Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy in Two Days: Hour-by-Hour Itinerary and Price

Why these three places belong in one trip

All three are strung along one highway that runs east from Almaty through Shelek and the Kokpek Gorge. Past Kokpek the road forks: the highway to Chundzha goes left, the road to Kegen goes straight on. Along the Kegen road comes first the turnoff to Charyn Canyon, and then a fork into the mountains, toward the Zhalanash valley and Saty village, where the climbs to the lakes begin. That is exactly why the combination works: you don’t go back to the city between stops or pile up hundreds of extra kilometers.

From the canyon to Saty it is about 90–100 kilometers and roughly 2.5–3 hours on a mountain road, including a lunch stop. Kolsai and Kaindy are very close to each other, just a few kilometers from the village: a paved road to Kolsai, a dirt road to Kaindy. If you want a longer first day, you can detour to the Bartogai Reservoir on the way — about 190 kilometers from Almaty and almost on the route.

• Charyn — about 215 km from Almaty, roughly 3 hours’ drive.
• Kolsai — about 300 km, around 5 hours.
• Kaindy — about 290 km, about 4.5 hours.
• Charyn to Saty — about 90–100 km and 2.5–3 hours with lunch.

Day one: Almaty to Charyn to Saty

The point of day one is to see the canyon in daylight and reach Saty before dark. It is best to leave early: in summer, by midday the floor of the Valley of Castles is hot with almost no shade, and the mountain road to Saty is nicer to drive while it is still light.

The Valley of Castles is a canyon about two kilometers long with red sandstone cliffs. Going down to the floor, walking and climbing back up, with photo stops, takes 2.5–3 hours, and there is no point in rushing. If you are interested in the canyon itself and the ways to get there, we have a separate guide — how to get to Charyn on your own, by scheduled transport or with a driver.

• Leave Almaty at 6–7 a.m., with pickup at your door.
• About 3 hours on the road, with one stop for coffee and fuel.
• At the canyon from about 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: down into the Valley of Castles, a walk, back up.
• Drive to Saty — 2.5–3 hours, with lunch on the way at a roadside café.
• Check in at the guesthouse at 4–5 p.m., dinner and an early night.

Day two: Kolsai, Kaindy and the drive home

Day two is for the lakes, and it involves a choice. A short mountain climb leads from Saty to the Kolsai Lakes: the lower lake, at about 1,800 meters, is 30–40 minutes away on a mountain road paved all the way to the lake. Here people walk along the shore, rent a boat or a horse, or simply sit by the water — that easily takes 2–3 hours.

Then there are two scenarios. The first is to hike up to the second lake: 5–6 kilometers of trail uphill through spruce forest, several hours each way, which leaves no time for Kaindy that day. The second is to go back to Saty and drive to Kaindy Lake with its sunken spruce forest: the lake formed after the 1911 earthquake, when a landslide blocked the gorge and the water flooded the spruce trees. You can’t fit both the second lake and Kaindy into one day — better to pick one in advance.

The drive back from Saty to Almaty is about 280 kilometers and 4.5–5 hours. If you leave at 3–4 p.m., you will be home by 8–9 p.m., stops included.

• Breakfast and departure for lower Kolsai at 8–8:30 a.m.
• Saty to the lower lake: about 12 km, 30–40 minutes on a mountain road.
• At the water — 2–3 hours: a walk along the shore, a boat, photos.
• Kaindy: the drive and the off-road ride from the transfer point take about an hour; about 2 hours at the lake.
• Leave for home at 3–4 p.m., arrive in Almaty at 8–9 p.m.

The road and the vehicle: Where the pavement ends

Almost the entire route is paved, and the minibus handles it without trouble. The difficulties start in the last few kilometers. The climb from Saty to lower Kolsai is a mountain road with switchbacks, now paved all the way to the lake. The stretch to Kaindy is worse: it is done in a local off-road vehicle, and the last thirty minutes or so to the water are on foot, uphill.

So the plan is this: the Toyota Hiace takes your group to Saty and to the transfer point, and we help arrange the off-road ride up on the spot — it is paid separately: there is no point taking an ordinary vehicle up there. For a wider picture than these two days, see our overview of the mountain lakes of Almaty Region, with altitudes and seasons for each.

