Kazakhstan›From Big Almaty Lake›Kolsai Lakes & Kaindy (Saty)
Big Almaty Lake to Kolsai Lakes & Kaindy (Saty) by road
About 330 km. The private car is fastest at 7.8 h; the private car is cheapest, from ₹9,370 per car (up to 4).
Kolsai Lakes & Kaindy (Saty) to Big Almaty LakeFastest
Private car
Car with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), per vehicle
7.8 h door to door
Cheapest
Private car
Car with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), per vehicle
from ₹9,370 per car (up to 4)
Best value
Private car
Car with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), per vehicle
cheapest at mid fares among options within 1.5× the fastest time (or 1 h more on a short ride)
Car with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), per vehicle runs April – October only.
4x4 with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), road permitting, per vehicle runs November – March only.
Nothing else on this route is listed for the other months; check before you plan around it.
Every option, compared
Door-to-door times (flights include the time at the airports). Fares are typical ranges from the cheapest seat to the premium one.
| Mode | Service | Time | Fare | Runs | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | Car with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), per vehicle | 7.8 h | ₹9,370–₹22,220per car (up to 4) | April – October only | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Private car | 4x4 with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), road permitting, per vehicle | 8.8 h | ₹12,520–₹28,520per car (up to 4) | November – March only | Rome2Rio ↗ |
- Private car, Car with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), per vehicle: The road up to Big Almaty Lake is closed to private cars, motorbikes and e-scooters: the taxi stops at the Ile-Alatau National Park checkpoint and you walk up the road (allow a few hours there and back; snow and ice from October to May). Swimming is banned: the lake is Almaty's drinking-water reservoir. Ask licensed tour operators whether they currently drive visitors up. National-park eco-fees are paid at the gates (cash). The Kaindy track is 4x4 only: drivers in Saty take you up.
- Private car, 4x4 with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), road permitting, per vehicle: The road up to Big Almaty Lake is closed to private cars, motorbikes and e-scooters: the taxi stops at the Ile-Alatau National Park checkpoint and you walk up the road (allow a few hours there and back; snow and ice from October to May). Swimming is banned: the lake is Almaty's drinking-water reservoir. Ask licensed tour operators whether they currently drive visitors up. From about November to April snow closes the road to Saty and the Kaindy track at times, and most homestays shut: go with a local 4x4 driver, check the road and book a room before you set out.
Booking links open the route on the country's transport booking site for trains, buses, boats and transfers, and a flight search for flights, dated about two weeks out (or in season); change the date there.
What it costs your group, one way
Fares × people; a private car is priced per car, one car per four people.
| Option | 2 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Private car · Car with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), per vehicle | ₹9,370–₹22,220 | ₹9,370–₹22,220 |
| Private car · 4x4 with driver via Almaty, Charyn (on foot between Big Almaty Lake and the park checkpoint), road permitting, per vehicle | ₹12,520–₹28,520 | ₹12,520–₹28,520 |
Once you’re in Kolsai Lakes & Kaindy (Saty)
- Best time: June – September
- Typical stay: 2 days
- November: Mixed month: November is outside the recommended season (June – September). Against it: Snow on the Roads to Kolsai and Kaindy.
Related
Plan Big Almaty Lake and Kolsai Lakes & Kaindy (Saty)
A day-by-day plan with this journey, the stays and the rest priced in.