Group Drop-Off for Shukur Gorge Hikes from Almaty with a Driver
A quiet conifer gorge in the Ile-Alatau with Moon Glade and a waterfall of its own — the trail starts at the Alpine Rose hotel on the road to Big Almaty Lake (BAO). We drive your group in a 13-seat Toyota Hiace to the barrier in the gorge, from where you walk to the hotel, and pick you up at the same place after the hike.
from 25,000 ₸ 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 drive hiking groups from Almaty to Shukur Gorge: a 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver, from 25,000 ₸ for the whole minibus, round trip. We take you to the barrier in Big Almaty Gorge, wait in the parking area for your entire hike and drive you back to the city after you come down.
Shukur (also spelled Chukur) is a scenic gorge in Ile-Alatau National Park between the Ozernoe and Kumbelsu gorges, at over 2,300 meters. The route starts at the Alpine Rose mountain resort on the R-22 highway leading to Big Almaty Lake. From the barrier, past the hotel, the trail takes an hour and a half to two hours to reach Moon Glade — a wide, open part of the gorge at about 2,337 meters — and another kilometer on, the Shukur waterfall is tucked away. The elevation gain is moderate and the difficulty easy to moderate, so the hike is within reach of both adults and teenagers.
Shukur’s main advantage is that it is less crowded than the well-known trails near Medeu, while the views and the conifer forest are every bit as good. The national park entry fee is paid on site and is not included in the minibus price. On a shared group tour you would walk at someone else’s pace and on someone else’s schedule; with your own group, you set both the departure time and the length of the hike.
Alpine Rose to Shukur: how to get there from Almaty
The route runs south from Almaty on the R-22 highway toward Big Almaty Lake. The minibus climbs the paved mountain road to the barrier in the gorge — about an hour from the city, the same as on a trip to BAO. Vehicles can’t go any higher, so you walk to the Alpine Rose hotel (about 2,350 meters), where the trail into Shukur Gorge begins: about 2 km on asphalt and another 3 km or so on a path along the pipeline.
The gorge is in Ile-Alatau National Park, so a small fee is charged at the entrance to the park zone — you pay it on site, separately from the trip price. The walking part starts at the barrier: the driver drops the group off there and waits for you in the parking area while you hike to Moon Glade and the waterfall, so you don’t have to look for parking or leave a car far from the trail.
The route: Moon Glade and the Shukur waterfall
From the resort the trail climbs, then bears left and descends gently past a spring to the wide part of the gorge — this is Moon Glade, at about 2,337 meters. From the hotel to the glade is about one and a half kilometers, and from the barrier the whole way takes an hour and a half to two hours and covers about five to six kilometers with moderate elevation gain. Moon Glade is also where a steep trail to Big Almaty Lake begins — but that is a separate, long route.
From Moon Glade to the Shukur waterfall itself is roughly another kilometer: the trail goes through the forest, crosses a small river on stones and climbs again up a narrowing, rocky gorge — the last stretch takes 30–40 minutes. The full route from the barrier to the waterfall and back is about 15 km and 5–6 hours at a leisurely pace; no special training is needed, just comfortable shoes and enough water. Tell us in advance whether you will go only as far as the glade or all the way to the waterfall, and we will plan the driver’s waiting time around it.
Minibus drop-off, taxi or your own car
There is no regular transport up the mountain road to BAO to the start of the trails, and a taxi up the switchbacks and back is expensive, and one is hard to find for the way back out of the gorge. One minibus solves this at once: it picks up the whole group from one address in Almaty and drives you up toward the Alpine Rose, to the start of the route, and nobody has to stay behind the wheel instead of hiking.
After the hike there is no need to call a car again — the driver is already waiting for you in the parking area at the agreed time. For a group of 8–13 people, a whole Hiace with a driver works out cheaper than several taxis: after coming down, you all ride home together in one warm cabin, and the luggage compartment holds the whole group’s gear.
Shukur: how the trip works
To the barrier on the road to BAO
We drive the group to the barrier in Big Almaty Gorge: vehicles can’t go any higher, so you walk to the Alpine Rose and the Shukur trail.
Moon Glade and the waterfall
An open glade at ~2,337 m and the Shukur waterfall another kilometer on — an easy-to-moderate route with conifer forest and views.
Quieter than the trails near Medeu
The gorge is away from the most popular trails, so there are noticeably fewer people, and the scenery is just as beautiful.
National park fee paid on site
Entry to Ile-Alatau National Park is paid on site and is not included in the minibus price; the driver waits for the group for the whole hike.
Shukur: trip price
from 25,000 ₸ — 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
Shukur: frequently asked questions
How much does a trip to Shukur Gorge from Almaty cost?
From about 25,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip. The total depends on how long the driver waits for you in the parking area on the road to the Alpine Rose while the group is on the trail. We will give you the exact figure when you book by phone or on WhatsApp. The national park entry fee is paid separately on site.
How long does it take to get from Almaty to the start of the Shukur trail?
About an hour to the barrier in Big Almaty Gorge, the same as on a trip to BAO. From there it is about 5 km on foot to the Alpine Rose hotel (~2,350 m), where the Shukur trail starts.
Can the minibus drive to Moon Glade or the waterfall?
No, a hiking trail leads to Moon Glade and the Shukur waterfall. The minibus takes the group to the barrier on the road to BAO; vehicles can’t go any higher. From there you walk, past the Alpine Rose: it is an easy-to-moderate hike.
How many people fit in the minibus?
The cabin takes up to 13 passengers, with room for backpacks and gear. The whole group gets to the start of the trail in one Hiace, without splitting into several cars.
When is the best time to go to Shukur Gorge?
The season runs from May to October, and it is best from June to September: the trails are dry, it is warm and the waterfall is full. We work 24/7, so you can leave early in the morning on any day that suits you and finish the route in daylight.
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.