Top Almaty How to Get Around in 2026

Enjoy the incredibly beautiful scenery of the big Almaty lake without hiking. Our tour provide all transfers directly to the lake round trip. First, we will visit Big Almaty Lake, which is about a 1 hour drive from Almaty City. On the way to the lake, you will observe the beautiful mountains, crowded pine trees, and landscape. Big Almaty Lake is a natural alpine reservoir. It is located in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, 15 km south of the center of Almaty in Kazakhstan. The lake is 2511 meters above sea level. After we will visit Alma Arasan hot springs. A picturesque gorge in Zailiysky Alatau in the south-west of Almaty (height ~1780-1827 m) near the Big Almaty lake, known for its hot radon springs. This is a popular holiday destination with the Prokhodnaya River, restaurants, sanatoriums and well-maintained hiking trails, accessible all year round.

Escape the crowds and enjoy a private tour of Almaty with hotel pickup and drop-off. See the exquisite natural landscapes of Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes, surrounded by forest and mountains. Take in the unique scenery with plenty of time to stop and take photographs. Visit the incredible Charyn Canyon, with dramatic and unique rock formations.

In just one day, you will explore several of the most iconic natural attractions around Almaty, making this journey both diverse and unforgettable. From the dramatic landscapes of Charyn, Black, and Moon Canyons to the crystal-clear waters of Kolsai Lake and the surreal submerged forest of Kaindy Lake, each stop offers a completely different impression. The experience becomes even more special with a visit to a traditional Kazakh village, where you can enjoy local cuisine and warm hospitality. Comfortable transportation, off-road access to remote locations, and a professional English-speaking guide make the journey smooth, enriching, and easy to enjoy.

Your private adventure begins at 5:30 AM with hotel pickup in a comfortable 4x4 SUV. Drive through Kazakhstan's scenic countryside to Kolsai Lake, where you'll have free time to explore and take photos. Enjoy an optional lunch overlooking the lake before continuing to the famous Kaindy Lake. From the parking area, it's a 15-minute walk, or you can take a local UAZ shuttle or horse (extra cost). In the afternoon, visit the breathtaking Charyn Canyon during golden hour for unforgettable views. Optional safari shuttle available inside the canyon. Return to Almaty around 8:00 PM. Feel free to ask your guide to take photos—we'll be happy to capture your memories! Optional extras: lunch, horse ride, UAZ transfer, and canyon shuttle.

Get to know Almaty better on a private, half-day guided tour of the city. This tour is ideal for first-time visitors who have just arrived. Avoid the risk of getting lost or struggling with public transport in a different language, as taking a tour makes sightseeing easy. Visit Almaty highlights such as the Central Mosque and Kok-Tobe Hill, from where you can admire the views.

We will explore the pure nature and historical architectures of Almaty city during the whole day. The only thing we guarantee is that you have chosen the best option for your Almaty city tour.

Guided 4-hour walking food tour lets you experience Almaty like a local, in an authentic neighborhood where people live, eat and shop. You’ll get to escape the crowds and really get a glimpse of daily life while tasting the best of what the city has to offer. You’ll visit our local market and meet the vendors who have been there for generations, and taste the most delicious Kazak Food such as Beshparmak,Kazy,Baursaki and so much more. You’ll also be sampling everything from classic Kazakh dishes to a typical Kazakh street food snack. Along the way, your local guide will entertain and educate you with stories and insights into Kazakh’s culture and history, while exploring the city’s most fascinating offbeat landmarks. There is no better way to really live like a local than on our Taste of Almaty Food Tour

Immerse yourself in some of Kazakhstan’s most picturesque scenery—and make exploring beyond Almaty city limits a hassle-free experience—on this small-group day trip. Look forward to checking off three key sights in a single trip: the rugged Charyn Canyon and its Valley of Castles, the mirror-like Kolsai Lake, and Lake Kaindy, where you can enjoy a horseback-riding adventure. Savor a restorative local meal along the way for the full cultural experience.

