★5Senior guide, hiking & jeep-tour organizer
Hiking · Lake
A one-day hike to Big Almaty Lake (BAL) from Almaty. You will walk along a scenic trail beside a mountain river, see the turquoise waters of the lake at an altitude of 2511 m, and enjoy views of the Zailiysky Alatau. The tour is suitable for beginners and experienced hikers.
Program
We meet in the city center, board a comfortable minibus, and head towards the gorge.
Arrive at ~2000 m altitude, safety briefing. Begin ascending the trail along the river.
Stop at a scenic clearing, enjoy tea with sandwiches (included). Take photos of the views.
Reach the lake. Admire the panorama, take photos, relax. The guide will share the history and legends of BAL.
Have lunch at a cafe by the lake or a picnic (depending on weather). Menu includes hot dishes and drinks.
Begin descending the same trail. Short breaks along the way.
Return to the meeting point. Approximately at 17:00 we say goodbye to the group.
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.
★5Senior guide, hiking & jeep-tour organizer
★4.52Alexander Пашкин
Driver-guide, инструктор по трекингу
★4.74Andrey Шевелёв
Driver-guide
★4.27Анжелика Чвыкова
Гид-фотограф
★4.27Ильяс Дарбеков
Гид-переводчик
★4.55Мадина Данина
Организатор туров
★4.49Сергей Бабичев
Personal guide-водитель
Reviews
ne ponravilos chto propustili odnu obzornuyu tocku iz-za probki. no v celom krasivo. aleksandr staralsya
I wanted an active holiday, but without extremes. This was spot on. The guide told a lot of interesting things about the lake and the mountains, you can tell she's in her element.
We were planning to unwind with colleagues on the weekend and chose this hike because of the convenient schedule. We left half an hour later, but the guide apologized and extended the time at the lake, so it turned out even better. The trail along the river is not difficult, we walked calmly and admired the views. At the rest stop we drank tea with sandwiches, it was very timely. The lake at the altitude impressed us — the water is bright, the mountains are majestic. On the way back we were tired but happy. Overall excellent, I recommend it.
I decided to surprise my wife, so I booked this hike. She's absolutely thrilled! The guide suggested a good time to catch nice weather, and I'm especially grateful for that.
ozhe shynymen korkem. osy tur arqyly ?z?mn? ?osqan ?aldy k?rd?m. rahmet
tabi?at ?ten ?dem? t?nyshty? ?ana. ?z?m ?osqan ?al ?st?ndegi k?lge ?arap
The tour met expectations. The water is unreal turquoise even in cloudy weather. Sergey helped with choosing shoes and gave useful tips. We walked along a scenic trail, along the river, the ascent took about two hours. We made a stop at the lake, the guide told the history and legends. The snack on the meadow was very timely. On the way back we descended at a good pace. I recommend it to everyone, especially beginners.
kereketti qazirgi kuni koremiz. Taby?y ?osy?an ?s?ne rahmet. Zhazilymyn b?l turdy? k?rsetken?ne.
dolgo somnevalas no ne pozhalela. vidy prosto kosmos. spasibo za horoshee nastroenie
I spent a long time choosing between tours, and went with this one because of the mini-group. No regrets! Aleksandr showed us hidden trails.
We came as a big family, I was worried it would be hard. But the route turned out to be doable even for grandma. Ilyas led excellently, encouraged us and made stops. We walked along the river, enjoyed the landscapes. At the rest stop we drank tea, the kids were delighted. The lake is turquoise, very beautiful, we took a bunch of photos. Lunch was tasty, everyone ate their fill. We got tired but got a lot of emotions. Thanks for your patience with our big group.
vse ploho ne ponravilos shytka. na samom dele ochen krasivo. edinstvennyi minus chto malo vremeni na fotografii
Everything was good but the road was a bit tiring. But the air! I'll definitely come back.
rad chto reshilsya pochat s etogo tura. Tishina i krasota neperedaemye. Andrey pokazal interesnye mesta
The road was bumpy, but it's worth it. The water is an indescribable color. If you take the tour, bring snacks.
