Big Almaty Lake tour by car till lake or by hiking

Name: Big Almaty Lake tour by car till lake or by hiking
Price: 45 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.22 (50 reviews)

Overview

Available languages

Arabic

German

Russian

Korean

Chinese

English

Italian

French

Spanish

Mobile ticket

Read before book!!! Best place to see around Almaty!

For last hours booking or any questions or special requests contact me WUP77012110150 BEFORE booking!

We will see a beautiful Almaty lake, located on 2500 meters above the sea, learn its history and the mountains surrounding it.

Choose drive by car till the lake or hiking

If you can not hike 6km uphill dont book hiking option!

if you want this tour private or include Shymbulak, big almaty peak, or Almarasan gorge-ask.

Hiking sticks and rain jackets available by request.

Normally we spent at lake about 40-60min

Please take comfortable shoes for all terrain walking and passport)

Also we can do any tour in Kazakstan and Kyrgyztan, Big Almaty peak tour, Koktobe tour, Almaty bike tour,Almaty city tour, Shymbulak tour, Charyn canyon tour, Kolsay lake tour, Kaindy lake tour, Almaty balloons tour, paragliding Almaty tour, shooting almaty tour, bogdanovich glacier tour, snowmobile Almaty tour.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

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

What To Expect

Big Almaty Lake

We will see big Almaty lake and surrounding mountains. Learn the history of lake and location. Walk around and see lake from different points.Total tour durations depends on city traffic.Also we can include in this tour Shymbulak or Almarasan by request.

