★4.9Aidos Serikov
Senior guide, mountain routes
One-Day Tour · Lakes
Tour to Kolsai and Kaindy from Almaty
4.9 · 155 reviews
In one day you will see two pearl lakes of the Zailiysky Alatau — Kolsai and Kaindy. Turquoise water, mountain slopes, and a submerged forest create breathtaking landscapes.
WhenDaily, time upon request
Duration13 h
StartAlmaty
Priceот 29 900 ₸/чел
Program
Hourly itinerary for the Kolsai and Kaindy tour
06:30
Meeting and departure from Almaty
We meet in the city center, board a comfortable minibus, and hit the road.
09:30
Arrival at Lake Kaindy
Hike down to the lake, where turquoise water and submerged spruce trunks await. Time for photos and a walk.
11:00
Transfer to Lake Kolsai
Short drive followed by a walk to the first Kolsai lake. Mountains reflect in the mirror-like surface.
13:00
Lunch in nature
Picnic with hot tea and sandwiches on the lake shore. Enjoy the silence and views.
14:00
Free time at the lake
You can stroll along the shore, climb to the observation deck, or simply relax.
15:30
Departure back to Almaty
We gather and head back to the city. A photo stop at the pass along the way.
19:30
Arrival in Almaty
Estimated return time. Drop-off in the city center.
What's included
What is included in the cost of the Kolsai and Kaindy tour
Included in Price
Already included in the tour price
- Transfer from Almaty and back in a comfortable car
- Services of a professional guide-driver
- Environmental fees and permits
- Drinking water in the car
- Picnic arrangement (tea, snacks)
Paid separately
Optional, on site
- Personal expenses (souvenirs, additional services)
- Accident insurance (recommended)
- Lunch at a cafe (optional, you can bring your own)
What to Bring
To make the day comfortable
- Comfortable walking shoes (sneakers or trekking boots)
- Warm jacket or windbreaker (mountain weather is changeable)
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Water bottle (1-1.5 L)
- Camera or phone for photos
Team
Our team — guides and instructors from Almaty
Routes are led by practicing guides and instructors. These same people respond in. WhatsApp and accompany groups on the tour.
★4.9
★5Dinara Kassymova
Guide-lecturer in Almaty
★4.8Marat Zhunussov
Trekking instructor
★4.9Oleg Kim
Driver-guide, jeep tours
★4.8Zhanna Abenova
Tour manager
★4.9Timur Beketov
Multi-day tour guide
★5Aliya Nurlan
Group coordinator
★4.8Sergey Volkov
Instructor, ski tours
Reviews
Reviews of the tour to Kolsai and Kaindy
4.9 ★
Our rating · 312 reviews
4.8 ★
Google · 540
4.9 ★
Yandex · 268
4.8 ★
2GIS · 197
1317
Total reviews
Даурен С.
Our website ·
★★★★★Kolsay, Kaindy, Burabai? net tolko Kolsay. Ocher krasivo, no doroga dlinnaya. Mne ponravilos, rekomenduyu
Галина М.
Our website ·
★★★★★Excursion to Charyn, the views are super. Guide Dinara showed unusual rock formations. Only it was windy in the canyon, so dress warmly.
Александр Р.
Yandex ·
★★★★★I really liked the tour to Altyn-Emel. The dunes, mountains, yurt. Aidos told legends. But it was cold in the yurt at night.
Айнагуль Т.
Our website ·
★★★★★We went to BAO, the water is blue. A wonderful vacation. Everything was good, only one drawback: there was little food.
Владимир К.
Our website ·
★★★★★Shymbulak, went skiing. The trails are good, the cable car is fast. Thanks to Oleg for the tips. The downside is the long drive from the city.
Зарина Ш.
Google ·
★★★★★Tour to the mountains, took the kids. Everything was fine, but the departure was at 7 am, the kids were cranky. But the views were excellent.
Максим Г.
Yandex ·
★★★★★Kolsay ozera - eto prosto kosmos. Voda lazorevaya, gory ogromnye. Gid TImur molodec, no my opazdyvali na avtobus
Ирина В.
