Kazakhstan Guided Tours · Lake, Alma-Arasan, Ayusai + Sunkar
A full day by car: Big Almaty Lake, the Alma-Arasan and Ayusai gorges, the hot springs if they are open, and a falconry show with golden eagles. Pick it if you want more than the lake: it packs the most into one day of any tour here.
Kazakhstan Guided Tours collects guests from five hotels in central Almaty: the Ibis and Novotel Living at Jetisu, the Ritz-Carlton, the Holiday Inn Express and the Kazakhstan Hotel. An air-conditioned minibus heads for Big Almaty Lake, which you reach by car without a long hike. After the lake the day widens out: pine forest and waterfalls in the Alma-Arasan and Ayusai gorges, the hot springs if they are accessible, and food and drinks at a local cafe.
The extra is the birds of prey show, from April to October. It is staged by the Sunkar raptor centre on Alma-Arasan Street, a nursery founded in 1989 to breed the endangered saker falcon. Golden eagles, falcons, owls and vultures fly in front of the crowd, and guests single it out as the best part of the day. Admission is about $12 per person, paid on site, on top of the $59 from-price.
Read the small print. The itinerary marks the Ayusai lunch and shopping stop and the Sunkar visit as extra fees, while the inclusions list food and drinks at a cafe, so ask the operator what is covered. The springs are the weak point: one guest wrote that Alma-Arasan should come off the programme altogether, and the road closed for several groups in summer 2026. And it is a long day, 7 to 9 hours, with only the usual hour or so at the lake.
The minibus collects guests from five hotels in central Almaty.
Up the gorge, through the checkpoint and on to the lake by car for viewpoints and photos.
Pine forest and waterfalls in two gorges, and the hot springs if the road is open.
Food and drinks at a local cafe. Check in advance which parts are included.
Eagles, falcons and vultures at the Sunkar centre, April to October. About $12 paid on site.
Drop-off at the pickup hotels in the late afternoon.
★★★★★I loved the big almaty lake and the bird show was very special.
★★★★★very nice tour, especially the falconery show, Jan was aslo a very good tour guide
★★★★★A very nice tour guide who gave us plenty of time to take photos
★★★★★He went above and beyond and recommended places to eat and other activities for the rest of the stay in the city.
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About $12 per person, paid on site, according to the listing. It is not part of the $59 from-price. The show runs from April to October.
The listing names five: Ibis Almaty Jetisu, Novotel Living Almaty Jetisu, The Ritz-Carlton Almaty, Holiday Inn Express Almaty and the Kazakhstan Hotel. If you stay elsewhere, walk or taxi to the nearest one.
Between 7 and 9 hours, depending on traffic, the springs and the show schedule. The lake itself takes about the same time as on the shorter car tours.
The listing calls it beginner-friendly and sets the lower limit at age 3. It is a long day, though, so younger children may tire before the show.
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The lake by car, two mountain gorges, the hot springs and a falconry show in one full day.
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