★4.9Aidos Serikov
Senior guide, mountain routes
Tour from Almaty
Start from the ridge above the ski resort: spruce slopes, cable car, and glaciers of Zailiysky Alatau below. The flight is longer and higher than from the foothills — bring warm clothes.
Program
Meet the group at the agreed spot in Almaty. Transfer to the foot of Shymbulak. The drive takes about an hour; along the way, a safety briefing and an introduction to your pilot.
Transfer to the cable car and ride up to the launch site. On the way — views of the gorge and glaciers. Arrival at the ridge, paraglider preparation and pre-flight check.
Launch from the ridge above the resort. In the air — 20–30 minutes, depending on the weather. Views of the spruce slopes, the cable car and the panorama of the Trans-Ili Alatau.
Landing on the meadow at the foot. A short rest and a snack (optional). Talk about the flight and a photo session.
Transfer back to the city. Arrival in Almaty around 14:00. End of the program.
What's included
Already included in the tour price
Optional, on site
To make the day comfortable
Team
Routes are led by working guides and instructors. The same people answer in WhatsApp and accompany groups on tour.
★4.9Aidos Serikov
Senior guide, mountain routes
★5Dinara Kassymova
Guide-lecturer in Almaty
★4.8Marat Zhunussov
Trekking instructor
★4.9Oleg Kim
Driver-guide, jeep tours
★4.8Zhanna Abenova
Tour manager
★4.9Timur Beketov
Multi-day tour guide
★5Aliya Nurlan
Group coordinator
★4.8Sergey Volkov
Instructor, ski tours
Reviews
In December we flew paragliding with Aliya, she picked us up and stayed in touch on the way. The flight over Shymbulak was very impressive.
I booked through Zhanna, we flew in November. It was a good idea to bring warm clothes.
I gave myself this for my birthday, went with my sister. In October it's cold up top, but the impressions are worth it.
My wife and I had long wanted to try paragliding, and in October we finally decided. We gathered in the city, drove to Shymbulak by car for about an hour, with a briefing along the way. We went up to the ridge by cable car, where they prepared the paraglider and checked the equipment. We started from the ridge, spent about half an hour in the air, though the weather was cool and windy. From above there is a wide view of the spruce slopes, the cable car and the glaciers. We landed on a meadow at the foot, rested a bit and took photos as a keepsake. We returned to Almaty by two o'clock, everything went calmly and without haste.
We gathered with friends spontaneously, in September. Aliya organized the group gathering, we met without problems.
My husband gave me a certificate for my birthday, we went together. In August it's windy on the ridge, but fine in a jacket.
I've long wanted to try a paraglider, but kept hesitating. My wife suggested celebrating our anniversary this way, and we went together in July. Zhanna helped choose the date and explained everything in detail via WhatsApp. We left Almaty at nine in the morning, the road to Shymbulak took about an hour. We went up to the ridge on the cable car, it's cool there even in summer, good thing we took jackets. The flight lasted about twenty-five minutes, under the wing are spruce slopes, the cable car and glaciers. Landing on a meadow, we rested a bit and took photos. We returned to the city by two o'clock. The sensations are indescribable, I recommend.
We flew in July, took a paragliding tour over Shymbulak. The road to the foot took about an hour, then we went up to the ridge by cable car. We were in the air for about twenty minutes, the weather was clear. The start from the ridge scared us a little, but the pilot controlled everything. After landing we rested and returned to the city.
Poehali s bratom na paroplane nad Shymbulakom, hoteli poprobovat chto-to novoe. Zimoy, v yanvare, bylo holodno, no nam dali tepluyu odezhdu i vsyo ob'yasnili pered poletom. Snachala edem na mashine k podnozhiyu, potom na kanatke na greben. Startovali s grebnya, v vozduhe okolo poluchasa. Sverkhu otkryvaetsya vid na elovye sklony, kanatku i ledniki Zailiyskogo Alatau. Posle posadki otdohnuli na polyane, sdelali foto. Obratno v gorod priehali okolo dvuh. Organizaciya normalnaya, nikto ne toropil.
