn Canyon during free time
Landmarks
Charyn Canyon
Day 4
Kolsay Lakes
Kolsay Lakes
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch (Outdoor picnic), Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Kolsay Lake 1
- Outdoor picnic lunch at Kolsay Lakes
Optional Activities
- Hiking to Kolsay Lake 2 (approximately 8 km, 2-3 hours one way)
- Horse riding to Kolsay Lake 2 (approximately 8 km, 2-3 hours one way)
Landmarks
Kolsay Lakes
Day 5
Kaindy Lake to Almaty
Kaindy Lake to Almaty
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Kaindy Lake
Landmarks
Kaindy Lake

Landmarks
Altyn Emel National Park
Singing Dunes

Landmarks
Aktau Mountains
Katutau Mountains

Landmarks
Charyn Canyon

Landmarks
Kolsay Lakes

Landmarks
Kaindy Lake

What's Included

Expand All

Accommodation
Guide
Meals
Transport
Optional Extras

What's Not Included

Additional Services

Operated by

Steppe and sky travel

Rating: 4.4 (5 reviews)
Response time: 10 hours
Response rate: 100%
Cancellation policy

Traveler Reviews

3.5

Overall rating based on 2 Reviews

Itinerary
4.0
Transport
3.5
Guide
3.0
Accommodation
3.5
Food
4.0
Tour Operator
4.4

Michael5.0•July 2023
Led by Vladimir
In June 2023 I took TourRadar’s 5 day Golden ring of Zhetysu tour with my husband, our guide was Vladimer. Our...
In June 2023 I took TourRadar’s 5 day Golden ring of Zhetysu tour with my husband, our guide was Vladimer. Our days in Kazakhstan were exceptional – the sites were unique and interesting but our trip was mainly so good because Vladimer is an exceptional guide. We visited all the sites as advertised (can’t even rank them – they were all great) and each day was an immense pleasure – mainly because Vladimer is so genuine, acutely customer-focused, and was always providing more. We expected a knowledgeable guide who would transport us safely to each site, but we didn’t anticipate a guide so dedicated to our comfort and enjoyment – for as long as we were awake and interested in doing more. Vladimer is attentive, a good listener, and was sensitive to our specific needs. We’re vegetarian (not easy in Kazakhstan), we were celebrating our 37th anniversary during our tour, we are both naturalists that want to see not only local fauna but also native flora. Vladimir was genuinely excited when he could surprise us with a new plant/animal sighting, create a spectacular and memorable anniversary (the entire day was filled with special moments) and immerse us in the culture of Kazakhstan (food, history, customs, and of course, the people). This tour and Vladimir, ‘hit it out of the park’. We’ve traveled to >70 countries and have experienced adventure in many places – we never expected such a fun undertaking on this trip. We’ll book with Tour Radar again (and request Vladimir) when we schedule our next ‘stans’ trip (or elsewhere). Thanks for a very special time in Kazakhastan!Show more
Traveled in June 2023
Victoria2.0•June 2023
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The trip itself and the places are WOW - I can recommend this to everyone. Unfortunately our guide was definitely not...
The trip itself and the places are WOW - I can recommend this to everyone. Unfortunately our guide was definitely not a professional guide. If you are somewhere in the middle of nowhere, this is very inconvenient, his English is not sufficient for such a tour. Disappointingly, he also had a different tour plan than we had from the platform. We often arrived too late at beautiful places, so that the time was then not enough to look at everything. On the third day he even yelled at us why we were late! Yelling at a customer? Every day we were allowed to discuss and plan the next day, we just wanted him to stick to the plan we downloaded here. That's what we booked and that's what we invested money in. The best local information we got from other guide - each place has a magical spell and we captured that over all. Book the trip but look for a professional guide and not a hobby guide - who knows tips and tricks - who wants to give inside a breathtaking trip and beautiful moments.Show more
Traveled in June 2023

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Good to Know

Tour ID: 189717

Currency
₸
Tenge
Kazakhstan
Plugs & Adapters
As a traveler from USA, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for types C, E, F.
Type C
Kazakhstan
Type E
Kazakhstan
Type F
Kazakhstan
Vaccines
- These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
- Typhoid - Recommended for Kazakhstan. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
- Hepatitis A - Recommended for Kazakhstan. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
- Tuberculosis - Recommended for Kazakhstan. Ideally 3 months before travel.
- Hepatitis B - Recommended for Kazakhstan. Ideally 2 months before travel.
- Rabies - Recommended for Kazakhstan. Ideally 1 month before travel.
- Yellow fever - Certificate of vaccination required if arriving from an area with a risk of yellow fever transmission for Kazakhstan. Ideally 10 days before travel.
- Tick-borne encephalitis - Recommended for Kazakhstan. Ideally 6 months before travel.
Visa
- Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
- Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
Payment information
- For any tour departing before September 23rd, 2026 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after September 23rd, 2026, a minimum payment of 20% is required to confirm your booking with Steppe and sky travel. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 65 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
- Some departure dates and prices may vary and Steppe and sky travel will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
- The following cards are accepted for "Steppe and sky travel" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
Cancellation Policy
- Your money is safe with TourRadar, as we only pay the tour operator after your tour has departed.
- TourRadar is an authorized Agent of Steppe and sky travel. Please familiarize yourself with the Steppe and sky travel payment, cancellation and refund conditions.
Accessibility
Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveler, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.
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Golden ring of Zhetysu tour

No departure dates available

Itinerary

Almaty to Altyn Emel National Park

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Altyn Emel National Park

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Altyn Emel to Charyn Canyon

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Kolsay Lakes

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Kaindy Lake to Almaty

Included Activities

Want to read it later?

What's Included

What's Not Included

Traveler Reviews

No departure dates available

Good to Know

Keep Exploring Kazakhstan

Golden ring of Zhetysu tour

No departure dates available

Itinerary

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Included Activities

Want to read it later?

What's Included

What's Not Included

Traveler Reviews

No departure dates available

Earn while you share

Good to Know

Keep Exploring Kazakhstan

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