5 Day Private Tour Wild Nomad Expedition from Almaty

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Early Pickup, Arrival to Base & Full Day with Horses
4 stops
1
Almaty
Door-to-door pickup from your Almaty hotel at 5:00 AM. A comfortable 5–6 hour scenic drive through the foothills to our private base in the Zhylandy area, in the foothills of the Dzungarian Alatau mountains. Border zone permits arranged in advance. Arrival around 10–11 AM with welcome tea and breakfast.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
2
Lepsi Travel
After breakfast, meet your horse at our stables. Hands-on masterclass on saddling and horse care, taught the way our family has done it for generations. Calm, well-trained horses suitable for confident beginners and experienced riders.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
3
Lepsi Travel
A guided 4–6 hour horseback ride into the alpine meadows and along mountain streams, with stops for lunch and photos. We move at the pace of the group through landscapes accessible only on horseback.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
4
Lepsi Travel
Back at the stables, we walk the horses to cool them down, then unsaddle and brush them together — the same care routine taught by our family. After that, a traditional Kazakh archery masterclass — proper stance, draw and release, ending with a friendly contest as a cultural sport.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Jeep Expedition to Hidden Lake Zhasylkol
3 stops
5
Lepsi Travel
Morning at the base: full breakfast, gear preparation, and briefing from your guide before the day's expedition. Our team prepares the 4x4 vehicles, packs the trail lunch, and explains the route, safety procedures and what to expect on the mountain trails ahead.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
6
A 4x4 jeep expedition deep into the Dzungarian Alatau mountains to reach the hidden emerald-green Lake Zhasylkol — an alpine lake high in the mountains, accessible only by prepared off-road vehicles. We drive through mountain rivers and ancient pine forests, with stops for photos along the way. At the lake: free time to walk along the shore, swim for the brave, take photos, and enjoy a hot trail lunch on the water's edge. The water is famously clear and the colour shifts with the light — turquoise in morning, deep green in afternoon. Our armed safety guide accompanies the group throughout for protection in this wild border zone.
6 hours • Admission ticket included
7
Lepsi Travel
Return to the base by evening for a wood-fired Russian banya (sauna) by the mountain river — perfect after a long day on the trails. Time to relax, shower and change before dinner. Included in your tour.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 3
Uygentas Valley Expedition & Family Honey Farm
3 stops
8
A full-day expedition by 4x4 into the dramatic Uygentas valley, where alpine meadows meet rugged mountain passes. We drive through landscapes of pine forests, mountain streams and high-altitude pastures, with frequent stops for photos. This area is one of the most untouched parts of the Jetisu region — wildlife sightings are common, including deer, marmots and birds of prey. Our armed safety guide accompanies the group throughout. Hot trail lunch served in the open mountains.
5 hours • Admission ticket included
9
A visit to our family bee apiary located deep inside the national park — home to pesticide-free honey, certified and tested. You will meet the bees (from a safe distance with protective gear provided), see how raw honey is extracted, and tour our small production facility where everything from the hive to the jar happens by hand. From the same hives we produce a full natural product line — balms, soaps, herbal teas — sold in premium retail in Almaty (Galmart, Esentai Mall). The visit ends with a full tasting of different honeys, teas and natural products. Every guest takes home a small jar of our honey as a gift.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
10
Lepsi Travel
Return to the base in the evening for dinner around the open fire and a relaxed evening under the stars. Free time to walk around the homestead, meet our animals, or simply enjoy the quiet of the mountains after an active day.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Nomad Gastronomy Day: Lamb, Beshbarmak & Family Kitchen
4 stops
11
Lepsi Travel
A full immersion day into nomadic food culture at our family homestead. The day begins with a tour of the kitchen, garden and animals — meet the cows that give the milk for kumys and kaymak, see the herbs we grow, visit the clay oven and the open-fire kitchen where everything is cooked from scratch. Our family explains how a nomadic household runs and why food matters so much in this culture.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
12
Lepsi Travel
Hands-on preparation of the day's main dishes alongside our family cook. You will learn to knead and shape baursaks (fried dough) with your own hands, mix the wide noodles for beshbarmak the traditional way, and watch how kuyrdak is built in a heavy cast-iron pan over open fire. Every step is explained — why each ingredient matters, where it comes from, how nomadic families have cooked this for centuries. Guests participate as much or as little as they want.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
13
Lepsi Travel
A hands-on cow milking experience for guests who wish — our family teaches you the proper technique, and you taste the fresh warm milk straight from the source. Followed by a full tasting of kumys (fermented mare's milk) and shubat (fermented camel's milk) — drinks that have sustained nomads on these plains for a thousand years. Our family explains the history, the fermentation process, and the cultural meaning of each drink.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
14
Lepsi Travel
The full feast — everything you helped prepare, served together at a long family table. Beshbarmak shared from a single wide platter (five-fingers style), kuyrdak straight from the cast-iron pan, fresh baursaks with our family honey, salads from the garden, and slow conversation with our family. Tea from the wood-fired samovar continues throughout. This is the meal at the heart of every Kazakh celebration.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 5
Lake Alakol Relax Day & Return to Almaty
2 stops
15
A full relaxation day at the shores of Lake Alakol — a large salt lake known across Central Asia for its mineral water, said to have healing properties. Wide open beaches, clear water and dramatic skies. The whole day is yours: swimming, walking along the shore, sunbathing, and absorbing the silence after four active days in the mountains. Our team sets up a comfortable picnic spot with cushions, shade and refreshments. No rush, no schedule — this is your day to slow down before the journey home.
8 hours • Admission ticket included
16
Almaty
In the evening, comfortable 5–6 hour transfer back to your Almaty hotel. Snacks, water and tea provided for the road. Door-to-door drop-off at the same hotel where pickup was originally arranged.
6 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Not recommended for travelers with severe allergies to bee stings — the tour includes a visit to an active bee apiary

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