Day Tour to Kolsai Lakes from Almaty

Three cascading alpine lakes and a drowned spruce forest in the northern Kungey Alatau, southeast of Almaty. This is the second corner of the Golden Triangle alongside Charyn Canyon, and the most requested trip international visitors ask us for.

We run it in three lengths. Every version is private – your own group with your own guide, maximum six.

Choose your format:

1 day – Kolsai only. A long day out, leaving early and back late. Best if your time in Kazakhstan is tight.

2 days – Kolsai and Kaindy, one night camping by the lake. The version most people should book.

3 days – Charyn Canyon, Kolsai and Kaindy, two nights camping. The full Golden Triangle, unhurried.

What to expect

The Kolsai Lakes are known as the Pearl of the Tien Shan, and for once the marketing name is earned. Three lakes sit at different heights in a single gorge inside Kolsai Lakes National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2012.

• Lower Lake (1,818 m) – the accessible one. Cafe, boats, a short walk from the car park.
• Middle Lake (2,252 m) – the beautiful one. A steady climb through dense Tien Shan spruce, over wooden bridges, to a larger and deeper lake ringed by steep forest with snow on the peaks above.
• Upper Lake (2,850 m) – the remote one, near the Kyrgyz border. A full day of serious trekking.

Kaindy Lake (2,000 m) is the sunken forest. In 1911 the Kebin earthquake triggered a landslide that dammed a river valley and flooded a stand of spruce. The dead trunks still stand upright in the turquoise water, bare above the surface, their needles preserved green beneath it. The cold does that. It is one of the most photographed places in Central Asia and it deserves the attention.

Where you sleep

We camp by the lake. Tents, sleeping mats, cooking kit and all meals are provided and carried in the vehicle, so you are not hauling group gear. Waking up beside the water with the forest going quiet around you is the best part of the trip, and it is why we stopped defaulting to the village.

If the weather turns hard, or if you would simply rather have a bed and a hot shower, we switch you to a guesthouse in Saty village – simple, clean rooms with shared facilities and home-cooked Kazakh food. Tell us at booking if you prefer this, or leave it to your guide to call on the day.

1-day format

Early start from Almaty. The drive southeast on the Khorgos highway takes you from the city through farmland and out into dry steppe, with a stop at the Black Canyon viewpoint over the Charyn River.

At Kolsai, hike from the Lower to the Middle Lake and back, with lunch by the water. Then the drive home, arriving late.

A long day, and worth it if you have no spare time – but the 2-day is the better trip.

2-day format

Day 1. Leave Almaty in the morning, with the Black Canyon viewpoint on the way. Arrive at Kolsai in the afternoon, walk the Lower Lake in the late light, then make camp. Dinner cooked at the lake.

Day 2. Morning hike up to the Middle Lake. Then on to Kaindy by 4×4 – the road crosses river fords and needs high clearance, which is why we take the right vehicle. A walk uphill from the drop-off brings you to the sunken forest. Drive back to Almaty in the evening.

3-day format

Day 1. Almaty to Charyn Canyon. Descend into the Valley of Castles and walk down to the river. Continue to Kolsai via the Black Canyon viewpoint. Lower Lake, then camp.

Day 2. Middle Lake in the morning, Kaindy in the afternoon. Back to camp for dinner and a second night.

Day 3. Unhurried breakfast, then a morning walk to a viewpoint or back down to the Lower Lake for sunrise photographs. Drive to Almaty with optional stops – the Bartogay Reservoir, a roadside market for kurt and honey, or a second section of Charyn. Arrive in the evening.

What’s included

• English-speaking guide
• Round-trip transport from Almaty, 4×4 where the road needs it
• All meals
• Tents, sleeping mats and camping equipment
• National park entry fees
• First aid kit
• Trekking poles on request
• Private group, maximum six

Not included: travel insurance, personal boots and backpack, warm layers, sunscreen and sunglasses, water bottle, alcohol, tips.

FAQ

Is the 1-day version worth doing? If it is your only option, yes – the Middle Lake hike is the heart of the trip and you will do all of it. But it is a long day with a lot of driving, and you will not see Kaindy. Budget bus tours sell this format and give you barely any time at the lakes. Ours at least gives you the hike.

Which lake is the most beautiful? The Middle Kolsai. Larger, deeper, more dramatically enclosed. You have to walk to it, which is part of why.

How hard is the hiking? The Middle Lake trail is a steady forest climb on a good path – no scrambling, no technical ground. If you can walk uphill for a few hours comfortably you will be fine. Your guide sets the pace to the group.

Can I swim? Swimming is prohibited in Kolsai as a protected area. Kaindy stays around 5°C all year, so you would not want to.

Do I need my passport? Yes. This is a border zone and you need the original document. Border guards fine people carrying only a copy. Bring the physical passport, not a photo of it.

What is the best season? June to September. July and August are warmest. June can still have snow on the higher trail sections. September brings autumn colour and the best light. The lakes are reachable in winter but the road is difficult.

How cold is it camping? Summer nights by the lake drop to around 5-10°C, colder in September. Bring a warm layer and a hat. We supply the tents and mats.