Ak-Bulak Resort Transfer from Almaty by Private Minibus
We take your group of skiers up to the Ak-Bulak slopes and bring everyone back in the evening — no marshrutkas (shared minibus taxis) and no “how do we get off the mountain” problem. A private 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver: we load your gear bags in Almaty and unload them right at the lifts.
from 30,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip
Not a scheduled bus or a taxi: the whole minibus for up to 13 people — just your group · a driver with 20+ years of experience
The same terms for every destination — price per vehicle, not per seat
Pickup at your door in Almaty
You choose the address and time: home, office, hotel or airport. No bus station and no meeting the group “at the bus stop”.
The whole minibus — just your group
The 13-seat Toyota Hiace takes no other passengers. One person or 13 — the price is the same; we don’t sell individual seats or tickets. More than 13 people — we’ll find a partner minibus for your date; on short routes two runs in a row also work.
Driver, fuel and road included
Our regular driver with 20+ years of experience, fuel, toll sections and pickup in Almaty are all in the quoted price; you don’t pay extra per passenger. National park entrance fees, ski passes and a local off-road vehicle, if your route needs them, are not included.
Round trip
The round trip is one price. The driver waits for your group on site for as long as you said when booking; if you stay longer, you pay only for the extra hours.
Luggage: 13 traveling light, up to 9 with suitcases
Bags and gear go in a separate compartment. If everyone has a large suitcase or a stroller, we take up to 9 people; with skis and snowboards, 9–10. Tell us what you’re bringing when you book.
Payment: cash, Kaspi or invoice
Trips in the city and nearby are paid after the trip. Long intercity trips and trips of several days need a partial prepayment to hold the date, the rest before departure. Companies get an invoice, a contract and closing documents.
We drive skiers and snowboarders from Almaty to Ak-Bulak: a 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver, from 30,000 ₸ for the whole minibus round trip, not per person. We pick up the group at one convenient point, load the gear along with the people, and in the evening bring everyone back from the same spot.
Ak-Bulak is a year-round ski resort about 40 km east of Almaty, in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau beyond the town of Talgar, near the village of Beskainar. The base sits at about 1,600 meters, and the gondola takes skiers above 2,000 meters. There are around five lifts and about 14 km of runs of every level — from gentle beginner slopes to long descents for confident skiers and snowboarders. In winter people come to ski; in summer the resort stays open for walks and time in the mountains.
The hard part of the trip is usually not the skiing but the logistics: public transport to Ak-Bulak is inconvenient, and getting back down the mountain in the evening — with skis and a tired group — becomes a task of its own. A private minibus with a driver solves both at once: you leave when it suits you, and the driver stays at the resort with the group until you finish skiing. For a group of friends or a family, this works out cheaper than getting taxis for everyone.
Almaty to Ak-Bulak: the road and stops
The route heads east from Almaty along the Talgar highway: through Talgar, the villages of Akbulak and Kotyrbulak, the center of Beskainar (Gorny Sadovod) and on up to the resort. The distance is about 40 km, roughly an hour on the road, depending on traffic leaving the city and on road conditions in winter. The last stretch climbs uphill, so in a snowfall it is much easier to ride in a well-prepared minibus with a driver of more than 20 years’ experience than in a car.
We bring the Hiace to your door or your group’s meeting point, help load the gear and drive you right to the lower lift station. Resort entry and ski passes are paid separately on site — they are not included in the transfer price. While you ski, the driver stays nearby and within reach by phone, ready to bring the minibus around at the agreed time.
What Ak-Bulak offers in winter and summer
In winter, Ak-Bulak’s main lift is the gondola, which takes skiers up to the upper runs in a few minutes. There are gentle slopes for beginners and children and longer runs with a real vertical drop for those who ski or board with confidence — and for higher, longer runs people go to Shymbulak above Medeu, where we also take groups by minibus with a driver. The resort has equipment rental, cafés and facilities for resting between runs.
