Ungurtas Day Trip from Almaty by Private Minibus
A hill with caves off the Bishkek highway, called the “navel of the Earth” and a place of power, an hour and a half from Almaty. Your own 13-seat Toyota Hiace with a driver takes a group of pilgrims or simply a curious group of friends there and waits at the foot of the hill.
from 60,000 ₸ 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 Ungurtas from Almaty costs from 60,000 ₸ for the whole 13-seat Toyota Hiace minibus with a driver, round trip with waiting time. We gather the group at one spot, drive you to the hill and wait as long as you need.
Ungurtas is a village and a hill in Zhambyl District of Almaty Region, about 95 km west of Almaty on the Bishkek highway. The name translates as “cave stone”: the hill has grottoes and caves. The place itself is considered a point of special energy; pilgrims come here, as do meditation groups and people simply curious to see what all the talk is about. At the top there’s a platform with a memorial sign and a view over the steppe hills.
The road is easy (asphalt almost all the way to the hill), so it’s a convenient half-day outing that’s easy to extend: on the same western highway lies Tanbaly, a site with UNESCO petroglyphs, which you can add the same day. Bring your own water and food: the village has minimal services.
How to get to Ungurtas from Almaty
The route heads west on the lower Kaskelen road, past Kaskelen and Uzynagash toward Bishkek. Right after Samsy there’s a sign for Ungurtas on the right; from the highway it’s a few kilometers to the village and the hill. The distance from the city is about 95 km, roughly an hour and a half.
The minibus takes you to the foot of the hill; from there you climb on foot; it’s short and manageable for almost everyone.
What people see here and why they come
Ungurtas hill means several caves and grottoes, a platform on top with memorial stones and open steppe all around. Some come as pilgrims, others for the quiet and the view, and others out of curiosity about the “place of power” so much has been written about. There’s little official infrastructure: think of it as a two- to three-hour walk in nature, with water and comfortable shoes.
Ungurtas works well as the second stop of the day: in the morning, the Tanbaly petroglyphs, 170 km out along the same highway; on the way back, the hill. If you want a completely different mood, Bishkek lies in the same direction: Ungurtas is right on the way to the border.
Ungurtas by minibus with driver, taxi or your own car
Scheduled buses to the village are infrequent and won’t wait to bring you back on your timing; a big group needs two or three taxis with waiting time; and a group in several private cars loses each other at the turnoff, with no cell signal. Your own Hiace takes everyone together, stops wherever you ask and waits as long as needed.
When you book, tell us how long you plan to spend at the hill, and we’ll plan the waiting time around it.
Ungurtas: how the trip works
An hour and a half on the highway
About 95 km toward Bishkek on good asphalt: leave after breakfast, be on the hill by lunch and back home in the afternoon.
We wait at the foot of the hill
However long your walk or ritual takes, the driver is right there: no need to find a ride back from a steppe village.
The group rides together
A pilgrim group, a family or friends: up to 13 people in one air-conditioned cabin, with the luggage stowed separately.
Tanbaly the same day
The Tanbaly petroglyphs lie on the same western highway, easy to combine with Ungurtas in one outing.
Ungurtas: trip price
from 60,000 ₸ — 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
Ungurtas: frequently asked questions
How much is a trip to Ungurtas from Almaty?
From 60,000 ₸ for the whole Toyota Hiace minibus, round trip, including waiting at the hill. We’ll give you the exact amount based on the date, the pickup point and how much time you plan to spend there.
How long is the drive to Ungurtas?
About 95 km on the Bishkek highway, roughly an hour and a half one way. Allow five to six hours for the whole outing, including the walk.
Will the minibus get right to the hill?
Yes, the asphalt reaches the village, and a short road leads to the foot of the hill, which the Hiace handles easily. The climb to the top is on foot, and it doesn’t take long.
Can we combine it with Tanbaly or Bishkek?
Yes. With Tanbaly, the two combine easily into one day on the western highway; with Bishkek, it’s a stop on the way to the border. Tell us when you book, and we’ll price the whole route.
How many people fit?
Up to 13 passengers; water, mats and the whole group’s things go in the luggage compartment.
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.