Ak-Bulak Resort Transfer from Almaty by Private Minibus
We take your group of skiers to Ak-Bulak and bring everyone back in the evening. A 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
Pickup at your address · passenger insurance · 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.
How the trip works
Pickup at your door in Almaty
You choose the address and time: home, office, hotel or airport. When you book, we name the vehicle and give you the driver’s phone number; the driver arrives early and helps with the luggage.
The minibus is yours
The 13-seat Toyota Hiace travels with your group only. The price is for the vehicle, so the bigger the group, the less each person pays. If there are more than 13 of you, you can book a second minibus, or we do two runs in a row on a short route.
Driver, fuel and road included
The driver’s service, fuel, toll sections and pickup in Almaty are all in the quoted price. Paid separately, if your route needs them: national park entrance fees, ski passes, a local off-road vehicle, paid parking and pickup outside the city.
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. We pick up the group at one convenient point, the gear rides in the luggage compartment, and the driver waits at the resort until you finish skiing.
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.
Public transport to Ak-Bulak is inconvenient, and getting back down the mountain in the evening with skis and a tired group is harder still. With a minibus with a driver you leave when it suits you and ride back in the same minibus. For a group of friends or a family, this usually costs less than several taxis.
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, about an hour on the road; longer if there is traffic leaving the city or snow on the road. The last stretch climbs uphill, and in a snowfall it is far less stressful to leave it to a professional driver than to drive a car yourself.
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. While you ski, the driver stays nearby and within reach by phone, ready to bring the minibus around at the time you set.
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. 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.
Minibus, taxi or your own car to Ak-Bulak
A minibus suits a group traveling together with equipment: one vehicle, one pickup in the morning and one meeting point in the evening, while skis and boots ride in the luggage compartment.
The hardest part 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 the minibus, you finish skiing, get into the warmed-up cabin and head home.
Ak-Bulak: how the trip works
Your group and gear, door to lift
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
The driver waits at the resort and, at the time you set, picks up the whole group from the same spot where you were dropped off.
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.
The winter climb
The climb to the resort can be slippery in winter. The driver sets off with time to spare and drops your group at the lower lift station.
Ak-Bulak: trip price
from 30,000 ₸ — for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip
The driver and fuel are included. We quote the total before departure; it only goes up if you decide to extend the waiting time.
Only your group is on board, and you decide how long to stay at each stop.
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.”
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
Ak-Bulak: frequently asked questions
How much is a transfer from Almaty to Ak-Bulak?
From 30,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip. We quote the exact price right away, based on your pickup address and how many hours you ski. Ski passes and rentals are paid 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. Leaving Ak-Bulak by public transport in the evening is hard, but the driver stays in touch, waits as long as needed and picks up the whole group from the same spot where you were dropped off.
Can we book the minibus for a corporate outing, or for a family in summer?
Yes. In winter we take teams from work to the slopes, in summer families on trips to the mountains. 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.
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.