I wanted to surprise my girlfriend for our anniversary, so I chose a paragliding flight over Shymbulak. In winter, in January, it was frosty, but they gave us warm clothes and explained everything in detail. First we drove by car to the foot, then went up to the ridge by cable car. We started from the ridge, spent about half an hour in the air, there was wind, but the pilot steered confidently. From above you can see the spruce slopes, the cable car and the glaciers of the Trans-Ili Alatau. After landing on the meadow we rested a bit and took photos. We returned to the city by two o'clock, with lots of impressions.
We went with my wife in September. The road to Shymbulak took about an hour, everything was explained along the way. It's cool on the ridge, we took jackets. The flight lasted about twenty minutes, the views of the glaciers and the cable car are excellent.
We flew in September, took warm clothes as advised. We liked that the transfer from the city is organized.
We took a paragliding tour for a friend's birthday in July. We flew over Shymbulak, everything went well, we just had to wait in line for the cable car.
In June my husband and I flew paragliding over Shymbulak. We left Almaty in the morning and arrived in about an hour, then went up to the ridge by cable car. We were in the air for about twenty minutes, around us we could see spruces and glaciers. After lunch we returned to the city, we liked everything.
My husband persuaded me to try on the May holidays. In May it's still cool on the ridge, but the sun warms. We flew together, were satisfied.
We gathered with colleagues to unwind after winter. In April it's still cool up top, but the flight is worth it.
Friends persuaded me to try a paraglider in winter. In January we went to the ridge, there's wind and snow but it's still beautiful. The instructor is calm, explained everything.
My husband and I decided to celebrate our anniversary unusually and flew in December. We took warm clothes as advised and didn't regret it.
We went with my boyfriend in October to ride. It's windy on the ridge, the hat came in handy. The flight is short but cool.
We chose this tour because we wanted something unusual for our anniversary. We went together with my husband. In September the weather was clear, on the ridge there's wind but tolerable. The flight was memorable, though it was a bit scary at the start.
We gave mom a certificate for a flight, she had long wanted it. In May we flew to Shymbulak and were satisfied.
My k hoteli poprobovat chto-to novoe na godovshchinu, poehali s muzhem. V yanvare na grebne ochen holodno, nado teplo odetsya. Polyot dlisya okolo 20 minut, no vpechatleniy hvataet. Transfer iz goroda udobnyy.
FAQ
We've collected the questions travelers ask most often. Didn't find your answer? Write to us — a guide will reply in a couple of minutes.
Ask a questionIt is noticeably cooler on the ridge than in Almaty, so bring warm clothes even on a warm day. Wear comfortable shoes, and also bring a hat, sun protection, water and a light snack. Charge your phone or camera in advance.
There are no walking sections in the programme: we drive to the foot of Shymbulak by car, then go up by cable car. The main effort is the flight itself, not walking. No special training is needed.
The tour is private, so we tailor the conditions to the individual person. The decision to fly is made by the guide and the pilot on site, taking how you feel into account. If you are unsure, message us on WhatsApp and we will check for your date.
Meet in Almaty at 09:00; we will agree the exact location in advance. The drive to the foot of Shymbulak takes about an hour, we go up to the ridge by 10:00, and we return to the city at approximately 14:00. How much time you actually spend in the air depends on the weather — the guide will give an estimate before departure.
The price of $118 per person covers transport along the route, an experienced guide, and arranging the stops. Meals, personal expenses and entrance tickets to individual sites are paid by you. If you wish, after landing you can have a snack at the foot.
The format is private, so only you and your close ones fly — we arrange the booking for your date via WhatsApp message, with no prepayment. You pay for the flight over Shymbulak on the day of the trip: Kaspi, by card or in cash. If your plans change, you can cancel the booking with no payment or penalties.
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