Big Almaty Lake: Stunning Alpine Escape
5.0
48 Ratings
Almaty

Explore Butakovskiye Waterfalls on a scenic hike through Ile Alatau. Discover two stunning waterfalls in a 4-5 hour adventure.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Big Almaty Lake - Duration: 6-7 hours
    Difficulty: Moderate
    Distance: Approximately 10 km round trip
    Elevation gain: About 600–800 meters
What's Included
  • National parks entrance fees
  • English speaking guide
  • Hotel Pick-up and drop
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Snacks
Additional Information

Big Almaty Lake is located at an elevation of 2,500 meters, a stunning turquoise alpine lake encircled by the snow-covered peaks of the Tian-Shan mountains, just a short 30-minute drive from Almaty.
Choose your adventure:

  • Group Hike — Embark on a 10 km trek through alpine meadows and pine forests to reach the lake. Hiking sticks are provided. Ideal…
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Location
Big Almaty Lake
Ili-Alatau National Park
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(48 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Cheanlee
Apr 10, 2026
Great day hike to Lake Almaty - I have a great day hiking with our guide Amir. We were in a small group of 3 travelers, the pickup was on time. Amir always making sure we were safe during the hike when passing through some steep sections of the trails. We reached the lake on time before it became cloudy. The scenery was spectacular and I would recommend the day trip if you want to experience the landscape without traveling too far from Almaty city.
Review provided by Viator
848dilarac
Apr 8, 2026
Definetly a fun experience and worth your time! 🥾 - We were picked up from our hotel at 7am and drove to the hiking starting point by car. Our tour guide, Amir, was very friendly from beginning to end and always provided us with interesting and useful information on Almaty and Kazhakstan. The hike itself was exhausting (IF you are not frequently hiking/sportsy like we were) but manageable and rewarding! Our Guide would take breaks when we needed so it was definetly doable! Despite the lake still being frozen, it was still a beautiful experience and still looked nice! At the lake we took a break, talked and had snacks together, which was very nice. Since we were only four people, we had nice conversations on the way down. Amir also took (nice) pictures of us during the hike and sent them to us later, which is really neat. Definetly recommend booking with this tour agency :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meander355566
Dec 12, 2025
Good climb - Nurzhan was an amazing guide. The whole trip was just pure vibes. Just the 3 of us climbing up talking and having fun. It was amazing. He also treated us well, gave us cats for our shoes, water, and snacks.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Getaway29103655991
Dec 11, 2025
Exhilarating trek culminating in scintillating views. - 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!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ewyns
Dec 10, 2025
Warm and challenging! - Zhandos is a young and energetic guide. He is able to communicate with us with English, which is helpful. He makes sure we are always on track and check with us from time to time if our hike is okay. He is also so nice to share us oranges, snacks and food during the trip. Very warm and he's knowledgeable as well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Barlianb
Dec 8, 2025
Amazing Trip - The trip was very well organised and our guides Zhandos and Nurzhan were very helpful, friendly and provided a lot of interesting information. Big up the mandem Zhandos and Nurzhan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debar0tim
Dec 8, 2025
A stunning hike to Big Almaty lake - The big Almaty lake hike was one of the most Beautiful experiences I have had. The lake is stunning, the trail is peaceful the Mountain Views are unreal. Our guide Mr.Zhandos made the whole trip even better, super helpful, kind n professional. Couldn’t have asked for a better day. Highly recommended to anyone visiting Almaty.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aibolk57
Dec 7, 2025
Everything was very nice - Everything went great! Views and sights are breathtaking! Have closed my “fitness circle 4 times” during one hiking))) Thanks to the helpful and positive guides!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ge0belv
Dec 6, 2025
Almaty lake hike - I had amazing experience with Zhandos and his team. It was very informative and detailed plan tour. Thank you..........
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aban
Dec 6, 2025
Experience of a lifetime! - The guide Zhandos is a very experienced local who knows what he's talking about. He helped us to the Big Almaty Lake with no qualms and has a very friendly personality. He's also accommodated for all ages and waits for the whole group to move together. All in all, great trip, unforgettable scenery, and helpful people! I think a tour guide like Zhandos is especially necessary in winter months when the trek can be more hazardous due to ice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $50
From $50
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).
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