Big Almaty Lake: Choose Your Adventure

19 Ratings

Almaty

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Explore Big Almaty Lake: Hike or drive to this stunning natural gem. Enjoy breathtaking views, a visitor center, and more. Contact us for details.

Duration: 8 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Big Almaty Lake - Big Almaty Lake: A Natural Gem for Tourists

Big Almaty Lake, located in the Tien Shan mountain range near Almaty, Kazakhstan, is a must-visit for nature enthusiasts and adventurers. This alpine reservoir boasts crystal-clear turquoise waters surrounded by snow-capped peaks, offering a serene ambiance for relaxation and photography.

What's Included

Hiking poles
Raincoat
English speaking guide
In-vehicle air conditioning
All fees and/or taxes

What's Not Included

Hiking boots
Snacks
Lunch

Additional Information

Join us for an adventure to Big Almaty Lake in Ile-Alatau National Park, a “must-see” natural attraction near the city. Choose from a 14 km hike and a direct car drive.
For those who want to hike, be prepared for a moderate climb. We’ll embark on a 2-3 hour trek to the lake, spend two hours there, and then retrace our steps. Hiking boots are required,…

Location

Big Almaty Lake

Ili-Alatau National Park

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings

4.9

(19 Ratings)

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Rochelle_b

Sep 7, 2024

W.O.W - We booked a car tour and visited the lake and the Ayusai Center. Yerkin, our tour guide, speaks excellent English! We learned a lot from him about history, culture, and he also gave us tips on other sights to see and places to eat in Kazakhstan. He even brought us chocolate and tea! Thank you! Highly recommended tour.

Review provided by Viator

F1514gffabiom

Sep 5, 2024

Excellent tour; highly recommend. fantastic view and experience. Yerkin is great - It was an excellent choice. highly recommend. Yerkin (the guide) was fantastic! picked us on time at our hotel, with a nice comfortable car. explained everything. the tour exceeded all expectations. Yerkin knows everything, and took great care of us. if you have short time, pick by car option. only walk if you are really fit. the altitude is high, if you are not well prepared physically, walking for 2,5 hours up the mountain will be extreme. The view at the top is really worth it. I was positvely well surprised with Almaty.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Joanna_t

Sep 4, 2024

Thank you Yervin - Yervin was an excellent guide, he was very helpful and informative. Trip was great, lake and surrounded area definitely a must see while in Almaty.

Review provided by Viator

Wanderlust77n

Aug 31, 2024

Great afternoon tour of the lake - This was a great afternoon tour to visit big Almaty lake. I chose the option to drive all the way to the lake. The tour guide was thoughtful & helpful with taking photos & also bringing delicious Kazakhstan chocolate, a large thermos of tea to drink & a flag I could use in my photos. I recommend this tour & the tour guide Yerkin.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Ankita_r

Aug 23, 2024

Amazing trip to Big Almaty - Our guide was extremely pleasant and well spoken. He even brought us warm tea and kazakh chocolates to eat. Clicked some wonderful pictures of us and even dropped us at a pleasant doner kebab place for snacks. Will recommend this for those travelling to Almaty first time

Review provided by Viator

Artexpressionsarojin

Aug 12, 2024

Heavenly experience! - The Big Almaty Lake must be one of the most beautiful serene spots in the world! Do take a tour by car. It takes you to a point where u can view the lake and then walk down to it if u feel like. Permission is restricted and There are no restaurants or toilets nearby so be prepared for a short stay where you can soak in the beauty and head back soon. Enroute- don’t miss a short visit to the small but pretty ayusan waterfalls

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Rizzleandbizzle

Jul 25, 2024

A beautiful morning at the lake - A beautiful morning at the Big Almaty Lake. We were short on time in Almaty so chose to do the trip by car. Yerkin was amazing, we could not have wished for a better guide. He was punctual with the pick-up and chatted with us in the car about the city and country, etc. He is so chilled and helps you to takes great photos. I would absolutely recommend Yerkin for an unforgettable trip to the lake.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Ranjeet_o

Jul 21, 2024

Beautiful lake at the end of an exciting trek. - The trek up the pipeline route was tough but exciting. It was totally worth it once we had reached the top.

Review provided by Viator

Szeyoong_j

May 22, 2024

Best experience going to Big Lake Almaty - Yerkin is punctual, speaks perfect English, and was very patient in explaining to us about Almaty city and Big Lake Almaty. It's everything as described, bringing us to see the beautiful lake with the mountain scenes. He helped us to take perfect photos and was there every step of the way when we hiked to the waterfall. The whole tour was at least 6 hours and when it ended he dropped us at a restaurant that was further than our hotel. We really appreciated how well everything went and would highly recommend him to anyone who would like to explore Almaty and the Big Lake Almaty. 👍👍

Review provided by Viator

Ragul_p

Jun 25, 2024

Enjoy the turquoise almaty lake. Hike would be better - The trip to big Almaty lake was good but i feel it’s more pricey than rest of the trips. I had booked the hike but was upgraded to ride up to the lake. We stopped on the way in a waterfall and went to the lake and on the way back we stopped in another waterfall and spent some time in the tourist centre. The guide was sweet and he shared a lot of info about Almaty. I feel the time in the lake could be more than spending time in the tourist centre place. Currently it’s an hours time, it can be more given that the highlight of the trip

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $40

up to 12 guests

1 Adult