Kolsai Lake
Kolsai Lake
4.5
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The area
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Attractions
6 within 6 miles

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles278 reviews
Excellent
230
Very good
33
Average
11
Poor
1
Terrible
3

Mikey P
Norwich, UK4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Friends
Me and 3 friends turned up to the lake car park at about 6pm as it started to get dark. 2 tour guides with horses took us up to the lake on horse back. We got to the lake ridge, then one of the tour guides pulled a knife out and threatened us with the knife and held it against my chest. He was asking for money, we gave him all the money we had but they still demanded more. We then decided to run back to our car (about 2km) whilst they chased us on their horses. This sounds like a made up story… but it’s completely genuine. Make sure you use an official tour guide and don’t use the people who lives in the huts on the way up to the car park.
Written March 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Justin C
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Couples
It was wonderful tour in my life. We were on a beautiful lake (even despite the fact that it was under the snow), around the most beautiful Tien Shan firs, clean air, horses, a mountain river, drank tea with a local forester. It was very cool and unusual! And most importantly, we were the only ones there!! And it’s just awesome! The guide gives all the best, tries very hard. Thank you very much for your kind approach! It’s very nice when they try so hard for you!!
Last day back to Almaty we have seen Charyn Canyon. And the most cosmic – it was under the stars all alone to get out of the canyon! This blocked all other emotions, although there were enough of them:) Totally everything organised very well. I want to come back again with my friends .
Thank you “Pegas Adventure” team and see you in summer!!!
Written March 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Soudamini Mohapatra
Bengaluru, India66 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Kolsai Lake and it's surroundings is like a dreamland. The lake is surrounded by high mountains. The reflection of the trees and mountains in the blue water of the lake is an added attraction. The trip to the lake is usually combined with the Charyn canyon. A day trip from Almaty will take more than 12 hours. Alternatively one can stay overnight in the Saty village near the lake.
Written October 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

YasmineofJuly
Dubai, United Arab Emirates286 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Friends
A picturesque fairy tale lake in the mountains.
The water is ice cold because the water is from the melting glassiers at the top of the mountains. It's not good for swimming but there are water activities like a boat and a water bicycle to rent. You will have to explore a bit of off-road while reaching to the lake from the parking. There is a lovely coffee shop with the great views by the lake. Be ready to walk quite a distance through the forest and off-road ways to and from the lake. Feel free to ask any questions on my insta Yasmine of July
Written August 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RahMeh
Mumbai, India56 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
Peace and tranquility!
Those are the only words to describe the feelings when visiting Kolsai Lakes.
Too far from the Almaty City, but is worth visiting.
They have boat ride and few other activities to enjoy the prestin waters & serene mountain around.
For us, it was just the fresh snow of the season and we enjoyed it a lot.
However, start very early so to get a good time at the spot. It takes around 4+ hrs one-way.
Written December 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Niels Erik M
Hillerod, Denmark7 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Me and my family went to Kolsai lakes for having a few days at the first of three lakes (July 2008). We rented a house with a beautiful view of the lake.
Some of us walked from the first lake to the second lake. The walk is excellent but a bit hard as it is very steep. There is a small stream that you can follow. It is although possible to ride on horseback, but rental was only possible during the weekend.

