Booking fee
The booking fee includes the costs of booking your tickets such as charges for payment processing. It also covers the provision of our customer care center for processing your order, and all charges imposed by our suppliers.
* This tour requires at least one of the following per booking: Adult, Senior
We will drive along the former caravan route of the legendary Grate Silk Way with the views of Tian Shan mountains. We will get to know about the magic qualities of the Grate Steppe .
On the way we will make a photo stop at the archeological area with the ancient Saki burial mounts which are thousands of years old but still can tell us the stories about the grate nomadic civilization of the antique times and there you will learn the story of how the terrible tragedy brought Kazakh people to the discovery of their national symbol.
The third part of our journey takes us to the National park in the mountains where besides the stunning mountain views we will observe the sad ruins of the Soviet time resorts that witnessed one of the worst of natural disasters that happened in this area in July of 1963 that took many human lives and destroyed one of the wonders of this mountains. We will speak about the beauty and the danger of this place in the historical perspective.
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Air-conditioned vehicle
Proffessional guide services
Lunch
an entrance fee in the Archeaological Museum is 4 USD , the entrance in the Natural Park is 2 USD
Departure Point
Traveler pickup is offered
We will be picking you up from tour hotel / or address of your appertment in the Central part of Almaty
Al Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan Our journey lies through the city center to the picturesque Al-Farabi avenue where we will see the most prestigious upper part of the city. Then we will be driving through the country side where in the Medieval times lied an ancient caravan “highway” of the Grate Silk Road. We will have time to speak about the history of the Semirechye region and what does this name mean, we will learn about the life, culture and traditions of the Turkic people. 60 minutes
Almaty State Nature Reserve, Kazakhstan When we turn towards the Essyk village we start to enjoy the views of the Tian Shian mountains again and soon we stop for photos at the huge field of the ancient Turkic burial mounts, the area now belongs to the State National Reserve. In one of this mounts the famous “Golden Man” was found. Some of the artefacts found during the excavations at these mounts are kept at the Archeological museum of the Reserve. Museum visit is optional.
15 minutes photo stop 60 minutes
Lake Issyk, Esik, Kazakhstan Then we drive to the Illi-Allatu Nature Reserve and go up by the mountain serpentine to the altitude of 1756m above the sea level. We will discuss the history of this road that led to the luxury Soviet time resort in the middle of the 20th century and get to know about the tragedy that ruined it in the 1963. You will get wonderful views of the Issyk gorge from the road and we will make a stop at one or two viewpoints to take photos. 60 minutes
Lake Issyk, Esik, Kazakhstan By this time you will be hungry , either you take some food with you or we can go to the trout farm , an amazing experience to fish a trout which will be prepared for you !!!!! 60 minutes
Lake Issyk, Esik, Kazakhstan When we reach the parking lot we start a short and not steep walking up (1,2 km) to the lake.
Soon you will get absolutely amazing view of the bright turquoise color lake surrounded by the Tian-Shan mountain peaks!
Upon your wish we may walk to the other side of the lake to the spot where the river Issyk flows into the lake or\and explore the mudflow protection structures.
Time at the lake 2 hours.
After the Lake we drive back to Almaty ( it takes about 1 hour )
60 minutes
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Tatyana_C
11 Dec 2022
I actually booked this tour for my business parner from India who came for the conference in Almaty , I was thinking for a long time what to present to him and after a long consideration I have chosen a tour to the Lake Issyk which I love myself ! I was right , it was the best choice possible as Mr Mruthul liked the tour so much that he diceded next time to come back for a longer stay in order to visit other sightseeing places of Almaty , because the English speaking guide who led a tour just made him fall in love with Almaty and its mouintains and lakes ! Thank you so much !
EamonnL24
24 Nov 2022
Ok where to start. I had a trip booked for Sunday and because my flight was delayed I could not make it and they graciously put me on the Tuesday Trip. What can I say Maria collected me with a smile at my hotel. And once en-route the history and culture lesson began. Maria the guide was both so knowledgable and fun. From start to finish it was a pleasure. She also gave some great local tips to navigate the culture. The scenery in the park was breath-taking and of course the lovely guide also willing to take a photo when asked. Thank you Maria for such a fun, interesting and beautiful trip. Of course after this trip I begged for a city tour from her
We always double-check the availability with our local partners for each booking. Even though this is usually a swift process, it can take up to 24 hours. Once this process is completed you will receive your voucher or ticket by email. If our local partner is not able to confirm your booking we will offer you the best possible alternative. If the new date and/or time doesn’t fit your itinerary, we will reimburse the full amount paid.
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