The 10 Best Hiking Days in Kazakhstan

1.Big Almaty Lake Tour with Optional Hike

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

Choose a car ride to a Big Almaty Lake viewpoint or a demanding 12 km hike with guides such as Dmitriy, Vladimir, or Igor. You will see the lake at about 2,500 meters, hear stories about the mountains, and travel from Almaty with park entry and transport included.

“Dmitriy is an extremely knowledgeable guide, giving us in depth history of Kazakhstan on the journey to the mountains. He also explained how the mountain lakes etc were formed which was very interesting. The hike itself was amazing. It was challenging, but that made the view at the Big Almaty Lake even better. It truly is a stunning lake and the mountain views all through the hike are breathtaking. I would fully recommend this to anyone who is capable. Make sure to wear shoes with good grip👍 One of the best experiences of my life.”

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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 by car or on a demanding 6-kilometer uphill hike. Guides such as Dmitry, Viktor, and Vlad explain the lake, mountains, and Kazakhstan’s past. Expect 40 to 60 minutes at the lake, mountain weather, and a possible 300-meter walk.

“Vlad messaged me the might before telling me the pick up time and location, when i got to pick up point he’s already there waiting! we got to the starting point early so the hike was a breeze, he’s really funny but also reassuring. Going doRead more”

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3.Big Almaty Lake tour by hiking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $50Best value

Join guides such as Nurzhan, Zhandos, or Sultan for a 10-kilometer hike to Big Almaty Lake at about 2,800 meters. Expect a 6 to 7-hour outing, 600 to 800 meters of ascent, rocky paths, pine forest, and a small group of up to eight people.

“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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4.ALmaty mountains hiking tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · from $95

Leave Almaty for a private half or full-day hike with guides such as Ote, Dauren, Erlan, Gulzat, or Yelnar. Choose an easy Alma-Arasan walk, a tougher Kok-Zhaylyau route, Butakovskiy Waterfall, or Big Almaty Lake, with hotel transfers and bottled water included.

“Definitely not a basic hike. We went for kok zhailuh, which turned out to be a 10km, 2300m elevation hike. It took us 6hours. Our guide Yelnar was really lovely, helpful, but really young - like a mountain goat with a couple of hippos 😅 The Read more”

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5.3-Day Private Horseback Riding and Hiking Tour in Kolsay

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

Join Darya, Gulnaz, or Alex for a private three-day ride and hike from Almaty to Kolsay Lakes. You’ll travel by SUV, horse, and foot through quiet Kungey Alatau trails, sleep in a mountain hut and tent, and eat simple meals in the mountains.

“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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6.Hiking to the magical Big Almaty Lake

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

Spend about eight hours leaving Almaty for a strenuous hike to Big Almaty Lake with guides such as Rustem, Almart, or Ilyas. Walk through pine, birch, poplar, apple, and spruce forests, cross mountain rivers, and choose between gentler roads and tougher routes.

“It was a great activity! Although the hike is a little tougher than I expected, Rustem was extremely kind, assisting me all the time and caring for me to have an incredible experience. I recommend this activity to anyone who’s into hiking and enjoying beautiful lake views.”

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7.Shymbulak to Bogbanovisch Glacier and Oktabriskaya Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $110

Join Viktor and a small group for a 6 to 7-hour hike from Shymbulak Ski Resort to Bogdanovich Glacier and Oktyabrskaya Cave. The 2-kilometer route includes cable-car access, helmets, poles, shoe spikes, and time for an outdoor lunch at high altitude.

“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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8.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 through birch, pine, poplar, and spruce forest to Kok Zhailau at 2,200 meters. The 4-kilometer climb takes 3 to 4 hours, with Ilyas and Kader among the guides associated with this outing. Trekking poles, water, juice, snacks, and transfers are included.

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

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9.Advanced Hiking – Four Peaks Hike

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

You’ll climb four Ile Alatau peaks near Almaty with an English-speaking private guide, including Furmanov, Panorama, Bashuta, and Chimbulachka. Guides such as Victor, Valihan, and Temirlan lead the demanding route, with poles, winter crampons, transfers, GPS support, and Kazakh chocolate included.

“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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10.Private Big Almaty Lake Hiking Tour with alternatgive Pipeline

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $70

Spend about 8.5 hours with a private guide exploring Big Almaty Lake, Alma-Arasan Gorge, Ayusai Gorge, and First President’s Park. Expect mountain roads, a 1-kilometer river hike, waterfalls, hotel pickup, bottled water, and a moderate fitness requirement. Ask about the advertised Pipeline alternative before booking.

“Really fantastic tour! Our tour guide, Erasyl, was incredibly kind and really made sure we enjoyed our experience. He catered to the whole tour based on our needs and made us feel very comfortable. We are 3 young girls travelling so the Read more”

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