friendly tours almaty

Friendly Tours - Dostar Trips

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FRIENDLY TOURS - DOSTAR TRIPS (Almaty) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Friendly Tours - Dostar Trips

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Friendly Tours - Dostar Trips - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

THE 10 BEST Almaty Multi-day Tours

Multi-day tours in almaty.

• Sightseeing Tours
• Walking Tours
• Multi-day Tours
• Up to 1 hour
• 1 to 4 hours
• 4 hours to 1 day
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Likely to Sell Out

• The ranking of tours, activities, and experiences available on Tripadvisor is determined by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, the frequency of user clicks, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.

1. Kolsai, Kaindy lakes and Charyn canyons 2 days small group tour

2. Altyn Emel National Park, Private tour, 2 days from Almaty

3. Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes + Charyn Canyon private 2-day tour

4. Almaty Region 3 Days Tour from Almaty

5. Almaty Region 5 Days Private Tour from Almaty

6. Silk Route Tour (Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Kyrgyzstan) 10N-11D

7. Charyn Canyon, Kolsay & Kayndy lakes

8. Stans Tours Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan

9. 2 Day Tour to Almaty Kolsay and Kaindy Lake and Charyn Canyon

10. 3-Day Private Horseback Riding and Hiking Tour in Kolsay

11. 2 Days Tour: Charyn Canyon, Kaindy & Kolsay Lakes

12. 2-Day Private Tour to Kolsai / Kaindy / Charyn + horse riding

13. 7 Days Almaty Tour Package

14. 4-Day Private SUV Tour from Almaty - The most beautiful Sights

15. Kolsai and Kaindy Private 2 Days Tour via Charyn Canyon from Almaty

16. Atyn Emel National Park 2 days tour

17. 4-Day Altyn Emel Park + Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes + Charyn Canyon jeep-tour

18. 4 Days Almaty Tour Package

19. 2 Days Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes Tour via Charyn Canyon

20. Private 3-Day Shymbulak Backcountry and Yurt Stay

21. 4 days tour to the best places in Almaty region! + horse riding

22. 3 Days Tour: Altyn Emel NP, Charyn Canyon, Kaindy & Kolsay Lakes

23. 3 Days / Charyn Canyon, Kolsai and Kaindy lakes

24. 2 Days Private Tour in Kolsai, Kaindy lakes, and Charyn Canyon

25. Altyn Emel. Singing dune and Aktau mountains 2 days tour

26. 3 Day Almaty region Altyn emel Charyn canyon Kolsay lakes express

27. Private Outdoor Travel to Explore Kazakhstan

28. Charyn canyon, Kolsai lake, Kaindy lake 2 Days

29. 2 Days Tour: Altyn Emel National Park – Singing Dunes & Aktau Mountains

30. 4 Days / Discover Lakes and Mountains

What travellers are saying.

• Kolsai Kaindy Lakes with Charyn Canyon 2-day small-group tour
• Kolsai, Kaindy lakes and Charyn canyons 2 days small group tour
• Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes + Charyn Canyon private 2-day tour
• 2 Days Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes Tour via Charyn Canyon
• 2-Day Private Tour - The Kolsai Lake & Kaindy (Sunken forest) via Charyn canyon
• Friendly Tours - Dostar Trips
• Kolsai Tour
• Kazakhstan Very Nice
• Outfitter KZ
• Powder Nomads Freeride Adventures
• Abdi Travel
• Jabe Concierge

PRIVATE CAR TOURS IN QAZAQSTAN

National touristic company, professional guides, finest service, small groups.

A guided trip into the wilderness is an excellent way to bond with friend or have a memorable time with your family.  

ACTIVITY TOURS

Choose from full day or overnight in yurt trips, hiking, camping on a canyon and more. 

Enjoy the very best views in the region, from deserted paper mills to highest local peaks, from ice carved caves to ancient trees. 

CUSTOM TOURS

Let us create a tour that fits you perfectly, adjusting for physical limitations, time restraints, or extra participants.  

ALMATY CITY TOUR

Slide title

Today’s Almaty is largest metropolis, scientific and educational, cultural and historical, economic and financial, banking and industrial center of the country. There is a lot to see starting from cozy pedestrian streets and parks to the highest mountain ice rink in the World with picturesque views. We will visit main touristic spots and have enough free time to enjoy the city!

Seasonality all year around

CHARYN CANYON AND KOLSAY LAKES

For millions of years, wind and water carved unique natural sculptures from sedimentary rocks, constantly deepening the formed canyon. You will have a few hours to walk through the canyon and see the wonders of natural creativity.

