Big Almaty Lake tour by car till lake or by hiking
Badge of Excellence
Almaty, Kazakhstan
- 3 to 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
What's Included
- Landing and facility fees
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
Select your preferred tour option to see hours.
Itinerary
1
Big Almaty Lake
4 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 33 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.3
based on 49 reviews
Clara_W, Apr 2026
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.
Bevin_H, Jan 2026
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.
VinthuNair_H, Dec 2025
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.
Kate_S, Dec 2025
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.
fatema_a, Sep 2025
amazing hike! dmitry is really knowledgeable and shared a lot of cool facts about the region! he even shared a list of recommendations with the group on sights to see and places to eat in almaty.
Surya, Aug 2025
Vlad messaged me the might before telling me the pick up time and location, when i got to pick up point he’s already there waiting! we got to the starting point early so the hike was a breeze, he’s really funny but also reassuring. Going down from the lake we chose the scenic route through the forest. He warned there are wild animals, and assured us he will fight the bear! LOL
All jokes aside, great trip to Big Almaty Lake, will def book again when I visit Almaty in the future
Pooja_K, Jul 2025
Terribly unprofessional guy. He's called Dmitry I believe. Didn't seem interested in doing to the tour. He had the audacity to cancel an hour before the agreed time. I wasted a whole day because of this useless guy.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
You late almost 1 hour, .And after you write this.
Shrikant_M, May 2025
Tours were well organised. Local operators were courteous, well informed and friendly. We were contacted by them well in time reducing any tension on account of delay in getting in touch with us. All our tours went smoothly without any trouble.
Nancy_D, Apr 2025
The meeting point and time was not confirmed until the last minute. Then the driver drove them all the way there but it was completely foggy and could not continue down to the lake. The driver should have called his colleague that droves us half way to check on weather conditions in advance. The driver could have also offered to take me to another spot close by. Waste of time and money.
Daniel_B, Apr 2025
Really enjoyed this day out; Dmitri was very knowledgeable about pre and post soviet Kazakhstan and was great company. Hike was tough but manageable with great views along the way. Lake was frozen but temperature was still pleasant at the top (early April)
cedrik_r, Mar 2025
I had a wonderful and very informative morning in nature. Dimitry is an excellent guide and was able to answer every question, whether about nature, the city, its history, or its people. I can truly recommend this tour and Dimitry to everyone.
The only thing I initially thought was that it would be a private tour, but it wasn't. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic experience!
Thank you for everything!
Joseph_B, Sep 2024
This was a great way to start the day in Almaty, Dimitri are guide, was very knowledgeable about any questions we had, he told stories about history, the science, and even personal tales of Almaty lake. And of course it is super beautiful! Bring good hiking shoes.
Dale_F, Aug 2024
Dimitri was a friendly and thoughtful guide, and the scenery was lovely. However, there were some issues with the pickup time and the tour length.
My ticket indicated a hotel pickup at 7 AM. When I hadn’t heard anything by 9 PM the night before, I reached out to Dimitri via WhatsApp to confirm. He promptly replied and informed me that the pickup time had been changed to 6 AM. An earlier notification of this change would have been helpful and made it easier to arrange breakfast.
Additionally, Viator indicated that the tour would last "4 to 5 hours (approx.)," but I was picked up at 6 AM and returned to my hotel by 9:07 AM. The entire tour only lasted 3 hours, which was much shorter than expected. Either the tour should last the advertised length of time or Viator should correct the tour length in the description.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for choosing our tour and your review Dale! Was glad to talk with you.Will improve it, according with your comments.
Hunter_D, Jul 2024
Dmitry is a great guide, very knowledgeable about Almaty and Kazakhstan generally. I recommend taking the hiking option. Not too arduous, but rewarding with beautiful scenery.
KaeMin_G, May 2024
Practically we paid USD 85 for someone to pick us up from the hotel and drive to the entrance where the big Almaty lake is. The driver then dropped us there and booked another private car (for another extra USD 60) to drive us up to the lake (15 mins) And we spent 30 mins like some dumb tourists by the road side taking some pictures before being fetched back to the entrance. This is not a TOUR - a total rip off. So there were 4 of us, each paying USD 100 for a drive and a roadside photo session. DO NOT book this tour! Just take a Yandex or something, easier and much cheaper to go on your own.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
1.Taxi dont go to the lake.
2.As you dont want to Hike we need hire car for you.Also as it was sunday my primary drivers was on vacation,so i hire another.
Better disscuss all issues on the tour.
Abram_C, Nov 2023
I definitely recommend this tour to anyone coming to Almaty! Dimitri is very knowledgeable about the Big Almaty Lake, the mountains and the city. If he doesn't know he will try to find out. As well as being knowledgeable he is beyond friendly and makes good conversation without a dull moment through the trip.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Thank you bro)
Michaela_K, Nov 2023
We loved the tour! The tour guide Dmitry was very friendly and told us a lot of interesting stories and facts about the Big Almaty Lake, its surroundings and the city of Almaty. The atmosphere was cheerful and we had lots of fun. The (quite challenging) and long hike was absolutely worth the view of the lake!
I would just warn the future tourists who opt for this tour: the tour guide wrote in the description that the the difficulty of the hike is "above average". Me and my friends are quite fit but the hike uphill was quite exhausting at times. But in general, we are satisfied!
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you for review Michaela,your smile was brilliant)
Jorge_A, Oct 2023
All
The hike was really nice
The view or the blue lake is breathtaking
The weather
Even the cool somsa stop
Beginer / intermadiate lavel of hike
Recomend good shoes and any kind if gloves
Andrew_L, Oct 2023
An astonishingly beautiful lake and surrounding scenery -- not to be missed!
It must also be mentioned that the hike to get there is at least equally as exciting as the lake itself -- while it is not easy it will be one of the most memorable, surprising, and rewarding hikes of your life :)
Dimitri is very friendly and pleasant to converse with about any topic -- the lake, life in Kazakhstan, and much more. Would wholeheartedly recommend booking a tour with him!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you for this beautiful review Andrew,your physical level was awesome!
Was pleasure walk to the lake with you!
Steven_O, Oct 2023
The tour was nice, Dimitry has a very good vibe. The landscapes you can see while walking to the Big Almaty Lake are breathtaking, just ensure to be mentally prepare for a medium difficulty hike.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you for review Steven!Was nice to meet you,have a good trip!
chatchai_k, Oct 2023
Great Tour for 1 Day. On Time and Flexible. Good trip not far from Almaty. I made it for 1 Day and He picked up me on time with local guide.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you for review!have a nice trip!
Jeremy_K, Sep 2023
Dimitri was the perfect person to visit the lake with. He is happy to answer all your questions and it was great learning more about the country and region from him. He also knows the best spots to see the lake from. The lake itself was incredible and felt like a different world despite being so close to the city.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thank you Jeremy! it was to meet you in Kazakhstan)
From $65.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Big Almaty Lake tour by car till lake or by hiking
49
6 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$65.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Multi-day Tours
- Overnight Tours
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- Bus Tours
- Outdoor Activities
- Private and Luxury
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Almaty
- Multi-day Tours - Bishkek
- Overnight Tours - Bishkek
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Bishkek
- Bus Tours - Bishkek
- Multi-day Tours - Osh
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Osh
- Bus Tours - Osh