Private Tour
Issyk Lake & Bear waterfall in Turgen Gorge + Golden Man museum day tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Issyk and Turgen Gorges are one of the key and most comfortable destinations to travel from Almaty. The one-way drive will take no more than 1.5 hour from the city.
Amazing views of the Ile-Alatau National Park from Turgen Gorge side are more pristine and pure because of the remoteness from big city. Here you will enjoy a nice and easy hike to the Bear waterfall.
Lake Issyk is a perfect place to peacefully rest, surrounded by rich mountain nature. The combination of evergreen forests, fresh clear water and snowy peaks makes this place delightful.
There is not only pristine nature with the rough waterfall and mountain lake but also the unique Golden Man (ancient warrior found in this area) archeological museum on the way.
There is also a local trout farm where you can have a nice outdoor lunch during the tour.
This tour is one of the well balanced activities that you can have in Almaty surroundings. It doesn't require long car journeys and can be conveniently done as a day trip.
Additional Info
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Bottled water
Professional guide
All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
We can have lunch at the local trout farm cafe or kebab house during our tour
Snacks
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Issyk State Historical and Cultural Reserve-Museum
The museum is located on a territory of ancient Saka people's burial mounds. The most famous finding from here was a burial of a Golden Man, a warrior dressed in traditional armor with battle equipments and 4000 pure gold ornaments. It is supposed that skeleton belongs to a young Saka (Scythian) prince or princess. So called, The Golden Man, became the national symbol of Kazakhstan
Turgen Waterfalls
Beautiful Turgen Gorge is one of the few mountain gorges near Almaty. Ever green trees, fast rivers, rocks and cliffs - create local landscape. There are few waterfalls hiding in the forest. One of them is Bear waterfall - the most accessible. You can reach it in 40 minutes walking on easy trail and observing surrounding beauty.
Options
Issyk Lake & Bear waterfall in Turgen Gorge + Golden Man museum day tour
Pickup included
Reviews
16 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A great day trip with Nursultan!
Margaret G,
Oct 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Beautiful mountain, lake and waterfall tour. Our guide Nursultan even made us tea by the lakeside! And the Golden Man Miseum was very interesting The hike to the waterfall is steep. We had a kabob lunch at Arushka that was delicious!
It was a fantastic tour!
gabrielelE3406MP,
Aug 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The itinerary of the tour was well chosen, first the Golden Man with museum, the ascent to the Bear Waterfall was a bit strenuous but rewarding and the Issyk Lake was just magnificent!
Stunner Tour!
Valerie J,
Aug 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour was gorgeous. The scenery! The history! The epicness! The story of the Golden warrior is really interesting and I would absolutely definitely recommend this guide as he is very informative and will be able to answer questions and give you more details than is available. The history is very interesting and it was great to learn more about the history and culture of Kazakhstan and Almaty. The Bear Falls section of the tour was just as excellent (no lie I found it hard to choose which bit was my favourite so I've classified the whole thing as absolutely excellent!). The path crosses the stream in some sections and it's lovely to touch the icy water while you walk. The views are amazing! I am not very fit but I was still able to do it (we also passed families walking). The path was good and there is even a handrail for a steep bit. The visitor centre is situated by the river which is just an absolutely beautiful spot to rest by. We got tea after the walk and it was so lovely. The lake has some breathingly stunning mountain views. Do the tour, have no regrets!
Great experience
uraechiyuki,
Aug 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The first museum took a bumpy ride today. Next tapping time. It was hard to climb, but with the help of our guide we saw a wonderful waterfall. The last lake had the best iroiro and atmosphere, and I was impressed. Thank you, Mr. Guide.
An amazing trip
Brian D,
Aug 26, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00A strenuous climb up to the waterfall but we'll worth it and we're given chances to rest.Loved our museum trip with a knowledgeable guide from the museum to explain everything. Even though the weather was cloudy and the lake was grey and not blue it didn't distract from it's beauty.
No to be missed
saumitra s,
Jun 20, 2024
- Review from Viator
4.00Very knowledgeable and friendly English speaking guide. We missed out on the Bear waterfalls due to rockslide blocking the access road. However, this was made up with extra time at the picturesque Issyk lake
AMAZING!!
Daria M,
May 14, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.005/14/24 I was on a business trip to Almaty and decided to visit some local attractions in between the meetings. The tour was amazing!! It was 8 hours long, but enjoyed every second. Stunning nature, rich history (the archeological museum was small, but impressive) good food at the restaurant and a super knowledgeable tour guide has made my day. Thank you, Nursultan!!!
Beautiful day partially in wild nature with nice views
Wastl1969,
May 8, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The booking did go smoothly and the tour operator contacted me immediately afterwards to confirm the details. Also my guide Bakhtiar contacted me before my arrival to Almaty, so everything was very well organized before and during the trip. The drive out of Almaty took about 1,5 hours but always with nice scenic views. Watch out to your right after leaving the city to enjoy the mountain panorama. First stop was the waterfall, the hike up there was not too difficult but with my fitness level it took rather 40 min, than the 20 min promised by Bakhtiar ;) In any case the views were very well worth the effort!! On the way to the next stop Lake Issyk, we stopped by a trout farm where we could enjoy an excellent lunch. Lake Issyk was a bit low on water but still the views were very beautiful. It helped for sure that it is still preseason and during the week, so it was not crowded. The way from parking to the lake was also involving a short hike but all manageable;) However, as I was a bit tired after a day in fresh air and with a lot of walking I decided to skip the last stop with the Golden Man Museum and keep it for the next time. I will for sure be back to Almaty!! And as on the day before my guide Bakhtiar was again doing a great job adjusting to my needs. Communication and interaction was going also very well, as he speaks very good English and has great communication skills!!
非常によい旅ができた．Very good trip.
J8608PL ,
Nov 26, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00アルマティ市内の，大聖堂の横のホテルに宿泊しました．当日朝はガイドのヌルスルタンさんが迎えに来てくれて，博物館，Issyk湖，Bear滝に案内してくれました．会話は英語ですが，非常にわかりやすい英語を話してくれるので内容の理解は全く困りません．歴史的な知識も豊富なので，移動中にカザフスタンのことをいろいろ聞くことができました．カザフスタンのこと（宗教，言語など）を聞けたのが，一番よかったです．滝に向かう山は絶景です．ヌルスルタンさんは非常にフレンドリーなので，このツアーを選んだら，絶対によい旅ができると思います．すごくお勧めです． We stayed at a hotel next to the cathedral in Almaty. On the morning of the tour, our guide Nur Sultan picked us up and took us to the museum, Lake Issyk, and Bear Falls. The conversation was in English, but he spoke very clear English, so we had no trouble understanding what he said. He has a wealth of historical knowledge, so I was able to ask him many questions about Kazakhstan during the tour. The best part of the tour was that we could hear about Kazakhstan (religion, language, etc.). The mountains leading to the waterfalls are spectacular. Mr. Nursultan is very friendly, so if you choose this tour, I am sure you will have a good trip. I highly recommend it.
Wonderful guide and location
Adithya S,
Jun 28, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing locations. Bahtiyar was an amazing guide. He stopped at places where we wanted to take photos and never hesitated once. Very knowledgeable person.
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