Lakes and mountains, steppes and cities: this 11 days tour of Kazakhstan is all about natural wonder, and also includes time in Kyrgyzstan. Two nights in a homestay in the mountains give you an authentic introduction to rural life in the country.
AstanaTurkistanOtrarAlmatyCharyn CanyonKolsai Lakes National ParkKarakolBishkek
Price
£2145To£2640excluding flights
Duration
11 Days
Countries
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
Type
Small group
More info
Single supplement £490.
Last minute
Late availability on these dates: 25 Aug, 08 Sep, 29 Sep
Very few international travellers venture beyond Almaty and Astana when they come to Kazakhstan, which is remiss, as the country is full of beauty. There are some incredibly remote locations on this trip, which includes train rides across the steppe and stops that featured on the ancient Silk Road.
Your itinerary takes you from Astana to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, via Turkistan, Almaty and the Tien Shan Mountains. Natural highlights come thick and fast: at Charyn you’ll see a canyon that rivals the Grand Canyon in the USA and also head to Kolsai Lakes National Park, a series of beautiful lakes in the hills.
This tour also gives you a taste of Kyrgyzstan, where you’ll dip into the country to see some of its wild natural highlights, going to Karakol, the Terskey Mountains and Issyk-Kul, a large and beautiful mountain lake.
You’ll get to know the country beyond its tourist sights, thanks to your local guide, who can tell you about what life is really like here, whilst on an overnight train to Almaty you’ll travel alongside local people.
This trip also includes a two-night homestay in the Tien Shan mountains, where your welcoming hosts will introduce you to rural life in the shadow of the peaks: a warm welcome, even in the world's wildest places.
Map
Price information
£2145To£2640excluding flights
Single supplement £490.
Contact Us
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The five states that make up Central Asia – the Stans – are home to diverse ancient sites, as you'll soon see.
Responsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing we've worked to maximise the benefits of your holiday to local people and places, and minimise any negative impacts.
Planet
CARBON REDUCTION
We explore all locations on foot, whether on walking tours in the cities and towns, or hiking in Turgen Gorge and the Kolsai Lakes, this all helps reduce our reliance on vehicles, and our carbon footprint. Our customers get to travel alongside locals and admire wild, sweeping vistas on epic train rides across the Kazakh steppe.
We can always cater to vegetarian and vegan diets. Our tour leaders can communicate needs whether out for dinner, or grabbing a bite at a market. The amazing food provided by our host family at the home stay is tailored to provide authentic, seasonal meals, suitable for the groups’ needs.
ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
As a positive impact travel company, we work with all suppliers to reduce their carbon footprints at every level. Our tour leaders give a briefing at the welcome meeting to advise customers on how they can reduce the use of single use plastics, we take our rubbish with us when we are in any remote areas and provide our travellers with tote bags.
By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Foundation partner, Eden Reforestation Projects. Donations help them provide local employment opportunities and tackle climate change one tree at a time as they restore forests across 10 different countries.
People
LOCAL ECONOMY
It is an essential part of our ethos that we support and give back to the local communities we visit. On this trip we use locally-owned accommodation, including a two-night homestay in Saty Village.
This trip includes a number of included meals, all of which are provided by locally owned businesses. We also include a stop at a local winery, where we can support a local craft winemaker. Lunch is also provided here, a spread of amazing foods from local suppliers, such as cheesemakers.
EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
Since our inception it has been crucial we use local tour leaders, so we can support the communities we visit and give our travellers the best local experience.
Since 2018 we have been certified as a B Corp. Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Unlike other certifications for businesses, B Lab is unique in our ability to measure a company’s entire social and environmental impact.
