Tours to Paradise Lakes

Paradise Lakes Tours from Almaty: What This Section Offers

The Paradise Lakes section of our catalogue brings together day trips and multi-day journeys from Almaty to the most striking mountain lakes of southeastern Kazakhstan and northern Kyrgyzstan. The list runs from a seven-hour bus tour to Issyk Lake and the Turgen waterfalls at $22 per person up to a four-day flight-and-beach package at Alakol at $221 per person. In between sit hiking routes in the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Gorge, a jeep trip to Kaindy, car and minibus trips to the Kolsai lakes, and a coach tour to Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. The range of formats matters more than the range of prices: some routes are almost entirely on wheels, others put you on your feet for a full day.

Geographically, almost everything here belongs to the Zailiysky Alatau, the northern range of the Tian Shan that rises directly above Almaty. The city sits at roughly 700–900 metres above sea level, and the lakes lie between 1,700 and 2,800 metres, so every route involves a real gain in altitude. That is why the same distance can take two hours on a good road and half a day on a rough one. It is also why the weather at the destination is usually ten degrees colder than in Almaty, and why a jacket belongs in your bag even in July.

Below you will find how the routes differ, what the landscapes actually look like, when to go, how to prepare physically, and what to pack. Prices quoted are per person and come straight from our published list; anything not mentioned — meals, entrance fees, rentals — is paid separately, and we tell you the cost when you book.

Paradise Lakes Tours from Almaty: The Full Range of Routes

Short Day Tours to Issyk Lake and the Turgen Waterfalls

The cheapest route in the section is a seven-hour group bus tour to Issyk Lake and the waterfalls of the Turgen Gorge, running on Saturdays and Sundays at $22 per person. Issyk Lake lies at about 1,760 metres in the Issyk Gorge, roughly 70 kilometres east of Almaty, and the road climbs through spruce forest along the Issyk river. After the lake, the tour moves on to the neighbouring Turgen Gorge for the waterfalls. The route is designed for minimal walking: you step off the bus, walk a few hundred metres, and you are at the water.

The Turgen waterfalls are a chain of cascades on the Turgen river, reached by a short and mostly flat path. Because the walking is easy, this tour suits families with children, older travellers, and anyone who wants a full mountain day without physical effort. The bus ride itself is part of the experience: the road follows the Turgen valley, and on clear days you see the snowfields of the Zailiysky Alatau closing the horizon. Bring a windproof layer, because the gorge funnels cold air even on warm afternoons.

Hiking the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Gorge on Foot

The eight-hour walking tour in the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Gorge, or BAO, runs on Saturdays and Sundays at $24 per person; after a minibus transfer from Almaty, the rest of the day is on foot. The route follows the gorge floor up to the dam and the lake, a gentle climb on a wide trail with no technical sections. The Bolshoye Almatinskoye Gorge begins at the edge of Almaty, at about 1,000 metres, and the lake sits near 2,500 metres, so you gain real altitude over the day. That is the main physical challenge: not the steepness but the length and the thin air near the top.

This is the best introduction to Tian Shan walking for someone who has never hiked before. The trail is obvious, the surface is firm, and there are no river crossings. You will pass through apricot groves and Tien Shan spruce, hear the river all the way up, and see waterfalls on the side walls of the gorge. Good shoes with grip matter more than expensive gear; trainers work in dry weather, but the path can be muddy after rain.

Jeep and Car Tours to the High Lakes

The motorised routes split into three groups. Group jeep tours include the fourteen-hour expedition to Kaindy Lake with a stop at the Charyn Canyon on the way back, on Saturdays and Sundays at $53 per person, and the eight-hour trip to the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Lake and the abandoned observatory above it, running daily at $56 per person. Private car tours include Issyk Lake at $40 for six hours, the same lake combined with the Issyk museum and a trout farm at $40 for seven hours, the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Lake at $56 for four hours, and the two-lake route to Kolsai and Kaindy at $67 for thirteen hours. All of these run daily with the time agreed on booking.

The two-day group tour to the Kolsai lakes and Kaindy, running Friday to Sunday at $89 per person, covers the Lower and Middle Kolsai lakes and the flooded forest in one overnight trip with a night at a tourist base. The longest journeys in the section leave the Zailiysky Alatau altogether: a four-day bus tour to Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan at $145 per person, a five-day healing-beach holiday at Alakol Lake at $163 per person, and a four-day flight-and-beach package at Alakol at $221 per person.

Paradise Lakes Tours from Almaty: How the Routes Compare

Duration, Transport and Walking Effort

The table below compares the main formats in the section by what actually shapes your day: how long you are out, what carries you, and how much you walk. Prices are per person and match our published list. Two people booking the same destination can have completely different experiences depending on whether they choose the bus, the jeep or the private car, and the table makes that difference visible.

