Lake Issyk with Turgen (Bear) Waterfall tour
Description
Discover the perfect mix of light adventure and breathtaking nature on this day tour from Almaty. Travel in comfort and enjoy a well-organized experience guided by a professional local expert. Start your day with a refreshing hike through the scenic Turgen Gorge. Walk along a picturesque mountain trail surrounded by lush forests and panoramic views as you head toward the beautiful Bear Waterfall. At the end of the trail, enjoy the cool freshness of glacial water and the peaceful atmosphere of this place. After the hike, continue to the stunning Issyk Lake, located at 1,756 meters above sea level in the Ili-Alatau mountains. The lake’s color changes from turquoise to deep blue depending on the season, creating a truly mesmerizing landscape. Take time to relax, walk along the shore, capture unforgettable photos, and enjoy the calm beauty of the mountains.
Tour Options
Itinerary
After lunch you will head to the Lake Issyk located in Issyk gorge of Ili-Alatau mountains 70 km from Almaty at an altitude of 1756 m above sea level. The color of the water in this lake varies from turquoise to dark blue depending on the time of year. You will enjoy nature and the scenic panorama of the Ili-Alatau mountains with magnificent lake, take stunning memorable pictures and be filled with positive emotions.
This tour is designed so that you can enjoy the views at the best time of the day with the best lighting conditions. Our tour guide will show you the best photo spots and tell you interesting information about the sites.
As a morning warm-up in the fresh air, you will have a short hike deep into the Turgen mountain gorge, where the picturesque Bear waterfall is located. You will walk along a mountain trail enjoying stunning mountain views, and at the end you will enjoy the coolness of the glacial water of this waterfall.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Custom pick-up is available only for a private tour option.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Important note: Children under 3 y.o. are not allowed on the tour
- Not recommended for travelers who can not withstand hikes
Reviews(91)
Contrary to the details given in this itinerary- we only got to see Issyk Lake and Bear Waterfalls. There weren't any restrooms and it felt slightly anti climatic but this is purely a personal experience.
Very good experience. Julie was a great guide and the entire tour was well thought out and planned. She was informative and open to questions, very friendly, and overall a great guide to have.
A really enjoyable trip that showcased some beautiful natural landscapes. Zhuldyz was a great guide!
This was a great tour to book. The van was super comfortable and our guide Zhenis was great. He contacted us in the morning to make sure we would be at the pickup location when he arrived and helped us order at a local restaurant. The waterfall is about a ~25mins easy to moderate hike and the lake was around a 15 min walk downhill to be sure to wear comfortable shoes.
This is a good one day trip for someone visiting Almaty. Other tours to other lakes involve much more time sitting in a car with less time spent at the actual tourist destination.
Short trip. Better combine with Assy plateau. However Naz my tour guide was very friendly and entertaining. Well conducted tour.
Very well conducted tour by Zhenis and his assistant. In time, all landmarks covered and well explained. Could not have asked for mare. Excellent day trip from Almaty. Special mention of his last assistant (sorry, forgot her name) - she was very helpful, especially for the older participants on the hike to Turgen waterfall.
I had an absolutely wonderful time on the One Day Tour to Lake Issyk and Turgen Bear Waterfall. It was a truly memorable experience that will forever remain a cherished memory in my life's adventures. Not only was the scenery breathtaking, but it was also fantastic to meet and connect with new friendly faces from different corners of the world. A huge thank you to our incredible Tour Leader, Zhenis, and his two amazing assistants, Aks and Zhuldyz. They were extremely communicative, attentive, and helpful throughout the entire trip. A special shoutout to Aks, who kindly lent me his trekking pole—I honestly wouldn’t have made it all the way to the Turgen Bear Waterfall without it! Another highlight was the optional drone video service. The final footage they delivered was absolutely stunning and high-quality! If you are a traveler planning a vacation to Almaty, I highly, highly recommend booking this tour. You won't regret it!
Amazing Time! Definitely recommand! The bus is comfy, wifi on board(pay a lil extra) lunch is also super good a in a nice restaurant during mid day after the waterfall! A lot of choices in that restaurant and guide helps you to order( the personal mostly speak Kazak) The hikes are easy and anyone could do them at their own pace. Thanks Zhenis and the team for the amazing day!
The waterfall was beautiful and worth the (short and easy) walk up. The Issyk Lake was stunning as well and made for very good pictures. The tour operator was punctual for pick up, but the time allocated to Issyk Lake was way too short because we ended up waiting nearly an hour for some extremely inconsiderate participants. It wasn't the tour operator's fault, but I'd advise them to remind people again and again that the tour is not suitable for those with mobility issues. The restaurant we stopped at for lunch, while slightly overpriced, had delicious food.
