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Big Almaty Lake: Scenic Mountain and Apple Tour
3.0
23 Ratings
Almaty
Explore Big Almaty Lake’s stunning alpine views and savor legendary Aport apples in Almaty’s iconic apple garden.
Explore Big Almaty Lake’s stunning alpine views and savor legendary Aport apples in Almaty’s iconic apple garden.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Big Almaty Lake - The first stop is Big Almaty Lake, located about an hour’s drive from Almaty City. Along the journey, travelers will enjoy the stunning views of majestic mountains, dense pine forests, and scenic landscapes. Upon reaching Big Almaty Lake, visitors will marvel at how this large lake was formed atop the mountain centuries ago. This…
- Big Almaty Lake - The first stop is Big Almaty Lake, located about an hour’s drive from Almaty City. Along the journey, travelers will enjoy the stunning views of majestic mountains, dense pine forests, and scenic landscapes. Upon reaching Big Almaty Lake, visitors will marvel at how this large lake was formed atop the mountain centuries ago. This natural alpine reservoir is situated in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, 15 km south of Almaty’s center in Kazakhstan, at an elevation of 2,511 meters above sea level. As the lake is explored, its color is observed to shift from light blue to deep dark, depending on the sunlight’s intensity.
- Almaty Region - The next destination is the Almaty apple garden. Aport apples are a significant symbol of Almaty, the cultural heart of Kazakhstan. The city is often associated with the large red apple. The “aport” variety, cultivated in Almaty at the base of the Tien Shan Mountains and nearby forests, is emblematic of the city. Visitors are treated to an engaging story about the origins of the Aport apple, set against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes.
What's Included
- Eco taxi to the end of the big Almaty lake
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Guide service
- Eco taxi to the end of the big Almaty lake
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Guide service
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Lunch
Additional Information
Delight in the stunning views of Big Almaty Lake. Following this, explore the Almaty apple garden, set against the picturesque backdrop of the Almaty mountains, and savor the authentic and legendary Aport apple.
The adventure begins with a visit to Big Almaty Lake, located approximately an hour’s drive from Almaty City. En route, enjoy the breathtaking…
Delight in the stunning views of Big Almaty Lake. Following this, explore the Almaty apple garden, set against the picturesque backdrop of the Almaty mountains, and savor the authentic and legendary Aport apple.
The adventure begins with a visit to Big Almaty Lake, located approximately an hour’s drive from Almaty City. En route, enjoy the breathtaking mountain views, dense pine forests, and scenic landscapes. Big Almaty Lake is a natural alpine reservoir situated in the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, 15 km south of Almaty’s center in Kazakhstan, at an elevation of 2,511 meters above sea level.
The next stop is the Almaty apple garden. The Aport apple is a significant emblem of Almaty, the cultural heart of Kazakhstan. Almaty is famously linked with the large red apple. The “Aport” apple, a unique variety cultivated in Almaty at the base of the Tien Shan Mountains and nearby forests, stands as one of the city’s iconic symbols.
Location
Zyliha Hotel
Baytursynova Street
Meet your guide and find your bus in front of the hotel Renion Zyliha from 6:00 till 6:15
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.0
(23 Ratings)
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A6259mxnicolem
Jul 11, 2025
Big almaty lake. - Tour was very exciting. The big almaty lake was so beautiful. Thanks to our guide Ms. Aiym and to our driver. It was definitely a worth to visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
918yeungl
Jul 9, 2025
Excellent Tour and Guide Karina 👍🏻👍🏻💯 - Excellent tour with amazing views. You would not want to miss this tour. Guide Karina was very nice and she made the experience even better. 100/100 would recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nagesh6126
Jun 18, 2025
Early Morning Magic at Big Almaty Lake - A Perfect Mountain Adventure - We had an incredible experience visiting Big Almaty Lake! Our guide's recommendation to start early paid off perfectly - we were the only visitors at the site, which made the serene mountain views even more spectacular.
A word of advice for future visitors: Kazakhstan's mountain weather is extremely unpredictable, so come prepared with an umbrella, winter jacket, raincoat, and cap. The conditions can change quickly throughout the day.
On our way back, we stopped for a delicious brunch at a local restaurant, followed by visits to a stunning waterfall and a charming apple orchard. Each stop added something special to the day.
