Day 1 Almaty – Narynkol /5 hours driving/3 hours horse ride Breakfast and meeting with your driver. Transfer to Narynkol town.
After reaching the frontier post and checking the documents we will stop at the small place that during the Soviet time used to be a camp for climbers located at the bottom of Khan Tengri (2300 m above the sea level). Here you can have lunch and meet with your guide then you will get instructions on horseback riding.
The starting point of your horse-riding (3 hours) is a fantastic site along the Akkol river, along the forest scenic zone to the moraine lake Akkol, where the height is 3080 m above sea level. Return. Dinner & night at the camp.
Day 2 Bayankol (25km) /4-5hrs horse ride This entire day is dedicated to another moraine lake - Karakol. After breakfast, we move along the gorge to Karakol lake. Here you can see all the diversity and beauty of The Tien Shan. You can see the famous Khan Tengri peak – the highest mountain in Kazakhstan located on the Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan – China border and belongs to the Tien Shan Mountain range, it is 7010 m (23000 ft) high. A lot of brave men attempted to ascend Khan Tengri, despite the dangerous rock formations and vertical slopes. During this trip, you will see how the landscape changes at different altitudes, and how conifer forests and alpine meadows pass to tundra and to a zone of permanent snow. Return, dinner & night at the camp.
Day 3 Bayankol gorge - Tekes waterfall (20km)/ /4-5hrs horse ride Horse riding over the Bayankol gorge -Tekes waterfall (40 km distance in total). Picnic/Lunch.
Bayankol gorge is located on the northern macro slope of the Central Tien Shan. The origins of the river begin with glaciers flowing from the Saryjaz Ridge. These are the most accessible six-thousanders: the Marble Wall and the Plateau peak, and the five-thousanders: Border Guard, Karlytau, Kazakhstan, Bayankol, and Semenova. Bayankol attracts dozens of tourists, mountaineers, and nature lovers who want to see Khan-Tengri. Bayankol is replete with many picturesque canyons, an impressive density of coniferous forests. The fauna of this gorge is represented by a large variety of wild animals - the red deer or the maral, the Tien Shan arhars, the Siberian Mountain ibex or the Teke, the roe deer, the wild boar, the Tien Shan bear, the wolves. To visit the Bayankol gorge it is necessary to make a pass to the border zone. Overnight in tents on the river bank. Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Day 4 Bayankol gorge - Tekes waterfall (20km)/ /4-5hrs horse ride Horse riding over the Bayankol gorge-Tekes waterfall. Picnic/Lunch.
The Tekes Waterfall has eroded the surrounding rocky slopes, forming a deep pool. Although it’s small in size, it is still a spectacular sight to behold. At first, you will see the waterfall from a height, and then you will need to carefully descend to it. Below, you will enjoy the chilled ambiance, the shade, and the icy-cold mountain water, which after a long journey would feel heavenly. Overnight in tents. Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Day 5 Tekes waterfall - Tuzkol (15km) /4-5hrs horse ride Horse riding over the Tekes waterfall – Tuzkol lake (30 km distance in total). Picnic/Lunch.
Lake Tuzkol is located in the intermontane depression between the Yelchin-Buiuryuk and Karatau mountains, spurs of the Ketmen ridge of the Northern Tien Shan mountain system. The lake is large - 5 km long, and the width in some places reaches 1 km. The area of the lake is 3.2 square km, and the depth reaches 3 m. The water is very salty, similar in composition to the Dead Sea, but the degree of salinity varies in seasons. Around the lake is a bare steppe. On the shore, sedge and hodgepodge grow.. There are no large bushes and trees. But in general, the whole valley is surrounded by high mountains. There are wolves, lynx, and sometimes bears. It is also the main nesting place for the waterfowl and water birds in the Kazakh part of the Central Tien Shan. A total of 35 species of birds live here. The greatest value is ogar, gray crane and crane-belladonna. In addition to them, there are different kinds of ducks and wild geese, there are several breeding swan-nesting nests. Overnight in tents. Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Day 6 Tekes waterfall - Tuzkol (15km)/ /4-5hrs horse ride Horse riding over the Tekes waterfall – Tuzkol lake. Picnic/Lunch.
Overnight in tents. Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Day 7 Tuzkol - Shalkodesu Valley (22 km) /4hrs horse ride Horse riding over the Tuzkol lake – Shalkode valley.
Shalkodesu Valley - is the center of transhumance, or as the Kazakhs say, it is zhailau. From their ancestors - nomadic tribes and peoples inhabiting the expanses of Eurasia - Kazakhs inherited the yurt. This portable home according to its structure most suits the nomadic way of life, and according to the design, it has no equal. After long, harsh winter days, in the summer on the zhailau you can see the yurts of the shepherds. Here and there goats and sheep are grazing. Picnic/Lunch. Overnight in tents.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Day 8 Shalkodesu Valley - Ketmen Pass (50 km) /5hrs horse ride Horse riding over the Shalkode to Ketmen pass. Picnic/Lunch.
Despite its relatively close location to Almaty, the Ketmen mountains are rarely visited by tourists. Perhaps, that is why this corner of nature has preserved its pristine purity, all around grows alpine vegetation. A lot of rivulets with icy crystal water in hard-to-reach gorges are thrown down by small, but spectacular waterfalls, giving the tired travelers coolness. It is said that here at an altitude of 3300m located a deposit of coal that functioned in the pre-war years. The untouched wild nature and fresh air will make you love this place once and forever.
Overnight in tents. Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Day 9 Charyn canyon – Almaty (310 km) / 5hr driving Trip to Charyn canyon
The canyon has been described as the Grand canyon’s little brother and is considered to be the floor of the ancient ocean Tethys. The erosion made by the river Charyn below and the elements created a dramatic and impressive landscape. The Charyn canyon itself is approximately 150 km and in some places up to 300 m deep. Free time. Drive to Almaty. Arrive in Almaty and transfer to the hotel. Meals: Breakfast/Lunch
