The 15 Best Hiking Tours in the Almaty Mountains

1.Big Almaty Lake Tour with Optional Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 109 reviews · from $69Our pick

Reach Big Almaty Lake at 2,500 meters with DAO Travel and guides such as Dmitriy, Vladimir, Igor, or Olga. Choose a car transfer to a viewpoint or a demanding 12 km uphill and downhill hike. Expect mountain history, flexible stops, early starts, and striking views when weather is clear.

“All good. Picked up right infront of your doorsteps. Only had to walk a little bit then picked up by car to go to a higher viewpoint. just wished that I could've spend time longer up there and really breathe in the view. The time limit is a bit short.. overall im still happy with what i get. thank u!”

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2.Big Almaty Lake tour private or group by car or hiking

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 46 reviews · from $69

Travel from central Almaty to Big Almaty Lake at about 2,500 meters with guides such as Dmitry, Victor, Vlad, or Dmitry. Choose a car visit or a demanding 6-kilometer uphill hike. Expect mountain views, a 40 to 60-minute lake visit, local history, and possible add-ons such as Shymbulak or Almarasan Gorge.

“amazing hike! dmitry is really knowledgeable and shared a lot of cool facts about the region! he even shared a list of recommendations with the group on sights to see and places to eat in almaty.”

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3.Big Almaty Lake – azure eye of Alatau (+ Ayu gorge) half-day tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · from $139Top rated

Leave Almaty at 7:00 a.m. for a private 4 to 6 hour trip to Big Almaty Lake and Alma-Arasan Gorge. Your guide, often Dastan or Nursultan, handles the drive while you enjoy mountain views, a short gorge walk, hot springs, and a waterfall. Transport, water, park fees, and guide service are included.

“What a day. Nursultan picked us up from the hotel right on time. The first impression was great, easy-to-understand English, a super-friendly guy. Our tour took us to the Ile-Alatau National Park. Nursultan led us along roaring water up to tRead more”

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4.Big Almaty Lake tour by hiking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $50

Start early from Almaty and hike about 10 km round trip through pine forest, alpine meadows, and rocky mountain paths to Big Almaty Lake at 2,800 meters. Guides such as Nurzhan and Zhandos provide steady support, local insight, hiking sticks, transport, and park entry. Plan for a moderate to strenuous day.

“It was a memorable experience hiking upto Big Almaty with the ever cheerful and helpful Nurzhan and his team. Not only did they help us in the difficult parts of the terrain but also explained in detail about the region and its significance. Would highly recommend this hike to new travellers!”

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5.1-day Backcountry Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · from $156

Start at 8:00 am from a guest house in Almaty for a private backcountry day in the Zailiyskiy Alatau. Guides such as Max, Maxim, or Kirill match the route to your ability, from first-time touring to advanced lines. Expect below-treeline skiing or snowboarding, mountain views, pickup options, and a return to the meeting point.

“We had a great time with Max. He did a custom 3 day ski trip with us for a couple of days at 2 ski resorts and one day of touring. He was very knowledgeable, helpful and great at finding us amazing snow and powder. Highly recommend!”

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6.ALmaty mountains hiking tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · from $95

Choose an easy Alma-Arasan walk or a harder route to Kok-Zhaylyau, Butakovskiy Waterfall, or Big Almaty Lake. Your private guide, including Ote, Dauren, Erlan, Gulzat, or Yelnar, can adjust the pace and route. Hotel pickup, bottled water, and round-trip transfers are included.

“This was a great tour. Erlan was a brilliant guide, who tailors hikes based on people’s ability. I would definitely recommend!”

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7.Alma-Arasan & Ayusai Mountain Gorges with Hot Springs Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $30Best value

Escape Almaty for pine forests, mountain streams, two waterfalls, and optional hot-spring bathing in Alma-Arasan. You’ll also visit Ayusai Visitor Center and, from April to October, the Sunkar Falcon Farm for an eagle and falcon show. Guides such as Yula, Serzhan, Zhenis, and Alma lead small groups of up to 15.

“The guided tour was exceptional. Our guide was knowledgeable and professional, providing insights that truly enriched the experience. The chosen locations were perfect and well-coordinated, allowing us to create wonderful memories.”

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8.3-Day Private Horseback Riding and Hiking Tour in Kolsay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · from $1,900

This private three-day Kolsay adventure combines horseback riding, hiking, simple mountain camping, and local food. Darya, Alex, Gulnaz, and their horse team lead you through quiet Kungey Alatau trails, from Almaty to Kurmenty and the Kolsay lakes. Expect long days, basic sleeping arrangements, fresh meals, and a genuine wilderness trip.

