Butakovka Waterfall Trip from Almaty by Private Minibus
A spruce-forested gorge with waterfalls within the city limits, only forty minutes or so from central Almaty. Your own 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver takes the group right to the trailhead and picks you up after the walk.
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.
A trip to Butakovka from Almaty costs from 30,000 ₸ for a 13-seat Toyota Hiace minibus with a driver, round trip. We pick your group up in Almaty, drop you at the trailhead and wait in the parking lot.
Butakovka Gorge is one of the most accessible corners of the Trans-Ili Alatau. It stretches for 14 km and is technically within the Almaty city limits: it is around 25 km and about 40 minutes’ drive from the center. The main goal of the walk is the two waterfalls in the upper gorge: the Lower (Big) one, about 30 meters high, and the Upper one, about 20 meters. The trail runs through spruce forest along the river with moderate elevation gain, so the route suits beginners and groups with older children alike.
The beauty of Butakovka is that it is a half-day outing: leave in the morning, walk to the waterfalls and be back in the city by lunch; hourly rental with a driver also works for this format.
How to get to Butakovka Gorge from Almaty
The way heads uphill from Dostyk Avenue toward the mountains: first through the city, then along the road into the gorge. It is about 25 km from the center, roughly 40 minutes on the road, depending on traffic leaving the city. The asphalt runs almost 9 km into the gorge from the highway, so the minibus gets the group fairly close to the start of the walking part.
Butakovka is part of Ile-Alatau National Park, and a small fee is charged where you enter the park; it is paid on site, separately from the trip price.
Butakovka’s waterfalls and trails
There are two waterfalls in the gorge. A simple trail leads to the Lower (Big) waterfall, an easy route of a couple of hours there and back that almost anyone can manage. The Upper waterfall is about three kilometers higher up; the climb to it is moderate and takes a bit more fitness and time. Both routes fit into a one-day walk and need no special preparation: comfortable shoes and enough water will do. If that is not enough for you, the climb to Kok-Zhailau starts next door; that is a full day on your feet.
The best time for Butakovka is May to September, when the trails are dry and the river runs full. In winter people more often go to neighboring Kim-Asar, where the trail to the swing is packed down all year: a minibus trip to Kim-Asar works exactly the same way. Tell us in advance which waterfall you plan to reach, and we will plan the driver’s waiting time around it.
Minibus, taxi or your own car to Butakovka
Butakovka is close, but getting there on your own is not always convenient: there is no public transport to the trailheads, catching a taxi on a mountain road takes a long time, and parking at the popular spots is limited and fills up fast on weekends. The minibus picks the whole group up from one address in Almaty and takes you to the start of the route, and nobody in your group has to drive.
After the hike you don’t need to call a car back from the gorge: the driver is already waiting in the parking lot at the agreed time, and everyone rides home together in one warm vehicle.
Butakovka: how the trip works
A half-day trip
Only ~25 km and about 40 minutes from the center: time to walk to the waterfalls and be back in Almaty by lunch.
Right to the trailhead
We drop the group where the hiking route starts, so you don’t walk extra kilometers on asphalt from the highway.
Room for hiking gear
Backpacks, trekking poles, thermoses and jackets for changing weather: the Hiace’s luggage space takes the whole group’s gear.
The driver waits in the parking lot
While you walk to the waterfalls, the minibus stays at the trailhead.
Butakovka: 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
Where else we drive from Almaty
Butakovka: frequently asked questions
How much is a trip from Almaty to Butakovka?
From 30,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip. Tell us how long you’ll spend at the waterfalls. We’ll give you the exact amount right away, by phone or on WhatsApp. The national park entrance fee is paid separately on site.
How long is the drive from Almaty to Butakovka Gorge?
About 40 minutes from the city center; the distance is roughly 25 km. Butakovka is practically within Almaty’s city limits, which makes it one of the closest options for a mountain walk with waterfalls.
Can the minibus drive all the way to the waterfalls?
A walking trail leads to the waterfalls; the minibus takes the group to the start of the route as far as the paved road allows (about 9 km into the gorge), and from there you walk. The way to the Lower waterfall is easy; the Upper one is harder.
How many people fit in the minibus?
Up to 13 passengers, with room for backpacks and gear. The whole group rides to the trail together in one vehicle, with no need to split into several cars.
When is the best time to go to Butakovka?
The best season is May to September: the trails are dry, it is warm and the waterfalls are full. It is best to leave in the morning so you are back in the city by midday; you choose the pickup time; we work 24/7.
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.