10 Best Day Trips from Almaty (2026–2027 Guide): Lakes, Canyons & Mountains
Almaty is one of the few big cities in the world where you can have breakfast in a café downtown and be standing next to a glacier-fed mountain lake before lunch. Within a few hours' drive you'll find turquoise alpine lakes, a canyon often compared to the Grand Canyon, a sand dune that literally hums, and 3,000-year-old rock carvings.
The catch: most of these places are hard to reach on your own. Public transport barely goes there, roads can be rough, and some areas (like Big Almaty Lake) sit in a border zone with ID checks. That's why most visitors book a tour.
We're a team of local guides based in Almaty (see all our Almaty tours), and this is our honest list of the 10 best day trips from the city — with the tours we'd actually recommend for each one.
Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Tours marked "by our team" are operated by Travel Kazakhstan, the company behind this blog.
Quick picks
| If you want… | Go to | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| The #1 postcard view of Kazakhstan | Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes + Charyn Canyon | Full day (15–16 h) or 2 days |
| Mountains without a long drive | Big Almaty Lake | Half day |
| Epic canyon landscapes | Charyn Canyon | Full day |
| Waterfalls and an alpine plateau | Issyk Lake, Turgen Gorge, Assy Plateau | Full day |
| Almaty's own mountains, with a city tour | Medeu, Shymbulak & Kok-Tobe | Half to full day |
| Nomadic culture | Huns Ethno-Village | Half day |
| History | Tamgaly petroglyphs (UNESCO) | Full day |
| Desert and a "singing" dune | Altyn-Emel National Park | Very long day or 2 days |
1. Kolsai Lakes, Kaindy Lake & Charyn Canyon
This is the day trip from Almaty — and for good reason. In one (very long) day you see three of Kazakhstan's most famous landscapes: the red cliffs of Charyn Canyon, the eerie Kaindy Lake, where the trunks of drowned spruce trees still stick out of the turquoise water, and the forest-ringed Kolsai Lake in the Tian Shan mountains.
Be prepared: it's a 15–16-hour day with a lot of driving, and the last stretch to Kaindy is usually done in an off-road Soviet UAZ van. It's worth every minute.
Best time: late May to October. Good to know: bring layers — it's much colder at the lakes than in Almaty.
Top-rated group tour — the most-reviewed tour in the whole country, with lunch at a local family's home in Saty village:
Want it less rushed? Do it in 2 days. An overnight in Saty village lets you see the lakes in the quiet morning light instead of in a hurry:
Private 2-day version (by our team) — your own car, driver and guide, with a guesthouse stay in Saty:
2. Big Almaty Lake
The easiest mountain escape from Almaty: a glacier-fed lake at about 2,500 m, surrounded by snowy peaks, just 1–1.5 hours from the city. The water changes color from milky green to deep turquoise depending on the season.
Important: the lake lies in a border zone. Bring your passport — there's a checkpoint on the road. Swimming isn't allowed and the shoreline is fenced off in places; you enjoy the views from designated spots.
Best time: June to October (in winter the lake is frozen and the road may be closed).
Top pick — a short hike to the lake plus a falcon show, in a group of max 8:
Private tour with hotel pickup (by our team):
3. Charyn Canyon
If Kolsai's 16-hour day sounds like too much, go to Charyn Canyon on its own. The famous Valley of Castles is a 2 km walk between 150–300 m tall red rock walls that end at the Charyn river. Many tours also add the lesser-known Black Canyon and Moon Canyon.
Best time: April–June and September–October. Summer middays are very hot and there's little shade.
Best value — Charyn plus the Black and Moon canyons in one day:
Top-rated private tour:
4. Issyk Lake, Turgen Gorge & Assy Plateau
East of Almaty, the Turgen gorge hides several waterfalls, including the popular Bear Waterfall. Nearby is Issyk Lake, and higher up the high-altitude Assy Plateau — summer pastures where nomads still graze their horses, and one of the best stargazing spots in the region.