“A big thank you to Darya and Gulnaz for this fabulous experience – we will keep wonderful memories of these 6 days in the Almaty region. Everything was perfect. Darya is a caring person, always making sure that tourists feel comfortable anRead more”

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9.Alpine Climbing around Almaty Multi Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $384

Spend two days climbing in the Zailiyskiy Alatau near Almaty with a certified English, Russian, or Ukrainian-speaking guide. Katya may help you choose between an easy scramble and a harder route above 4,000 meters. The trip includes transport, meals, group climbing gear, and an overnight stay in a tent or Tuyuk-Su alpine camp dormitory.

“I had an excellent time on this tour! Katya was an expert guide and new the mountain well. She also speaks English very well and there were no problems with communication. Katya gave me several options to pick from and helped me pick a Read more”

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10.Hiking to the magical Big Almaty Lake

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 7 reviews · 8 hours · from $162

Spend up to eight hours hiking from Almaty into Ile-Alatau National Park, passing pine, birch, poplar, apple, and spruce woods before reaching Big Almaty Lake. Your English-speaking guide, such as Rustem, Almart, or Ilyas, can help choose between easier and tougher routes. Hotel transfers, park entry, water, lemonade, and poles on request are included.

“I booked this hike on a Friday but ended up getting food poisoning, and the organizers were kind enough to help me reschedule to Saturday. The driver and guide met me at my hotel and the total hike took about 4 hours. A little disappointed with the lake receding due to the recent damn that was built, but the hike was beautiful. Mountain views for days. There are 3 options for the hike, using the normal paved road or going up and down the pipeline which is intense if you do not hike. We had a small picnic with provided tea and sandwhiches as well which was nice. If you…”

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11.VIP Shymbulak, Alma-Arasan, Central Mosque & Cathedral ChurchTour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $120

Spend 9 to 10 hours with a private guide and SUV visiting Shymbulak, Alma-Arasan Gorge, the Central Mosque, and Ascension Cathedral. Cable-car views, mountain air, hot springs, and two major religious buildings make this a broad first look at Almaty. Guide Erasyl has been praised for punctual service, strong English, photography, and clear local insight.

“Overall it was a good experience and guide was ver friendly. The itinerary plan shared was intact and followed the same.”

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12.Shymbulak to Bogbanovisch Glacier and Oktabriskaya Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $110

Ride the cable car from Medeu to Shymbulak, then walk 2 km each way toward Bogdanovich Glacier and Oktyabrskaya Cave. An English-speaking guide, helmet, poles, shoe spikes, and a sitting pad are included. Viktor is known for helping beginners. Bring lunch, snacks, and water.

“One of the best experiences ive ever had! Truly amazing. Viktor our guide was very helpful and helped us as beginners to hiking.”

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13.Hiking to the High Mountain Pasture Kok Zhailau

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 5 reviews · 8 hours · from $144

Leave your Almaty hotel for a private, guided hike to Kok Zhailau in Ile-Alatau National Park. You will climb 4 km through birch, pine, poplar, and spruce groves to a 2,200-meter pasture, with views of the city and snowy Tien Shan peaks. Guides speak English, German, Kazakh, or Russian. Ilyas and Kader have handled hotel pickups.

“The trip was good and the guide was really amazing”

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14.Advanced Hiking – Four Peaks Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 10 hours · from $210

Join Temirlan’s private guiding team for a demanding four-peak hike near Almaty. You’ll climb from Kim Asar Valley to Furmanov, Panorama, Bashuta, and Chimbulachka, gaining up to 2,000 meters before descending by cable car from Shymbulak. Guides including Victor, Valihan, and Temirlan provide poles, safety support, transfers, and Kazakh chocolate.

“Breathtaking view throughout the whole hike. The guide (Victor) was amazing and he makes sure you feel safe during the hike. Will definitely hike with this team again if I ever plan to hike in kazakhstan again.”

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15.Three Brothers Peak and Kok Zhailyau: Path to the Clouds

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 4 reviews · 10 hours · from $135

Spend 10 hours in the Tian Shan above Almaty, hiking through Kok Zhailyau to the 2,850-meter Three Brothers Peak and Battery Waterfall. A private group, mountain guide, hotel transport, water, and lemonade are included. The route is strenuous, so bring proper hiking shoes, snacks, and outdoor clothing. Guide Ilyas is praised for patience and careful pacing.

“Everything was well organized. We were picked up from our hotel. Our guide Ilyas was great. He adapted to our needs and showed great patience and encouraged us the whole way. The hike was strenuous with a lot of climbing, but the views were amazing. We would definitely recommend this trip to anyone with a reasonable level of fitness.”

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