★5Senior guide, hiking & jeep-tour organizer
Excursion · UNESCO
Tour to the Tamgaly Petroglyphs from Almaty
4.9 · 22 reviews
Immerse yourself in ancient art in the Tamgaly Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 9 hours, you will see over 5,000 rock carvings from the Bronze Age, walk through a canyon with rare plants, and touch the history of nomads.
WhenDaily, time upon request
Duration9 h
StartAlmaty
Pricefrom $56/person
Program
Hourly program of the tour to the Tamgaly petroglyphs
08:00
Departure from Almaty
Meet at Republic Square, board a comfortable minivan. On the way, a short stop for breakfast.
10:00
Arrival at Tamgaly Gorge
Enter the museum-reserve area. Briefing from the guide and start of the walking route.
10:30
Viewing petroglyphs (Zone 1)
Explore ancient drawings: hunting scenes, ritual dances, animal images. The guide explains the meaning of the symbols.
12:00
Continue the route (Zone 2)
Walk to the 'Sunheads' complex — unique petroglyphs with anthropomorphic figures. Photos against the canyon backdrop.
13:30
Lunch in nature
Picnic with Kazakh treats (beshbarmak, kumis, flatbreads) in the shade of rocks. Vegetarian menu available on request.
15:00
Free time and walk
Independent exploration of the surroundings, visit to the observation deck overlooking the Ili River valley.
16:30
Return to Almaty
Transfer back, estimated arrival at 18:00.
What's included
What's included in the tour to the Tamgaly petroglyphs
Included in Price
Already included in the tour price
- Transfer by comfortable vehicle (Almaty — Tamgaly — Almaty)
- Services of a professional guide
- Entrance tickets to the Tamgaly museum-reserve
- Organized lunch (picnic with national dishes)
- Bottled water throughout the tour
Paid separately
Optional, on site
- Personal expenses (souvenirs, extra drinks)
- Accident insurance (recommended to arrange independently)
- Tips for the guide and driver (optional)
What to Bring
To make the day comfortable
- Comfortable shoes (hiking or sneakers)
- Hat and sunscreen
- Windbreaker or light jacket (wind in the gorge)
- Camera or smartphone for photos
- Backpack for personal items
Team
Our team — guides and instructors from Almaty
Routes are led by working guides and instructors. The same people answer in WhatsApp and accompany groups on tour.
★5
★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
Reviews of the tour to the Tamgaly petroglyphs
4.9 ★
Our rating · 312 reviews
4.8 ★
Google · 540
4.9 ★
Yandex · 268
4.8 ★
2GIS · 197
1317
Total reviews
Oleg P.
Our website ·
★★★★★The departure was delayed by about 15 minutes, but it didn't spoil the day at all. The atmosphere in the canyon is incredible, as if we found ourselves in another time. The guide showed the coolest drawings and told us about them so captivatingly that we got lost in listening.
Saule A.
Yandex ·
★★★★★Amazing trip! The petroglyphs were incredible. The guide was very knowledgeable. I'll come back.
Pavel R.
2GIS ·
★★★★★Took the tour on a friend's advice. Not disappointed. The canyon is very beautiful. The guide showed the oldest petroglyphs. Be sure to take comfortable shoes.
Alexey B.
2GIS ·
★★★★★Took the tour for my family. The kids are thrilled! We saw goats and horsemen. The guide told stories interestingly for all ages.
Ilya M.
Our website ·
★★★★★I liked everything. The guide explained the meaning of each drawing, you can see that the person is passionate. It's a pity there was little time, I would have liked to walk around the gorge longer.
Maxim D.
Our website ·
★★★★★Chose this tour because I'm interested in history. Tanbaly didn't disappoint. The guide ran the tour professionally. Thanks for the day.
Aliya T.
2GIS ·
★★★★★We don't regret choosing this tour. My spouse and I wanted to spend our vacation in nature and delve into history. The petroglyphs at Tanbaly are truly amazing, especially the stones depicting sun-headed people. The guide was very kind, but sometimes spoke too quickly. The walk at the top of the mountain went very well. The national dishes at the picnic were delicious. I want to go again and see other rock paintings.
Anara Zh.
Yandex ·
★★★★★Ochen ponravilos. Gid provel ekskursiyu otlichno. Vse organizovano. Na doroge tryaslo nemnogo. No eto ne isportilo vpechatlenie.
Olga Ch.
2GIS ·
★★★★★I liked it. The petroglyphs are impressive. I would have liked more time to explore. The staff are friendly.
Dmitry G.
Google ·
★★★★★Great tour! We were with colleagues. Learned a lot about ancient nomads. Only the road was a bit tiring. The guide is excellent.
