Booking choice: The Charyn Canyon day trip, from $59 per person. Check dates Tour details
Almaty sells itself on mountain lakes, and three names come up again and again. Big Almaty Lake, above the city. Kolsay and its neighbour Kaindy, near the Kyrgyz border to the east. And Issyk, an hour and a half east in its own gorge.
They are not interchangeable. They differ in distance, in what you can do at the water and in how much of your trip they cost you. Here is the honest comparison.
The quick answer
Short on time: Big Almaty, a half day from $49, though you only look at the water. Want a boat, a shore walk and the drowned forest of Kaindy: Kolsay, on a 17-hour day trip from $59 that adds Charyn Canyon. Issyk is about 70 km east, an easy taxi trip with shore paths, but a smaller lake still marked by its 1963 mudflow. Two free days? Do Big Almaty and Kolsay.
Which lake is better, Big Almaty or Issyk?
Big Almaty, for the setting: it sits 750 m higher under 4,000 m peaks and is closer. Issyk wins only if you want to walk along a shore.
All of them side by side:
| Big Almaty | Kolsay (lower lake) | Kaindy | Issyk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Almaty | About 15 km, 1 h | About 300 km, 5 to 6 h | About 11 km beyond Kolsay | 65 to 70 km, 1.5 to 2 h |
| Altitude | 2,511 m | 1,818 m | About 2,000 m | About 1,750 m |
| At the water | Viewpoints only | Shore, boats, kayaks | Shore, sunken trees | Shore paths, viewing terraces |
| Swimming | Banned | Icy cold | About 6 degrees | Banned |
| Park fee 2026 | 648.75 tenge on foot | 865 tenge on foot | Kolsay park ticket | 649 tenge on foot |
| Time needed | Half day | A 17-hour day, or stay over | Same trip as Kolsay | Half day |
| Tour on this site | From $49 | From $59 with Charyn | Included with Kolsay | None; go by taxi |
Fees from Tengrinews (Issyk lies in Ile-Alatau park, like Big Almaty); distances and heights from Wikipedia, A Social Nomad and Aviasales.
The long day east: Charyn Canyon, Kolsay and Kaindy in one trip, transport and tickets included.
Check dates for the Charyn Canyon day tripHow far are Kolsay and Issyk from Almaty?
Issyk is about 65 to 70 km east, 1.5 to 2 hours by car. Kolsay is close to 300 km east, 5 to 6 hours each way. Big Almaty is about an hour.
Issyk is an easy drive: the Kuldzha highway to the town of Esik, then up the gorge on asphalt that any car can manage. There is no direct bus; take a minibus from the Sayakhat bus station to Esik and a taxi for the last 15 km, about 2,000 to 3,000 tenge for the car (Aviasales).
Kolsay is a different scale. The lakes are near Saty village, almost 300 km away, and the Charyn day trip leaves at 4:30 am and takes about 17 hours, with a Soviet UAZ minibus for the last rough stretch.
What can you do at each lake?
At Big Almaty you look from viewpoints. At Kolsay you can walk the shore and rent a boat. At Kaindy you walk among drowned spruce. At Issyk you stroll shore paths and climb to lookouts.
- Big Almaty: the viewpoint rocks above the dam, the gorge on foot, and the observatory above. No shore, no boats.
- Kolsay: the lower lake has a shoreline path, boats and kayaks for hire from about 10,000 tenge for 40 minutes, and a 2 to 3-hour hike to the middle lake for the keen (A Social Nomad).
- Kaindy: a 1911 earthquake dammed the gorge and flooded a spruce forest; the bleached trunks still stand in the water (Wikipedia). From the car park it is about 1.5 km on foot, or a horse.
- Issyk: viewing terraces, shore paths, picnic gazebos and a memorial to the 1963 mudflow victims (Aviasales).
Can you touch the water at any of them?
At Kolsay and Kaindy, yes; at Issyk you can walk the shore but not swim; at Big Almaty you cannot go down to the water at all.
Big Almaty is a drinking-water reservoir, so the shore is closed and guards enforce it (see the lake rules). Issyk has paths along the water, but swimming and motor boats are banned and the glacial water stays below about 8 degrees (Aviasales).