What You Actually See at Each Lake

Issyk Lake is a turquoise body of water in a granite bowl, small enough to walk around part of the shore in under an hour. Kaindy Lake is the opposite: a submerged spruce forest where bare trunks stick out of cold blue water, the result of a landslide and natural dam formed in 1911. The Kolsai lakes are three separate basins stepping up a valley, the lowest and largest at about 1,800 metres and the upper ones progressively smaller and colder. The Bolshoye Almatinskoye Lake is a high reservoir at roughly 2,500 metres, ringed by moraine and glacier snouts.

Alakol is not a mountain lake at all but a large brackish lake on the plain between the Dzungarian Alatau and the Balkhash region, known for its mineral water and mud. Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan is one of the largest mountain lakes in the world, so large that it never freezes, sitting at about 1,600 metres and surrounded by the Terskey and Kungey Alatau ranges. The contrast between a six-hour dash to Issyk and a four-day loop around Issyk-Kul is enormous, and the price difference reflects distance and nights, not quality.

Group, Private and Multi-Day Formats

Group tours in this section run on fixed days — mostly weekends for the short routes, daily for the jeep trips to the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Lake, and on schedule for the multi-day departures. Private car tours run every day and let you set the start time, which matters if you want soft morning light on the water or need to be back in Almaty for an evening flight. Multi-day tours add the thing day trips cannot: dusk and dawn at the lake, when the wind drops and the water goes completely still.

Choosing between them is mostly about tolerance for other people and tolerance for early starts. A bus tour to Issyk leaves with a full group and keeps to a schedule; a private car to the same lake costs almost twice as much but lets you stop where you like. The overnight Kolsai and Kaindy tour sits in the middle: a group format with a night in the mountains, which is the cheapest way to see the lakes at their best hours.

Paradise Lakes Tours from Almaty: Seasons and Weather

Month-by-Month Conditions in the Mountains

The table below describes what the Zailiysky Alatau and the Alakol plain typically do through the year. It is weather information, not a schedule: our tours run when the tour card says they run, and the mountain weather simply decides what you will see and how you should dress. Altitude is the main variable — a day that is mild in Almaty can be cold and windy at 2,500 metres.

Altitude, Acclimatisation and Physical Preparation

Almaty sits at 700–900 metres, Issyk Lake at about 1,760, Kolsai at about 1,800, the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Lake at about 2,500, and Kaindy at around 1,900. None of these heights cause altitude sickness in a healthy person on a day trip, but the gain is fast, and the first symptom people notice is breathlessness on stairs. If you are doing the BAO walking tour, treat the day like a long walk rather than a hike: pace yourself, drink water, and do not sprint the last kilometre to the dam.

For the jeep routes the altitude is not the problem; the road is. The track to Kaindy is rough, unsealed and often rutted, so the last part of the ride is bumpy. If you have back or neck problems, say so when you book and we will advise which route suits you better. The Bolshoye Almatinskoye Lake road is paved for most of its length but steep and winding, with a long climb from the city edge.

What the Weather Does to the Programme

Mountain weather in the Tian Shan changes quickly. A clear morning can turn into hail by mid-afternoon in July, and the passes can close with snow in May or October. On jeep and car routes the driver adjusts the pace to conditions, and on walking routes the guide may shorten the upper section if a storm builds. This is normal; it is simply how the mountains work.

Rain gear is the single most useful item you can carry. A compact waterproof shell weighs almost nothing and turns a miserable day into a comfortable one. Sun protection matters just as much: at 2,000 metres and above, ultraviolet radiation is noticeably stronger than in the city, and people burn faster than they expect, especially around water and snow.

Paradise Lakes Tours from Almaty: Practical Preparation

What to Pack for a Day at the Lakes

Most routes in this section are day trips, so you carry everything yourself and there is no luggage storage at the lakes. Pack light but pack for cold. The list below covers the essentials for a spring-to-autumn day trip to any of the mountain lakes.

• Waterproof windbreaker or rain shell, plus a warm mid-layer fleece
• Sturdy shoes with grip — trainers are fine on dry trails, boots are better after rain
• Hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen for the high-altitude sun
• At least one litre of water per person and a packed lunch or snacks
• Power bank, because cold drains phone batteries quickly
• Small cash for anything paid separately on the route
• Personal first-aid items and any medication you need

Physical Fitness and Who Should Choose Which Route

The bus tour to Issyk and the Turgen waterfalls involves almost no walking, and the private car tours to Issyk and the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Lake are similar: you ride, you step out, you look. These suit families with young children, older travellers, and anyone recovering from an injury. The BAO walking tours ask for a full day of steady walking on uneven ground; if you can walk for five or six hours with breaks, you can do it.

The jeep routes to Kaindy and the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Lake are physically easy but long. Fourteen hours in a vehicle, even a comfortable one, is tiring, and the Kaindy trip returns late in the evening. The two-day Kolsai and Kaindy tour splits the driving across two days and is the gentlest way to see those lakes. Age and weight limits for any specific route are things we confirm when you book, since they depend on the vehicle and the day.

Permits, Border Zones and Legal Points

Some parts of the Zailiysky Alatau near the Kyrgyz border lie in a frontier zone where a permit is required for access. This applies to certain high valleys and to routes that approach the border ridge, and it is a government rule, not ours. If a route in your chosen programme crosses such an area, we handle the paperwork as part of the booking process and tell you what documents we need from you.