In the warm season people come not for skiing but for the mountain air, views of the Trans-Ili Alatau and easy walks in the foothills. For a family with children or a group that wants to escape the hot city for a day, it is a convenient spot close by. In any season our format is the same: we bring the whole group, wait and take everyone back.
Minibus, taxi or your own car to Ak-Bulak
Several taxis for a group cost more than one minibus and almost always get split up on the way — someone arrives early, someone gets stuck in traffic. In your own car, add the winter climb up the mountain and the hunt for a parking space on weekends. One Hiace takes everyone together in a warm cabin and drops you right at the slope.
But the main argument is the way back. Getting away from Ak-Bulak on your own in the evening is not easy, and many people only find that out once they are there. With us it is settled in advance: you finish skiing, get into a warmed-up minibus and head home without thinking about how to get down to the city.
Ak-Bulak: how the trip works
Group drop-off with gear
We load skis, snowboards and bags in Almaty and unload them right at the lift. No shifting your things from car to car, no figuring out how to reach the slope.
The ride back is sorted
On your own, the hardest part is leaving the mountain in the evening. The driver waits and picks up the whole group from the same spot — no hunting for a car in the parking lot.
Ski groups and corporate outings
Friends, family or a team from work ride together in one warm 13-seat minibus. A corporate trip to the slopes takes one phone call to arrange.
Ski passes paid on site
Resort entry, ski passes and rentals are paid separately on site; they are not included in the transfer price. We quote the round-trip price for the Hiace when you book.
Ak-Bulak: trip price
from 30,000 ₸ — for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip
The driver, fuel, toll roads and pickup in Almaty are included. Not included: national park entrance fees, ski passes, a local off-road vehicle, paid parking and pickup outside the city. We quote the total before departure; it only goes up if you decide to extend the waiting time.
This is the price for the minibus, not per seat as on shared group tours: the minibus is only for your group, with no other passengers and no one else’s schedule.
All day trips from Almaty →Customer reviews on 2GIS
“Efficient and fast — a clean bus with a driver arrived on time.”
“Excellent — they provided a minibus with a driver very quickly.”
Real photos — not a manufacturer’s catalog
All photos
- Driver with 20+ years of experience
- Air conditioning and heating
- DVD · TV · MP3
- Soft reclining seats
- Electric door
- Luggage compartment
These photos show our own 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a high roof and a wide aisle between the seats. We took them ourselves: the cabin, seats and luggage compartment of this very vehicle. We have one minibus: this is the one that will come for you, with its own driver at the wheel.
13-seat cabin
Luggage compartment
Ak-Bulak: frequently asked questions
How much is a transfer from Almaty to Ak-Bulak?
From about 30,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip. The final price depends on the waiting time at the resort and the pickup point in the city — we will give you the figure when you book by phone or WhatsApp. Ski passes and rentals are paid separately on site.
How long is the drive to Ak-Bulak?
About an hour each way — roughly 40 km east of Almaty via Talgar and Beskainar. In winter and on weekends, allow a little extra time for traffic leaving the city and for the climb up the mountain.
Will skis and snowboards fit for the whole group?
Ski and snowboard bags, boots and warm clothes go in the luggage compartment — we load them in Almaty and unload at the lift. Traveling light, all 13 fit, but if everyone brings their own gear the real capacity is 9–10 people: thirteen sets will not fit in the compartment. When you book, tell us how many people have their own skis and how many will rent at the resort.
Does the transfer solve the problem of getting back from the mountain?
Yes — that is the main reason to book a minibus. Leaving Ak-Bulak by public transport in the evening is hard. The driver stays in touch, waits as long as needed and picks up the whole group from the same spot where he dropped you off.
Can we book the minibus for a corporate outing, or for a family in summer?
Of course. A corporate trip to the slopes in winter and a family trip to the mountains in summer are arranged the same way — with one call. We work 24/7, so we set departure and return times to fit your plan.
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.