KAZAKHSTAN: One-day tour

Kazakhstan – Tien Shan Mountains

The mountains of Almaty are the most northern edge of the vast Himalayas and home to a plethora of exciting species. A short drive into the foothills from our starting point in Almaty will allow finding rubythroats, tit-warblers, grosbeaks, and exquisite rosefinches.

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Kazakhstan - Charyn Canyon

The magnificent Charyn Canyon is a geologically small sister of the Grand Canyon from the U.S.A. It's an excellent place to explore during a day trip. Here we have good opportunities to find Asian Desert Warbler, Pallas's Sandgrouse, Asian Crimson-winged Finch, and Pied Wheatear!

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Russia

An excellent day would be to visit Lake Baikal and combine it with some gorgeous Siberian Taiga holding loads of eastern gems. During a tour, we can focus on Brown Shrike. Blyth's Pipit and Daurian Jackdaw. While the endangered Yellow-breasted Buntings sing their heart out in a nearby marsh during the drive.

Machiel Valkenburg ©
Uzbekistan

The cultural heart of the ancient Silk Road lies in Uzbekistan. Besides the many natural treasures, during an afternoon excursion, we visit some of the best cultural highlights of the world. Top birds include Yellow-breasted Azure Tit, Turkestan Ground-Jay, and Marbled Duck.

Machiel Valkenburg ©

One-day tour

Our one-day ventures are set up especially for those visiting the region for business or family holidays and still want to venture out for a birding day or a few. These trips are suitable for both single persons or larger groups (we, for example, hosted an entire embassy) and possible at any time of the year. We can welcome you around Almaty, Nur-Sultan, Tashkent, and Irkutsk for a fully custom-designed tour of your liking. We can assist you with a full-blown logistical operation, including hotels and meals, or provide a professional ornithological guide with a driver for the chosen period.

Our experienced office staff is here to help you plan your perfect day out into the wild. There are several options which we could offer around the metropole of Almaty. The Big Almaty Lake area is one of our clients' favorites to visit, just 20km south of Almaty. During a one-day visit, it is possible to find most of the mountainous species breeding at altitude. However, in the winter months, with intensive snowfall, the resident high-altitude birds descend to lower regions and become a lot easier to sight. Think of species like Red-fronted Rosefinch, Spotted Great Rosefinch, and Brandt's Mountain-finch. An excellent selection for your trip would be the Kaskelen part of the Ilie-Alatau National Park. Unfortunately, the main attraction, such as Siberian Meadow Bunting, is available only during breeding. Prolonged trips show a wide selection of places to visit, from Sorbulak Lake, Taukum Desert, Topar & Zheltorangly Turanga Forests, Altyn Emel, to the magnificent Charyn Canyon.

May you be located in Nur-Sultan (Astana) city, we have the option to visit the Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve. This unique steppe location is always good for large numbers of birds, with the legendary Black Lark always being around to entertain the visitors. Other top birds include Sociable Lapwing, White-winged Lark, Booted Warbler, and grand colonies of Pallas's Gulls. Winter times create an excellent possibility for fantastic Snowy Owls. In addition, the marshes surrounding the city suit up to 60 species of waterfowl, and a breeding population of Pine Buntings are just within reach.

Contact us for more in-depth information on birding around Uzbekistan and Russia, and we will come back to you with an exciting individual program.

COMFORT

What’s Included?

Expert English-speaking Rubythroat wildlife guide.
English-speaking Russian/Kazakh cultural guide throughout.
Full board meals in restaurants or picknick lunches in the field, depending on the itinerary.
All land transfers by comfortable Mercedes Sprinter or Toyota Land Cruiser 4WD.