Lake Issyk
Есік көлі
A high-altitude lake about 70 km east of Almaty, with turquoise water surrounded by spruce forests. It was destroyed by a mudflow in 1963 and later re-formed.
Lake Issyk lies at an altitude of about 1,750 meters in the Issyk Gorge (not to be confused with Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan). The water is blue-green due to its mineral content, and it is surrounded by Tian Shan spruce forests. In 1963, a mudflow destroyed the natural dam, and in recent years the lake has refilled. You can walk along the shore to take photos or continue hiking upstream. It is about 70 km from Almaty, passing through the town of Issyk (home to the Issyk burial mound and the Museum of the “Golden Man” discovery site). The drive takes about 1.5 hours. A small ecological fee is charged.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Turgen Gorge
- Shymbulak
- Medeu
- Kok Zhailau
- Assy Plateau
- Kok Tobe
- Central Park of Culture and Leisure (Gorky Park)
- Museum of Kazakh Folk Musical Instruments