★5Senior guide, hiking & jeep-tour organizer
Issyk Lake · 1 Day
Tour to Issyk Lake, Museum, and Trout Farm
4.9 · 21 reviews
Head to Issyk Lake — the jewel of the Zailiysky Alatau. You will visit a historical and cultural museum, stroll along the shore of the turquoise lake, and taste fresh trout straight from the farm.
WhenDaily, time upon request
Duration4 hrs
StartAlmaty
Pricefrom $62/person
Program
Hourly itinerary for the Lake Issyk tour
08:00
Meeting and departure from Almaty
We meet you in the city center or at your hotel, get into a comfortable minibus, and drive towards the mountains.
09:00
Arrival at Issyk Lake
The drive takes about an hour. Along the way, enjoy scenic views of gorges and rivers.
09:15
Visit to the Nature Museum
Learn about the lake's history and the region's flora and fauna in a small museum.
10:00
Walk by the lake and photo session
Stroll along the shore of the turquoise lake and take atmospheric photos against the backdrop of the mountains.
11:00
Trout farm and tasting
Stop at a local farm: see how trout is raised and taste freshly prepared fish.
12:00
Lunch in nature
Enjoy a picnic with Kazakh treats (beshbarmak, kumis) — included in the price.
13:00
Return to Almaty
Depart back; estimated arrival in the city is 2:00 PM.
What's included
What's included in the Lake Issyk tour price
Included in Price
Already included in the tour price
- Transfer by comfortable transport from Almaty and back
- Guide services in Russian
- Entrance tickets to the Nature Museum
- Trout tasting at the farm
- Lunch (hot dish, drinks)
- Organizational and environmental fees
Paid separately
Optional, on site
- Personal expenses (souvenirs, extra portions of fish)
- Insurance (we recommend arranging it yourself)
- Tips for the guide and driver
What to Bring
To make the day comfortable
- Comfortable shoes for walking on uneven terrain
- Warm jacket or windbreaker (it's windy in the mountains)
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Bottle of water (can be refilled at a spring)
- Camera or phone with a good camera
Team
Our team — guides and instructors from Almaty
Routes are led by working guides and instructors. The same people answer in WhatsApp and accompany groups on tour.
★5
★4.52Alexander Пашкин
Driver-guide, инструктор по трекингу
★4.74Andrey Шевелёв
Driver-guide
★4.27Анжелика Чвыкова
Гид-фотограф
★4.27Ильяс Дарбеков
Гид-переводчик
★4.55Мадина Данина
Организатор туров
★4.49Сергей Бабичев
Personal guide-водитель
Reviews
Reviews of Issyk Lake Tour
4.9 ★
Our rating · 312 reviews
4.8 ★
Google · 540
4.9 ★
Yandex · 268
4.8 ★
2GIS · 197
1317
Total reviews
Oleg P.
2GIS ·
★★★★★The tour was great. The only downside was waiting in line at the museum entrance for about 20 minutes. But the guide Aleksandr made the wait enjoyable with his stories.
Karina E.
Yandex ·
★★★★★The vacation was a success. I got a bit carsick on the bus, but that's minor. The lake itself is superb.
Nurzhan B.
Google ·
★★★★★We took the tour for a nature getaway. Issyk lived up to expectations. The museum was interesting too.
Gulnaz K.
Google ·
★★★★★We left at 8 a.m. as promised. We managed to do everything: visit the museum and try the trout. Beautiful!
Tatiana I.
Our website ·
★★★★★We went with colleagues after the work week, wanted to unwind. The lake is beautiful, we saw the museum, tried the fish. But at the lake itself we would have liked more time, everything was too quick. Still, thanks to Ilyas for the tour.
Yerlan K.
Yandex ·
★★★★★We chose this tour after a long search and didn't regret it. We went with our parents, they wanted a calm day without fuss. The road took a little over an hour, everything went smoothly. At the museum they briefly told us about the lake, and by the water we took beautiful photos against the mountains.
Vladimir G.
Yandex ·
★★★★★We went with a big group, about ten of us gathered. We left 10 minutes later, but it's not critical. We made it everywhere, both the museum and the lake. The trout farm is super, the fish is fresh.
Dana M.
Yandex ·
★★★★★My wife and I decided to go on a day off, we visited three places in one day. The lake is wonderful, the water is clear, we walked along the shore for a long time. The museum was interesting, we learned a lot about the lake's history and animals. And we caught and ate the trout ourselves, the taste is amazing. Eating in nature also left a pleasant impression. Everything was organized, time was used efficiently. I recommend!