If you want to live more exotic you can rent a Yourte close to the lake.
Written September 15, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gaukhar Dossova
Almaty, Kazakhstan5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2017 • Friends
Trip takes 2 days as minimum (better if its a 3-day trip), usually includes visiting Charyn Canyon. So it is 3-3.5 hours to Charyn, then 5-6 hours there and around (Valley of Castles is just one of the parts of this canyon, there is a lot more to see), then again 3-3.5 hours to Satty village, with amazing photo-ops on the way. Road is absolutely awful, but this year they already building new one, so let's hope that soon driving will be more pleasant. Usually your guest house is already waiting for you (arranged from the city by your guide or driver, or you can risk and find guest house at the village), dinner is almost ready, Russian sauna is hot (after day in Charyn Canyon it is a dream place, believe me!), and sometimes even wi-fi is working! Toilets at these simple homes are usually outside, and there are no showers. It is a nice way to see how people live outside of big cities. Also you can stay at Zhibek Zholy hotel with awesome view from the window (of course it is more expernsive than guest house), hotel located at the shore of the first Kolsai lake. Next day you have to wake up early (around 7 am) in order to see both second Kolsai lake & Kaindy lake at one day. So, after breakfast your driver will bring you to the first Kolsai lake, which is absolutely stunning! road takes around 30-40 mins. There is no car road to second lake, only little path, which will bring you to the second lake (at some places there are blue arrows on stones, so just follow them). It takes around 3-4 hours of hiking one way, so don't forget to take your lunch and water with you cause after reaching the second lake you will be very hungry! Also I would advise to take warm jacket, cause on the second lake winds are really strong and cold in any summer day, and it can even rain - weather in mountains changes very fast. Anti-ticks spray will be very useful at spring-summer season. its better not to go to third lake because firstly it is physically hard to reach it, and secondly it is very close to border line with Kyrgyzstan, and foreign tourists need to have special pass registered in migration police (better to check it with migration police office near Nikolsky market), so after good lunch with an unforgettable view hiking back to first lake takes again 3-4 hours, your driver usually waits you all this time and when you reach him, you drive to Kaindy lake (it is if you have only 2 day trip, if it is 3-day trip then you drive back to the guest house or hotel to take a Russian banya or shower). You should reach Kaindy lake at 4 pm and be out at 6 pm, because it is a closing time of national park and also because it is a long road back to the city - around 5-6 hours. Of course, it is better to have 3-day trip for canyon and lakes, then you will not hurry and enjoy every location as it deserved, and Kaindy lake you will visit on the morning of third day, at morning hours sky is usually clean, no clouds and sun is shining so bright, at afternoon it is usually cloudy, and more mysterious. Usually drivers don not agree to go there (almost no car road at all) so you have to pay to local drivers for UAZik (soviet offroad car) and go with them. They drive you to parking place, and after you will go around 30 minutes by feet. Everywhere (Charyn Canyon, Kolsay lakes, Kaindy lake) travellers will pay fee for entering National Parks. Also it is possible to go to Karkara border point after lakes if you plan to continue your trip at Kyrgyzstan. I hope I covered some moments of this fascinating trip, enjoy it!
Written June 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tikhon
Moscow61 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2012 • Solo
Some tips...
1. You may go there by car but be ready for off-road for 100 km just before finish. The road is really bad.
2. If you take a weekend trip from an agency - try to get small bus as the big one is ever late and slow.
3. Accommodation is 3-4 people co-location in the local village Saty. Don't wait too much from the domestic people. They are doing their best but want to put as many people as can to their houses. So mention you want to pay extra to live alone in advance (with agency).
The water they are drinking (and you also will) is from the local river. Don’t forget to take some drugs from stomach with you.
4. First day you will visit Kolsai lakes. Bus will deliver you by the 1st one.
The distance between the fist lake and the second is 2 hours with a half mountain walk or an hour with a half riding.
You should be very confident to walk. The way is quite hard and really dusty.
The weather is very changing. It was shower 4 times for 5 minutes each and sunny and hot after that. So be prepared with your wear.
Lunch boxes for whole day had a sandwich, chocolate and a bottle of water - take something with you – there is no place to get food there (for almost 9 hours).
5. The second day is a trip to Kaindy lake. That’s amazing place where huge trees stand in the middle of the lake. Unique. Go for sure.
The road is also very bad and local people are happy to take you there using PAZ or UAZ. That’s really a cars to drive there – don’t try on your own. Car repair will cost you much and much more.
Written July 9, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robin270
Barcelona, Spain138 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Friends
After reading the reviews here and seeing the picture i really wanted to see it and it was high up on my list of things I still wanted to see as long as I stay in Almaty. But it is a mess. First of all the typical KZ infrastructure, it is zero. The roads are a disaster (6 hours to go there) and guarantee for a nice back pain due to all the hits because of the holes everywhere. Then there are no signs to find it, if you ask people most of them have no clue.So to find it is close to a miracle. Then you arrive there incompetent people at the gate (Schlagbaum) having different prices everywhere and change the prices according to their mood, in the park a lot of trash and people driving in with their car full of alcohol to go there and become drunk over night in their tents. The lake itself is medium nice, but it is small so after 1.5h -2h you have seen it. Like so often zero touristic infrastructure (What other people wrote about, I haven't seen anything what could be called infrastructure) So if you are a masochist and you want to torture you in a 12 hours drive on bad roads to see a medium pretty like with some trees in it. Then that's it for you.
Written August 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jp7356
Perth, Australia11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Couples
Traveled here in the summer, left Almaty on a bus tour around 10.30pm on the Friday night. We arrived at a village close to the mountains about 6am Saturday morning. The lakes are only a few hundred km's from Almaty, but due to the poor quality of the roads it is a very slow trip. On our trip there appeared to be a new road under construction which may improve this in the future. we where billeted to rooms at different houses in the village. The rooms and beds where basic, but nice and warm (even though it was summer, it was still quite cool at night). The food was all local kazak food, absolute fantastic food. The walk to the mountains of the first day was challenging, but rewarding. The photos do not begin to do justice to how spectacular the country side was here. A great experience, well worth the trip. Can't wait to return to Kazakhstan and see more.
Written December 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Kolsai Lake - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Kolsai Lake