| Duration: | 4 Hour(s) - 30 Minute(s) |
| Tour Category: | Half Day Tour |
Schedule: The tour departs on Saturdays at 14:00, from May till November
Meeting Point: Astana Inter Hotel, in front of the main entrance (113, Baitursynov Str.)
Tour Description:
Having arrived at the meeting point no later than 10 minutes before the tour departure time, you will meet your guide and board a comfortable vehicle to start your trip to the Big Almaty Lake. Before the tour, we provide 1L of bottled water and you are welcome to bring your snack, tea, or coffee in a container with a lid on it.
You will be taken from the city center to its southwestern part. Passing by the city's newest Al-Farabi Avenue you will observe the ski jumping complex "Sunkar", the park of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and listen to the stories of your guide about Almaty city and its history. After a short stop at the entrance to the Ile-Alatau National Park to complete the necessary entry procedure, you will start your journey to the Big Almaty Gorge.
On the way, you will learn how one of the oldest water pipes of Almaty was constructed, what is preserved in the territory of the national park, and how the Japanese influenced the development of this area.
After 40 minutes of driving in the gorge through the winding mountain paved road with breathtaking views, you will see the glorious panorama of the Big Almaty Lake, the color of which is always different depending on the weather. The lake is a source of drinking water supply of Almaty city. Because of this reason the access of the tourists to the lake is limited, so the excursion route leads a little bit higher above the Big Almaty Lake.
There you will have around an hour to admire the scenery and make a walk on the banks of the lake halfway to the water's surface which is about 300 meters down from the road. Descend to the lake is stony and covered with seasonal shrubs and herbs so comfortable shoes or boots will make the walking more enjoyable.
On the way back to the town you will visit the Falcon Farm, where you will enjoy a spectacular show with specially trained hawks, falcons, and eagles - hunting with them is one of the most unique features of the Kazakh way of life. The show is open-air and takes around 30-40 minutes.
If you are very impressionable and sensitive, please take into account that real chicks (lifeless) are used for feeding the birds during the training and the show.
After visiting the Falcon Farm you will have your ride back to the original meeting point with an estimated arrival time of around 18:30.
Group Tour Rate: Please contact us for the price per person in USD.
Discount 20% available for children (ages 4-11) accompanied by an adult
Children aged 3 and under are complimentary, provided no seat is occupied
* Tour rate includes roundtrip transportation from the meeting point, 1L of bottled water, all environmental and admission fees
* Surcharge for return hotel transfer to the meeting point 10 USD per person (if required)
Private Tour Rates:
(Tour departs at 13.00 daily from May to November, except Mondays and days with mudflow danger. Tour duration - 6 hours).
Please contact us for the price for one person
Please contact us for the price for the group of 2 persons traveling together
Please contact us for the price for a group of 3 people traveling together
* Tour rates include 1L bottled water per person, lunch, all environmental and admission fees and tickets, hotel pickup/drop-off
The total tour price should be paid no later than 24 hours before the tour
Accepted methods of payment: cash, wire transfer, bank card
50% of the total tour price is not refundable in case of tour cancellation less than 24 hours before the tour
100% of the total tour price is not refundable in case of tour cancellation less than 12 hours before the tour or in case tourists fail to appear at the appointed time.