Next, we will drive additional 100 km from Charyn Canyon to have an excursion walk along the path leading around the largest of the lakes. Kolsay lakes are the pride of Kazakhstan. Translated from Kazakh, “kolsay” means “gorge of lakes”.

300 km from the city

MEDEU AND SHYMBULAK TOUR

For a million years, wind and water sculpted  red sandstone to form today’s fantastical shapes and shadows. Chiseled out of the steppe clay by an eponymous white river, Charyn Canyon is Kazakhstan’s supreme rift. After crossing the endless, wide-open plains outside of Almaty, the canyon comes as a surprise.

Distance from the city: 200 km

Travel time: 2.5 hours

Almaty is beautiful!

Charyn Canyon

Kolsay Lakes

Oi Qaragai resort

Shymbulak Mountain ski resort

Zenkov Cathedral

Green Bazaar

Park of 28 Guardians

 testimonials.

Ali is great, he listens to you and plans according to your demand and he provides several options. U will get confused what to choose:))))). I was picked up by Daulet at 4am at the airport, he greeted me as a friend not as a customer. He is most fun guide and driver I've ever met. Daulet never shows you that he is tired, always fresh always on time. Ali was constantly making sure that everything is going well by calling Daulet. I highly recommend these guys for anyone planning to visit Kazakhstan!

"ali has helped and planned an excellent trip for me. his company guides are fantastic and my guide daulet is exceptional. i highly recommend ali, he is a gem".

Prahbat, India

"It was amazing, we really like the trip! Nature was breathtaking! The driver was super nice and helpful, always checking on us if everything is ok and if we need something. Really great young man. Thank you Qoshqeldin Almaty"

Ana, Croatia

“It was a veryyy long day but it was worth the tiredness to see the different sights! We stopped 4 times and each sight was unique in its own way, all were stunning. Our favourite was the boat ride on Kolsai Lake, very peaceful and beautiful scenery. (the toilets here need some improvement though! 😅😭) Daulet was a great driver and we had fun along the way with some very good and funny conversations 😂👌🏼He was very friendly and social. The food on the tour was also delicious, we definitely need to try that again one day!”

Ehsan, United Kingdom

"Must appreciate the services provided by Almaty Tours. Our English speaking guide Sergey was excellent, he was polite, humble and friendly. We went to Lake Issyk, Ostrich Farm & a restaurant which cooked our fresh catch (fish)."

Nirpendra Singh, India

"Professionally organised tour. We were guided by Arsalan who was very efficient indeed. Would have loved a bigger vehicle as we were 7 of us. But thats a minor issue. Arsalan went out of his way to help us in making the holiday a memorable one. Will highly recommend them, Thanks guys!"

Sreekar Harinatha, India

Top Tours in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Almaty tours.

• Sightseeing Tours
• Walking Tours
• Up to 1 hour
• 1 to 4 hours
• 4 hours to 1 day
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Chinese (Traditional)
• Likely to Sell Out
• Special Offers
• The ranking of tours, activities, and experiences available on Tripadvisor is determined by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, the frequency of user clicks, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.

1. Kolsai, Kaindy Lakes and Charyn Canyon Small-Group Tour

2. Treasures of Almaty lakes Kaindy and Kolsai, Charyn Canyon

3. Kolsai Kaindy Lakes with Charyn Canyon 2-day small-group tour

4. Kolsai Kaindy Lakes & Charyn Canyon small-group express day tour

5. Almaty city tour

6. Kolsai, Kaindy lakes and Charyn canyons 2 days small group tour

7. Medeu and Shymbulak ski resort private excursion

8. Singing dunes & Aktau mountains 1 day group tour to Altyn Emel

9. Big Almaty Lake - azure eye of Trans Ili Alatau (+ Alma Arasan gorge) day-tour

10. Almaty city & Issyk Lake tour with local cuisine and wine tasting

11. Private half Day Tour in Issyk Mountain Lake

12. Almaty Original City Tour

13. Charyn Canyon Private tour from Almaty, 1 day

14. Discover Big Almaty Lake: Choose Your Adventure on Foot or by Car

15. Altyn Emel. Singing dune. 1 day tour

16. Private tour: Kok-Tobe, Medeu and Shymbulak

17. Altyn Emel National Park, Private tour, 2 days from Almaty

18. Private Tour in Big Almaty Lake

19. Lake Issyk Small Group Tour

20. Discover nomadic lifestyle in 'The Huns' Ethno-village

21. Kolsai and Kaindy lakes, via Charyn canyon. Private Day Tour from Almaty

22. Private Full Day Almaty City Tour

23. Experience the Nomadic Lifestyle at 'The Huns' Ethno-village

24. One Day Private Charyn Canyon, Black Canyon and Kolsay

25. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan 8 days Private tour from Almaty

26. Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes + Charyn Canyon private 2-day tour

27. Almaty Region 3 Days Tour from Almaty

28. ALmaty mountains hiking tour

29. Alma-Arasan gorge tour

30. Discover Nomadic Lifestyle in 'The Huns' Ethno-village

What travellers are saying.

• Kolsai, Kaindy Lakes and Charyn Canyon Small-Group Tour
• Kolsai Kaindy Lakes & Charyn Canyon small-group express day tour
• Kolsai Kaindy Lakes with Charyn Canyon 2-day small-group tour
• Private Tour in Big Almaty Lake
• Medeu and Shymbulak ski resort private excursion
• Dolphinarium Nemo
• Friendly Tours - Dostar Trips
• Kolsai Tour
• Visit me Kazakhstan
• Powder Nomads Freeride Adventures
• Outfitter KZ
• Picnic Team

Friendly Tours - Dostar Trips

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

FRIENDLY TOURS - DOSTAR TRIPS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

5-day Group t0ur from Almaty

Duration: 5 days

Enjoy a leisurely 5-day group tour from Almaty to fully experience the scenic beauty of south-eastern Kazakhstan. Feel the heat of a desert on a journey through the deep and remote Altyn Emel , immerse yourself into the millions of years of history at Charyn Canyon , hit the trail between stunning high-altitude Kolsai lakes & discover the mystery of the sunken forest at the icy cold Kaindy lake. Lots of hiking, lots of dusty trails, smoky tang from last night’s campfire, unimaginable amounts of village food, tons of chats and laughter – it will be the best 5 days on your trip to Central Asia, we promise!

In  Dostar Trips , we treat each of our guests as a friend we just didn’t meet yet (btw “dostar” means friends from Kazakh). If you take a trip with us – you can rely on our friendly support during all your stay even after the tour, we will always be happy to help you with anything you need – advise the best place to eat, buy a train ticket, meet locals. Check out what our previous guests are saying about us on  TripAdvisor . Let’s be friends!  

Important:  a group tour from Almaty will take place if five participants will be ready to do the trip. Please let us know if you’d like to take a tour by emailing us and we will contact you 5 days before the tour to inform you about the status of the tour. If we have 5 participants, we will send you our bank details or PayPal for the 10% deposit of tour’ price to be paid. The rest 90% of the payment needs to be paid at the beginning of the tour (morning of the first day). 

Dates for the next 5-day group tours from Almaty in 2023:  

• 10th of May – 14th of May
• 25th of May – 29th of May
• 15th of June – 19th of June
• 25th of June – 29th of June
• 12th of July – 16th of July
• 26th of July – 30th of July
• 9th of August – 13th of August
• 23rd of August – 27th of August
• 6th of September – 10th of September
• 20th of September – 24th of September 

Highlights:

• Visit three national parks in five days
• Take a road trip to the unique singing sand dunes that never move despite the constant strong winds
• See the old Uighur mosque built by Chinese architect
• Have a relaxed evening at Chundzha hot springs!
• Spend your evenings stargazing and planet-spotting in some of Kazakhstan’s best dark sky locations
• Take the splendor of Charyn Canyon with a nice hike in the Valley of Castles
• Enjoy breathtaking scenery of Kolsay lakes and ascend from the first lake to the second
• Tackle a mystery of a sunken forest at Kaindy lake
• Experience Kazakh cuisine and culture in a carefully selected guesthouse at Kolsai lakes

Itinerary for the 5-day group tour from Almaty:

• Day 1: Almaty – Singing Dune;
• Day 2: Zharkent Mosque & Chundzha hot springs;
• Day 3: Kaindy Lake;
• Day 4: Hiking at Kolsay lakes;
• Day 5: Charyn Canyon – Bartogai lake – Almaty. 

Day 1: SINGING DUNE.

Driving time: 3,5 hours to the Basshi village, 1.5 hour both ways to the Singing Dune, 2 hours of hiking at the Dune

We will have an early start today by picking you up from Seven Rivers bar on an air-conditioned vehicle led by the super-experienced driver. Our guide will meet you at the bar for the welcome coffee and you get to know your crew and hear about the adventure ahead.