We gathered in a big company, worried it would be hard, but the route turned out to be within everyone's ability. A good tour but we waited 20 minutes at the rest stop. The guide apologized and gave us water. Overall we liked everything. The lake is turquoise, very beautiful, we took a bunch of photos. Lunch was tasty, everyone ate their fill.
krasivo ne peredat slovami. voda biryuza gory ogromnye. spasibo kompanii za organizaciyu
I had long wanted to go to the mountains but was afraid to go alone. In the mini-group I found new friends, no one was left out. Aleksandr is an excellent organizer! The trail along the river was easy, and when we came out to the lake — I just froze from the beauty. Turquoise water and snowy peaks around, I had never seen anything like it.
teby?aty? k?l?ne ?arap ?s?n?n ?sh?n rahmet. ?te ?damdy. qazirgi k?nde osy?an ?s?n ?z?m ?arap
We went with my sister spontaneously, just wanted a change of scenery. Emotions are off the charts! The lake is like a picture. Only it's very cold at the top, dress warmer. Madina warned us. We walked along the river unhurriedly, the guide told us about the mountains and legends along the way. Lunch was hot and very timely.
Great route, the views are unreal! We went with friends, wanted to test ourselves. It's just a pity that we left 15 minutes later, but that's a minor thing. The trail goes along the river, the ascent is not strenuous. We spent about an hour at the lake, breathed in the fresh air. The guide told interesting facts and answered questions. On the way back we walked briskly, didn't even notice the fatigue. Thanks for the organization!
k?z?mmen b?rge bar?p ?s?ne rahmet. balalar?a ?te ?nayly. ?te ?damdy j?ldyzdy? astynda
I planned to unwind with colleagues after a hard week, had long been eyeing this hike. The impressions are super! The only downside - there were more people in the group than promised for a mini-group. But the guide quickly smoothed things over. At the rest stop we drank tea, admired the mountains, and at the top spent almost an hour — we couldn't get enough of the air. We came down tired but happy.
I wanted to see the mountains with kids, chose this tour for the good reviews. Aleksandr was very attentive to the children, suggested photo spots.
FAQ
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Ask a questionThe ascent along the riverside trail starts around 8 a.m., we reach the lake at an altitude of 2511 m by noon, and after lunch we descend the same way. The pace is easy, with a rest stop and short breaks to relax; the guide leads the group and keeps an eye on how everyone is feeling. Based on the description, the tour suits both beginners and experienced hikers.
Footwear — trekking shoes, sneakers or boots, plus weather-appropriate clothing and a windbreaker or rain jacket: mountain weather changes. Take a 20–30 L backpack, sunglasses and sunscreen, and a phone or camera — for photos by the turquoise lake. Tea with sandwiches at the rest stop, lunch and bottled water are already included, so you don't need to carry food with you.
Meeting in central Almaty at 07:00, then by minibus to the gorge where the walking part begins. According to the itinerary, arrival at the meeting point is scheduled for 16:30, and around 17:00 we say goodbye to the group. The exact return time depends on the group's pace and the weather — the guide will let you know before departure.
The price includes the trip from Almaty and back by minibus, the guide-instructor's services, a snack at the rest stop, lunch with a hot dish and drinks, bottled water and a group first-aid kit. Separately — only personal expenses: souvenirs and extra drinks. We recommend arranging accident insurance yourself, and no hotel is needed, as the tour is a day trip.
The tour runs as a mini-group, with departures on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. If you want your own group on your own date, we'll check for your date on WhatsApp — we'll tell you what's actually possible in terms of group size. The guide-instructor accompanies the group along the entire route in any case.
Lunch is either at the lakeside café or a picnic, depending on the weather; the guide decides on the spot how the day runs, based on conditions in the mountains. Bring a windbreaker or rain jacket either way — mountain weather changes fast. If the trip has to be cancelled, cancelling your booking is free; ask us on WhatsApp about your date.