Kim-Asar Gorge Trip from Almaty by Private Minibus
We pick up your group in Almaty, drive you to the Kim-Asar trailhead near Medeu and meet you after the hike. A 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver for the mountain swing and the climb to Furmanov Peak.
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 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. The gorge starts just below the Medeu high-mountain skating rink. 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. 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.
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, fine for a walk with children, and people come here all year round. 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 that simple: a city bus runs to Medeu, but a group of ten with backpacks is cramped on it, and taxis up the switchbacks and back mean several cars. The minibus picks up the group at one address in Almaty and drives you to the trailhead, and nobody in the group has to drive.
After the hike there is no need to call a car to the gorge: the driver is already waiting in the parking lot at the agreed time, and after the descent the whole group rides home together in an 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.
We wait after the hike
The driver waits in the parking lot at the agreed time.
Kim-Asar: 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
Kim-Asar: frequently asked questions
How much is a trip from Almaty to Kim-Asar Gorge?
From 30,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip. Tell us how long the group will be on the trail. We’ll give you the exact price 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 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, with backpacks and gear in the luggage compartment. The whole group gets to the trail in one Hiace, and nobody gets 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.
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.