All activities / Trekking / Hiking / Kolsai Lakes
Trekking / Hiking in Kolsai Lakes
A chain of three alpine lakes in the Northern Tian Shan above the village of Saty, southeast of Almaty, linked by forest trails and paired with the sunken spruce forest of Kaindy Lake and the sandstone Valley of Castles at Charyn Canyon.
Why here
The Kolsai Lakes are the classic hiking circuit of the Northern Tian Shan, three glacial lakes strung up a spruce-lined valley at between 1,800 and roughly 2,850 metres. The walk from the first to the second lake is the signature day, and strong parties can push on to the third lake near the Kyrgyz border. Most trips pair Kolsai with two neighbours that make the region special: Kaindy Lake, where a line of drowned spruce trunks still stands upright in water dammed by the 1911 Kebin earthquake, and Charyn Canyon's Valley of Castles, a red sandstone gorge often compared to a smaller Grand Canyon. It is a two to three day loop from Almaty, at its best when the larches turn and the light is clean.
Best months
The main walking season runs late spring through early autumn, roughly May to October, with September bringing gold larch colour and stable weather. The lakes sit at altitude so nights are cold even in summer and afternoon storms build fast. The first-to-second-lake hike is a solid half day with real climb, while Kaindy and Charyn are shorter walks reached by rough road. A permit applies inside the Kolsai Lakes national park.
Getting there & around
The trailhead is above Saty village, about a five to six hour drive southeast of Almaty on a road that turns rough near the lakes, so most visitors travel with a driver-guide or on an organised trip rather than self-driving. Kaindy Lake needs a short four-wheel-drive transfer and a walk, and Charyn Canyon sits on the way back toward the city. Guesthouses in Saty are the usual base for a two or three day loop.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (2)
Almaty Expeditions
OutfitterAlmaty Expeditions, also branded Discover Almaty, is a local operator based on Raimbek Street in Almaty that runs guided hiking and trekking across the Northern Tian Shan. Its programme covers the Kolsai Lakes, the sunken forest of Kaindy Lake, Charyn Canyon and the coloured Aktau mountains of Altyn-Emel, plus longer Tian Shan traverses and Khan Tengri base-camp trips. Trips are built around guides who lead the routes themselves, from a day walk to a multi-week expedition.
Kazakhstan Guided Tours
OutfitterKazakhstan Guided Tours is an Almaty-based operator, running since 2018 from an office in the Navoi Towers business centre on Zhandosov Street. It specialises in the Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes plus Charyn Canyon circuit, offered as one, two and multi-day trips with English and Russian speaking guides in small-group or private formats. It holds a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice recognition and books directly, with transport, guesthouse nights and park entries arranged as part of the trip.