Standard — up to 4 travellers
- A sedan or minivan for you alone
- Depart at any time you like
- Stops wherever you ask
- Flexible route — we adjust as we go
Private Tour to Big Almaty Lake
Twenty minutes from the last tram stop the road starts climbing, and it does not stop until you are looking at turquoise water held in a bowl of spruce and scree — with a driver who has taken this road in snow as well as sun.
Price agreed in advanceYou get the full figure in the chat before the trip, and it does not change en route.
Contract and documentsWe work under a contract; companies get an invoice and closing documents.
Dispatcher around the clockWe answer on WhatsApp at any hour, night arrivals included.
Private, never sharedThe car is yours alone — no strangers on board, and the driver stays reachable the whole way.
We speak English, Russian, Kazakh, Arabic and Malay — so nothing gets lost in translation.
The lake in photographs
The water and the peaks change character with the light and the season.
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How the tour runs
Door to door for the whole day — nothing to find and nowhere to get to on your own.
Total time: from 4 hours to a full day
- 01The car arrives at your address at a time that suits you
- 02We climb the switchbacks to Big Almaty Lake — 40 minutes from the city
- 03The viewpoint and the lakeshore, about an hour
- 04Optionally, the road up to the observatory and the pass
- 05We drive you back into the city
Rates
Pick a format — we confirm the exact figure for your date and group in the chat.
Group — 5 travellers and up
- A minibus for your whole party
- Private too — no strangers on board
- Room for the whole group’s luggage
Big Almaty Lake
The lake sits at roughly 2,500 metres in a hanging valley directly south of the city — a natural reservoir fed by glacial melt and held back by an old rockslide. Its colour shifts through the season, from a milky jade in early summer, when the glaciers are running hard, to a deep blue by autumn.
The water supplies Almaty, so swimming and wading are prohibited and the shoreline is patrolled. You come to look, walk the road along the rim, and watch the peaks on the far side change colour as the afternoon moves on.
Above the lake the road continues towards a cosmic ray station and the Tian Shan observatory, climbing past the treeline into thin, bright air. Whether that section is open depends on the season and on border-zone rules, which we verify before setting out.
What the trip includes
The climb to the lake is steep and, in places, poorly surfaced. We drive it in a vehicle suited to the road and the season, with a driver who has done it in snow as well as sun. You choose the departure time and how long to stay.
A half day covers the lake. A full day lets you add Medeu and Shymbulak on the way back, or push higher towards the observatory. Vehicle, fuel and driver are included; park entry is paid at the gate.
What our guests say
Short video reviews our guests filmed on their trips.
About us
Baqtaq Travel is not just a travel agency — it is a community of guides who speak English, Malay and Arabic. We put together memorable tours across Almaty and the Almaty region — a land where alpine lakes of the Tian Shan, Charyn Canyon, singing dunes and mountain meadows all lie within a day of the city.
These lands are rich in the history of the early Turkic peoples, and the sheer range of natural scenery surprises even seasoned travellers — as does the hearty, one-of-a-kind local cooking. We will show you the most beautiful places, and the customs and culture of the people who live here.
Discover the heart of the Eurasian continent with Baqtaq Travel.
Book this trip
Tell us the date and how many of you there are — we reply with a firm price for this trip.
Frequently asked
How long does Big Almaty Lake take?
Half a day is enough: about an hour of driving each way plus time at the shore. Combined with the observatory or Medeu it becomes a comfortable full day.
Can I swim in the lake?
No. It supplies drinking water to the city, so entering the water is prohibited and there are guards at the shoreline.
Is the road open in winter?
Usually yes, though it needs a capable vehicle and occasionally closes after heavy snowfall. The frozen lake in winter is worth the trip.
Do I need a permit?
The lake sits inside a national park with an entry fee. The road continuing towards the observatory and the pass approaches the border zone and can require additional documents — we check current rules before your trip.
Will the altitude bother me?
At 2,500 metres most people notice only mild breathlessness on the walk. If you go higher towards the observatory, take it slowly for the first hour.
Other destinations
Where else we go from Almaty.
