What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• WASTE OF TIME - tour may not happen - DO NOT book with this company

  Winnie H,May 16, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  1.00

  On the day of tour, I arrived 10 minutes early to the meeting point and saw 2 others waiting as well. We waited over an hour (no exaggeration), and the company never informed us the status of the tour. We all messaged the company with no response back. I had to contact Viator support, who then let me know the tour is canceled but with no reason. When I talked to the 2 others, one of them informed me that finally, 1 hour AFTER starting time, the company messaged her saying the tour is canceled due to the van being broken. Where was the communication prior to the tour, or at least at the start time? Awful company and waste of time. Do not book with them - you've been warned. Also, if you take a look at their other reviews, others have complained about the tour never happening. Shame on this company and shame on Viator on continuing to let this happen.

• 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.

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