Assy Plateau & Bartogay Reservoir: Private Off-road Day Tour From Almaty
About this tour
A day for travellers who love wide open spaces and a bit of adventure. You leave the paved road behind, cross two mountain passes off-road and drive up onto the Assy Plateau at 2,800 m, a high land of meadows and long horizons east of Almaty.
The day starts at Bartogay Reservoir, with a view over its 60 m rock dam and the valley, a relaxed break by the river and a picnic lunch by the water. Then the off-road part begins: over the Kyzylauz and Karaarsha passes, with photo stops above the Zhenishke Valley and the Sarytau ridge. On the plateau you visit the Assy-Turgen Astronomical Observatory and take a short walk to red-rock petroglyphs along the Assy River, before heading home through the Turgen Gorge.
Most of the day is spent driving and stopping for photos, so the walking is easy. In June and July the plateau is green and full of flowers.
Highlights:
- Drive off-road over the Kyzylauz and Karaarsha mountain passes
- See the Assy Plateau at 2,800 m, with meadows and long horizons
- Visit the Assy-Turgen Astronomical Observatory
- Walk to red-rock petroglyphs along the Assy River
- Picnic lunch by the water at Bartogay Reservoir
- A private tour: only your group, with your own guide who speaks English, Russian and Kazakh
Activities included
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Almaty, Kazakhstan to Asy plateau, Batan, Kazakhstan
Your guide-driver picks you up from your hotel at 07:00 and drives east to Bartogay Reservoir, with a view over its 60 m rock dam and the valley. After a relaxed break by the river and a picnic lunch by the water, the off-road part begins: over the Kyzylauz and Karaarsha passes, with photo stops over the Zhenishke Valley and the Sarytau ridge. Then you drive up onto the Assy Plateau at 2,800 m, visit the Assy-Turgen Astronomical Observatory and its views, and take a short walk to red-rock petroglyphs along the Assy River. The way back leads down through the Turgen Gorge, and you are back at your hotel around 20:00.
What's included
Private tour: only your group, with your own guide-driver and SUV. Hotel pickup and drop-off anywhere in Almaty. Picnic lunch, national park fees and 1.5 liters of drinking water per person.
Personal expenses. Pickup from outside Almaty city costs extra.
Languages spoken
What to know
Most of the day is off-road driving with photo stops; the only walk is a short stroll to the petroglyphs. Parts of the route are rough off-road tracks, so we don't recommend it for travellers with back problems. The plateau is at 2,800 m, so take it slow if you are not used to altitude. The tour runs from April to November and is closed in winter. The Assy Plateau park can shift its dates with the weather: we check before your tour, and if it is closed we tell you and change the plan. Bring walking shoes, sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen and a warm layer. Mountain weather changes fast. Child seats are available on request, and your luggage can stay in the car during the tour. If weather or a closed road makes the route unsafe, we move the tour to another day or refund it in full. Prices are per person for groups of 1 to 4. For 5 or more people, message us for a price.
Route & locations
Almaty, Kazakhstan to Asy plateau, Batan, Kazakhstan