All Almaty Tours & Excursions in 2026 - page 2

One day tour to Altyn Emel and Singing dunes was intense but very cool experience! The driver picked us up and drove to the gas station where we met our guide John and could buy some snacks/coffee. After arriving to the the reserve the guide did some historic introduction and shared fun facts about the nature and animals living in the reserve. Our group was small (7 people + guide + 2 drivers) and I really liked it! John turned out to be really cool and funny guy. We drove to the Altyn Emel and walked around beautiful desert and chatted with the guide and other tourmates. John explained how the mountains were formatted and took some cool pictures of us. Also our drivers was so nice to help some tourists with their car as it stopped driving in the middle of nowhere (driving there alone sounds really risky!). Then we drove to the lunch spot. Everything was homemade and really good! I really appreciate they have prepared vegetarian option of the soup and lagman for me. After that we drove to the Singing Dunes and unfortunately the weather got worse. The wind was getting stronger and stronger so the sand was everywhere! I recommend leaving your belongings in the car and wearing long pants, a hat/scarf and sunglasses (i had sand in my eyes anyway! would not wear contact lenses if I knew) and don’t reapply SPF before going to the dunes - the sand will stick to all of your skin and there is a long way back in the car ahead of you 😅 Sliding down the dunes was fun and we could really hear the vibrations! That was pretty long and instense day, but it was planned well and I really liked chill atmosphere and a small group. Definitely recommend!

This was, without question, the best tour I have ever been on. From start to finish, everything was exceptionally well organized. Communication before the tour was excellent, departures were perfectly on time, and the entire itinerary ran incredibly smoothly. You could tell a lot of thought had gone into every detail. The bus was brand new and one of the most comfortable tour vehicles I’ve ever traveled in. It had excellent air conditioning, USB charging ports at every seat, and even Starlink Wi-Fi available for a small additional fee, which was a great option given how remote some of the locations are. Our guide Serzh was fantastic..friendly, knowledgeable, and organized. The yurt camp exceeded my expectations, and the food throughout the tour was very good. One thing I especially appreciated was the pacing. We were given plenty of time at each stop, so I never felt rushed or like we were just checking places off a list. I was able to fully enjoy every destination without constantly watching the clock. Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. If you’re considering this tour, don’t hesitate..it’s worth every penny.

My guide was Nargiza and I cannot praise her highly enough. An in depth knowledge of the history of Almaty and Kazakhstan given to me in perfect English. She will tailor a tour for you including a shopping for souvenirs opportunity if desired. Even bargained for me and obtained a price reduction. She is warm, funny and a delight to be around. Book her!!!