Tour to Altyn Emel and Charyn Canyon

Departure from Almaty at 09:00. Arrival in the reserve "Altyn Emel" at about 12:00. Excursion to the Singing Barkhan. Picnic in nature. Singing barkhan, reaching a height of 120 meters and a length of about 3 km, is a few kilometers from the Ili River between the Bolshaya and Maly Kalkan mountains. This sandy mountain consists of the tiniest purest sand, which, with gusts of wind, begins to "sing", and its sound resembles the sounds of an organ. Before the beginning of sandstorms the barkhan produces a sound similar to a drumbeat. From the top of the barkhana a grandiose panorama of the surrounding countryside opens up. In the south, there is a thin strip of the Ili River, the purple mountains of Sogety and Boguty, beyond which the ridges of Ketmen look out over the white peaks. From the west, the horizon covers the precipitous side of the Great Kalkan, from the east - the Lesser. And in the north behind it is visible a lilac-blue ridge of spurs of Dzungarian Alatau, Chulak, Matai and Altyn-Emel mountains. At their foot stretches a foothill valley, cut into thin strips of dry channels of rainwater. If the weather is dry and windy, then the barkhan will "sing" to you his song, which is spread over several kilometers. Transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at 07:30. Excursion to the mountains of Aktau and Katutau. Picnic in nature. Cretaceous mountains of Aktau (White Mountains) are a world famous paleontological deposit. In the layers of Paleogene lacustrine sediments, well-preserved remains of ancient animals are found whose age is estimated at 25-30 million years. Among the finds are the remains of giant rhinoceroses, crocodiles and turtles. The mountains of Aktau represent a spectacular spectacle of variety of shapes and shades. In the mountains of Katutau (Harsh mountains) there are several extinct volcanoes, where the most original forms of volcanic formations (frozen lava) have been preserved. There are also various outcrops and coloring (yellow, red, violet, etc.) of rocks and variegated clays, which give a unique appearance to the landscape of the mountains. The mountains of Katutau are the most waterless, steep and gloomy, characterized by steep slopes and numerous gorges. There is the largest number of argali and mountain goats. In the gorges there are many rock carvings with scenes of hunting and animals. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at 08:00. Transfer to the Ash grove on the river Temerlik. Excursion and picnic in nature. In the lower reaches of the Charyn River and its tributary Temirlik there is a unique place where the relict species of Sogdian ash grows. In this so-called "Valley of yurts", as the legend says, 5 million years ago a winged seed of the Sogdian ash was brought by some wind. Millions of years have passed, the mountains and climate have changed, the ancient era has gone down in history and with it the mammoths disappeared. But the ash remained. In 1964, the ashen grove was granted the status of the Natural Monument. In the grove are fenced four trees of about the same age. It is a kind of open-air museum. Botanists believe that these trees are more than a thousand years old. Transfer to the Charyn canyon. Excursion in the "Valley of Castles" Charyn Canyon is a natural natural complex, unique in its kind not only in Kazakhstan, but all over the world. It was formed during the Paleogene era and resembles the Grand Canyon of Colorado in North America, although it is inferior to it in size. The height of the steep slopes of the canyon reaches 150-300 m. It is struck by the extreme dismemberment of the relief: numerous beams and ravines form a dense, disorderly network. Wind and water have created here the most beautiful "Valley of Castles", where you are surrounded all the time by towers of bizarre form, composed of sedimentary rocks. The length of the valley is more than 2 km, width - 20-80 m. For millions of years nature has created a unique architecture, diligently and slowly built majestic castles. You can wander for hours on the outlandish towers and pillars, marveling at the wild fantasy of nature. Departure to Almaty at 16:00. Arrival in Almaty at 20:00 hours.