Kolsai Lakes Trip from Almaty by Private Minibus
To a turquoise chain of three mountain lakes in the Kungey Alatau, with your own group and no changing vehicles. A 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver who knows the road through Saty and gets you to the trailheads rested.
from 100,000 ₸ 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 the Kolsai Lakes in a 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver, from 100,000 ₸ for the whole minibus, round trip. We leave early in the morning, pick everyone up at one convenient point, wait at the lake while you walk and drive you back.
The Kolsai Lakes are a chain of three mountain lakes in the Kungey Alatau range, within Kolsai Koldery National Park. Clear turquoise water, slopes covered in Tian Shan spruce and the quiet at about 1,800 meters draw travelers from all over Kazakhstan every summer, as do the other lakes in the same area. The drive from Almaty takes about 5 hours through the foothills, the Shelek River valley and the village of Saty, so the easiest way to go is in your own minibus: no changing vehicles, stops for photos, and no luggage on your lap.
Five hours each way means a day that starts in the dark, so we leave at dawn: you reach the lakes in daylight, and in the minibus, with air conditioning, a media system and reclining seats, you can catch up on sleep on the way. We plan the route and stops around your group.
The road from Almaty to Kolsai: what to know
The route heads east from Almaty, through Shelek, the scenic Kokpek Gorge and the valley to the village of Zhalanash, then turns off to Saty, the last village before the lakes; for the first half of the way you follow the same road as the minibus to Charyn Canyon. The distance is about 300 km, roughly 5 hours on the road. Almost all of it is paved, so the ride is smooth; along the way there are cafés and gas stations for a break and a bite to eat; the driver knows the reliable places.
From Saty to the lower lake it is about 12 km on asphalt, with a long climb at the end; the minibus takes the group to the parking lot right by the water. The road from Saty to Kaindy Lake is a dirt track with a ford: that stretch is done in a local off-road vehicle, and the last kilometer and a half on foot. We’ll tell you in advance how far the Hiace goes and help arrange the off-road transfer if you need it.
What to see at Kolsai
There really are three lakes, and each is different. The first (lower) lake is the most accessible: the road ends right at the water at about 1,800 meters, and you can rent a boat or a horse and walk along the shore. The second lake lies higher, about 5–6 km up a trail through spruce forest; the climb takes several hours, but its views are the ones that most often end up on postcards. The third, upper lake is right by the border with Kyrgyzstan; experienced hikers go there with an overnight stay.
About an hour from Saty lies Kaindy Lake with its sunken spruce forest: bare trunks rise straight out of the turquoise water. The lake formed after the 1911 earthquake, when a landslide dammed the gorge. Many people combine Kolsai and Kaindy in one trip, with the village of Saty and its guesthouses as a base for both. Keep in mind that the area lies in the border zone near Kyrgyzstan, so bring an ID, and the long hike to the third lake requires a permit that is arranged in advance.
Minibus or shared group tour to Kolsai
The road to Kolsai is long and mountainous, and what you travel in directly affects the shape you arrive in. Shared group tours run on a fixed schedule with a full bus; your own Toyota Hiace leaves when it suits your group, usually early in the morning, to cover most of the way while it is cool and be at the lakes before noon.
For a group of 8–13 people, minibus hire with a driver costs less than a seat on a shared tour for everyone, and on the road you have air conditioning, music or movies and seats you can rest in before the trek.
Kolsai: how the trip works
An early start for the mountains
Pickup at your door in Almaty at dawn, so you reach the lakes in daylight and don’t lose the day on the road.
One vehicle all the way
From your door in the city to the village of Saty and the trailheads.
Luggage and gear
Backpacks, warm clothes, trekking poles and food ride in the luggage compartment, so the cabin stays uncluttered.
We wait at the lake
The driver waits at the lower lake or in Saty while you walk; you head back when you have had enough.
Kolsai: trip price
from 100,000 ₸ — 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
Kolsai: frequently asked questions
How much is a trip from Almaty to the Kolsai Lakes?
From 100,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip. Tell us how many days and whether you’re also going to Kaindy Lake. We’ll give you the exact price right away, on WhatsApp or by phone.
How long does it take to get to Kolsai?
About 5 hours each way (roughly 300 km), with short stops for rest and fuel. That is why it is best to leave early in the morning.
How many people can the minibus take to Kolsai?
The Toyota Hiace seats up to 13 people, and backpacks and trekking gear ride in the luggage space. A large group or several families get to the lakes together in one minibus. All 13 can travel light; if everyone has a large suitcase or bulky gear, we take up to 9 passengers.
Can we combine Kolsai with Kaindy Lake?
Yes, the two are close together and are often visited on one trip. Keep in mind that the road to Kaindy is a dirt track with a ford: the final stretch is done in a local off-road vehicle and on foot; we will help you plan the route as a day trip or with an overnight stay in Saty.
When is the best time to go, and what should we bring?
The best season is late May to September, when the trails are open and the road is dry. Even in summer it is cool up high, so bring warm clothes, comfortable shoes for the trek, an ID (the area is in the border zone) and cash for the national park entrance fee.
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.