Almaty and the Tian Shan

The mountains start at the city

Medeu, a high-altitude skating rink, and the Shymbulak ski slopes above it are both inside an hour of the centre by road and cable car. You can land in the morning and be at three thousand metres in the afternoon, which almost no other city can offer.

Charyn and the lakes

Charyn Canyon is about three hours east: 154 kilometres of red sandstone that you walk along the floor of, usually with very few other people. Further on are the Kolsay lakes and Kaiyndy, where an earthquake flooded a spruce forest and the bare trunks still stand upright out of the water. The lakes need an overnight in Saty village, which is a home stay rather than a hotel, and we say so on every trip that includes it.

Almaty, not Astana

Kazakhstan's capital is Astana, in the north. Almaty is the old capital, the larger city and the base for everything above. Our whole operation runs from here, which is why you will not find Astana trips on this site.

How long to give it

Two nights in the city, plus one or two more if you are going out to the lakes.

When to go

Average daytime high, night-time low and rain days for Almaty, from five years of recorded observations rather than a forecast or a brochure.

Comfortable months: Apr to Oct.