Highlights of Almaty region

EXCLUSIVE 5 DAYS TRIP

Experience the essence of Kazakhstan with Aveneer

 

INTRODUCTION

This tour is exclusively designed by Aveneer DMC to cover the main tourist attractions of Almaty region.

 

Best time to travel

March - November

 

Highlights of Almaty region:

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • ACCOMMODATION IN A
    LUXURY 5 STAR
    HOTEL
  • MEALS UNLESS OTHERWISE
    SPECIFIED
  • TRANSPORT 
  • PERSONAL
    TOUR GUIDE
  • TICKETS & ENTRANCE FEES
    TO ALL TOURIST
    ATTRACTIONS
  • LOCAL SIM-CARD
    (UNLIMITED DATA)
  • PERSONAL
    CONCIERGE
  • AIRPORT
    TRANSFERS

SUGGESTED ITINERARY

5 DAYS  4 NIGHTS

HIGHLIGHTS: 

  • Medeu Ice Skating Rink
  • Shymbulak Ski Resort
  • Talgar Pathway
  • Big Almaty Lake
  • Green Bazaar
  • Charyn Canyon
  • Rakhat Chocolate Shop
  • Zenkov Cathedral
  • 28 Panfilov Park

INCLUDED: 

  • Accommodation in 5-star Hotel
  • Daily Transport
  • Airport Meet & Greet
  • Transfers to/from Airport
  • Meals unless otherwise specified
  • Entrance fees to various Tourist Attractions 
  • Cable car tickets at Shymbulak & Kok-Tobe 

NOT INCLUDED: 

  • Personal Expenses
  • Extra Activities 
  • Shopping
Day 1

Your English speaking tour guide will meet and greet you at Arrivals and escort you to your private vehicle waiting outside. You will then set off for your hotel in the city. The drive will take approximately 45 mins. Check in to your hotel and some time to freshen up before dinner. Then guests will be taken to Alasha, a traditional Central Asian restaurant set in a caravanserai. This used to be the place where traders and merchants came for a night's Alasha Restaurant rest during their trip across the ancient Silk Road, Be prepared for a night of dancing, performances by local talent and great food!

 

Day 2

Your guide will greet you at the lobby of your hotel and escort you to your vehicle waiting outside. You will then set off for Panfilov Park. The drive will take approximately 15 mins. Take a nice stroll during your walking tour in Panfilov Park. The park is located in Central-East Almaty in the area surrounding Zenkov Cathedral. Next stop is Green Bazaar - Almaty's largest farmers market, is situated in the heart of the city. Guests will have the opportunity to taste and purchase local produce such as honey, fruits, and spices. Almaty is known as the city there apples had first originated! Its former name "Alma-Ata" literally means "the grandfather of apples", so be sure to taste the variety of apples available on display. Guests will have approximately 1 hour to explore the market. After the Green Bazaar, you will visit the Rakhat Chocolate Shop where you will be able to - Lunch will be at guests own expense - Bird's eye view of the Main Square purchase some locally produced chocolate and sweets directly from the manufacturer. The factory is not open for tours as the recipe is kept in secret with only a couple of individuals having access to it! Depart for Main Square and Kok Tobe. Kok-Tobe is the highest point of Almaty City where the viewpoint is well worth a visit with panoramic views of the city in all directions. It is a recreational area filled with activities for children and adults alike. Guests will congregate at 1900 hours for dinner at Abay, a modern Kazakh restaurant with western and Chinese influences. Watch the sunset over the city as you enjoy your meal. 

 

Day 3

On day 3 a trip to The Charyn Canyon awaits you. The Canyon is often called the younger brother to its counterpart the Grand Canyon in Arizona, is one of the most unique objects of nature. Your tour guide will greet you at the lobby of your hotel and escort you to your vehicle waiting outside. The journey will take approximately 2 hrs 45 mins to arrive at the magnificent Charyn Canyon. Take some time to explore the Canyon Ground as we take a short walk into the Canyon, where you will be walking on what once used to be the river bed. You will then make your way to a traditional house for lunch and to enjoy the breathtaking natural wonder while feasting. Having stomachs full we will head back to Almaty straight to your hotel. Take your time to relax after the road and freshen up before dinner. You will have dinner in a local fine-dining restaurant.

Day 4

Your tour guide will greet you at the lobby of your hotel and escort you to your vehicle waiting outside. You will then set off to the President's Park located only 15 mins away. Once arriving at the President's Park, you will be allowed approximately 1 hour to explore the 60-hectare park for some photos and a leisure stroll. Return to your vehicle and set off for lunch up the mountain at a restaurant called Tau Dastarkhan located 20 minutes away from the Park You are invited for a feast with local barbequed meats and salads while sitting in a chalet style home with taxidermy of all sorts of animals ranging from mountain squirrels to bears and wolves. After your stomach has been satisfied with the scrumptious meal, we set off for Big Almaty Lake. The drive will take approximately 30 mins, where we will have one scenic stop for a photo opportunity. Upon arriving at Big Almaty Lake, guests are invited to take a short hike down to the lake or explore the surrounding area for photos. Hop back onto the bus as we depart for Sunkar to watch the unique birds show. The drive will take approximately 20 mins from the Lake. Finished with the bird show we will head back hotel to freshen up before dinner. Guests will be taken to a Georgian Restaurant for dinner. Georgian cuisine is famous in the region for its richness of flavors.