I highly recommend this tour - the combination of early timing, beautiful scenery, and varied stops made for a perfect mountain adventure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joe_g
Aug 3, 2025
Its fine - Its ok but Its not well organized they change the timings from 6 AM to 8AM and they inform us late already
Review provided by Viator
Benson_m
Jul 27, 2025
Don not book! CHEATS! - Please don't spoil your holiday by booking with Panda Travel. They changed out pick up time to 5 am from 8 am!!! And when we reached there at 5 am they made us wait till 730 am withouy any information. There are plenty better companies that this BS travel company. Save your time and money by not booking with this company.
Review provided by Viator
Wander64701064013
Jul 22, 2025
You should not book a tour with such an irresponsible company - When I arrived at the meeting point in the morning, there was no one there. No one answered the phone or when I chatted. I spoke to a person who was also at a loss, and it turned out that she was a participant of the same tour and had been informed that the departure time had been changed to 2pm. I never heard anything from them. I finally got through on the phone around 2pm, and the guide called Kuna promised to refund my money, but two months have passed and I still haven't received a refund. They ignored my emails. I also contacted them on what's up chat several times over the course of two months, and they said they would refund my money by credit card, but this time they asked me to give my bank account number because they would transfer the money to my bank account. I couldn't confirm the transfer even after 2 months past, so I chatted again, but they had blocked my what's up.
You should not book a tour with such an irresponsible company that doesn't refund money and ignores its customers' chats and emails.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dora_l
Jun 29, 2025
Scam - SCAMMER, said they would pick us up at 6am no one came, they also turned off their phone and whatsapp.
Review provided by Viator
5alyssajanea
Jun 24, 2025
Bad Experience. NOT RECOMMENDED - We were truly disappointed with how Panda Travel handled one of our tours during our recent trip to Almaty. We booked two tours with them, trusting that they would provide quality service.
The first tour (to lake & Canyon), we paid in cash on the day of the trip which is advisable.
For the second tour (Big Almaty Lake) we paid in advance (60,000 tenge for two people) five days prior to the tour date. On the day of the tour, we waited over an hour at the designated pickup point before 8 am but no one from Panda Travel showed up. When we called, they informed us the tour was cancelled because we were the only two booked and no guide was available. We were shocked cause no one had informed us in advance, and this was our last day in Almaty.
They offered to refund 50% and include us in an afternoon group tour instead. Although it wasn’t ideal, we accepted because we still wanted to see the lake. But again, the arrangement was poorly managed. There was no clear pickup time, and after following up multiple times, a taxi was finally sent but to our surprise, we had to pay for it ourselves (which we thought its a compensation they offered but not a big issue)
When we eventually joined the group, we reached the lake around sunset after waiting over 30 minutes for transportation. We were split into several cars, and once we arrived the guide didn’t even accompany us 🤦🏻♀️we were left on our own in the dark and freezing cold, with no signal to contact anyone. It was chaotic, disorganized, and not the experience we signed up for.
The itinerary promised a small group and other stops like the apple orchard, but none of that happened. I’ve tried multiple times to follow up on the promised 50% refund with no response. It’s not just about the money, we had planned this carefully, and their poor handling ruined what was meant to be a highlight of our trip.
I’m leaving this review in the hope that other travelers are more cautious. I tried to address everything professionally with them but received no reply. Very disappointing, and I cannot recommend Panda Travel based on this experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
545josud
Jun 19, 2025
No choose this agency - I booked this tour by internet and paid by card
It was difficult to get information about the trip because of the lack of information to confirm that everything was ok or not
The day i had the trip nobody appeared. I called the agency and offered me to do the trip the next day , they send me a meeting point and the phone number of the guide, but it happened the same, nobody appeared
I wrote to the agency and nobody answered me and i have not my money back
They dissapeared
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mohammad_g
Jun 16, 2025
Most disappointed. Didn’t expect this from Viator. - Local tour operator Panda) changed the time of pickup without adequate notice. From 8 to 6. Sent out a WhatsApp message at 23.45 hours the previous night. Did not respond by phone or text.This made it impossible to go to the meeting point in time. I have requested a full refund asap.
Review provided by Viator
