Big Almaty Lake: Choose Your Adventure

Explore Big Almaty Lake: Hike or drive to this stunning natural gem. Enjoy breathtaking views, a visitor center, and more. Contact us for details.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Big Almaty Lake - Big Almaty Lake: A Natural Gem for Tourists

Big Almaty Lake, located in the Tien Shan mountain range near Almaty, Kazakhstan, is a must-visit for nature enthusiasts and adventurers. This alpine reservoir boasts crystal-clear turquoise waters surrounded by snow-capped peaks, offering a serene ambiance for relaxation and photography.

What's Included
  • Hiking poles
  • Raincoat
  • English speaking guide
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • All fees and/or taxes
What's Not Included
  • Hiking boots
  • Snacks
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Join us for an adventure to Big Almaty Lake in Ile-Alatau National Park, a “must-see” natural attraction near the city. Choose from a 14 km hike and a direct car drive.

For those who want to hike, be prepared for a moderate climb. We’ll embark on a 2-3 hour trek to the lake, spend two hours there, and then retrace our steps. Hiking boots are required, but trekking poles and raincoats are provided.

The car option includes a comfortable ride from your hotel, 60 minutes at the lake. The pick-up time may change depending on the situation at the security gates. A visit to the Ayusay Visitor Center, Almarasan hot springs, First President Park and a 40-minute falcon show can be arranged directly with the guide.

For bookings within the last 24 hours, please contact us via WhatsApp before making a reservation!

We also offer hiking tours, and tours to Charyn Canyon, Kaindy, Kolsai, Issyk lakes, and more. For further information, contact us via WhatsApp at +77080767571.

Location
Big Almaty Lake
Ili-Alatau National Park
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(17 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rochelle_b
Sep 7, 2024
W.O.W - We booked a car tour and visited the lake and the Ayusai Center. Yerkin, our tour guide, speaks excellent English! We learned a lot from him about history, culture, and he also gave us tips on other sights to see and places to eat in Kazakhstan. He even brought us chocolate and tea! Thank you! Highly recommended tour.
Review provided by Viator
F1514gffabiom
Sep 5, 2024
Excellent tour; highly recommend. fantastic view and experience. Yerkin is great - It was an excellent choice. highly recommend. Yerkin (the guide) was fantastic! picked us on time at our hotel, with a nice comfortable car. explained everything. the tour exceeded all expectations. Yerkin knows everything, and took great care of us. if you have short time, pick by car option. only walk if you are really fit. the altitude is high, if you are not well prepared physically, walking for 2,5 hours up the mountain will be extreme. The view at the top is really worth it. I was positvely well surprised with Almaty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joanna_t
Sep 4, 2024
Thank you Yervin - Yervin was an excellent guide, he was very helpful and informative. Trip was great, lake and surrounded area definitely a must see while in Almaty.
Review provided by Viator
Wanderlust77n
Aug 31, 2024
Great afternoon tour of the lake - This was a great afternoon tour to visit big Almaty lake. I chose the option to drive all the way to the lake. The tour guide was thoughtful & helpful with taking photos & also bringing delicious Kazakhstan chocolate, a large thermos of tea to drink & a flag I could use in my photos. I recommend this tour & the tour guide Yerkin.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ankita_r
Aug 23, 2024
Amazing trip to Big Almaty - Our guide was extremely pleasant and well spoken. He even brought us warm tea and kazakh chocolates to eat. Clicked some wonderful pictures of us and even dropped us at a pleasant doner kebab place for snacks. Will recommend this for those travelling to Almaty first time
Review provided by Viator
Artexpressionsarojin
Aug 12, 2024
Heavenly experience! - The Big Almaty Lake must be one of the most beautiful serene spots in the world! Do take a tour by car. It takes you to a point where u can view the lake and then walk down to it if u feel like. Permission is restricted and There are no restaurants or toilets nearby so be prepared for a short stay where you can soak in the beauty and head back soon. Enroute- don’t miss a short visit to the small but pretty ayusan waterfalls
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rizzleandbizzle
Jul 25, 2024
A beautiful morning at the lake - A beautiful morning at the Big Almaty Lake. We were short on time in Almaty so chose to do the trip by car. Yerkin was amazing, we could not have wished for a better guide. He was punctual with the pick-up and chatted with us in the car about the city and country, etc. He is so chilled and helps you to takes great photos. I would absolutely recommend Yerkin for an unforgettable trip to the lake.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ranjeet_o
Jul 21, 2024
Beautiful lake at the end of an exciting trek. - The trek up the pipeline route was tough but exciting. It was totally worth it once we had reached the top.
Review provided by Viator
Szeyoong_j
May 22, 2024
Best experience going to Big Lake Almaty - Yerkin is punctual, speaks perfect English, and was very patient in explaining to us about Almaty city and Big Lake Almaty. It's everything as described, bringing us to see the beautiful lake with the mountain scenes. He helped us to take perfect photos and was there every step of the way when we hiked to the waterfall. The whole tour was at least 6 hours and when it ended he dropped us at a restaurant that was further than our hotel. We really appreciated how well everything went and would highly recommend him to anyone who would like to explore Almaty and the Big Lake Almaty. 👍👍
Review provided by Viator
Ragul_p
Jun 25, 2024
Enjoy the turquoise almaty lake. Hike would be better - The trip to big Almaty lake was good but i feel it’s more pricey than rest of the trips. I had booked the hike but was upgraded to ride up to the lake. We stopped on the way in a waterfall and went to the lake and on the way back we stopped in another waterfall and spent some time in the tourist centre. The guide was sweet and he shared a lot of info about Almaty. I feel the time in the lake could be more than spending time in the tourist centre place. Currently it’s an hours time, it can be more given that the highlight of the trip
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 12 guests
1 Adult
October 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today