2 day trip: Kolsay + Kaindy lakes

07.00 - 10.30 Drive from Almaty to Charyn. The canyon (its most interesting part called "Valley of Castles") is located 200km to the East from Almaty, but the road is not perfect, so we need to start early.
10.30 - 13.00 Hiking by the gorge to explore the canyon's beautiful site: the Valley of Castles that reveals to the eye intriguing red sandstone rocks created by two eternal forces of nature - time and wind. The height of the vertical walls in this part is between 150 and 300 meters, and their shapes are so different! Some formations look like fossilized dinosaurs, the others seem to be the heads of giant wizards. Fantastic towers, sky bridges and other indescribable figures of different colours make you feel walking through the real Fairyland!
13.00 - 14.00 Lunch in Charyn
14.00 – 17.00 Drive Almaty – Kolsay.
Kolsay is a name for a cascade of three lakes in Kungey Alatau ridge. The lakes are dark blue in colour and filled with pure glacial water. The area is a part of Kolsay Koldery National Park.
17.00 – 18.00 Arrival at Saty village, accommodation at guest house (homestay) or tent camping, depending on a season and availability.
18.00 – 19.00 Dinner
Overnight at a guest house

Breakfast at a guest house.

09.00 - 11.00 Excursion around the first lake called “Saty” – the biggest and deepest one!
All three lakes are located in the same valley but at different altitudes. The first lake is at a height of about 1800m asl. It looks like a “stretched mirror” along the gorge and has approximately 2 km in length (80m deep). The second lake also known as “Mynzhylgy” is at a height of 2000m above sea level, and the last one (Third lake) is located at 2500m.
11.00 – 12.00 Drive from Saty to Kaindy lake by the ground road that follows up Kaindy gorge.
Kaindy gorge, called after a small spring river that runs through in the depth, is located in the east of the village Saty (Kolsai National Park). If you drive along the gorge for 15 km, you will get to the lake Kaindy. This unique basin (length is 400m) lies at a height of about 1800m above sea level, in the zone of dense spruce forest. The lake was formed in 1911 after a huge earthquake that resulted in a big landslide from the eastern slope. The rockslide “place of origin” can still be seen today, because it has not been overgrown yet. The uniqueness of the lake is that after the rise of natural dam that blocked the gorge, water that filled a basin has formed a lake but has not destroyed the spruce that had been growing in this place along the river. The upper parts of the trees sticking out of the water lost lateral branches and bark, and the wood became white. Such a pattern will delight even the experienced travellers. The lower part of the “drowned” pines retained branches that were overgrown with algae under the water, thus created fantastic underwater landscape. Thus, the lake Kaindy is known as one of the best places for divers in North Tien Shan.
12.00 – 14.00 Contemplating the lake and wild nature around: excursion around and lunch at a lakeshore
14.00 – 19.00 Drive back to Almaty via Saty village and Chilik town