7:00 AM — departure from your hotel by jeep/SUV. Drive 80 km (about 2 hours). First stop — Issyk Lake (1,760 meters above sea level). Time for a walk and photos. Next — a 1-hour hike to Bear Waterfall. The trail is suitable for both children and seniors. Time to relax, take photos, and swim if you’d like. Hike back to the car — about 1 hour. Drive to a trout farm — около 1 hour. Fishing is optional (extra charge). Your catch can be cooked on site. Lunch. Return to Almaty — about 2 hours. Hotel drop-off around 6:00 PM. Feel free to ask your guide to take photos throughout the day!

Our tour programme is really unique, during one day guests visit 6 interesting, different locations in the canyons of Charyn River. In addition to walking inside the popular Castle Valley Canyon (Location # 1), we offer guests a visit to the observation deck, the view from the top of Castle Valley Canyon is a breathtaking view of the entire canyon (Location # 2). Next we visit Moon Canyon with a truly lunar, ethereal scale, the ground turns from a burgundy colour to a yellow hue (Location # 3). The next stop on the route is "Stone Shelf", a place with volcanic activity a million years ago (Location # 4). The "Napoleon" location includes an unforgettable view of the main canyon of the Charyn River and a huge amount of free space (Location # 5). The last point of the route is the "Austrian View" - the turns of the Charyn River take shape in the form of a giant snake, bordered by the green edge of an ancient tree - turanga (Location # 6).

Walking Tour around Almaty gives you amazing opportunity to get acquaint with the atmosphere in a city and experience of local lifestyle. Listening to the stories, walking through the streets, feel yourself alive in this journey!

Get out of Almaty city for the day on a private tour to beautiful Issyk Lake. Admire the views of the mountains that surround the lake while taking a walk, having a boat ride, or enjoying a picnic beside the water. Also visit Issyk’s Golden Man Museum, an archeological site housing an ancient Scythian warrior in a suit of gold armor.

Explore the Altyn Emel National Park, including the famous lakes and canyon of the Almaty region on this 4-day private jeep tour. Your guide and jeep will cover lots of ground that you couldn’t get to in a normal vehicle. You’ll also learn about Kazak culture by exploring villages and meeting local people. Feel free to customize this itinerary according to the interests of your group.

05:00 Pick-up and Depature from Almaty 07:00 shortstop for coffee/WC 8:40 Arrival at Charyn Canyon "Valley of the Castles" Visiting sereral spots,walking Along canyon Black Canyon,Viewing spot Photographing 12:00 Arrival at Saty village, transfer to Kaindy Lake In Kaiyndy lake car goes until parking point. From parking until the lake 2km of walk. You can use horses or taxi insead of walking. 14:30 transfer to saty 14:30 Lunch in the guesthouse 16:00 Transfer to the Lower Kolsai Lake from Saty 17:00 Leaving Kolsai Lakes National Park 20:30 Shortstop for coffee/WC 22:00 Drop-off in Almaty

Immerse in culture, traditional show, horsemanship, and lunch with national dishes & activities from gates of Ethno-Village Gunny (Huns)! The life show will be started by warriors and residents welcoming you with degustation of Kazakh bread and drink will continue with ceremonial show: Kyz Uzatu/ Nauryz/other. Then, there will be the show of horsemen-warriors — Jigitovka. Young riders will demonstrate their skill in performing acrobatic tricks on horses, as well as participating in national games that resemble festive celebrations of the people, at full gallop! After the show, there will be a lunch treat of national dishes such as Beshbarmak, Kaordak, Plov, and Manty, as well as traditional drinks — Kymyz or Shubat. After lunch, you can test yourself in horse riding and archering. Lastly you will head to the Troat farm, visiting Monument along the way, where you will be surrounded by picturesque natural landscapes and fishing activities that will provide unforgettable experiences!