 

Day 5

Your guide will greet you at the lobby of your hotel and escort you to your vehicle waiting outside. You will then set off for Medeu, where the World's Highest Ice Skating Rink is located. The drive will take approximately 25 minutes. Guests will have the opportunity to take some photos of Medeu before getting on the gondola to Shymbulak Ski Resort. Shymbulak Ski Resort is the top Ski Resort in Central Asia with beautiful views of the mountains. Depart Shymbulak for the city. Guests will be taken to the largest mall in Central Asia for a free & easy afternoon (Optional). We suggest: taking the time during the afternoon to scout out places in the city for a mini photoshoot. You will be taken to a traditional Kazakh Restaurant for a farewell dinner. We will take you to the airport and wish you the most pleasant flight. 

 

 

 

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BEFOREYOUGO

Getting in

The most convenient way to get to Kazakhstan is to take a flight to one of the two largest cities, Almaty or Astana.  Kazakhstan's national airline "AirAstana" offers direct flights from the following cities: Urumqi, Beijing, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Delhi, Dubai, Tehran, Baku, Tbilisi, Antalya, Istanbul, Kiev, and Moscow.

For guests traveling from South East Asia, we suggest the quickest route via Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. 

Please contact us and one of our travel consultants will be glad to assist you with planning your journey.

Visa to Kazakhstan

Citizens of the following countries can travel to Kazakhstan visa-free:

  • Up to 14 days: Hong Kong
  • Up to 30 days: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, UAE, Uzbekistan, USA
  • Up to 90 days: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Ukraine

If your country is not stated above, you will need to obtain a visa to the Republic of Kazakhstan. Please contact us for visa support and assistance with your visa application.

 

Currency and Credit Cards

The local currency is the Kazakhstan Tenge (KZT). Currency exchange in Kazakhstan is very well developed - it is easy to exchange most popular currencies like USD, EUR, GBP in bank branches, airports and exchange points as the latter is opened 7 days a week.

VISA and MasterCard are widely accepted throughout the country in most shopping malls and restaurants. For withdrawing cash, one can turn to nearest ATMs located all around the city.

Weather

The climate in Kazakhstan is continental. You will experience a vast difference in temperatures and climate while traveling through the country.

Summers in Kazakhstan are warm with an average temperature at around 30 *C (86 *F). During winters the average temperature drops down to -20 *C (-4.0 *F).

The best time to travel is from April to October when temperatures are moderately warm, as well as the period from December to March for winter enthusiasts.

Kazakhstan is a sunny country, some regions enjoy the sun up to 330 days a year.

Local Cuisine

Kazakh traditional cuisine is based on a few main ingredients such as meat, bread/dough, and some dairy products.  Due to the challenging weather conditions and nomadic lifestyle food had to be easy to prepare, very nutritious and contain a lot of fat to provide energy.

Kazakhstan boasts its organic fruits and vegetables that are grown locally, delicious natural honey with numerous health benefits, finest caviar as well as the signature chocolate products. 

The tea culture is very prominent, Kazakhstan is believed to be among the top countries in the world for tea consumption; almost every meal is followed by tea in Kazakh families.

Apart from a regional cuisine, a wide range of restaurants is also available for tourists with a cosmopolitan appetite for Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Italian, French, Korean, South East Asian and Indian cuisine with some vegetarian options.

 

Language

The national language is Kazakh, however, the Russian language has the same status. More than 70% of Kazakh citizens speak Russian fluently thanks to the Soviet Union times. 

Kazakh language however is very different from Russian in its nature, and is not as widely practiced by the city dwellers as compared to the rural and country dwellers. Although the Russian language is more common, local people will react extremely well if you speak even a little Kazakh.

Religion in Kazakhstan

The Republic of Kazakhstan is often called the crossroads of civilizations. Since ancient times various religions were formed and developed on the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Archeologists have found here traces of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Nestorianism, and Tengrism. 

Today, Kazakhstan is a modern, secular state promoting ethnic and religious diversity and tolerance. A multinational country with a long history of ethnic groups living together, Kazakhstan is a peaceful country where Kazakhstani citizens of different religious backgrounds live in harmony.

The majority of the population in Kazakhstan practices Islam. The Muslim population is largely made up of the ethnic Kazakhs, Uzbeks, and Tatars. The second most practiced religion is Russian Orthodox Christianity, with the majority of adherents being ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians.

WHY TRAVEL WITH AVENEER

  • WE DESIGN
    bespoke experiences tailored to your exact tastes
  • WE TAKE CARE
    of every detail so you don't have to worry
  • WE GIVE ADVICE
    and recommendations that are right for you
  • WE BELIEVE
    luxury travel should be synonymous
    with responsible travel