Kolsay is the one where you can sit on the bank or row out. Kaindy's water is around 6 degrees at its warmest, so a toe is about as far as most people go.
How much time do you need for each lake?
A half day for Big Almaty or Issyk; a full 17-hour day for Kolsay and Kaindy, or two days if you want to hike or sleep there.
Big Almaty car tours run 4 to 6 hours and have you back for lunch. Issyk is a similar half day by taxi. Kolsay and Kaindy as a day trip means a 4:30 am start and a late return, with roughly an hour at each lake. Hikers who want the middle Kolsay lake should stay a night in Saty.
A sensible week in Almaty fits Big Almaty one morning and the Charyn and Kolsay day on another, with a rest day between. For timing, see the best time to visit.
The half-day option: Big Almaty Lake without hiking, then the Alma-Arasan springs, back in town by late morning.
Explore the no-hiking tour Tour detailsIs the Kolsay and Charyn day trip worth 17 hours?
Yes, if you have a spare day and don't mind a long van ride. You see three of the region's big sights in one go: the red walls of Charyn, Kolsay and Kaindy.
The Panda Travel day trip costs from $59 and includes a Mercedes Sprinter, a guide, the tickets to Charyn Canyon and both lakes, raincoats and a photo. Food, boats and the optional horse ride to Kaindy are paid on site. Boarding is 4:30 to 5:00 am at Baitursynov 104, opposite the Astana International Hotel. In summer Moon Canyon is added.
Guests are honest about the length. One wrote: "Best tour we had. It was tiring but worth it." It is not for pregnant travellers, wheelchair users or anyone with back problems.
Charyn Canyon, Kolsay and Kaindy in one long day, with transport, a guide and entry tickets included.
Explore the Charyn Canyon day trip Tour detailsWhat happened to Lake Issyk?
A mudflow in July 1963 burst its natural dam and almost emptied it. A new anti-mudflow dam now holds a lake about half its old size.
Issyk formed behind a landslide 8,000 to 10,000 years ago and was a famous resort until the 1963 mudflow, which killed at least 100 people (Zakon.kz). The lake has recovered to about half its former size; its depth is about 17.5 m against 55 m before (Aviasales). The level also dropped sharply after a hydro plant started drawing water at the end of 2019.
Since January 2025 the lake has been in trust management, with plans for trails, an eco-resort and an alcohol ban, and it already sees 15,000 to 25,000 visitors a month (Zakon.kz). Pretty, close and easy, but smaller and lower than Big Almaty.
Which lake should you pick?
Big Almaty for a first or only lake; Kolsay and Kaindy if you have a full day and want to be at the water; Issyk as an easy extra.
- One morning free: Big Almaty, by car tour or on foot.
- One full day free: Charyn, Kolsay and Kaindy.
- Two days: both. They are completely different trips.
- No tours, own wheels: Issyk is the one you can drive to yourself, right to the lake.
Before you lock in Big Almaty, read how to get there: the access rules are the part that surprises people.
A first lake that fits a morning: about an hour at Big Almaty, the hot springs and lunch, back by 2 pm.
Check dates for the lake and Alma-Arasan car tourFrequently asked questions
Can you do Big Almaty Lake and Kolsay in one day?
No. They are in opposite directions and Kolsay alone takes about 17 hours as a day trip. Give each its own day.
Is Kaindy on the same trip as Kolsay?
Yes. The lakes are about 11 km apart, and the Charyn day trip visits both, with a short walk or horse ride to Kaindy.
Which lake is closest to Almaty?
Big Almaty Lake, about 15 km south of the centre and roughly an hour by car tour.
Is there a tour to Lake Issyk?
Not on this site. A taxi from Esik or a hired car is the easy way, and the Ile-Alatau eco-fee applies.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Charyn Canyon, Kolsay & Kaindy Lakes Day Trip
The long day out: red canyon walls and a sunken forest
Big Almaty Lake & Alma-Arasan Springs by Car
- Car transfer up to the lake, about 60 minutes there
- Alma-Arasan gorge and a 20-minute walk to the springs
- English-speaking guide
Big Almaty Lake Without Hiking + Hot Springs
- Direct transfer up to Big Almaty Lake
- Alma-Arasan hot springs
- Local guide and entry tickets