Our way will wind to the north along the scenic drive away from the big city. You’ll soon be greeted by sweeping views of artificial Kapchagai lake – the last big ambitious Soviet project on the territory of Kazakhstan, that provides electricity to the whole region. You will also be a bit surprised by luxurious casinos lined up along the highway. Kapchagai town is one of the two places in Kazakhstan where gambling is officially allowed.

It usually takes 3-4 hours to reach a hotel at Altyn Emel National Park, where we stop for a lunch and rest break.

It is time to take a driving journey through the remote barren Kazakh steppes to experience the first miracle of our trip – Singing Dunes. On the way, extra beady eyes may catch sight of the gracious black-tailed gazelle or Asian wild ass moving for the Ili river’s drinking place. Arriving at the Singing Dunes learn how it is possible that dunes appeared in a vast steppe area and, despite a wind, never moved from their place for hundreds of years! Never have climbed a dune before? Here we will have a lot of time for hiking, taking magnificent photos, and enjoying an amazing panoramic view of the valley around Ili – the main river of the region!

Coming back to the hotel, dinner, night at the hotel. 

P.S. If you are taking a trip to Altyn Emel in August, don’t miss the opportunity to see numerous falling stars – it is far enough from any big city to enjoy the best dark sky in the region.

Day 2: Zharkent Mosque & Chundzha Hot Springs

Driving time: 2 hours, no hiking.

Breakfast at the hotel at Bashi village.

Short stop at the picturesque Tiger hills, the place looks completely out of our world, you can easily imagine yourself as an explorer of another planet. 

We will drive to the small town Zharkent, located very close to the Khorgos, main automobile entrance to China. Most of the population of this town are people of Uighur ethnicity, so you will try one of the most famous Uighur dishes – lagman! It is fresh handmade noodles served with meat and vegetables, probably this dish introduced Marco polo to pasta!

After lunch we will visit an old mysterious mosque (currently – museum) built by a Chinese architect Hong Pik in the XIXth century by the order of wealthy local merchant Valiakhun Yuldashev. The building, resembling a Chinese pagoda, turned out so beautiful that the architect was executed after returning back home for giving away Chinese architectural secrets. We are not sure if this scary story is true but definitely the building is true jewel of our region, so you need to see it with your own eyes!

Driving to Chundzha town, a place with mineral radon hot springs. We will stay in a hotel with a waterpool, so it’s a great idea to take a swimming suit.

Night in a hotel in Chundzha town.

Day 3: Kaindy Lake

Driving time: 4 hours to Satty village,  2 hours both ways to Kaindy lake, 2 hours hiking around the lake.

Today we will drive away from the desserts, towards the snow-capped mountains of Tian Shan. South-east Kazakhstan is famous for that sharp difference when in one day you can experience the intensive summer heat and fresh spring chilly time by just moving a bit closer to the mountains! 

We will stop for lunch at the Satty village, the closest village to the Kolsay & Kaindy lakes.

After lunch we will visit Kaindy lake.

Unusual and mysterious Kaindy Lake (Birch Lake) is located at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. Kaindy lake was formed as the result of a huge landslide after the powerful earthquake in 1911. The landslide blocked the river and the water flooded the valley. That is how the lake appeared with Tien Shan fir trees in the middle. The water of the lake is very cold, that is why the needles of the flooded trees are well preserved and clearly visible through the transparent surface of the water, and dry stems of fir trees overlook the water surface. It is impossible to describe in words all this mystical splendor of the lake – it is necessary to go there and see everything with your own eyes.

The road to the lake is not so good, so we will change our comfortable bus for the old Soviet UAZ cars during the trip to the lake. It will take around two hours of driving both ways and two more hours to hike a bit around the lake.

Dinner and overnight in a guest house in Satty village. 

Day 4: KOLSAY LAKES

Driving time: 1 hour both ways to the first Kolsay Lake, 5 hours of hiking to the second Kolsay lake both ways.

Wake up in the heart of the Northern Tian Shan mountains, enjoy breakfast at the guesthouse before starting the ascent from the first Kolsay lake to the second one.

Today’s hike is a wonderful waltz of ascending and descending through the old spruce tree’ forest. It’ll take around 6-7 hours both ways (16 km, around 500 meters is a height between lakes).

The hike is great training for the whole body, so don’t forget to bring comfortable hiking clothes and shoes!

