Issyk Lake and Turgen Waterfall Day Tour
Tour Details
1 day
April-October
Season
from $160 / per person
Description
The area reached historical significance in 1969 with the unearthing of a tomb near the Issyk River that contained the Golden Man, believed to be a Scythian nomad buried with his golden armor. His discovery has been hailed as one of the most important burial findings of the 20th century and continues to provide clues to the identity of Kazakhstan’s earliest inhabitants.
The Issyk Lake and Turgen Waterfall Day Tour is a full-day excursion to the beautiful and silent world of Kazakhstan’s timeless mountains. Bask in the calming atmosphere of Issyk Lake’s deep blue waters, admiring the rustic ‘Kremlin Wall’ cliffs and unusual flora, before continuing with a picnic lunch and short hike among the waterfalls of enchanting Turgen Gorge. The tour also includes a special stop at Issyk Kurgan to see where the monumental discovery of the Golden Man first occurred.
Program
Tour Itinerary:
Meet your guide and driver in the lobby of your Almaty hotel to begin the daylong outing. Depart Almaty for Issyk Lake, along a route that twists through the picturesque mountains of Issyk Canyon (75km, 1.5hrs). As you travel, your guide will share fascinating information about the region, including details of the 1963 Issyk Lake disaster that forever changed the course of the lake and the area’s inhabitants.
Stop along the way at Issyk Kurgan to marvel at the tomb of the Golden Man (6th-3rd centuries BC), which has become the main symbol of Kazakhstan’s rich and mysterious nomadic history.
Upon arrival to Issyk Lake (1750m above sea level), you’ll have some free time to walk around and relax on its peaceful shores. Admire the steep red-faced cliffs encircling the lake, which climb to 120 meters in height and have been dubbed the “Kremlin Wall”.
Drive to Turgen Gorge (35km, 45min), where you’ll stop for a picnic lunch. Continue on to Boten, the most popular spot in Turgen Gorge where three rivers converge to form the deepest corner of the canyon. From Boten you’ll take a short hike to Bear Waterfall (Medvezhye Waterfall), which drops 30 meters into the turbulent Turgen River.
Return to meet your driver and head back to Almaty for drop-off at your hotel. End of Issyk Lake and Turgen Waterfall Day Tour.
Tour duration: 9-10 hours
Note: This tour is available from April to October.
Price includes:
- Private guide;
- Entrance fees to the national park;
- Picnic lunch;
- Transportation throughout the tour.
Prices
| Persons | Economy |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $450 |
| 2 persons | $250 |
| 3 persons | $200 |
| 4 persons | $160 |
per person
Booking Inquiry
Fill out the form and we will contact you shortly.
Reviews
Customer Reviews →Write a review
Your review will be published after moderation. We do not publish your email.
This tour has no reviews yet. Latest reviews of our other tours:
It was a very nice day, and our guide was great! Thank you very much.
Tour: Chimgan and Charvak Day Tour →We did indeed arrive home safely from this wonderful adventure. It was a truly beautiful trip! Everything was so special: the culture and nature. You realize how little you know about that rich history. The trip went smoothly. The arrangements were kept. In Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the tour operator (the day before) promptly sent me an app telling me what time we would be picked up or dropped off. Everything was accurate. Credit card payments aren't accepted on the train ride through Kazakhstan.
Tour: Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan 8-Day Tour →Guide: Khiva - Shoxrux, Bukhara - Dilnoza, Samarkand - Otabek, Tashkent- Dilya.
Accommodation: Khiva - Malika Kheivak, Bukhara – Minzifa, Samarkand - Shohjahon Palace, Tashkent – ATECA.
28-5-2025 (WED) Day 1: Urgench – Khiva
29-5-2025 (THU) Day 2: Khiva
30-5-2025 (FRI) Day 3: Khiva – Bukhara
31-5-2025 (SAT) Day 4: Bukhara
01-6-2025 (SUN) Day 5: Bukhara - Samarkand
02-6-2025 (MON) Day 6: Samarkand
03-6-2025 (TUE) Day 7: Samarkand
04-6-2025 (WED) Day 8: Samarkand – Tashkent
05-06-2025 (THU) Day 9: Tashkent
06-06-2025 (FRI) Day 10: Tashkent