Karagayly: Mountain Trails and Horseback Rides

When planning a stay in Karagayly, it helps to consider the different time commitments involved: a mountain route takes about eight hours, while guided horseback rides are offered from 90 minutes to four hours. You can first decide whether a longer day of hiking or a shorter riding tour better fits your schedule.

Mountain Route via Kaskabas Pass

The 25-kilometer mountain route starts at the entrance to Ile-Alatau National Park, passes through Prokhodnoye Gorge and over Kaskabas Pass, and ends in Karagayly. The walking time is about eight hours. Its length and duration make this a full-day activity; check local access and safety conditions before setting out.

Kaskabas Pass is part of the route to Karagayly. From there, an optional climb to a 2,305-meter-high summit is described, with views of the surrounding mountains. The route also includes a westward section through groves and gardens before reaching Karagayly. The summit climb is therefore an additional option within the route description, not a requirement for completing the entire route.

Guided Horseback Rides

Guided horseback tours are offered in Ile-Alatau National Park, above the Karagayly Reservoir. The horses are trained, and rides take place under an instructor’s supervision. Options range from 90 minutes to four hours. Check availability and operating conditions before your trip.

In terms of time, the roughly eight-hour mountain route contrasts with a horseback tour lasting no more than four hours. The activities therefore differ considerably in their expected duration; when planning, it is useful to factor in the approximate length of the tour you choose.

More Nature and Cultural Experiences in the Almaty Destination

The wider Almaty destination offers other landscapes and cultural sites, each with its own highlights. The archaeological landscape of Tanbaly contains about 5,000 petroglyphs. They date from the second half of the 2nd millennium BC to the beginning of the 20th century.

Kolsai Lakes National Park includes three mountain lakes. At Middle Kolsai Lake, also called Mynzhylky, there is a 7–8 kilometer trekking route. Upper Kolsai Lake is intended for well-prepared tourists. There are cafés and guesthouses at Lower Kolsai Lake; check the current status of these facilities before your trip.

The landscape at Lake Kaindy features a flooded spruce forest. In Charyn Canyon, the Valley of Castles is the best-known section, with striking rock formations shaping the scenery. A relict oak grove that survived the Ice Age can also be seen in the Valley of Castles.

The walking path to the Turgen Waterfalls passes a trout farm, an ostrich farm, and an open-air ethnographic park. In the Shalkodesu Valley, yurts are available throughout the summer, where guests can stay overnight and experience steppe culture. Natural and astroclimatic conditions made the Assy Plateau a suitable site for an observatory with one of the world’s most powerful telescopes.

Discover more destinations: Talghar, Shengeldy, Kamennoe Plato, Qapschaghai, Baybulak, Almaty, Kokkaynar, Zharkent

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