The 6 Best Hikes near Almaty

1.Big Almaty Lake Tour with Optional Hike

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

Review of Almaty’s Big Almaty Lake tour, with hiking or car access, mountain views, guide tips, price, timing, and practical advice.

“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

Review of the Big Almaty Lake tour from Almaty, with hiking and car options, guide advice, costs, timing, and practical booking tips.

“Went by myself at the end of a work trip to Almaty. It was a beautiful hike and Viktor, our young guide, was knowledgeable and you can tell he loves to do this job. I am so glad I did this, because going alone would be impossible. Read more”

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3.Big Almaty Lake tour by hiking

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

Hike to Big Almaty Lake from Almaty with a guide, transport, hiking sticks, park fees, and mountain views for $50.

“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

Hike Almaty’s Tien Shan foothills on a private, flexible tour with hotel pickup, waterfalls, wildflowers, and mountain views.

“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

Ride and hike through Kazakhstan’s wild Kungey Alatau to three Kolsay Lakes, with mountain huts, camping, local food, and private guides.

“We had an unforgettable horseback riding experience in the Kungey Alatau mountains, and I can't recommend it enough. The breathtaking beauty of the landscape in the fall was an absolute highlight, perfect for leaf peeping and immRead more”

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6.Hiking to the magical Big Almaty Lake

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

Review of Big Almaty Lake hiking tour from Almaty, with mountain views, guide support, route details, price value, and practical tips.

“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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