Assy Plateau, Issyk Lake & Turgen Gorge 2-Day Trip from Almaty

An early start for a long day on the road. First, a visit to the Museum of the Golden Man in Esik, with a replica of a 4th-century BC Saka warrior whose ceremonial costume was decorated with about 4000 gold plaques. A major symbol of modern Kazakhstan. Then a jeep ride up to Assy Plateau (2500 m), vast alpine meadows, yurt camps of herders, and the Assy-Turgen astronomical observatory. Here you’ll find one of the darkest skies in Central Asia, where the Milky Way is visible like a geographic line. In the afternoon, stop at Issyk Lake (1756 m), with conifer-covered slopes and clear water. The Saka royal burial mounds, where the Golden Man was found, are near the town of Esik, not by the lake. Return to Almaty by evening.

A walk through Turgen Gorge with seven cascading waterfalls and trout farms along a mountain river. One of the most welcoming routes for families. In the morning, trek to Bear Waterfall, 30 meters high, with the roar of the water, rainbows in the spray, and a coolness you can feel a hundred steps before the cascade itself. Return to Almaty in the afternoon.