Vladimir S.
Our website ·
★★★★★Dolgo ne mog reshit kuda poehat iz Almaty. Vibral etot tur. Ne pozhalel. Petroglifi v kanone Tangaly eto udivitelno. Gid rasskazal istorii kotorye zapomnitsya.
Bekzat T.
Our website ·
★★★★★Tamgaly is a wonderful place. The tour was well organized. Madina gave us a lot of information. I'll go again next time.
Yelena D.
Google ·
★★★★★Tanbaly is a place of power. We went with our family to show the children the ancient drawings. We really liked that we were not rushed. Minus — it was stuffy on the bus, but that's because of the heat. Overall, the impressions are excellent.
Ruslan N.
2GIS ·
★★★★★The tour was good, but we waited in line for 20 minutes to enter. The guide smoothed the wait with stories. I recommend bringing extra water.
Maksim L.
Google ·
★★★★★Ezdili s semyoy na Tangaly. Mne ponadobilos vzyat s soboy vodu. Mesto ochen krutoe. spasibo gidu za ekskursiyu.
Karina M.
Google ·
★★★★★Good tour. We gathered with friends for the weekend, wanted to see something grand. We really liked the canyon and the views of the valley. Minus — departure was delayed by half an hour, we had to wait. But the guide Anzhelika compensated with humor and interesting stories. The petroglyphs are impressive, especially in the second zone. Overall, the trip was a success, despite a small delay.
Gulnara B.
Google ·
★★★★★I had wanted to see Tanbaly for a long time. During this vacation, I went with my parents and admired the ancient drawings. I really liked the tour, especially the walk in the canyon. Unfortunately, the water ran out, but the guide gave us extra water. Dinner in nature was delicious. Next time I will go again with my friends.
Sergey A.
Yandex ·
★★★★★Petroglify eto chto-to! Vpechatlyaet masshtab. Ja vzyal tur chtoby pokazat dochke drevnyuyu istoriyu. Madina rasskazala ochen yarko.
Marat I.
Our website ·
★★★★★Dolgo vybiral tur. Reshil poyehat na Tangaly chtoby uznat o drevney culture. Ne oshibsya. Gid vse pokazal i rasskazal. Rekomenduyu.
Lyazzat E.
2GIS ·
★★★★★The trip to Tanbaly was wonderful. The guide gave us a lot of information and explained the meaning of each drawing. The nature is beautiful, I especially enjoyed the walk in the canyon.
Timur Zh.
Google ·
★★★★★Great tour! I was looking for something unusual in Almaty for a long time and came across this trip. We went with my wife, she is into history. The guide gave a very interesting tour, I learned a lot of new things about ancient people and their life. I was especially impressed by the rock paintings with ritual dances. Lunch in nature was delicious, we tried beshbarmak. I recommend it to all guests of Almaty who want to touch antiquity.
Aigerim M.
Our website ·
★★★★★I really liked the Tanbaly tour. The guide told us all about the petroglyphs wonderfully. I'll definitely come back!
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Tanbaly petroglyphs tour
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 questionWear broken-in shoes — sneakers or trekking shoes — because you walk through the gorge on foot. A hat, sunscreen and a light windbreaker will come in handy: it can be windy in the gorge. Also bring a camera or smartphone and a small backpack for personal items.
It's a relaxed walk through the gorge with stops at the petroglyphs, and no special preparation is needed. The guide keeps a comfortable pace: first the initial zone of rock drawings, then a walk to the second one with the Sun-headed figures, and after lunch there's free time and a viewpoint. The main thing is comfortable shoes.
Yes, the format is private, so we adjust the pace to your group. Children usually enjoy looking at drawings of animals and hunting scenes, while for older people it matters that we walk without rushing, with stops, and lunch is in the shade of the rocks. If you're unsure about the load for a particular person, we'll clarify it for your date on WhatsApp.
Departure from Almaty at 08:00, meeting at Republic Square. You will be there around 10:00, and you will return to the city at approximately 18:00. On the way, a short stop for breakfast is planned, and at the site — lunch in nature.
For $56 per person, the price includes the road from Almaty to Tanbaly and back, the work of a guide-lecturer, entrance tickets to the museum-reserve, a picnic lunch with national dishes and water for the whole day. Separately — only personal expenses such as souvenirs and additional drinks, insurance and, if you wish, a thank-you to the guide and driver. Everything else is already included.
Write to us on WhatsApp with the date and number of people — we will confirm the trip, no prepayment is required. You can pay on the day of the trip via Kaspi, by card or in cash. If your plans change, cancellation of the booking is free.
