Private Minibus to Ak-Kaiyn Birch Grove from Almaty
A bright forest for picnics and walks right on the edge of Almaty: half an hour from the center and you are among the birches. A 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver brings your group, grill and gear straight to the grove, with no hunting for parking and no changing vehicles.
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 take groups from Almaty to Birch Grove in a 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver, from 30,000 ₸ for the whole minibus, round trip. We pick you up at your door along with your grill and bags, unload right at the entrance to the grove and wait while you relax.
Birch Grove, also known as Ak-Kaiyn, is a large forest park and recreation area above the Kamenskoe Plateau, on the edge of Almaty in the Medeu District. It is a rare spot near the city with actual birches: the tall, slender trunks give it that soft “Russian countryside” light, and apple orchards, a pine forest and dense spruce woods come right up to it. The area is part of Ile-Alatau National Park. It is about 15 km and roughly half an hour from the center, so you can get out into nature even after work.
Groups and families come here for an easy day out without a long drive: to walk, have a picnic, grill some meat or sit in a gazebo. Everyone rides in one cabin, and nobody has to stay sober all day as the designated driver. For a short outing of a few hours, booking by the hour is a good fit.
Almaty to Birch Grove: what to know about the drive
The road climbs toward the mountains, from Dostyk Avenue up to the Kamenskoe Plateau, past the Ak-Kaiyn sanatorium. It is about 15 km from the center and roughly half an hour on the road, depending on city traffic. The higher you go, the more you notice the air change: it gets fresher and cooler, and the city noise stays below.
The grove is within the nature park, and there is a small per-person fee at the entrance; you pay it on site, and it is not included in the trip price. The driver brings your group right to the entrance of the grove, and you unload next to your picnic spot.
Things to do at Birch Grove
The main thing here is unhurried time in nature. Walking paths wind among the birches, there are gazebos and big swings, and beyond the grove itself a pine forest and spruce woods begin, where it is pleasant to wander away from the crowds. In the fall people come here for photo shoots, for the golden birch leaves against the white trunks.
The place works both for a barbecue picnic and for pitching tents and staying the night. In winter there is a slope for snow tubing, with tubes for rent on site, and in summer horseback rides are offered too. For real ski runs, people head higher up to Shymbulak. Tell us in advance how long you plan to stay and whether you need to be back by a certain time. We will fit the driver’s waiting schedule to your day.
Minibus, taxi or getting there on your own
Getting to the grove on your own with all your stuff is awkward: public transport only goes as far as the last stop by the plateau, from there you still have to walk, and hauling a grill and bags uphill is no fun. A taxi can’t take a big group with gear all at once, so you have to split into several cars. The Hiace picks everyone up from one address and brings you and all your gear straight to the grove.
You don’t need to find a car back from the recreation area either: the driver waits for you at the agreed time and takes you back to the meeting point. We run corporate outings to nature the same way; the only difference is that we invoice the company.
Birch Grove: how the trip works
Nature without a long drive
Just ~15 km and about half an hour from the center: an idea for half a day or an evening when you have no time or energy for a trip out of town.
Grill and gear come along
Grill, charcoal, grocery bags, blankets and folding chairs: the roomy Hiace takes all of the group’s gear in one go.
Room for a big group
Up to 13 people in one cabin: family or friends arrive in nature together, without splitting into separate cars.
Unloading right at the entrance
We drive up to the entrance of the grove, so you don’t have to haul the grill and bags from a distant parking lot.
Birch Grove: 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
Birch Grove: frequently asked questions
How much does a trip to Birch Grove from Almaty cost?
From 30,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip. Tell us how long you’ll stay. We’ll give you the exact amount right away, by phone or on WhatsApp. The park entry fee is paid separately on site.
How long does it take to get from Almaty to Birch Grove?
About 30 minutes from the center; the distance is roughly 15 km. The grove is on the edge of the city above the Kamenskoe Plateau, which makes it one of the closest ways to get out into nature; you can easily go even in the evening.
Can we bring a grill and picnic food?
Yes, that is exactly what the minibus is good for. Grill, charcoal, bags of food, blankets, folding chairs: it all fits in the Hiace’s luggage compartment and cabin, and we bring your group and all your gear straight to the grove, with no hauling things from a distant parking lot.
How many people fit in the minibus?
Up to 13 passengers plus room for your things. That is enough for a big family or a group of friends: everyone arrives in one cabin, without splitting into several cars. All 13 can travel light; if everyone has a large suitcase or bulky gear, we take up to 9 passengers.
Can we camp overnight in tents?
Camping is allowed in the grove, so an overnight stay is possible. The logistics are flexible: we can drop you off, leave and pick you up the next day, or arrange a one-way trip, whichever suits you.
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.