Golden Trio Tour: Kolsai, Kaindy & Charyn Canyon in Two Days
The same Golden Trio, unrushed — with a night in the mountains
The one-day Golden Trio means 14 hours and 635 km in a single day: enough to see, not enough to linger. The two-day version spreads the same places over two days with a night in Saty village. That buys time for the hike to the second Kolsai lake and for the morning light over Kaindy, before the buses arrive.
Program
- Day 1 · 8:00Almaty → Kolsai
A ~5 h drive (~330 km) via Kegen. Stops at the passes, lunch on the way.
- Day 1 · afternoonThe first Kolsai lake
A walk along the shore and, if you wish, the hike to the upper lake (8 km, ~4 h). Overnight at a guest house in Saty village.
- Day 2 · morningLake Kaindy
An early start to the sunken forest — in the morning the water is still and the spruce trunks are visible to the bottom.
- Day 2 · daytimeCharyn Canyon
A ~2.5 h transfer. The Valley of Castles: the trail down to the river and lunch at the viewpoint.
- Day 2 · eveningReturn
The drive to Almaty, arriving by 20:00–21:00.
Price by group size
Price per vehicle
Price for the whole 4x4, up to 6 people. The table shows the per-person cost by group size.
Accommodation, meals and entrance fees are not included — we arrange and book them to suit your budget, paid separately.
| People | ₸/person |
|---|---|
| 1 | from 220,000 ₸ |
| 2 | from 110,000 ₸ |
| 3 | from 73,333 ₸ |
| 4 | from 55,000 ₸ |
| 5 | from 44,000 ₸ |
| 6 | from 36,667 ₸ |
- ✓Driver-guide
- ✓Comfortable 4x4
Route
What to bring
Passport or ID card. Some locations are in the border zone — documents may be checked.
Sneakers or boots comfortable for walking in the mountains; ideally waterproof.
It can be cold in the mountains — bring warm but non-restrictive clothing.
Sunglasses, a cap or hat and sunscreen.
Rain is frequent in the mountains and forecasts are unreliable — bring rain protection.
There's no internet in the mountains — you can't pay by card or transfer.
Calculate price
Calculate price
from 110,000 ₸/person · 2 people