Located about 80km from Almaty, the Ili river flows from Lake Kapshagai for about 400km to Lake Balkhash. Along the way, the river passes through rocky canyons, flat steppe and swampland as it forms a large delta at lake Balkhash.
The landscape changes as you progress along the river to the swampy delta. In itself the region is beautiful, but not far from the river is located the historic Tamagly Tas: the site of centuries old petroglyphs carved into the rock. Tamagly Tas is ranked as the #6 attraction in Almaty on Tripadvisor.
The area along the Ili River offers many activities including rafting, canoeing, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking and camping. It is possible to combine some or all of these activities into one program.