Best Day Trips from Almaty

Short on time but want to see the best of Almaty and its surroundings? Here's the full collection of our private day tours - perfect for a quick escape into nature or a taste of the city, all with professional guide-drivers and flexible pickup times.

Charyn Canyon Tour — often called the "Grand Canyon of Kazakhstan," this dramatic gorge was carved over roughly 12 million years by the Charyn River. Its most famous section, the Valley of Castles, features towering red sandstone formations shaped by wind and water erosion.

Big Almaty Lake Tour is a stunning high-altitude alpine lake inside Ile-Alatau National Park, known for its striking turquoise color that shifts with the seasons, surrounded by snow-capped peaks.

Kolsai Lake Tour — a chain of three alpine lakes often called the "pearl of the Tian Shan," sitting at altitudes between 1,700 and 2,700 meters, framed by dense spruce forests and dramatic mountain scenery.

Altyn Emel Tour – home to the famous Singing Dune, a massive sand barkhan up to 150 meters high that produces a deep humming sound in dry weather. The park also features the otherworldly Aktau Chalk Mountains and a legendary 700-year-old willow tree said to have sheltered Genghis Khan's army.

Almaty City Tour — explore the city itself, including a visit to Shymbulak, one of the highest-altitude ski resorts in the world, reachable by cable car just outside the city.

Issyk Lake & Turgen Waterfalls Tour — a serene alpine lake nestled among pine-covered slopes, paired with a scenic hike to the cascading, multi-tiered Turgen Waterfalls tucked deep in a forested gorge.

Ili River Petroglyphs Tour — thousands-year-old rock carvings scattered across cliffs above the Ili River, offering a rare window into the region's ancient nomadic cultures and Bronze Age art.