4 hours • Admission Included

What‘s Included

Landing and facility fees

Air-conditioned vehicle

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Options

hiking from pick up point

by car from pick up point

Duration: 4 hours

Hiking 6 km with hotel pick up

12 km walk
Duration: 6 hours
Pickup included

by car with hotel pick up

Direct drive to the lake
Duration: 4 hours
Pickup included

Reviews

4.22

50 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Big lake almaty is well...
Jules C,Apr 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00
Big lake almaty is well worth a visit. However, I would highly recommend not booking with this tour provider. I contacted them the night before to confirm the start time and location. It’s advertised as 8am but they changed to 6:50 for no reason. Earlier start isn’t really the issue, it should just be advertised and communicated in advance. They also tried to make me cancel the booking… so I would instead pay them directly so they could save money.
Excellent tour with a professional and friendly guide 🌄
mohammadsheikh73,Apr 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I had a wonderful experience on the Big Almaty Lake tour, and it was truly one of the best days of my trip 🌄 Everything was very well organized from the beginning. The car was very clean and comfortable, and the driver arrived exactly on time at 7:00 in the morning, which made the start of the day very smooth. Our tour guide, Dmitry, was excellent. He was very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, and he shared a lot of useful information during the trip. He was also very kind and even gave us his phone number in case we needed help while staying in Kazakhstan, which I really appreciated. During the tour, we also visited a hot spring and saw a beautiful waterfall along the way, which made the experience even more enjoyable. At the end of the tour, he dropped each of us off exactly where we wanted in the city, which was very convenient. Overall, it was a fantastic day, very enjoyable and well organized. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Almaty 🌄✨
Winter wonderland
Clara W,Apr 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had a nice experience visiting Big Almaty Lake. Our guide/driver Dmitriy picked us up at our hotel, drove us to the area near the lake where we were transported on another vehicle to the lake. We had about an hour to explore the lake. It was a short but beautiful visit.
Get a taxi better
232gastond,Mar 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00
I paid 100usd for a guide , hiking , explanation of the lake and history... There was nothing , just a taxi to arrive , 40 minutes there , a taxi to come back ... No guide at all, couldn't even have time to get a coffee
Beautiful
charloteeak,Jan 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
10km walk along road to and from lake, best conditions underfoot in snowy conditions. Vlad the guide was very kind and informative about the area and Kazakhstan generally. Please ensure you treat this like any other hike, snacks and water etc. Lake is in a border zone, ensure you take passport. Breathtaking views and an incredible amount of snow !
Early start. Ask for...
Bevin H,Jan 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00
Early start. Ask for hotel collection. You transfer near the lake after a 300 metre walk. Incredible lake and you have about 40 minutes. If you are doing the Canyon and two lakes then no need to do this lake as well. It is actually more expensive than the Canyon tour.
Hiking guide
VinthuNair H,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
My friend and I had a wonderful hiking experience with our guide, Victor. He was very friendly and shared a lot of interesting information about Big Almaty Mountain. Highly recommended.
Great hike and guide, thank you Viktor!
Kate S,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Went by myself at the end of a work trip to Almaty. It was a beautiful hike and Viktor, our young guide, was knowledgeable and you can tell he loves to do this job. I am so glad I did this, because going alone would be impossible. Totally worth it!! BUT a tip: the hike is close to 18km, it's not 6km. It will take you between 5-7 hours to hike in total with steep ascent. Come prepared!!!! The tour company was communicative when reaching out via WhatsApp, but did not make the distance clear 🌟😂 It was still worth it. Once in a lifetime experience.
Amazing view , rushed trip, overpriced
Reginald C,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00
Big Almaty Lake is beautiful and definitely worth seeing — the view is amazing. But the tour itself felt rushed. They only gave us about 40 minutes at the lake, which wasn’t enough to really explore or enjoy the area. It was also just one destination for the whole trip, so overall it felt a bit overpriced for the time given.
I'd love more of it
natalysF9809BL,Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
The trip was extremely short, which may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on the situation. We were talked into taking this tour instead so in case of bad weather we don't get stuck during a longer excursion. But the weather was just perfect, so cutting the mountain experience short was a disappointment. During our tour there was an emegency but the guide handled it so we wouldn't know if not told. Props to him! During our off-season visit there were no crowds and our own group was comfortably small. The sight itself is a thing to see, mountains are beautiful, the lake water turquoise and nice spots on the slope to take pictures. Besides going by the asphalt road to it on foot that locals do, there's pretty much nothing else to do, as the lake shore is guarded by the military. So, it's a quite brief and harmless experience for people who would like to see the nature but don't go hikes or don't want to spend much time doing it.

From US$45.00

4.22

(50 reviews)

Free cancellation

Check availability

Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour

Related Experiences

Operated by DAO Travel

Big Almaty Lake tour by car till lake or by hiking

Overview

Available languages

Arabic

German

Russian

Korean

Chinese

English

Italian

French

Spanish

Mobile ticket

Read before book!!! Best place to see around Almaty!

For last hours booking or any questions or special requests contact me WUP77012110150 BEFORE booking!

We will see a beautiful Almaty lake, located on 2500 meters above the sea, learn its history and the mountains surrounding it.

Choose drive by car till the lake or hiking

If you can not hike 6km uphill dont book hiking option!

if you want this tour private or include Shymbulak, big almaty peak, or Almarasan gorge-ask.

Hiking sticks and rain jackets available by request.

Normally we spent at lake about 40-60min

Please take comfortable shoes for all terrain walking and passport)

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

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

What To Expect

Big Almaty Lake

4 hours • Admission Included

What‘s Included

Landing and facility fees

Air-conditioned vehicle

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Options

hiking from pick up point

by car from pick up point

Duration: 4 hours

Hiking 6 km with hotel pick up

12 km walk
Duration: 6 hours
Pickup included

by car with hotel pick up

Direct drive to the lake
Duration: 4 hours
Pickup included

Reviews

4.22

50 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Big lake almaty is well...
Jules C,Apr 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00
Big lake almaty is well worth a visit. However, I would highly recommend not booking with this tour provider. I contacted them the night before to confirm the start time and location. It’s advertised as 8am but they changed to 6:50 for no reason. Earlier start isn’t really the issue, it should just be advertised and communicated in advance. They also tried to make me cancel the booking… so I would instead pay them directly so they could save money.
Excellent tour with a professional and friendly guide 🌄
mohammadsheikh73,Apr 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I had a wonderful experience on the Big Almaty Lake tour, and it was truly one of the best days of my trip 🌄 Everything was very well organized from the beginning. The car was very clean and comfortable, and the driver arrived exactly on time at 7:00 in the morning, which made the start of the day very smooth. Our tour guide, Dmitry, was excellent. He was very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, and he shared a lot of useful information during the trip. He was also very kind and even gave us his phone number in case we needed help while staying in Kazakhstan, which I really appreciated. During the tour, we also visited a hot spring and saw a beautiful waterfall along the way, which made the experience even more enjoyable. At the end of the tour, he dropped each of us off exactly where we wanted in the city, which was very convenient. Overall, it was a fantastic day, very enjoyable and well organized. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Almaty 🌄✨
Winter wonderland
Clara W,Apr 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had a nice experience visiting Big Almaty Lake. Our guide/driver Dmitriy picked us up at our hotel, drove us to the area near the lake where we were transported on another vehicle to the lake. We had about an hour to explore the lake. It was a short but beautiful visit.
Get a taxi better
232gastond,Mar 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00
I paid 100usd for a guide , hiking , explanation of the lake and history... There was nothing , just a taxi to arrive , 40 minutes there , a taxi to come back ... No guide at all, couldn't even have time to get a coffee
Beautiful
charloteeak,Jan 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
10km walk along road to and from lake, best conditions underfoot in snowy conditions. Vlad the guide was very kind and informative about the area and Kazakhstan generally. Please ensure you treat this like any other hike, snacks and water etc. Lake is in a border zone, ensure you take passport. Breathtaking views and an incredible amount of snow !
Early start. Ask for...
Bevin H,Jan 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00
Early start. Ask for hotel collection. You transfer near the lake after a 300 metre walk. Incredible lake and you have about 40 minutes. If you are doing the Canyon and two lakes then no need to do this lake as well. It is actually more expensive than the Canyon tour.
Hiking guide
VinthuNair H,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
My friend and I had a wonderful hiking experience with our guide, Victor. He was very friendly and shared a lot of interesting information about Big Almaty Mountain. Highly recommended.
Great hike and guide, thank you Viktor!
Kate S,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Went by myself at the end of a work trip to Almaty. It was a beautiful hike and Viktor, our young guide, was knowledgeable and you can tell he loves to do this job. I am so glad I did this, because going alone would be impossible. Totally worth it!! BUT a tip: the hike is close to 18km, it's not 6km. It will take you between 5-7 hours to hike in total with steep ascent. Come prepared!!!! The tour company was communicative when reaching out via WhatsApp, but did not make the distance clear 🌟😂 It was still worth it. Once in a lifetime experience.
Amazing view , rushed trip, overpriced
Reginald C,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00
Big Almaty Lake is beautiful and definitely worth seeing — the view is amazing. But the tour itself felt rushed. They only gave us about 40 minutes at the lake, which wasn’t enough to really explore or enjoy the area. It was also just one destination for the whole trip, so overall it felt a bit overpriced for the time given.
I'd love more of it
natalysF9809BL,Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
The trip was extremely short, which may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on the situation. We were talked into taking this tour instead so in case of bad weather we don't get stuck during a longer excursion. But the weather was just perfect, so cutting the mountain experience short was a disappointment. During our tour there was an emegency but the guide handled it so we wouldn't know if not told. Props to him! During our off-season visit there were no crowds and our own group was comfortably small. The sight itself is a thing to see, mountains are beautiful, the lake water turquoise and nice spots on the slope to take pictures. Besides going by the asphalt road to it on foot that locals do, there's pretty much nothing else to do, as the lake shore is guarded by the military. So, it's a quite brief and harmless experience for people who would like to see the nature but don't go hikes or don't want to spend much time doing it.