Important: Please take an actual passport (not a copy) for hiking, cause the border with Kyrgyzstan is located around 10 km from the second Kolsai lake and you can be asked to show your passport by border soldiers.

In the afternoon we will have a well-earned picnic and relax on the shore of the second lake. My favorite part of the hike I should say!

It’s time to move back to the first Kolsay lake, after giving the last glance at the lake we will drive back to the Satty village.

Arrival to the village, d inner and overnight in a guest house in Satty village. 

Day 5: Charyn Canyon and Bartogay lake.

Driving time: 3 hours to the Charyn canyon, 3 hours of light hiking at the Canyon, 3 hours driving back to Almaty.

The adventure comes to an end today as you treat yourself with breakfast at Satty village and depart to see the spectacular landscapes of Charyn Canyon on the way back to Almaty.

While driving you’ll learn about Charyn’s history, geology, flora, and fauna. Enjoy plenty of rest stops and photo ops along the way.

Charyn Canyon National Park – time to explore this magnificent natural wonder! Marvel at dramatic rock formations shaped by the elements and time, and keep your camera handy for amazing photos. There’s the time at leisure for exploring on your own at your own pace. 

Take a break from touring with a stop for a picnic lunch on a bank of the Charyn river.

During the trip back to Almaty we will stop to enjoy a bewitching landscape of Bartogay lake, hidden away from the main road but definitely worth visiting.

We will finish our trip at the same place we started it – Seven Rivers bar, you will be treated with a free glass of local beer here to relax and discuss the tour with new friends you met in these unforgettable five days! 

What is included:

Transportation: comfortable mini-bus with air-conditioning and seat belts

Accommodation (hotel in Altyn Emel and Chundzha – shower & toilet inside of the room, guest house in Satty village)

Food – 5 lunches, 4 breakfasts, 4 dinners.

Water – 1L per person per day

All fees & tickets

What to take:

Comfortable shoes (better if it is a waterproof & with rubber relief sole) 

Warm rain jacket (its possible to have some rain on the way to the second lake)

Hiking sticks

Insect repellent

Photography from Slawomir Adamczak, Pawel Plocienniczak & Stephen Bridger

Price for the 5-day group tour from Almaty: 595 USD

Group tour will take place if seven or more participants will be ready to do the trip. Please let us know if you’d like to take a tour by emailing us and we will contact you 5 days before the tour to inform you if the tour will take place or not. If we have seven or more participants, we will send you our bank details or PayPal to pay 59 USD deposit of tour’s price. The rest 536 USD of the payment needs to be paid at the beginning of the tour (morning of the first day). 

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ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN

To get the best experience out of almaty you need to book one of our local friendly tour guides. they will be able to show you around, make you feel like a local. whether you want to see the tourist sites or visit places off the beaten track and discover new experiences, then our guides4me guide is there to make it happen., john is 33 years old, lgbt friendly and speaks english & russian., he graduated with a degree in international relations. a well travelled individual, john first worked as a guide in goa, india. now back in his homeland almaty, john is continuing with his guiding profession. his hobbies include strumming percussion instruments. having mastered the african djembe, his new instrument of choice is the hang drum. if you are looking for an educated and fun guy with an interest in outdoor adventure and music, then john is your guide., total cost for the guide services of john for one day (8 hours) = a booking fee of usd 33 ia paypal, debit / credit cards, bank transfer or crypto currency plus usd 100 in cash to john after his services.  this makes a total of usd 133., this excludes any transport, entrance fees or any food & beverage costs..

“John is very friendly, educated and a fun guy, we had a great day, he made Almaty special for us, we wish we could have stayed longer. ” – Brad & Carol, Canada

Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan. Almaty used to be the capital of Kazakhstan in the post Soviet and independent era from 1929. However in 1997 it was moved to Nur Sultan, formerly Astana, about 12 hours north by train.

The city sits at the foot of the trans ili alatau mountains in the south of the country, near kyrgyzstan. if you like ice and snow there is the medeu skating rink and ski resort. at 1691 metres, this is the highest skating rink in the world., one of the landmarks in almaty is the ascension cathedral. located in panfilov park, this russian orthodox building is one of the five largest wooden buildings in the world. it has beautiful frescoes, stain glass windows and outside you can see the gilded spires in true russian style., whatever you choose to do in almaty, it will be a unique and memorable experience of a lifetime, with a guides4me guide, who will look after you and by the end of the trip you’ve made a best friend., a map of local hotels with discounts up to 60%, the cheapest flights to almaty, per month, latest blog post list.

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