Our Team Do a Special tours, as we show the location - breathtaking spots, which few people know about, professional Staff - prepares you a lunch, an expert guide organizes a fascinating trip, tells a lot of interesting historical facts. We do the best tours have ever you had. 07-30 Departure from your hotel/hostel/ apartments Almaty 09-30 Stop at the road bazaar at Baiseit village 11-30 Arrival to Charyn Canyon-National Park hike 2-3hr and Yummy Canyon Lunch 14:30 Overview Canyon on Panorama (Breathtaking sight, trembling in the Knees) 15-30 Departure from Charyn Canyon to Bartogai reservoir 17-00 Arrival to Bartogai reservoir, overview, Barista-guide happy to cook Coffee from or Tea (Khan tea, Tashkent tea, fruit tea) 17-30 Departure from Bartogai Lake to Almaty City 20-00 Arrival to Almaty.

Hike through Charyn Canyon National Park, visiting the Valley of Castles and seeing the strange formations in canyon, including *The Martian*. You’ll also visit a road market in Baiseiyt to see some local goodies, and then carry on to Bartogai Lake. Your guide and driver will take care of logistics, including all transfers, and lunch to keep you energized.

We will start our trip in the morning from your hotel. Drive will take approximately 2.5 hours. Museum-reserve is located on the vast territory with hills, canyons and rocks. There are several groups of petroglyphs of different eras. We will observe all of the available ones. You will have a chance to learn about the life of people and see unique petroglyphs of different time periods from bronze age to late medieval documented on these rocks.

We will admire the unbelievable vast landscapes of the Great Steppes – the cradle of the nomadic civilization. We will get to know the peculiarities of the nomadic way of life, who and how invented the Steppe Calendar and what are the main values of the Kazakh shepherds. We will speak about the religions of The Great Steppe and how dogs were transformed from the sacred animals to the devil servants. We will find out about the main product of local farmers of the USSR time. At the end of our journey through the steppes we will reach the kingdom of canyons that created mysterious castles and towers, home for the witches and magic red wolfs, – the heroes of Charyn canyon legends that kept in fear local people for centuries. Our guide will help you to separate the truth from the myths and we will try to guess how and why the legends were born. The visit of the canyons that are millions years old with their mysterious stories will not leave anyone indifferent!

Get out of Almaty and enjoy spending time in the mountains on a private day tour to the Medeu skating rink, Shymbulak ski resort, and Big Almaty Lake. Ride a cable car for impressive views of the Trans Ili Alatau mountains and learn about nomadic culture during a falconry show. This is an easy way to see and do a lot on a day trip without having to catch public transport.

Visit Kazakstan’s Charyn Canyon hassle-free by booking this private tour from Almaty, where all the logistics are planned for you. After your drive from Almaty, stretch your legs and hike through the canyon. In addition to this, visit a local village, try some local Kazakh food, and take some time to reflect while sitting along the Charyn River. Enjoy this tour at your own pace, since this is a private tour for your group.

Visit two of Kazakhstan’s most impressive natural sites on an easy private day tour from Almaty. After an early morning pickup from your hotel, head to ancient Charyn Canyon, where you can admire the views and take a short (1.8-mile/3-kilometer) hike. In the afternoon, head to Kolsai Lake, which has beautiful reflective views of the Tien Shan Mountains. This is a must-do tour for nature lovers.

Get a taste of life in the mountains surrounding Almaty on this day trip to Medeu Ice Skating Rink and Shymbulak Ski Resort. Medeu, in the beautiful Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, is the largest alpine skating rink in the world, where 120 world records have been broken by elite athletes. Next, discover the remarkable scenery of Shymbulak Ski Resort, where chairlifts head to Talgar Pass. Discover the beauty and unique recreational opportunities just outside the city!

Let's get started! My name is Andrey, I am a guide and co-owner of small local company based in Almaty briefly about myself. I'm 38 year and I am originally from Almaty! I have 8 years experience as a guide and I will help you to organize outdoor activities trip. I underwent First Aid training and got a Certificate, which is compulsory in my job and I am trying my best to excel in all services I provide as I need to ensure the safety as first priority. I am here to provide high quality and professional services for every guest to have memorable and unforgettable experience about my country and region. Thus, my tourists come back and they know that everything I offer them will be excelled .... Happy guest is always happy memories and happy moments to share!