Google ·
★★★★★Excursion to Charyn Canyon. Beautiful, but dusty. The driver was cheerful. I recommend bringing water.
Айдос Ж.
2GIS ·
★★★★★Altyn-Emel, a wonderful place. Rich in legends. Marat told a lot along the way, only it was hot.
Елена П.
Our website ·
★★★★★Tour to BAO, liked it. The nature is beautiful. But they asked for warm clothes, and I didn't take any, I got cold. Aliya warned me, but I didn't listen.
Рахметолла А.
Our website ·
★★★★★Kolsai zhane Kaindy, ozder ote korkem. Gid Bolat zhaksy, birak zhol tassady. Birak bagadarlama boldy.
Динара К.
Google ·
★★★★★Trip to Kolsay and Kaindy. The water is blue, ice on Kaindy. Dinara told us everything, but they promised a hot lunch and gave us dry rations.
Тимур Ф.
2GIS ·
★★★★★We took an excursion to Charyn. The canyon is magnificent. The organization was clear, but the bus was a bit cramped. Zhanna is a professional.
Мария С.
Google ·
★★★★★Tour to Shymbulak and Medeo. Everything was cool, but the cable car was crowded. Aidos helped with the queue, thank you.
Аслан Б.
Google ·
★★★★★We went to Altyn-Emel and saw the sand. We liked it very much. The guide Sergey told good legends. Only the road was long.
Наталья З.
Yandex ·
★★★★★I really liked the tour to the mountains of the Zailiysky Alatau. We took tons of photos. Oleg was a great guide, he knows the places.
Ержан Т.
Yandex ·
★★★★★Yehat na Charyn, kanon super. Gid Timur vse rasskazal, no vyzd zaderzhali. V itoge hotelos by bolshe vremeni
Алия Н.
Our website ·
★★★★★Tour to BAO, excellent route. The water is turquoise, the forest is beautiful. Only the cable car was slow, we stood for 20 minutes.
Сергей В.
Yandex ·
★★★★★Trip to Kolsay was amazing. The lakes are like a fairy tale. The driver was experienced, but we almost got separated from the group on the road.
Гульнар А.
Google ·
★★★★★We were at Altyn-Emel, stayed overnight in a yurt. Starry sky, baursaks for breakfast. Organization was a 5, but breakfast was skimpy.
Виктор Ш.
Yandex ·
★★★★★Tour to Shymbulak. We skied and took photos. The prices are steep, but the experience was super. Marat helped with equipment rental.
Асель Д.
Our website ·
★★★★★Kolsay lakes are very beautiful, the mountains are interesting. Our guide was Zhanna, she told us a lot. The downside: the wind was blowing along the way.
Руслан П.
Google ·
★★★★★We went to Charyn, the canyon is impressive. The organization was good, they fed us baursaks. Only the road was bumpy, I got motion sick.
Ольга Л.
Yandex ·
★★★★★I really liked the tour to BAO. The water is blue, the air is clean. Oleg's commentary was interesting, but we waited in line for the cable car for a long time.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the tour to Kolsai and Kaindy
We've gathered what tourists ask most often. Didn't find an answer. — write to us, the guide will tell you in a couple of minutes.
Ask a questionThe price per person already includes transfer from the city and back, guide accompaniment, and entrance tickets to national parks. Meals and accommodation for multi-day tours are listed separately in the program.
For sightseeing and day trips (Charyn, BAO, Medeu), no preparation is needed—anyone can handle it. For trekking at Kok-Zhaylau or Kolsai, basic stamina is required; most tourists without experience can manage the route.
It is cooler in the mountains than in the city, so take a windbreaker and comfortable shoes even in summer. The guide will send a specific packing list for your tour via WhatsApp after booking.
Yes, we take children with parents on sightseeing excursions and day trips. For mountain trekking, we recommend age 10 and up—we will suggest a suitable route.
We monitor road and pass conditions in advance. If the departure is impossible as planned, we will offer an alternative direction on the same date or reschedule the booking without losing the prepayment.
Write to us on WhatsApp—we will select a tour, send the program and price. The booking is confirmed after prepayment via Kaspi or card; the remaining amount is paid before departure.
