Standard — up to 4 travellers
- A sedan or minivan for you alone
- Depart at any time you like
- Stops wherever you ask
- Flexible route — we adjust as we go
Turgen Gorge tour
An hour from the city and you are in a narrow wooded gorge, water running over the rocks and a trail that ends at a waterfall. The closest mountain trip to Almaty, and it fits in half a day.
Price agreed in advanceYou get the full figure in the chat before the trip, and it does not change en route.
Contract and documentsWe work under a contract; companies get an invoice and closing documents.
Dispatcher around the clockWe answer on WhatsApp at any hour, night arrivals included.
Private, never sharedThe car is yours alone — no strangers on board, and the driver stays reachable the whole way.
We speak English, Russian, Kazakh, Arabic and Malay — so nothing gets lost in translation.
The gorge in photographs
Forest, water and shade — everything the steppe routes lack in July.
1 of 3
How the tour runs
Door to door for the whole day — nothing to find and nowhere to get to on your own.
Total time: about 6 hours
- 01The car arrives at your address
- 02We drive east — about 1.5 hours
- 03Bear Waterfall: a walking trail, roughly 2 km each way
- 04Lunch by the river — around 3 hours in the gorge in total
- 05Optionally, the climb up to the Assy plateau
- 06We drive you back to Almaty
Rates
Pick a format — we confirm the exact figure for your date and group in the chat.
Group — 5 travellers and up
- A minibus for your whole party
- Private too — no strangers on board
- Room for the whole group’s luggage
What Turgen Gorge is
The gorge of the Turgen river runs up into the Ile-Alatau mountains about ninety kilometres east of Almaty. Unlike the bare steppe routes, this is dense forest with a river at the bottom and real coolness — in summer that difference is noticeable.
The goal of most trips is the Bear waterfall: a drop of roughly thirty metres into a narrow cleft. A short prepared trail with steps and small bridges leads to it, and almost anyone can manage it. There are further waterfalls higher up the gorge, but the climb to them is more serious.
On the way people usually stop at the trout farm, where fish are raised directly in the mountain water and you can have lunch. If time and the vehicle allow, the road continues upward to the Assy plateau, where an astronomical observatory sits at 2,500 metres and herds graze through the summer.
Trip options
Half day
The drive, the walk to the waterfall and back. The most common version.
Day
Adds lunch at the trout farm and an unhurried walk through the gorge.
Full day
The climb to the 2,500 m plateau — needs an SUV and good weather.
What is included
The vehicle, fuel and driver for the whole trip. National park entry, meals and fishing at the trout farm are paid separately — we quote them in advance.
An ordinary car is fine for the basic route to the waterfall. If you want to reach the Assy plateau we bring an SUV — mention it when you book.
What our guests say
Short video reviews our guests filmed on their trips.
About us
Baqtaq Travel is not just a travel agency — it is a community of guides who speak English, Malay and Arabic. We put together memorable tours across Almaty and the Almaty region — a land where alpine lakes of the Tian Shan, Charyn Canyon, singing dunes and mountain meadows all lie within a day of the city.
These lands are rich in the history of the early Turkic peoples, and the sheer range of natural scenery surprises even seasoned travellers — as does the hearty, one-of-a-kind local cooking. We will show you the most beautiful places, and the customs and culture of the people who live here.
Discover the heart of the Eurasian continent with Baqtaq Travel.
Book this trip
Tell us the date and how many of you there are — we reply with a firm price for this trip.
Frequently asked
How far is Turgen from Almaty?
Roughly an hour to an hour and a half — about 90 kilometres east. It is one of the closest mountain trips available.
How long is the walk to the waterfall?
The lower Bear waterfall is a short walk on a prepared trail with steps, about twenty to thirty minutes. There are more waterfalls further up the gorge, where the path is steeper and proper shoes matter.
What is the trout farm?
A fish farm in the gorge that raises trout in the mountain water. You can eat fresh fish there — it is the usual stop on the way back.
What is the Assy plateau?
A high plateau further up the road at around 2,500 metres, with an astronomical observatory and summer pastures. The track is unpaved and needs an SUV; it can be closed depending on weather.
When is the best time to go?
May to October. In spring the waterfalls run fuller from snowmelt; in autumn the foliage is at its best.
Other destinations
Where else we go from Almaty.