• Paved road to Saty village and on to lower Kolsai; a dirt road to Kaindy.
• To lower Kolsai — a short paved mountain climb, about 12 km.
• To Kaindy — off-road vehicle only, plus about 30 minutes on foot.
• No vehicles go to the second Kolsai lake at all: 5–6 km of trail on foot or on horseback.

The night in Saty, park fees and the border zone

Most people stay in guesthouses in Saty (there are also hotels and cottages near lower Kolsai, but they cost more). The village has no hotels, and that’s fine: the rooms are simple but come with home-cooked dinner and breakfast. In summer and on weekends they get booked up early, so reserve a week or two ahead rather than on arrival. You choose your own accommodation: we take care of the road and drop you right at the gate of the house you chose.

Charyn and the Kolsai–Kaindy area are national parks; entry is paid on site, separately from the trip. The fee is revised from time to time, so check the current amount before you go and bring cash: there isn’t always a card terminal at the entrance.

One more detail people forget: Kolsai and Kaindy lie in the border zone near the border with Kyrgyzstan. Everyone on the trip, including children, needs an ID card or passport, and hiking to the third, upper lake requires a separate permit arranged in advance. The rules here change sometimes, so check them before the trip rather than finding out at the checkpoint.

• Overnight — guesthouses in Saty or cottages near lower Kolsai; book ahead.
• National park entry — a separate fee paid on site; the amount changes, so check the current one.
• Cash is a must: there are almost no ATMs or card terminals along the way.
• Border zone: documents for everyone; a permit in advance for the third lake.
• There’s no phone signal in parts of the mountains — warn the people waiting for you at home.

How much a two-day trip costs

We charge not per seat but for the whole minibus, so the total doesn’t go up if your group is twelve people instead of eight. For reference, here are the prices for the same places as separate round trips from Almaty: Charyn from 80,000 ₸, Kaindy from 100,000 ₸, Kolsai from 100,000 ₸.

The two-day combination is priced separately, and there is no exact figure for it in our price list — it depends on your plan. As a starting point, take the cost of the farthest part of the route, Kolsai, and add the driver’s second day of work and his overnight stay. Tell us your dates, the number of people and what you want to see — we’ll calculate it for your specific route. How minibus rental with a driver works in general is described in detail on a separate page.

Separately from transport, budget for national park entry, the night at the guesthouse, the off-road ride to Kaindy and food. You can pay for the trip in cash, by Kaspi transfer (a Kazakh banking app), or by bank invoice if a company is traveling.

If your group flies in the day before, the same minibus will take you to your hotel — an airport transfer is from 20,000 ₸ per vehicle.

• Reference prices for separate trips: Charyn from 80,000 ₸, Kaindy from 100,000 ₸, Kolsai from 100,000 ₸.
• A two-day route is priced for your dates: the driver’s second day and the overnight stay change the calculation.
• Not included: national park fees, accommodation, the off-road ride, meals.
• Payment in cash, by Kaspi transfer or by bank invoice for companies.

When to go and what to bring

The best time for this trip is from late May to September, when the dirt roads are dry and the trails are open. October can already be cold, and in winter snow often blocks the road to Kaindy. Unlike the lakes, Charyn is accessible year-round, and it is especially good in the fall.

Even in July it is cool by the water at altitude: the day can be hot, but mornings and evenings drop to 10°C or lower, with wind. Everyone needs warm clothes, including those who leave the city in shorts sure they won’t get cold. A reminder about water too: there are shops along the way, but at Kaindy and on the trails to the upper lakes there is nothing to count on. If you’d like hot springs instead of a second day in the mountains, look at a trip with a stop at the Chundzha hot springs — a neighboring destination in the same direction.

• Lake season is late May to September; Charyn is open year-round.
• A warm jacket or fleece for everyone, even in July.
• Shoes with non-slip soles: the trails are rocky and the descent into the canyon is steep.
• Water, snacks, a first-aid kit and a power bank — there’s nowhere to charge your phone on the trail or at the lakes.
• Cash for park fees, the off-road ride and the guesthouse.