Almaty with Charyn Canyon – 5 Nights

Breakfast at the hotel.

• 1000 Hrs – Visit Shymbulak Ski Resort (Level 3 via Gondola)
  In just 1 hour, you can reach the highest point of Shymbulak (3,200 meters) from Almaty city center and enjoy coffee at the highest bar in the CIS using the 3-tier world-class Gondola. Even if you don’t ski or snowboard, Shymbulak offers all-day entertainment for the whole family, including cafes and restaurants with excellent cuisine, an observation deck with 360° rotating binoculars, and a playground. For those seeking adventure or mountain tranquility, the resort offers high-class hotels and activities such as Zip Lining, Paragliding, Horse Riding, and more.
• 1400 Hrs – Lunch
  Enjoy lunch at Shymbulak or choose a restaurant in the city. (On Your Own)
• 1600 Hrs – Return to Hotel
  Proceed to your hotel for some relaxation.
• 1800 Hrs – Panfilov & Arbat Walking Tour
  Take an evening walk around Panfilov Promenade, overlooking the Kazakh Opera & Ballet Theatre. The promenade is lined with shops, eateries, cafes, and beautiful lights. Enjoy local musicians performing traditional songs and instruments. The tour concludes at Arbat Street, known for shopping outlets and street entertainment.
• 2000 Hrs – Dinner
  Dinner at your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Your Own)
• 2200 Hrs – Hotel Drop-off
  Return to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

Breakfast at your hotel.

• 1000 Hrs – Almaty City Tour
  Explore the city of Almaty by quickly getting acquainted with discovering major areas of interest – During this introductory tour, you will visit the First President Park, Republic Square, State Opera and Ballet Theatre, museums at the Academy of Sciences, Abay Square, Kazakhstan Hotel, Palace of the Republic.
• 1200 Hrs – Panfilov Park & Zenkov Cathedral
  The Park is named and dedicated to the Panfilov Heroes who were 28 soldiers of an Almaty Infantry. Their memories are etched at the fearsome war memorial east of the Zenkov Cathedral which depict soldiers from all 15 Soviet republics on the map of USSR. The Park is a lush green area and it’s a good place to sit, rest, relax, and see the bustling sights of the city. ‘Zenkov Cathedral’ is one of the most beautiful, magnificent, and architectural monuments of the city of Almaty with the height of 56 meters and is in the green Panfilov Park of Almaty. A. Zenkov had supervised the construction of this cathedral in the early 19th century and legend goes that it was built without a single nail. But unfortunately, it’s not true. Although the design is remarkably unique, it’s because of the advanced technological expertise of that time.
• 1400 Hrs – Lunch
  Enjoy lunch at your favourite restaurant. (On Own)
• 1600 Hrs – Hotel
  Proceed to your hotel for some relaxation.
• 1800 Hrs – Visit to KokTobe Hill
  KokTobe is the highest point in the city of Almaty, standing on a 1100 m hill at the south-east edge of the city. It is worth a visit to KokTobe because of its panoramic view of the city from all directions. To reach the KokTobe hill, one should take a cable car ride which starts near Hotel Novotel and goes over some of the oldest parts of Almaty and the magnificent fruit-growing gardens. Once you reach the KokTobe hill, you would see the famous 372 m high TV Tower which is visible from afar and offers great views of the mountains and the city plus many attractions at the top including many restaurants serving cuisines from across the globe.
• 2000 Hrs – Dinner
  Dinner as per your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own)
• 2200 Hrs – Hotel Drop-off
  Hotel drop-off and good night sleep.

Breakfast at the hotel.

• 1000 Hrs Green Bazaar + Rakhat Chocolate Shop
  If you are among these, who don’t like to go to a mall and prefer the outdoor market among fresh air and belong to the old-school shopping type, then without wasting any time, head straight towards the Zelyony Bazaar located close to the Panfilov Park in Almaty. Also, known as the Green Market, this market is your typical local market where you can purchase everything starting from meat to spices to fruits to even clothes and furniture. The key to shopping here is that you should have a flair for bargaining, and you can get everything at a very reasonable rate. You will be delighted to see the colourful atmosphere and the variety of goods available. Right next door is the famous Rakhat Chocolate shop. Rakhat which means pleasure in Kazakh is the oldest manufactures of chocolates dating back to almost 70 years. Around 3500 workers work in basically 2 factories, one located in Almaty and one in Shymkent city. They also make chocolates for people suffering from diabetes and their low-calorie products like candies, cookies and waffles are a range among the people and tourists.
• 1400 Hrs Lunch at an Indian restaurant (On Own)
• 1500 Hrs Shopping
  Almaty is a paradise for all your shopping, so you can head to some of the swankiest malls the city has to offer. We recommend Dostyk Plaza, Esentai Mall & Mega Mall for high-end quality shopping.
• 2000 Hrs Dinner as per your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own)
• 2200 Hrs Hotel drop-off and good night sleep.

Breakfast at the hotel.

• 1000 Hrs- Day excursion to Charyn Canyon
  Charyn Canyon, located 200 km from Almaty, perhaps is the most atypical sight of Kazakhstan, as well as one of the most famous. The canyon extends for 154 kilometres and is located where the Great Steppe ends, and the Tien Shan mountains begin. Charyn Canyon is the largest canyon in Central Asia, and its age, according to scientists, is about 12 million years. The canyon looks amazing at any time of the year! The tour starts early in the morning as the road from Almaty to the Charyn Canyon takes more than three hours. You will see gorgeous landscape, walk on high panoramas and along the Valley of Castles, among the steep cliffs with a height of more than 100 meters. Here you can take beautiful photos, sip delicious tea at the edge of the canyon and just enjoy the incredible scenery created by nature. Be prepared to spend the whole day on the trip, the duration of the tour will be about 10-12 hours.
• 1400 Hrs - Lunch in a local café or packed lunch (On Own)
• 1700 Hrs - Return to the hotel.
  Time to unwind in the comfort of your room.
• 2000 Hrs - Dinner as per your choice of cuisine or restaurant. (On Own)
• 2200 Hrs - Hotel drop-off and good night sleep.

• 0400 – 0430 Hrs Packed breakfast & check-out from the hotel.
• 0430 Hrs It’s time to say good-bye to this beautiful city. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to the airport for your flight home or to an onward destination.