Trip ideas
Day trips and week-long routes from Almaty: distance, which car and which season.
Before you hit the road
- Check the “Out-of-city trips” rule on the car page: the host must allow it.
- Mind the daily distance limit: it is added up over all the days of your trip.
- Drive into the mountains only in an all-wheel-drive car. Off-road driving may be prohibited by the rules.
- In winter an EV’s range drops by 20–30%; check charging points in advance.
- National park entry fees are paid separately per person and per car. Download offline maps for areas with no signal.
Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy Lake
- Distance
- About 300 km from Almaty, via Shelek and Saty; the last 30 km are gravel
- Car
- SUV: Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Lexus RX, Lexus LX 600. A sedan can make it to the first Kolsai lake, but not to Kaindy
- Season
- May–October. In winter the road is tough and may be closed to Kaindy
- Time
- 2 days: Saturday at Kolsai, Sunday at Kaindy
- Heads-up
- Saty village has guesthouses and food. Cell signal is poor, so download offline maps
Charyn Canyon
- Distance
- About 200 km east, along the Kulja highway
- Car
- Any class: a Comfort or Business sedan will do. An SUV is more comfortable on the road down into the canyon
- Season
- Spring and fall. Summer gets above +35°C: bring a hat and water
- Time
- One day: leave in the morning, back in the evening
- Heads-up
- The walk through the Valley of Castles is about 3 km. Gas stations are scarce on the way, so fill up after Shelek
Shymbulak and Medeu
- Distance
- About 15 km from the city center to Medeu and 25 km to Shymbulak
- Car
- Any car in summer. In winter, all-wheel drive and winter tires; if the road above Medeu is closed, take the cable car
- Season
- Year-round: skiing in winter, hiking in summer
- Time
- Half a day or a full day
- Heads-up
- On weekends the road is clear in the morning and jammed in the afternoon. Parking is limited
Issyk Lake
- Distance
- About 70 km east, via the town of Esik (Issyk)
- Car
- Any class: the road is paved; the last stretch is a narrow serpentine
- Season
- May–September
- Time
- Half a day
- Heads-up
- The lake is inside a national park, and entry is paid. On the way: the Issyk kurgan and the Golden Man museum
Tamgaly petroglyphs
- Distance
- About 170 km northwest
- Car
- A Comfort sedan will do; the last stretch is gravel, so higher ground clearance helps
- Season
- Spring and fall; there’s no shade in summer
- Time
- One day
- Heads-up
- A UNESCO World Heritage site: bring water, a hat and closed shoes. No cell signal
Alakol
- Distance
- About 600 km, via Taldykorgan
- Car
- A Comfort or Business sedan, or an SUV. On a long highway drive, comfortable seats and cruise control matter
- Season
- June–August
- Time
- 3–4 days: a day on the road each way
- Heads-up
- Book holiday cottages in advance. Calculate the distance limit over all the days of your trip
Turkistan
- Distance
- About 950 km, via Taraz and Shymkent
- Car
- A Comfort or Business sedan; climate control is a must in summer
- Season
- March–May, September–November
- Time
- 4–5 days: Taraz, Shymkent, Turkistan, Otrar
- Heads-up
- The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and the Karavan Saray complex. Rentals longer than 7 days get −10%
Burabay
- Distance
- Over 1 400 km, via Balkhash and Karaganda
- Car
- A Business sedan or an SUV; it should be comfortable for two days on the road
- Season
- Summer and winter
- Time
- At least 7 days: 2 days to get there, 2 days back
- Heads-up
- This is a long trip: the host’s permission and the distance limit must be agreed in advance. Weekly rentals get −10% automatically