Lotus Tour

Itinerary title: Lotus Tour
Days of tour: 5

Day 1: Nur-Sultan
After arrival at the airport, our driver will meet you and start your “Lotus Tour”. He will transfer you to Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan. Before renaming, the capital was called as Astana. Nur-Sultan is the name of the first president of Republic of Kazakhstan. On the day of arrival, you will get acquainted with the sights of the country. We will visit such places as the Constitution Square, Museum of the First President, the largest and unique shopping center Khan Shatyr. Then we will take the elevator to the top of the Astana-Baiterek monument, where you can admire the magnificent panorama of the Kazakhstan capital from the special observation deck. Then we will cross Ishym river and get to the Kazakh Eli Square. There we will visit another unique project - the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, and also see the extraordinary beauty of Khazret Sultan mosque. Then the tour route will take us to National Museum of History of Kazakhstan. The huge blue-glass-and-white-marble museum covers the history and culture of Kazakhstan from ancient to modern times. Themed halls comprise interactive displays and artifact exhibits, ranging from a yurt in the Hall of Ethnography to a chronicle of the capital's modern history in the Hall of Astana. These are what you will discover during this amazing tour in amazing Kazakhstan. At the end of the tour you will be transferred to the hotel where you will spend the night.

Day 2: Nur-Sultan – Ethno village – Nur-Sultan
Today you will get acquainted with the culture of the country in Ethno village. You will have a gastronomic experience, consisting of cooking traditional dishes yourself and you will have an acquaintance with the secrets of traditional culinary arts. Kazakhstan is country of rich cultural heritage, because people here were spaced at the crossroad of both Eastern and Western cultures. Also, you will be able to participate in the process of manufacturing of “sazsyrnay”, the ancient Kazakh musical instrument. During the day you will also have unique opportunity to participate in the process of construction of yurt- a traditional dwelling of the nomads. It is an extraordinary process, because it requires some special skills which is going from ancient times till nowadays, passed down from generation to generation. You will not only observe, but also join to the construction process.  You will be offered to try Kazakh national clothes and dance the national dance "Kara zhorga" at the end of the program, where you will feel yourself as a real Kazakh.  On continuation we will visit EXPO museum and the triumphal arch “Mangilik El”. It is one of the most recognizable architectural structures in Nur-Sultan. The name of the arch means "Eternal Country". The arch is 20 meters high. Having visited this place, you can get to know the culture of Kazakhstan, learn the history of the capital, visit the exhibition hall, admire the facing and interior decorated with all sorts of symbols, ornaments and sculptures that have their own special meaning. At the end of the prodctive day you will be transferred to the hotel to spend the night.

Day 3: Nur-Sultan – Almaty
Today in the morning you will have a flight to Almaty city. The tour in Almaty starts with sightseeing in central part of the city. You will get acquainted with the major attractions and visit Green Bazaar. It is a popular place for townspeople, where no one can refrain from shopping. On the continuation of the tour will be Panfilov Park, the one of the oldest parks in Almaty. Here Zenkov Cathedral is located, which is considered as one of the most beautiful wooden buildings in the world. After visiting the Memorial of Glory and Eternal Flame, you will have an exploration of sport, cultural and business areas of the city. Then you will get to the well-known skating rink in the world to Medeu Gorge. After the gorge, we will get to the Kok-Tobe hill, where the tallest TV. There we will get by the picturesque winding mountain road. In this Park it is possible to stroll along the winding paths of the park and admire the magnificent panorama of the city from the special observation. We will end the tour with the short ride from the top of the hill to the center of the city by the famous Almaty cableway. At the end of the day, you will stay in a hotel to spend the night.

Day 4: Almaty – Charyn – Almaty
Today’s day is devoted to an excursion in Charyn Canyon. It has been described as the Grand Canyon’s little brother. The Canyon itself is approximately 150 km long, and, in places up to 300 meters deep. It is a natural complex, unique in its kind not only in Kazakhstan but also worldwide. It was formed during Paleogene and reminds the Grand Canyon of Colorado River in North America, although inferior to it in size. Extraordinary dissection of the terrain is striking: the numerous ravines form a dense, chaotic network. Wind and water have created the beautiful "Valley of Castles", where you are always surrounded by the fancy towers composed of sedimentary rocks. The length of the valley is more than 2 km, width - 20-80 meters. For millions of years the nature has been creating a unique architecture, erecting magnificent castles carefully and slowly. You can spend hours walking among the strange towers and columns, being surprised by the wild imagination of the nature. After returning back to the city, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Day 5: Flight
Today you are returning back your home. In the morning the transfer will take you to the airport.