Kazakhstan Trip Day 3 | Big Almaty Lake, Arbat Street & Alma-Arasan Gorge

Kazakhstan Trip Day 3 | Big Almaty Lake, Arbat Street & Alma-Arasan Gorge

From the moment we planned our Kazakhstan trip, this was one place we marked as a must-visit. And now, we’re finally on the way to explore it. And welcome to Day 3 of our Kazakhstan travel series. We’re heading to Big Almaty Lake — one of the must-visit tourist attractions in Kazakhstan. The buildings around here reflect a mix of Neo-Russian, Soviet, European, and modern architectural styles On the way, we pass by several shops and restaurants right along the roadside. Reading a bit about the country always makes the journey more meaningful and one fascinating fact about Kazakhstan is that people have been living here since the Stone Age. Kazakhstan is a vast country spread across Central Asia, with a small part reaching into Eastern Europe. It shares borders with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea. Big Almaty Lake is located around 30 kilometers from central Almaty. Out of that, around 15 kilometers is a scenic uphill drive through the mountains. On the way to the lake, you’ll come across a massive concrete structure stretching across the road. Even though it looks like a bridge, it’s actually part of a mudflow protection system As we drive further, we can see giant concrete, step-like structures built into the landscape. This is a debris dam — also known as a mudflow protection dam These structures are built as part of the disaster mitigation strategy in this region These safety structures were built for a reason — even though the area looks calm and peaceful. The main reason behind this is to protect the valleys and the city of Almaty, located downhill, from dangerous mudflows. These mountains are really steep. So when there’s heavy rain or sudden glacier melt, a powerful mix of water, mud, rocks—even tree trunks —can come rushing down the slopes. In situations like this, the mudflow protection dam acts like a sieve — it blocks the debris and lets only water pass through. The step-like sloped structure of the dam helps slow down the flow of water. This way, the impact of a powerful mudflow is reduced, and serious damage can be prevented to a great extent. There are small boards placed here and there as we go. But the contents on these boards are mostly written in Kazakh and Russian Kazakhstan has a very complex and rich history. Before getting into all that, the Big Almaty Lake we’re about to visit is located near the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan So if you’re visiting this place, don’t forget to carry your original passport with you Private vehicles are not allowed beyond this eco post. From here, we can go uphill either by hiking, taking an eco bike, or using a vehicle with special permission As we waited for the car to go uphill, we could hear the loud sound of water flowing somewhere close We couldn’t see much from the roadside. So we walked down—and that’s when we found this beautiful mountain stream [Music] While we were enjoying this beautiful scenery, our guide called us—telling that the car had arrived. So, without wasting any time, we headed up and got into the car. And now, we’re continuing our journey towards Big Almaty Lake As we drive further from the eco post, we’re entering the Ile-Alatau National Park. This park was established in 1996 to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Tien Shan mountain range. This is a very beautiful winding mountain road Usually, when we visit popular tourist spots, we have to deal with long waits for parking and big crowds. But surprisingly, this national park feels calm and peaceful, far from the usual tourist rush We couldn’t see many tourists around —maybe because private vehicles are restricted here, or simply because it’s a bit difficult to reach Here, every turn offers a completely different view In some places, the road gets really narrow with sharp turns Now, let’s dive into the history of Kazakhstan Thousands of years ago, nomadic tribes like the Scythians and Sakas lived and ruled over these lands Later, many parts of this region came under the Persian Empire, and much later, under the Mongol Empire led by Genghis Khan By the 15th century, a powerful nomadic state called the Kazakh Khanate was formed This was a union of many steppe tribes Later on, as time passed, Kazakhstan came under the control of the Russian Empire In the 20th century, Kazakhstan eventually became part of the Soviet Union. Later, when the Soviet Union fell in 1991, Kazakhstan became a free and independent country. Today, it is the largest country in Central Asia. And with its rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning natural beauty, Kazakhstan truly stands out This park is a vast protected area This stretch offers a very beautiful drive [Music] People who hike usually walk uphill along the side of this pipeline That way, they can save some time on the climb It is said that deep in these forests, you might spot some of Central Asia’s rarest animals —like the elusive snow