Where to Go from Almaty by Minibus
Our most popular routes, with a price for the whole Toyota Hiace. We take your group to lakes, mountains, canyons and cities in one vehicle with a driver who knows the road.
Our drivers don’t speak English. Phone calls are in Russian or Kazakh, so WhatsApp works best: write in English and we’ll reply using a translator. Need an interpreter? We can arrange one for an extra fee, agreed in advance.
Almaty is conveniently placed: the gorges start half an hour from your door, the canyon is three hours away, the shore of Lake Balkhash six. Below are all our routes with a price per trip: 57 of them right now. We use a 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver: the whole group travels together, from your door to the destination.
The collections are grouped by travel time: first half-day trips close to the city, then out-of-town retreats, full-day trips, intercity routes across Kazakhstan and trips to the neighboring countries. Guide prices by the hour and by distance are on the prices and rates page, the vehicle with its driver under Toyota Hiace hire, and one-day trips to lakes and canyons are covered in more detail under day trips.
Half-day trips — mountains and parks right by the city
Up to 35 km from your door: leave after breakfast, be up in the mountains by lunch and back home in the evening. Good for when you haven’t set a whole day aside and need something to do with guests between other plans.
Country retreats, resorts and picnics outside the city
Right to the resort gate: we pick you up at your door, load the grill, food and overnight bags, and collect you in the evening. You book the cabins and the banya (steam bath); we handle the transport.
Full-day trips
An early start and back before dark: canyons, mountain lakes, waterfalls and petroglyphs. You choose the start time, how long each stop lasts and when to head home; only your group is on board.
Intercity trips across Kazakhstan
From seventy kilometers to fifteen hundred, from a half-day drive to a trip with an overnight stop on the way. Door to door, with no changes on the way.
Kyrgyzstan, Russia and the border with China
To Kyrgyzstan, in the same minibus with the same driver: passengers cross the border checkpoint on foot, while the vehicle goes through separately and waits on the other side; if someone is meeting you there, we take you only as far as the Kordai border checkpoint. To Russia: a drive of a day and a half to two days with an overnight stop. At Khorgos, the driver waits in the parking lot by the checkpoint.
How to choose a destination
Start with how much time you have. Half a day is enough for the foothills: Medeu, Shymbulak, Kok-Tobe. These are ten to fifteen kilometers away, up to an hour’s drive, from 30,000 ₸ per vehicle. For a full day, there’s Big Almaty Lake from 50,000 ₸ (the vehicle waits at the barrier, and you walk to the water), Charyn from 80,000 ₸ or Kolsai from 100,000 ₸. For Charyn and Kolsai, you leave at 6 a.m. and get back by dark. Anything farther than five hundred kilometers is best planned with an overnight stay: Alakol is 600 km and eight hours on the road, Burabay (Borovoe) 1,450 km with a night on the way. Ideas for each season are in our articles on where to go from Almaty, what to see in one day and overnight trips.
What it comes to per person
The price covers the whole minibus, so split it across your group. Charyn for four people is about 20,000 ₸ each; for eight, 10,000 ₸; with a full minibus of thirteen, about 6,150 ₸. Balkhash: 150,000 ₸ for thirteen people is about 11,540 ₸ each.
In winter and the off-season
In winter, the list itself changes. For skiing, people go to Shymbulak and Ak-Bulak. We load gear bags in Almaty; for Shymbulak we drop you at the lower cable car station at Medeu, and at Ak-Bulak by the lifts. People go to Oi-Qaragai for the snowy spruce forest and to 8 Lakes for the skating rink and tubing. And at the Chundzha hot springs, the peak season falls in winter: people drive 250 km for hot water in the frost. A mountain switchback road in icy conditions is one more reason not to drive yourself.
With children and a big family
With small children, short routes with even paths and shade work best: the Botanical Garden, Ayusay with its eco-trails and workshops, Lake Issyk, where you can spread a blanket by the water, and the Turgen waterfalls with a short trail. A child seat is free, the stroller and bags ride in the luggage compartment, and the seats recline, so on the way back children usually sleep.
What we handle and what you book
We take care of the road: we drive the group to the resort gate and pick you up there at the agreed time. Cabins, the banya (a steam bath), rooms and entrance tickets you book directly with the resorts. A guide is not included: the driver knows the road and will tell you where to stop, but he does not run tours. We quote the exact amount for your date before departure, and it does not change on the way. Tell us where and when you’re planning to go. All the ways to reach us are on our contacts page.
Quick answers
Where can we go from Almaty by minibus in one day?
In one day you can make it to Charyn Canyon (~215 km, from 80,000 ₸), the Kolsai Lakes (~300 km, from 100,000 ₸), Kaindy Lake (~290 km, from 100,000 ₸), the Singing Dune in Altyn-Emel (~250 km, from 150,000 ₸), the Turgen waterfalls (~90 km, from 70,000 ₸) and the Tamgaly-Tas rock carvings (~120 km, from 70,000 ₸). You leave early and get back in daylight.
Is the price per person or for the whole minibus?
For the whole Toyota Hiace minibus with a driver, up to 13 passengers. You split the amount across your group.
Where should we go in winter?
In winter, people most often ask for Shymbulak and Medeu (both from 30,000 ₸ round trip), the Ak-Bulak ski resort (from 30,000 ₸), Oi-Qaragai “Lesnaya Skazka” (from 50,000 ₸) and the Chundzha hot springs (from 140,000 ₸ round trip); winter is their peak season. Gear rides in the luggage compartment, the cabin is heated all the way, and before a mountain trip the driver checks the weather and the road.
What should we bring on a long trip?
An ID (without it you will not be let through to Big Almaty Lake or into Kyrgyzstan), water, snacks, a windbreaker for the mountains and cash for national park entrance fees. Luggage, picnic food, a barbecue grill, a stroller, sleds or ski bags ride in the separate luggage compartment, not on your lap. The air conditioning both cools and heats, the seats recline, and there is a DVD player, a TV and MP3. On routes like Balkhash (470 km) and Alakol (600 km), that is six to eight hours in one seat.
There are more than thirteen of us. What can we do?
There are two options: take the group in two back-to-back runs if time allows, or, when everyone has to leave at the same time, book a second minibus for your date. Tell us the number of people and the date, and we will tell you which option suits you better.
How many days in advance should we book?
For the city and the foothills, we often go the same day. For intercity trips and day trips, 1–3 days ahead is better. In summer, on weekends and on holidays, Charyn, Kolsai, Balkhash and Alakol get booked up early, so it is worth securing such a date a week ahead.
Toyota Hiace: cabin and luggage
All photos
- 13 passenger seats
- Air conditioning and heating
- High roof
- Soft reclining seats
- Electric door
- Luggage compartment
These photos show a 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a high roof and a wide aisle between the seats. We took them ourselves: the cabin, the seats and the luggage compartment.
13-seat cabin
Luggage compartment
Tell us where and when
We’ll bring a Toyota Hiace minibus with a driver to any address in Almaty at the time you need. Available 24/7.
Our drivers don’t speak English. Phone calls are in Russian or Kazakh, so WhatsApp works best: write in English and we’ll reply using a translator. Need an interpreter? We can arrange one for an extra fee, agreed in advance.