East Kazakhstan Photography Workshop

Dates: May 4-12, 2027

Adventure like you have never adventured before! I have joined forces with the ever talented Isabella Tabacchi to create all new photography tour. Discover the wild heart of the Almaty Region on our exclusive East Kazakhstan Photo Tour. This is a 9-day photography journey through breathtaking mountains, pristine lakes, vast valleys, small deserts and endless steppe landscapes.

Designed for passionate photographers and nature lovers alike, this immersive experience will take you deep into the soul of the Tian Shan mountains, where 7000 meter-high, snow-capped peaks, alpine meadows, and incredible turquoise lakes offer endless inspiration and creative opportunities.

We will explore iconic natural gems such as Aktau Mountains, Charyn Canyon, the surreal Kaindy Lake, and we will immortalize the perfect pyramid of Khan Tengri (7010 m) from many points of view. Expect ever-changing landscapes, magical light, multicoloured fields of flowers and authentic encounters with the spirit of Central Asia.

This experience offers warm hospitality on every day of exploration. You’ll be staying in local guest houses, each providing private single rooms. In the remote Bayankol Gorge we will stay in a refuge with two-four beds per room and a shared bathroom, as this incredible location is very remote and largely uninhabited along the border with China.

All accommodations and meals are included, and we will always travel in comfortable 4×4 vehicles with 10 years experienced local drivers and guides who know the land inside and out. There are two short walks, one to reach Kaindy Lake, the other to reach the best spot in the Aktau mountains. All other locations are near the cars.

Whether you’re building your portfolio, reconnecting with nature, or simply chasing the perfect light, this adventure is your invitation to witness East Kazakhstan’s most photogenic secrets.

Are you ready to chase light through the land of mountains and legends?

What’s Included in the East Kazakhstan Photo Tour

  • Professional landscape photography coaching by the award winning Isabella Tabacchi and Rachel Jones Ross throughout the entire tour.
  • Daily photography support: on-location coaching, editing sessions, and portfolio reviews
  • All local transportation by comfortable, air-conditioned 4×4 vehicles with experienced local drivers
  • All accommodations in local guest houses
    • Single room for each participant in all the locations except Bayankol
    • Stay in a remote refuge in Bayankol gorge with all the meals included.
  • All meals during the tour, including:
    • Breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea & coffee
    • Homemade meals prepared by locals
  • Photography permits and access to all planned locations
  • Local guides born in the Almaty region and with a huge knowledge of the Kazakh landscape and culture.
  • Transfers to and from the Almaty airport to the first hotel.
  • Drinking water throughout the trip
  • Pre-departure assistance: gear recommendations and packing tips

What’s Not Included in the East Kazakhstan Photo Tour

  • International flights to/from Almaty, Kazakhstan
  • Travel insurance (required – must cover adventure travel and medical emergencies)
  • Visa fees (not usually required for stays under 30 days, but we’ll guide you if needed)
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Personal snacks or special dietary items
  • Souvenirs or personal expenses
  • Tips for local guides and drivers

Itinerary at a Glance:

Day 1 – Arrival in Almaty
Meet at Almaty International Airport and transfer to our first hotel in the city. After some time to rest, we’ll gather for a traditional Kazakh dinner in the downtown, the perfect start to our adventure and a chance to get to know the group.

Day 2 – Aktau Mountains & Altyn Emel National Park
Begin exploring the surreal, multicolored Aktau Mountains inside Altyn Emel National Park. Multicolor painted hills, desert formations with huge mud cracks in the foreground, and the vast silence of one of Kazakhstan’s most unique landscapes. We will stay in a guest house in a town near the national park, but we will also photograph the Milky Way over this spectacular desert. For this purpose, we will build tents and comfortable sleeping places for everyone who wishes some rest.

Day 3 – Charyn Canyon
Journey into the “Grand Canyon of Central Asia,” where the Valley of Castles and winding gorges offer endless compositions. Sunrise and sunset photography sessions will reveal the canyon’s fiery colors. Overnight stay near Charyn Canyon.

Day 4 – Kaindy Lake
Photograph the otherworldly Kaindy Lake, famous for its sunken forest of spruce trees rising from turquoise waters. A rare and mystical location perfect for creating surreal landscape imagery. Editing session and overnight stay in a guest house near Kaindy lake.

Day 6, 7 & 8 – Khan Tengri, Salt lakes, Snake river & Bayankol Gorge

Travel to the remote Bayankol Gorge, a wild valley near the borderlands that offers awe-inspiring views of Khan Tengri, the “Lord of the Sun,” the perfect pyramids and one of the most iconic peaks of the Tian Shan. Explore incredible 7000 meters mountain views with abandoned gold mines, capture sunset at the incredible snake River, and take aerial shots of the nearby salt lakes. These days are the heart of the expedition, combining mountain majesty with the pure essence of Kazakhstan, the magical hills, green meadows with colorful flowers and out of this World aerial photography (in each location there will be points of view for aerial and standard landscape photography). 

Day 9 – Return to Almaty

Head back to Almaty and spend the final day near the city center. Enjoy cultural exploration, street photography, and a portfolio review session to refine your best images and share the highlights of the journey.

Your Guides:

Rachel Jones  Ross is an award-winning landscape and nightscape photographer, celebrated for her evocative, star-filled imagery that bridges the terrestrial and celestial. Hailing from the rugged Canadian Rockies, her work captures the magical interplay of night skies and vast wilderness landscapes.

Her images articulate the profound beauty of the cosmos with technical precision and emotional depth.

A recognized expert in astro-photography, Rachel is a Sony Alpha Ambassador and a PhotoPills Master, actively sharing her knowledge through workshops across Canada, Norway, Finland, and Mongolia. Her teaching and talks are infused with practical insights, from executing night compositions to managing gear in extreme cold, making her a trusted mentor in both landscape and night-sky photography.

Isabella Tabacchi is an award winning landscape photographer, internationally recognized for her evocative, emotional, and dreamlike photographic style. 

Isabella explored the most remote places in Kazakhstan (in the Almaty region and Mangystau… just a few are missing! 😉 and knows all the best photography spots and the secrets of these incredible remote places.

Isabella is Fujifilm GFX Ambassador and DJI SkyPixel Creator, has been part of the Grand Jury of the Hasselblad Masters 2021, received the title of Photographer of the Year in Moscow International Foto Awards (MIFA). 

Third prize winner in the International Landscape Photographer of the year 2020 and 2023, 1 place winner in the Xposure Awards in UAE, Top 10 Photos Winners in the DJI SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest.

More Details:

The total price of this workshop is $5000.

To secure your place on the Almaty Region Photo Tour, a non-refundable deposit of USD 1500 is required at the time of booking. This deposit allows us to arrange accommodations, transportation, and logistics for this exclusive photography adventure. The remaining balance ($3500) is due 90 days before the tour start date.

Spaces are limited to 10, book early to ensure your spot!

$0.00 – $3,500.00