Escaping Almaty for the mountains couldn’t be easier. You literally just drive south, watch the apartment blocks disappear, and end up surrounded by huge peaks in 20 minutes flat. Having your own wheels makes everything ten times easier because public buses won’t take you anywhere near the good spots.
Here are three routes that are definitely worth visiting.
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Local Driving Realities
This is relatively easy to drive, but there are a few practical tips that will make the driving experience less stressful.
Get cash in advance. Outside Almaty, cards are basically useless – small pump stations usually take only cash. Signal vanishes the moment you hit a canyon, so grab offline maps or prepare to guess at random dirt forks.
Watch the speedometer, too. Cops lurk behind bushes on mountain roads and love handing out quick tickets.
Route 1: The Classic Alpine Drive – Medeu to Shymbulak & Beyond
Got half a day? Just drive straight up toward Medeu. It’s the easiest trip you can make, following a paved route that snakes right past the legendary outdoor ice rink. The climb is steady, but completely stress-free. If you’re arranging a ride through an Almaty rent car spot, a standard sedan does the job just fine for this run. Leave your wheels in the big lot right by the ice rink, grab a pass, and let the gondola do the heavy lifting up to Shymbulak. Take the extra gondola ride up to Talgar Pass at 3,200 meters. Standing right next to bare glaciers while looking down at the city haze is unforgettable.
Route 2: The Turquoise Gem – Big Almaty Lake (BAO)
Getting that famous shot of BAO’s turquoise water is on everyone’s list. The road up the canyon is smooth asphalt, but it gets tight fast, with blind turns around every rock face. Just keep in mind: you can’t drive all the way to the shore anymore. You’ll have to park at the checkpoint down below and hike the last stretch on foot.
- Timing: Leave early. Around 1 PM, grey clouds routinely sweep over the ridges and block the sun, completely killing that vibrant water color.
- Passports: Pack your physical passport in your pocket. The lake sits close to the border, so border guards run routine checks.
- The Rules: You can’t walk down to touch the water anymore because it’s the main drinking reservoir for Almaty. The views from the top rim are still worth every stop.
Route 3: The Wild Plateau Expedition – Turgen Gorge to Assy Plateau
Hate crowds? Point your wheels east toward Turgen Gorge instead. The main valley road is paved and easy. You’ll spot heaps of chill spots along the river for a bite, along with short paths winding straight to hidden waterfalls.
If you’re after something wild, keep pushing past where the tarmac ends and climb up toward Assy Plateau. Up on that massive high plain, local herders live in yurts all summer. Horses roam around without fences, and a massive, old-school Soviet observatory stands in total isolation.
The track up is rough, rocky, and involves crossing shallow rivers. Unless you’re used to beat-up dirt trails, booking a 4×4 with a driver through GetRentacar saves your nervous system. A local knows how to dodge the sharpest stones, so you can just look out the window.
Extra Tips Before Hitting the Gas
- Fill your tank to the brim inside the city. Gas quality gets sketchy out in rural villages.
- Even on the hot days of Almaty, throw a thick jacket in the back. The wind off the mountaintop is bone-chilling in a matter of seconds.
- Toss a few big water bottles and extra snacks into the trunk. Stores are nonexistent up on the high passes.
- Throw a tire gauge on your spare before pulling out of the driveway – there’s nothing worse than finding a flat when you’re already stuck.
Once that’s set, grab a route, queue up some decent tunes, and get out into those hills.