leopard, mountain goats such as the ibex, and wild cats like the lynx The best time to visit this place is from May to October. We visited here in mid-November, and even at that time, many parts of the road were already covered in snow In extreme winter conditions, it can be difficult to drive or hike along this road In winter, this place truly turns into a magical winter wonderland. We’ve been dropped off at this spot There’s still a lot of walking from here To save some time, we’ll be taking the staircase on the right side of the road to cover part of the distance After reaching the top, having covered the whole stretch, we’re greeted with this spectacular view. [Music] After spending about an hour to one and a half here, we’re heading back. Big Almaty Lake is situated at an altitude of 2,511 meters above sea level Swimming is strictly prohibited here At this time of year, the lake has turned a vibrant shade of blue. Depending on the angle of sunlight and the season, the color of this lake keeps changing and that’s what makes it truly unique. During summer, the lake turns into a stunning turquoise color Big Almaty Lake is a glacial lake, formed over thousands of years by the melting of glaciers There are also many myths and legends connected to this lake, One of the legends says that a giant once lived in these mountains, and this lake was formed from his tears While the legends are fascinating, in reality, this lake was formed through a combination of tectonic activity and melting glaciers The lake gets its beautiful color from the high mineral content in the glacial water. This lake also serves as the primary source of drinking water for Almaty city When we saw the serene atmosphere and scenic landscapes, we thought it would be nice to walk downhill for a bit. In this entire stretch, we got a 360-degree view of majestic mountains and coniferous forest And the gentle sunlight along with the cool mountain breeze made the whole walk feel so nice. And once we enter the park, there are no shops around So be sure to carry some water and snacks, especially if you’re traveling with kids [Music] In the Big Almaty Gorge and the surrounding areas, there are small hydroelectric power stations So, on the way back, we saw transmission lines and pipelines that are part of this hydroelectric system If you’d like to explore this area on an e-bike, you can check the options available at the Ayusai Visitor Center We ended up walking nearly 6 kilometers downhill Later, we continued our journey by car. This is the same road we took on the way up, but while going down, the weather had changed—it was bright and sunny. We could also see hikers making their way uphill. [Music] Our next stop is Alma-Arasan which is a beautiful mountain valley known for its hot springs. This is a very popular tourist destination There are some small cafes and shops along the way to Alma-Arasan. This gorge is located to the southwest of Almaty. After around 40 minutes of travel from Big Almaty Lake, we’ve now reached Alma-Arasan This is a perfect spot for both short and long hikes, and even for a relaxed picnic We have to walk over these stones and tree roots to go uphill It may seem easy to walk through this place, but when we visited, it was really muddy after the snowfall. Without shoes that have good grip, it can be quite difficult to walk here. After crossing this river bridge, a 30-minute hike along the riverside trail will take you to the hot spring area At the hot spring area, there are gazebos, a dressing room, and a small shower area for visitors It is also said that the water in these hot springs has anti-inflammatory properties that can help with certain skin conditions. If you’re someone who enjoys extensive trekking, you can go for a full Alma-Arasan Gorge trekking tour. This trekking tour is usually available from May to October, when the trails are open and the weather is favorable [Music] Since it’s winter, we decided not to go further uphill this time We spent some time exploring the area and then headed back. We’re planning to rest for a while at the hotel. Later tonight, we’ll visit Arbat Street and wind up our 3-day trip with that. After packing up, we headed out to explore Arbat Street at night This is one of the most famous shopping streets in Almaty. filled with shops, cozy cafés, and live performances, the whole place feels so lively [Music] After having dinner from a popular Turkish restaurant nearby, we headed back to the hotel. After getting some rest, we headed to the airport. After spending some time at the airport and picking up a few souvenirs, we wrapped up our 3-day trip.

🌍 Kazakhstan Trip Day 3 | Big Almaty Lake, Arbat Street & Alma-Arasan Gorge
On Day 3 of our Kazakhstan adventure, we explored the stunning Big Almaty Lake, took in the peaceful mountain views at Alma-Arasan Gorge, and ended the day with a relaxed evening stroll along Arbat Street — one of Almaty’s most vibrant pedestrian streets.

🎒 Places Covered:
– Big Almaty Lake
– Alma-Arasan Gorge
– Arbat Street (Zhybek-Zholy)

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