Issyk-Kul is in Kyrgyzstan, so that four-day bus tour crosses an international border. You need a valid passport and, depending on your nationality, may need a visa or an entry registration; check the current rules for your passport before booking. Alakol is inside Kazakhstan and needs no special permit, though the drive is long and the lake is far from any large city. Some tours include insurance for the duration of the trip — the tour card says which; on the others, travel insurance is your own decision.

Paradise Lakes Tours from Almaty: Beyond the Lakes

Wildlife, Forests and Landscapes Along the Way

The Zailiysky Alatau is rich in wildlife, though most of it stays out of sight during the day. Ibex move on the high rock faces, roe deer browse in the forest edges, and the Tien Shan spruce forests that fill the gorges are among the tallest conifers in Central Asia. Above the treeline you find alpine meadows that flower in June and July, and above those, permanent snow and small glaciers. The Charyn Canyon, visited on the return leg of the Kaindy jeep tour, is a completely different landscape: dry, red and deeply eroded, a river canyon cut into sedimentary rock.

The Kolsai lakes sit in a protected national park, and the forest around them is dense and old. Kaindy is quieter and stranger, with the drowned trees standing in cold water and the surface reflecting the sky like glass on still mornings. Birdlife along the lakes includes dippers on the streams, raptors overhead, and waterfowl on the larger lakes. Fishing is possible in some places and hunting is regulated by the state; both are subjects for a separate conversation, not part of these tours.

Towns, Culture and the Human Side of the Route

The route to Issyk passes the village of Turgen and the turn to the Assy Plateau, an area of summer pastures where herders still bring livestock. The Issyk museum near the lake holds archaeological finds from the region, including Saka-era material, and the trout farm nearby is a working operation where you can see how the fish are raised. These are stops on specific tours, not on every route, and the tour card tells you which one includes them.

Alakol has a different human landscape: small resort settlements along the shore, salt and mud used for therapy for generations, and a plain that feels far from the mountains. Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan adds a border crossing, a different currency, and the towns of the lake's northern and southern shores. Each of these places has its own food, its own pace and its own reasons for being worth the drive.

How to Choose the Right Tour for You

Start with the constraint that matters most: time. If you have one free day, the choice is between a short bus tour to Issyk, a private car to the same lake or to the Bolshoye Almatinskoye Lake, or the long jeep day to Kaindy. If you have a weekend, the overnight Kolsai and Kaindy tour gives you two lakes and a night in the mountains. If you have a week, the Issyk-Kul and Alakol programmes turn a mountain visit into a proper holiday.

Then match the format to your group. Families and older travellers do best with bus and car routes where walking is minimal. Fit hikers should take one of the BAO walking tours at least once, because they put you inside the gorge rather than beside it. Photographers should think about light: the lakes are at their most photogenic in the early morning and late afternoon, which favours private car tours where you control the start time, or the overnight tour where you are already there at dawn.

Paradise Lakes Tours from Almaty: Planning Your Trip

Getting to the Trailhead and Back

All routes in this section start and finish in Almaty, and the meeting point depends on the tour: group tours gather in the city and leave together, while for private car tours the meeting point is agreed when you book. The drive out of the city to the gorge mouths takes 30–60 minutes depending on traffic, and from there the road climbs. The return leg is usually faster, but on Sundays in summer the road back from the mountains can be busy, so plan the evening accordingly.

For the long jeep day to Kaindy, expect to leave before dawn and return after dark, with the Charyn Canyon stop on the way back. For the two-day Kolsai and Kaindy tour (departures on Friday, Saturday and Sunday), you return the next evening, with a night at a tourist base between the two lake visits. The multi-day bus tours to Issyk-Kul and Alakol run on fixed schedules, and the flight-and-beach package at Alakol replaces the long drive with a flight and a transfer.

Money, Extras and What to Clarify Before Booking

The prices in this article are per person and match our published list. Each tour card lists what is included and what is not; anything not listed as included — for example lunch on some routes, drinks or personal expenses — is paid separately. If something is unclear for a specific date, ask us and we will confirm it before you book.

Cash is useful on all routes, because card terminals are rare in the mountains and at small roadside stops. Tipping is not obligatory and not expected, but it is appreciated on long days. If you are travelling with children or have mobility needs, tell us at the booking stage so we can match you to the right vehicle and route.

Final Advice for a Good Day at the Lakes

Start early, dress in layers, and accept that the mountains set the timetable. The best moments on these routes are usually unplanned: a break in the cloud that opens a glacier, a herd of horses crossing the road, a stretch of water so still it doubles the peaks. None of that can be scheduled, but all of it happens more often when you are not rushing.

Respect the places you visit. Do not leave rubbish at the lakes, do not feed or approach wild animals, and stay on the trails where they exist. The Zailiysky Alatau is close to a city of two million people and still wild in its upper reaches, which is a rare thing. Treat it well, and it will keep giving days like these for a long time.