Almaty: Mountain Lakes, Petroglyphs and Canyon Landscapes

The Almaty region brings together archaeological landscapes, mountain lakes, hiking trails and striking canyon formations. You can start by choosing destinations that match your interests, then look for hotels for your stay.

Petroglyphs and an Observatory

A cultural and historical highlight is the archaeological landscape of Tanbaly. It includes around 5,000 petroglyphs dating from the second half of the 2nd millennium BC to the beginning of the 20th century. This broad timespan gives the destination a different character from the region’s nature-focused sites. If you would like to include rock art in your trip, Tanbaly can be a standalone highlight alongside mountain lakes and canyon landscapes.

The Assy Plateau also offers a scientific perspective: its natural and astroclimatic conditions made it a suitable location for an observatory with one of the world’s most powerful telescopes. Alongside archaeological sites, the connection between landscape and astronomy is another possible theme for planning your trip.

Mountain Lakes and Hiking Trails

Kolsai Lakes National Park has three mountain lakes. Lake Kaindy, also in the national park, has a flooded spruce forest. There is a 7 to 8 km trekking route at Middle Kolsai Lake, also called Mynzhylky. Upper Kolsai Lake is for well-prepared tourists. If you are planning a specific hike, the route at Middle Kolsai Lake gives you the distance; at Upper Kolsai Lake, preparation is the priority. Lower Kolsai Lake (Kolsai-1) is in Kazakhstan, at an altitude of about 1,818 metres, in a coniferous forest gorge.

There are cafés and guesthouses at Lower Kolsai Lake. As facilities can change, check before your trip whether the services you need are available.

Another trail leads to the Turgen Waterfalls. The footpath passes a trout farm, an ostrich farm and an ethnographic open-air park. If you choose a route based on what you can see along the way, this one offers three distinct themes in addition to the waterfall itself.

Canyon Landscapes and a Summer Stay

In Charyn Canyon, the Valley of Castles is the best-known section, with striking rock formations defining the area. You can also see a relic oak grove there that survived the Ice Age. The section thus combines distinctive rock formations with an oak grove whose description highlights a connection to nature stretching far back in time.

For a different kind of stay, yurts are available in the Shalkodesu Valley throughout the summer. Guests can stay overnight and experience steppe culture. If you would like to include this seasonal option in your plans, schedule that part of your trip for the summer.

Discover more destinations: Almaty, Enbekshikazakh District, Qapschaghai, Talghar, Kamennoe Plato, Taldyqorghan, Karagayly, Qaskeleng, Üschqongyr, Besqaynar, Tastybulak, Baybulak, Tautürgen, Dzerzhinskoye, Zharkent, Shengeldy, Bakbakty, Kyrgauldy, Kokkaynar

For the broader travel overview: Kazakhstan.