Big Almaty Lake private guided tour

Tour distance by car: 70 km

Big Almaty Lake private guided tour itinerary:
 

Al-Farabi avenue – Esentai Tower Almaty tallest building – mosque and muslim University founded by the presidents of Kazakhstan and Egypt – Presidential park – Sunkar farm (falcons, hawks, eagles and hunting dogs) – natural park entrance – Great Almaty gorge – Great Almaty River – drinking water supply construction (built by the imprisoned Japanese soldiers after the World War Two) – Great Almaty Lake – walking tour up the gorge to the Tian-Shan observatory, admiring glaciers, snow peaks and the lake.

 

  The Big Almaty Lake is located high up in the Big Almaty River gorge, 2,511 meters above sea level and 30 km south of Almaty city. It lies in a hollow like a gleaming mirror, surrounded on all the sides by majestic peaks. Nearly all of the mountain lakes in the Tien-Shan are the results of earthquakes and the Big Almaty lake is the largest of them. Three main peaks tower above the lake and can be seen from the northern end of the dam: Sovyetov (4,317 m) to the south-east, Ozyorny (4,110 m) to the south, further up the river valley and the forested slopes of Tourist peak (3,954 m) to the south-west. West of the Tourist peak is the crest of the Big Almaty Peak, a 3,681-m-high pyramid which is visible from the city centre. The lake changes colour from light green to turquoise depending on the season. Fed by glacier water, the lake is 1.6 km long, almost a kilometer wide and 40 m deep. 

High up above the pale blue chalice of the lake is the domed Tien-Shan Astronomical Observatory in a very ancient glacier valley 2 km from the lake and at the altitude of 2,700 m. People are used to camp here for a night and gaze up at the stars.

The path forks after the dam at the Big Almaty Lake leading to many places that are perfect for hiking, skiing, bird-watching, picnicking and camping.

NOTES:

1) Please, check availability and tour price before booking.

2) We arrange our tours in different languages and for a different number of people. For a free accurate quote just call or email us. We will reply you shortly.