Big Almaty Lake Hike und Falcon Show Erfahrung

A colleague and I booked this hike at the last minute. Despite our concerns about the last minute booking, the trip was well organized. Our guide, Leana, was fantastic! She contacted us the night before and the morning of our hike to ensure we were fully prepared. Leana was very personable and this made the experience that much better. She educated us on the lake, nearby mountains and Kazakh culture. She was very easy-going on the trail. And the hike was great! Challenging and a great workout, but the hike through the alpine forest and the views of Big Almaty Lake at the end of the hike were worth it! I would definitely recommend it!

John/Nuzhan was an excellent guide. Flawless English and good company. The hike to the lake is easy and not technical at all (there is even an option to walk the whole way on a concrete road), but with quite some meters of ascend it makes for a nice excercise. Overall a fun, active day trip just a short drive from Almaty.

John and Jandos showed a good teamwork in guiding us! Was a pretty rough start but they made the big group feel comfortable! Responsible, dedícated young men who show passion with what they do. Thank you for making my Almaty trip safe and full of adventure!

We were picked up on time in our hotel, the lake is near the city, about 22 km. The Saida guide was very attentive and speaks fluent English and very easy to understand. The walk is not very easy, requires a certain physical preparation, but the arrival to the lake compensates, amazing place, take snack to make a beautiful picnic.

Our guide Aidyn was a very nice person and explained us many interesting facts about the lake and Kazakh culture and history. Moreover, he could manage a group with people hiking with very different pace guaranteeing the best experience for all of us. The lake is also very beautiful with several viewpoints with a wonderful landscape on the lake itself and the surrounding peaks. However, the logistics of the trip was not as great as the rest. Despite the car that brought us there was big and comfortable, when we came back we found out that the driver abandoned us there for a problem with his car and the agency could not send an other one. Even though the guide tried its best to help us, we waited for an hour and, in the end, we had to take a Yandex to come back to Almaty.

Don't book with this company - they cancelled our hike 15 minutes before an early morning pickup, and said they would move us to a 1pm slot without hiking. They offered no discount for the shortened excursion, but we agreed in writing to join the 1pm group anyways. At 1:05pm, we began texting to see where the driver was. The company did not and has still not returned our texts, they just ghosted us. Disappointing because we wasted a day just waiting around for them. Their tour company name is Kazakhstan Very Nice. I suggest booking with a different company.

The hike to Almaty Lake was fantastic, with spectacular views throughout and terrain that was challenging enough to be enjoyable without being too difficult. Butter, our guide, was excellent, gave great recommendations, prioritised safety, and helped us through the trickier sections of the trail. It was clear he genuinely enjoys what he does, and he was always happy to share advice and encourage everyone along the way.

Butter, our tour guide, is awesome. He has been helping and taking care of us all the way from the accommodation and throughout the hike. We have an amazing experience that goes beyond our expectation. And the fee is reasonable for the trip.

Great tour! Can go at a steady pace and the end result is so worth it. The lake is stunning! Nurzhan was my tour leader, couldn’t recommend him more! Very knowledgeable

Really easy going and can go at an easy pace. Tour leader was Nurzhan! Was excellent and couldn’t recommend him more