4WD & Jeep Tours from Almaty

Full day · 4WD track · from $80

A vast highland plateau above the tree line, reached by a long off-road climb from the Turgen valley. Endless rolling grasslands, grazing horses, an old Soviet observatory and some of the darkest night skies in Central Asia for stargazing.

1-3 days · Off-road piste · from $184

The Singing Dune, the striped Aktau "chalk" mountains and ancient Saka burial mounds, spread across Kazakhstan's largest national park. Distances are huge and the tracks are sandy and remote — a 4WD is essential to link the highlights.

2-3 days · 4WD only · from $95

The surreal lake of drowned spruce trees standing upright in turquoise water. The final stretch from Saty village is a rocky river-crossing track that only a 4WD can manage, which is exactly why it stays so quiet.

2-3 days · Paved + 4WD · from $68

Three stacked alpine lakes in Tien Shan spruce forest, combined with the sunken forest of Kaindy. Sealed road most of the way, then off-road to reach Kaindy and the upper lakes — our most scenically varied multi-day trip.

Full day · Paved + gravel · from $62

The Grand Canyon of Central Asia — 80 km of red sandstone gorges along the Charyn River. The Valley of Castles is the headline, but a 4WD opens up quieter rim viewpoints and the Moon Canyon track away from the crowds.

Half day · 4WD above lake · from $72

A turquoise glacial lake at 2,511 m, the most photographed landmark near Almaty. The road to the shore is paved, but the climb above it to the dam and the high gorge needs a 4WD — and the views back over the lake are the best on the mountain.

Full day · 4WD climb · from $85

An abandoned cosmic-ray station perched at 3,300 m above Big Almaty Lake, reached by a steep switchback track. The off-road climb tops out above the clouds with panoramic views over the lake, the dam and the peaks of the Zailiysky Alatau.

Full day · Off-road steppe · from $90

Wind-sculpted red and ochre clay hills out on the steppe east of Almaty, glowing at sunrise and sunset. There are no marked roads here — you navigate across open ground by 4WD, which keeps this otherworldly landscape almost entirely to yourself.