6 best day trips from Almaty

Day trips compared

The day trips

200 km · About 3–3.5 hours by car each way

1.Charyn Canyon

The Charyn River has carved a canyon of red and orange sandstone up to about 150 metres deep. The Valley of Castles trail drops between towering rock formations to the river, about 2 km each way, with a small eco-camp at the bottom.

Getting there

Organised tour or private driver

Best for

First-timers, Families, Solo travellers

300 km · About 5 hours by car each way

2.Kolsai Lakes

Three lakes stepped up a forested valley in the Kungey Alatau. The lower lake is reached by road, and a hike of about 8 km leads to the second. Most visitors stay overnight in Saty village or guesthouses and combine Kolsai with Kaindy and Charyn.

Getting there

Two-day tour or private driver, often with Charyn

Best for

Couples, Quiet stays, Solo travellers

290 km · About 5 hours by car, last stretch by 4×4

3.Kaindy Lake

A lake formed after an earthquake in 1911 dammed a gorge, drowning a spruce forest whose bare trunks still rise from the turquoise water. The final approach is a rough track and a short walk down to the shore.

Getting there

Tour with 4×4 transfer from Saty

Best for

Couples, Solo travellers

250 km · About 4 hours by car each way

4.Altyn-Emel National Park

A vast desert park along the Ili River with the Singing Dune, a 150-metre-high dune that hums in dry wind, the striped Aktau mountains and herds of kulan and goitered gazelle. Distances inside the park are large, so a two-day trip is more relaxed.

Getting there

Organised tour with park permit

Best for

Solo travellers, Quiet stays

170 km · About 2.5–3 hours by car each way

5.Tamgaly petroglyphs

A UNESCO World Heritage Site with around 5,000 rock carvings in a gorge, from Bronze Age sun-headed deities to later images of animals and hunters. It is a quiet, atmospheric site with a short walking circuit.

Getting there

Private driver or tour

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

70 km · About 1.5 hours by car

6.Turgen Gorge

A green gorge east of Almaty with waterfalls such as Bear Falls, trout farms, horse riding and, higher up, the Assy Plateau summer pastures. It is the easiest nature day out from the city after Big Almaty Lake.

Getting there

Private driver or tour

Best for

Families, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• An extensive bus and trolleybus network covers the city, and a regular bus runs from the centre up to Medeu, from where the gondola continues to Shymbulak.
• For trips over about 210 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask