Kim-Asar Gorge Trip from Almaty by Private Minibus
Kim-Asar Gorge starts right by the Medeu skating rink — a popular weekend route in the Trans-Ili Alatau: the mountain swing and the climb to Furmanov Peak. We pick up your group in the city in a 13-seat Toyota Hiace, drive you to the trailhead and meet you after the hike.
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 drop your group at the Kim-Asar trailhead: a 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver, from 30,000 ₸ for the whole minibus round trip. We gather everyone at one convenient point in Almaty, drop you at the barrier and wait in the parking lot while you hike.
Kim-Asar (Kimasar Gorge) is probably the most popular weekend route in the mountains around Almaty. It starts just below the parking lot of the Medeu high-mountain skating rink: you turn off the main road before reaching the rink and pass a barrier — beyond it the asphalt gives way to a dirt trail along the Kimasar River. It is the second-longest gorge in the Malaya Almatinka valley; the trail runs for almost 6 kilometers and gains height gradually, so it is manageable for beginners and for groups with schoolchildren.
The drive from the city to Medeu itself is short — about 15 km and 30–40 minutes, including the climb up the switchbacks. AlaGo drives the group in a Toyota Hiace with a driver to the trailhead, waits in the parking lot while you walk to the swing or climb higher toward Furmanov Peak, and takes you back. You pay for the whole minibus at once, not for each seat — and the whole group rides in one vehicle instead of three or four taxis on a winding mountain road. If the outing is short, half a day, we price it as hourly hire.
Almaty to Medeu to Kim-Asar: distance and drive time
The way goes up Dostyk Avenue and then along the switchbacks to the Medeu area — about 15 km from the center and roughly 40 minutes, allowing for traffic and the climb. Before the Medeu rink, a side road branches off from the main road toward Kim-Asar Gorge: that is where the paved section of the walking path along the Kimasar River begins, and the minibus takes the group along it closer to the start of the hiking part.
The gorge is part of Ile-Alatau National Park, so a small fee is charged at the entrance to the park zone — it is paid on site, separately from the trip price. Past the barrier and the post, the asphalt turns into a dirt trail, and from there it is a hiking route. The driver drops the group at that point and waits for you in the parking lot, so there is no hunting for parking or leaving a car far below.
The gorge route: the swing and Furmanov Peak
Kim-Asar’s best-known spot is the mountain swing at about 2,600 meters. Hikers knocked it together back in the last century, and today it is a popular photo spot and a handy place to rest: the path to it is easy, suitable for a walk with children, and all year round it remains the simplest option on this route. A walk of similar difficulty leads to the waterfalls in neighboring Butakovka, where we also drop off groups by minibus.
Stronger hikers with time to spare go farther: the dirt trail leads up to the ridge toward Furmanov Peak (about 3,053 meters above sea level). That is a proper day hike with significant elevation gain, which calls for decent fitness, comfortable shoes and an early start. Tell us in advance how far you plan to go — to the swing or all the way to the peak — and we will set the driver’s waiting time in the parking lot to your pace.
On your own or with a minibus drop-off
Kim-Asar is close, but getting there on your own is not always convenient: a city bus runs to Medeu, but with backpacks and a group of ten that is awkward, and taxis up the switchbacks and back mean several cars. One minibus takes the hassle out — it picks up the group at one address in Almaty and drives you to the trailhead, and nobody in the group has to be the driver instead of a hiker.
After the hike there is no need to call a car to the gorge: the driver is already waiting for you in the parking lot at the agreed time. For a group of 8–13 people, a whole Hiace is more convenient than several taxis: tired after the descent, you all ride home together in one air-conditioned cabin.
Kim-Asar: how the trip works
A hike close to the city
Just ~15 km to Medeu and about 40 minutes on the road — the Kim-Asar trailhead is almost within Almaty, so you can do it in half a day.
Drop-off at the barrier
We drop the group at the park post where the dirt trail begins, so you don’t waste energy on extra asphalt from the Medeu parking lot.
The swing and Furmanov Peak
The famous mountain swing at ~2,600 m and the trail higher up to the ridge and Furmanov Peak — the route is flexible, you go as far as you set out to.
One fare per trip
We price the whole Hiace both ways — no per-head counting and no shared-tour markup.
Kim-Asar: 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
Where else we drive from Almaty
Kim-Asar: frequently asked questions
How much is a trip from Almaty to Kim-Asar Gorge?
From about 30,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip. The final price depends on how long the driver waits for you in the parking lot at Medeu while the group is on the trail. We agree on the exact figure when you book by phone or WhatsApp. The national park entrance fee is paid separately on site.
How long is the drive from Almaty to the Kim-Asar trailhead?
About 40 minutes from the center, a distance of roughly 15 km. The gorge starts in the Medeu area, before the skating rink, which makes it one of the closest hikes in the Trans-Ili Alatau.
Can the minibus drive up to the swing or Furmanov Peak?
No, only a footpath leads to the swing, let alone Furmanov Peak. The minibus takes the group to the barrier and the start of the dirt trail, as far as the asphalt allows, and from there you walk. The climb to the swing is easy; the peak is a proper day hike.
How many people does the minibus take?
Up to 13 passengers plus room for backpacks and gear. The whole group gets to the trail in one Hiace — no splitting into several cars and nobody getting lost on the way.
What is the best time of year for Kim-Asar?
People hike to the swing all year round — it is one of the few routes near Almaty that works in both winter and summer. For the climb to Furmanov Peak, the warm season from May to October is better, when the trail is dry. We work 24/7, so you can set off early in the morning on any day that 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.