Budget-friendly small-group tour (Issyk Lake + Turgen waterfall):
Jeep tour including the Assy Plateau:
5. Medeu, Shymbulak & Kok-Tobe
Almaty's own mountains start right at the edge of the city. Medeu is the world's highest-altitude outdoor skating rink, Shymbulak ski resort is a cable car ride further up (views are spectacular even in summer), and Kok-Tobe hill gives you the classic panorama over the city.
This is the perfect option on your first or last day, or when the weather isn't good enough for a long drive.
Full-day combo — mountains plus the city's main sights and the Green Bazaar:
Prefer the city at your own pace? Our private 4-hour city tour includes Kok-Tobe and the Central Mosque, with hotel pickup:
6. Dinner with a Kazakh Family
Not a "trip" in the classic sense, but one of the things our guests remember most. After a city tour, you're welcomed into a local family's home for a traditional dinner — the best way to understand real Kazakh hospitality (and try beshbarmak the way it's made at home).
By our team:
7. The Huns Ethno-Village
In the Talgar gorge, less than an hour from Almaty, an ethno-village recreates the life of ancient nomads: yurts, horse-riding tricks, a warrior battle show, archery and a traditional lunch outdoors. Great with kids.
8. Tamgaly Petroglyphs (UNESCO World Heritage)
About 3 hours from Almaty, the Tamgaly gorge contains thousands of Bronze Age rock carvings, including unusual "sun-headed" deities. It's a quieter trip for history lovers — and you'll likely have the place almost to yourself.
9. Altyn-Emel National Park & the Singing Dune
The most dramatic landscapes near Almaty — and the longest drive. Altyn-Emel has the striped, multicolored Aktau Mountains and the Singing Dune, a 150 m tall sand dune that makes a deep humming sound when the sand slides down in dry weather.
Doing it in one day means a very early start and a late return; many travelers choose the 2-day option.
Top-rated group tour (1 or 2 days):
Private tour to the Aktau Mountains with lunch (by our team):
10. Horseback Riding in the Tian Shan Mountains
Horses are part of Kazakh identity, and riding through mountain meadows is one of the most authentic ways to experience the country. No experience needed — guides adapt the pace to you.
Half-day ride in the mountains (by our team):
Shorter ride to Butakovsky Waterfall, close to the city (by our team):
How to choose the right day trip
- Only one day? Kolsai + Kaindy + Charyn if you don't mind a very long day; Big Almaty Lake + Medeu/Shymbulak if you want to relax.
- Two or three days? Add Charyn or Altyn-Emel, or do Kolsai as a 2-day trip.
- Traveling with kids or older relatives? Big Almaty Lake, Medeu–Shymbulak or the ethno-village — short drives, no difficult walking.
- Group vs private: group tours are 3–5 times cheaper; private tours make sense for families, couples who want flexibility, or if you want to stop wherever you like for photos.
Practical tips from local guides
- Carry your passport on every trip out of the city — you'll need it at the Big Almaty Lake checkpoint and sometimes at national park entrances.
- Dress in layers. Mountain weather changes fast; it can be 30 °C in Almaty and 10 °C at Kolsai on the same day.
- Book 2–3 days ahead in summer. The popular group tours sell out in July and August.
- Bring cash (tenge). Many national park cafés, horse rentals and boat rides don't accept cards.
- Check the cancellation policy. Most tours listed here offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before — useful when the mountain weather is uncertain.
FAQ
What is the best day trip from Almaty? For most travelers it's the Kolsai Lakes, Kaindy Lake and Charyn Canyon tour — three of Kazakhstan's most iconic landscapes in one day. If you prefer a shorter trip, Big Almaty Lake is only 1–1.5 hours from the city.
Can I visit Big Almaty Lake without a tour? Yes, by taxi, but you'll need your passport for the border-zone checkpoint, and taxis don't always wait. A tour solves transport and timing.
How far is Charyn Canyon from Almaty? Around 200 km — roughly 3–3.5 hours each way by car.
When is the best time for day trips from Almaty? Late May to early October for the mountains and lakes. Charyn Canyon and Altyn-Emel are at their best in spring and autumn, when it's not too hot.
Are these tours in English? Yes — all the tours in this article have English-speaking guides.
Looking for multi-day packages or a custom itinerary? See our Almaty tour packages or contact us on WhatsApp.
