Charyn, Kolsai and Kaindy
2-Day Tour

A friend and I (2 people) went on a tour of Charyn Canyon and Kolsai Lakes with Vlad. Very enjoyable experience, especially being able to see parts of the canyon that are off road. This felt like a unique experience that can only be achieved through a tour company with a 4x4 SUV which is offered by outfitters. Selection of the guest house and the food at the guest house was also very enjoyable. It was by not means extravagant but very pleasant and covered our needs. Especially enjoyed visiting the Kolsay Lake 1 -- probably the highlight of the trip. Only wish we would have had more time here.

We did a 2 day tour of the Charyn Canyon, Kolsai lake and Kaindy lake, with an overnight stay in the village of Saty in Kazakhstan. The tour was fantastic and our guide and driver, Damir, was amazing - perfect English, very knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. We got to see some parts of the canyon that are not often visited by most tourists by travelling off road and that gave us a much better sense of how vast Charyn Canyon really is. It was one of the highlights of our trip in Central Asia.

If you're looking for a tour from Almaty look no further than the top notch Outfitters KZ. They accommodated us on short notice and kept in touch as to our itinerary and relevant details. Damir, our driver/guide for the Charyn Canyon, Kaindy and Kolsay Lake tour was well trained, professional and courteous. He went above and beyond. He arranged an early breakfast so we could arrive early at Kaindy Lake, before others tourists came. He also made sure that my husband who has leg problems had transportation as close to the sights as possible. Damir even brought sunscreen and raincoats for us. On top of all this Damir has an encyclopedic knowledge of Kazakhstan creating an immersive experience on many levels. Our accommodations on the tour were comfortable and the home cooked meals delicious. The picnic lunch was a real treat. Our day trip with Alex to the Tambaly Petroglyphs was also very enjoyable. Outfitters KZ helped create unforgettable memories of our travels in Kazakhstan.

We took a 2 days tour with Nomad Outfitters. We contacted them by email but we found we get quicker response by WhatsApp. We ask them to change the tour so it could leave from Almaty and comes back to Bishkek rather than Almaty. They were very accommodating. We had a young guide and a driver with a land cruiser. The tour went to Charon Canion, Kaindy lake, Kolsai lake, plenty of scenery stops. The young guide was great to explain in English all the history, way of life, etc the driver was safe and took us off-road crossing small streams, places I would not take a rented car. We stayed overnight in a lovely guest house, food was great, dumplings, cakes, pancakes, etc. The scenery was breathtaking, going from desert to lush mountain and rivers. While we spent a lot of time driving, it was very enjoyable. Obviously if you are younger, you might consider longer tours like trekking on horses, etc. Overall I recommend both the tour company and the location.

I highly recommend this agency with whom I organized a two-day tour based Almaty in the Canyon de Charyn, Lake Kaiyndy and Kolsai. Alex was a perfect guide, great connoisseur of the area, helpful and very knowledgeable. He showed us fantastic landscapes off the tourist routes. We slept in a small guest house run by locals, ate traditional food and travelled in a very comfortable jeep. We had contacts with the agency by email and the answers were always timely and detailed. We paid the agreed amount during the excursion without paying any advance. Kazakhstan is still an untouristy country with beautiful nature! Super recommended!

I organised this tour as the first stop during a 10 day trip to Kazakhstan, our first time in the country. Prior to the tour, Mariya was extremley helpful to understand the best options for our party of 10. The communication was brilliant via WhatsApp. Artur was a fantastic tour leader who spoke good English and helped us communicate with the three drivers, who looked after us so well. I fully recommend the two day tour as it gives you the opportunity to explore the best of the region - highlights included the Lunar Canyon, the Kolsai Lakes and other spectatular scenery that is only reachable via 4x4 vehicles and some skillful driving by the Outfitter KZ team.

Amazing adventure, best nature trip in central asia!!!! We did the Charyn Canyons, Kolsay and Kaindy lakes. It was absoloutly beautifull. The cannyon combined with the two hikes give you the full nature experience. Our guide john was great. He spoke perfect English, was very knowledgeable and extremely friendly. We had very good food.

Our tour with Outfitter was absolutely great. We did the 2 day tour of Charyn Canyon and the lakes in a small group with Yelbosyn. It was a wonderful trip and although it cost more than we had wanted to spend, it was so worth it. We visited popular well-known spots and also amazing smaller places where we were the only visitors. They also provided vegetarian food for us.

It was amazing! We booked a two days trip to Charyn Canyon and Kolsai Lakes. Really enjoyed, very good organised and our driver, Ramil, knew a lot about history so he was telling us a lot of interesting things and facts during the trip. We learned a lot, loved the places he took us, and really enjoyed the trip. Also, it is a very difficult place to go without a guide as it's huge! I would also like to mention the amazing guest house we stayed in. Alban guesthouse. The family was so nice, bedroom was big and super comfortable, and the best thing was the food. We really felt like we tried local dishes and they were delicious. 100% recommended. Thanks, Ramil!!

Traveling solo, it is very hard to find a reasonably priced tour. Luckily, Outfitters kept me posted when there was someone else who wanted the same tour. We did the two-day Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lakes, and Kaindy Lake tour with Ramil as our guide. I was worried that we would be in the car pretty much the whole time, but we actually got out several times, walked/hiked at each spot, and avoided cramped legs during the trip...a major plus. Not only are the sites beautiful, but Ramil took us to several locations of Charyn Canyon where there was nobody else but us. We even had Kaindy Lake, my personal favorite, to ourselves for fifteen minutes in the morning, making it that much more surreal. Ramil is a very knowledgeable and hardworking guy. Once at the guesthouse (which was clean, comfortable, and served delicious food), the jeep had a flat. Ramil fixed it pronto so our trip continued without a hitch. Although there may be cheaper options out there where you are carted around with fifty other people in a large bus, Outfitters provides personalized service with comfort and visits to out-of-the-way sites. I highly recommend them!