Silk Road & Beyond

Tien Shan Mountains

Big Almaty Lake
Big Almaty Lake
The Altay mountain range, part of the Tien Shan range is the main attraction of the Almaty area, with forests, lakes and alpine meadows in abundance. There are excellent opportunities for leisurely walks as well as the most demanding treks.

There are several beautiful areas around Almay within easy reach. One of the most popular weekend spots for the residents of Almaty is Medeo, a famous ice stadium 16km from the capital. It is located in a picturesque gorge of the Small Almatinka River. The outdoor speed skating rink is made of the purest glacier water and Medeo is one of the world’s top ice rinks, open from November to April. Nearby is the ski resort of Chimbulak at an altitude of 2100 metres above sea level.
kazakh hunter
kazakh hunter
Big Almaty Lake, 25km from Almaty, is like a shining mirror, surrounded on all sides by magnificent peaks. The lake changes colour depending on the season, from pale green to turquoise blue.

Charyn Canyon is 80km long and erosion and weathering have left bizarre shapes like fantastic sculptures and exposed the many colours of the earth. The Charyn river is perfect for white water rafting.

Turgen Gorge is another picturesque spot near Almaty. The gorge plunges 44 kilometres deep to the vast Assy Plateau and there are two scenic waterfalls amid the coniferous and mixed forests and alpine meadows.


The Aksu-Dzhabagly Nature Reserve was the first in in Kazakhstan to obtain the status of UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1934. Thousands of different plant, bird and animal species are preserved here including the rare snow leopard, which is in danger of extinction.