8 of the best day trips from Almaty, Kazakhstan

25.09.2024 - 12:49 / lonelyplanet.com

Sep 24, 2024 • 5 min read

A pleasant, leafy city that would seem more at home in central Europe than Central Asia, Almaty is stocked with museums, cafes and nightlife. But Kazakhstan's second city (and its former capital) is also a great base from which to explore the country's wild southern landscapes. The city itself is a manageable size, and on its doorstep are numerous natural attractions.

Red-rock canyons. Snowy mountains. Waterfalls and turquoise lakes. Kazakhstan's most accessible natural attractions can be visited in just a few hours by bus or car, and in any season, on day trips from Almaty.

Explore the country's vast landscapes by day and still make it back in time for the city's nightlife to start heating up – if you can drag yourself away from the wilderness.

Sometimes referred to as the 'Grand Canyon's Little Brother', the desertified Charyn Canyon is among the most popular day trips from Almaty. The easily-accessible 'Valley of Castles' has stark landscapes and striking rock formations, for which the area is named, and at the end of a short hike the ice-cold and deep-blue Charyn River provides an additional layer of contrast to this striking change of scenery from the city's busy streets. Difficult access on public transport makes a bus tour the easiest option for the more than 400-km return day trip, but intrepid travellers can also stick around a few days to camp in the canyon and explore parallel valleys that are only accessible on foot or by 4WD.

Less popular but no less worthwhile, and much closer to Almaty, Ak-Sai Valley just southwest of the city presents serene landscapes with a holy bent. Sitting atop a tree-lined path that follows the contours of the Ak-Sai River far below is a wooden Russian Orthodox monastery and small monastic community. Stroll up a gentle trail through pine forests and past holy symbols carved into stone to reach the small monastery nestled in a copse of trees. A quiet cap to a laid-back hike on most days, 11 August each year sees masses ascending to the monastery to commemorate the deaths of two monks. It is because of their passing that the building is said to have mysteriously appeared. The valley is around an easy half hour by car or hired transport from Almaty, but homestays in villages at the foot of the valley make overnights possible as well.

The vast Ile-Alatau National Park starts just 40km from Almaty, but covers over 2000 sq km of mountainous terrain along the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Various valleys and trekking routes make it possible to visit for anything from a few hours to a few weeks, but among the most spectacular for a quick visit is the Turgen Gorge. Around 70km from Almaty, fewer travellers make it here, but the longer drive