Burabay (Borovoe) from Almaty: Minibus with Driver for the Whole Trip
The Burabay resort is 1,450 km from Almaty, and it’s best reached without rushing, over two days. A private 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver who takes care of the whole long drive via Astana, the overnight stop on the way and the return trip.
from 400,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, multi-day trip with an overnight stop on the way
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 price covers the drive there and back. If you stay for several days, the driver waits on site or comes back for you on your departure date. We’ll price that option for your dates.
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 plan a trip to Burabay (Borovoe) from Almaty as a journey of several days: one 13-seat minibus with a driver for the whole trip, from 400,000 ₸ per vehicle. We pick you up at one convenient spot in Almaty and bring you right to the lakes.
Burabay, also known as Borovoe, is a resort in Akmola Region in northern Kazakhstan: pine forests, clear lakes and granite rocks such as Okzhetpes and Zhumbaktas. From Almaty to Burabay is about 1,450 km, a true long-distance intercity trip: the road runs through Karaganda and Astana and takes more than a day, so we stop overnight on the way.
You leave at a time that suits you; the cabin has air conditioning, a media system and reclining seats, and the driver takes on the whole long drive. For a group, this is more relaxed than getting everyone onto a train or piecing together connections via Astana.
Burabay via Astana: how long it takes and what’s on the way
The route to Burabay heads north through Balkhash, Karaganda and Astana, and from the capital it follows a new expressway to Shchuchinsk and Burabay. That stretch is autobahn-grade, with three lanes in each direction, so the last 250 kilometers or so to the resort go quickly and smoothly. In total it adds up to about 1,450 km, roughly 16–17 hours of actual driving time.
It makes sense to split a distance like this into two days with an overnight stop, most often in Karaganda or around Astana, so you reach the lakes the next morning feeling fresh. We plan the exact schedule, the stops for food and fuel, and where to stay overnight in advance, and adjust them to your group.
What to see in Burabay (Borovoe)
The resort’s two symbols are Mount Okzhetpes, about 300 meters high, and Zhumbaktas, a rocky islet standing in the bay, known as the Sphinx and the Riddle Stone. Nearby are the clear Lake Burabay (Borovoe), pine forests and Bolektau, a lookout hill with a panorama of the whole lake country.
Along the shores of Lake Burabay, it’s worth stopping at Kenesary Khan’s Cave and the Grove of Dancing Birches with its oddly twisted trunks, while the Nature Museum of Burabay National Park shows the area’s plants and wildlife. The driver will take your group between sights within the resort, so you see the main things during your trip.
When to go to Burabay, park fees and what to pack
Burabay is open all year, but each season is different. People swim in July and August; that’s also when the resort is busiest and accommodation gets booked up early. May, June and September are quieter: warm, with dry trails and no lines at the viewpoints. Winter here is snowy and frosty, with wind over the open lakes, but the rocks under snow look nothing like the summer postcards. Burabay is a national park: there is a fee for entry and visits, paid on site. Rates change from time to time, so check them before you go; we’ll remind you when you book.
The drive falls into two very different parts. First comes a long haul across the steppe through Balkhash and Karaganda: in winter there are blizzards there, and the highway is sometimes closed to traffic. So we set a winter date with an eye on the forecast and don’t set off in a blizzard at all. After Astana the expressway runs all the way to the resort. As for packing, people most often forget the essentials: comfortable shoes for the rocky trail up Bolektau, a windbreaker even in July (a chill comes off the water), mosquito repellent for the pine forest and some cash for park fees, a boat ride on the lake and souvenirs.
Minibus, train or plane to Burabay
There’s no direct bus from Almaty to Burabay, and the train takes about twenty hours to Kurort-Borovoe station, from which you still have to get to the lakes themselves. Flights go only to Astana or Kokshetau, and from there you need ground transport anyway. Your own minibus takes the group from your door in Almaty right to the resort and stays with you there.
For a group of eight to thirteen people, this is simpler than sorting out tickets and connections for everyone: you stop where it suits you and don’t depend on timetables on a long route.
Burabay: how the trip works
Two days on the road with an overnight stop
About 1,450 km via Karaganda and Astana: two days on the road with an overnight stop. We plan the route, the stops and where to stay overnight in advance.
The driver handles the road
The driver takes the whole long highway, and you rest in the cabin for those 16–17 hours.
One minibus for the whole group
The whole group rides together from Almaty right to the lakes, with no change of vehicle in Astana.
Getting around the resort
The driver takes the group between sights within Burabay (Okzhetpes, Bolektau, Kenesary Khan’s Cave), so you don’t need to look for transport on the spot.
Burabay: trip price
from 400,000 ₸ — for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, multi-day trip with an overnight stop on the way
The driver and fuel are included. We quote the total before departure; it only goes up if you decide to extend the waiting time.
All intercity 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
Almaty to Burabay: a private minibus instead of a scheduled bus
Your group travels in our minibus with a driver, from your door to the destination. Distance: ~1450 km; drive time: ~16–17 hours driving + rest.
Your own AlaGo minibus
- from 400,000 ₸ for the whole minibus with a driver.
- Leave when it suits you, even at 5 a.m.
- We pick you up at your door and drive you to the address you need.
- Luggage, strollers and gear ride in a separate compartment.
Why a scheduled bus is less convenient
- It leaves only on a timetable.
- You have to get to the departure point and from the arrival point on your own, with your bags.
- Luggage goes in a shared hold, and oversized bags and gear usually cost extra.
- You get off at a bus station or the last stop.
Tell us the date and how many of you are traveling. We’ll quote the trip and tell you right away whether the minibus is free; WhatsApp or a phone call is quickest.
Where else we drive from Almaty
Burabay: frequently asked questions
How much is a minibus trip to Burabay from Almaty?
From 400,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus for a multi-day trip with an overnight stop on the way. Tell us the number of days and what you want to see at the resort. We’ll give you the exact price right away, by phone or on WhatsApp.
How far is Burabay from Almaty, and how long is the drive?
From Almaty to Burabay is about 1,450 km via Karaganda and Astana, roughly 16–17 hours of actual driving. In practice it’s two days on the road with an overnight stop, so the trip is planned as a multi-day journey, not a one-day run.
Can we get to Burabay in one day?
No. The distance is too long for one day behind the wheel, so we plan an overnight stop on the way, usually around Astana, and an unhurried schedule.
How many people does the minibus take on a long trip?
The minibus has 13 seats: one vehicle is enough for a big family or group, with no changes in Astana. All 13 can travel light; if everyone has a large suitcase or bulky gear, we take up to 9 passengers.
What’s included in the trip to Burabay?
A private Toyota Hiace with a driver for every day of the trip, the drive there and back, and rides between sights within the resort. Accommodation, meals and national park entrance fees are paid separately; we’ll help you plan the itinerary.
What’s the better way to get from Almaty to Burabay — train or minibus?
The train takes about twenty hours and brings you to a station from which you have to get to the lakes separately. The minibus takes your group from your door in Almaty straight to the resort and stays with you there; for a group it’s more convenient and more flexible on the route, although with the overnight stop the journey takes two days.
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.