Arman G.
Yandex ·
★★★★★Fast and convenient. Straight to the museum, then to the lake and fishing. Excellent route.
Aigul S.
2GIS ·
★★★★★We took the tour to Issyk with my husband. We left on time even though we were worried about delays. The nature is great, we fished ourselves. Andrey helped with the fishing rod.
Marat B.
2GIS ·
★★★★★We went with the kids, everyone liked it. The lake is beautiful, the trout is fresh. Sergey told us about the lake and nature in an interesting way.
Ainura D.
Our website ·
★★★★★Thank you, Aleksandr, you welcomed us warmly. The lake is clean, the fish is delicious. Everything was very good.
Asylzhan K.
Google ·
★★★★★The lake is very beautiful. The museum is interesting. We only waited a bit for fishing. But it was sweet.
Zhanna T.
Google ·
★★★★★Great vacation! The road was a bit bumpy though. But tons of emotions. Issyk is super, I liked the museum.
Marina S.
Yandex ·
★★★★★Organization was great. The food was tasty. The only thing was the strong wind at the lake, but that's the weather.
Dmitry L.
Our website ·
★★★★★The queue at the trout farm upset me a bit, but it passed quickly. Overall the tour is good. My sister and I went together, we wanted to get some fresh air outside the city. The water at the lake is bright, we strolled without rushing. The fish was cooked in front of us, the smell and taste are excellent.
Aliya R.
Google ·
★★★★★We were there in July, went together with my brother, wanted a change of scenery. The lake is crowded, but not too bad, there's enough space for everyone. The water is clean, swimming is pleasant. The museum is small, but interesting to see, we learned about local plants and animals. The trout at the farm is fresh, we enjoyed watching how it's bred. Lunch in nature was just right after the walk. Thanks to Andrey for organizing everything.
Ksenia V.
Our website ·
★★★★★My friend and I decided to get away for the weekend and had long wanted to go somewhere outside the city. We took this route and didn't regret it. The lake is very picturesque, the water is bright, and the photos turned out great. Anzhelika suggested the best angles, thanks to her. At the museum, they briefly and to the point told us about the lake. We tried the fish straight from the farm, super fresh. The weather was lovely, and we enjoyed the walk. We returned to the city energized, even though we'd been out all day.
Azamat S.
Google ·
★★★★★My wife and I went on a weekend trip. The road was great. The trout was fresh straight from the water. I liked it.
Talgat E.
Google ·
★★★★★We vacationed with the whole family, we had long wanted to take the kids out into nature, so we picked this route. We rode in a minibus, got there calmly, no one got tired. First we went to the museum — they showed the kids about the local nature, they were curious. Then we walked by the water, took a bunch of photos against the mountains. The tastiest part was the fresh fish, it was cooked right in front of us. We had lunch outdoors, everything was filling. We got home on time, the kids remembered the trip for a long time. I recommend taking children.
Pavel Zh.
Our website ·
★★★★★Vse krasivo i interesno. Malenko opozdali na vyezde no ne strashno. Rekomenduu tur.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Issyk Lake Tour
We've collected the questions travelers ask most often. Didn't find your answer? Write to us — a guide will reply in a couple of minutes.
Ask a questionThe walking sections here are short: the lakeshore, the museum and the trout farm; between them you travel by bus, so the day is suitable for both children and older people without special training. Lunch and the tasting are already arranged, so you don’t need to bring food with you. If anyone in your group has health considerations or needs a special pace, write on WhatsApp — the guide will advise you before departure.
Take comfortable shoes — along the shore and around the farm you’ll be walking on uneven ground, not asphalt. On top, a jacket or windbreaker is better: it’s windy by the water and in the mountains, plus sunglasses and sunscreen will come in handy. You can fill up with water at a spring along the way, and a camera will definitely be useful for photos against the backdrop of the turquoise lake.
The whole tour is about four hours: departure from Almaty at 08:00 and return at approximately 14:00; the drive to the lake takes about an hour. You walk along the shore and go through the museum and the farm, and between points you travel by bus — this is not a hike with long transfers.
The tour runs in mini-group format — you travel by bus together with other tourists, and the price is $62 per person. If you want to go only with your own circle, write on WhatsApp — we’ll check whether this is possible for your date. Departures are daily, and we’ll agree on the meeting time to suit you.
The price already includes the road from Almaty and back, a Russian-speaking guide, entry to the nature museum, trout tasting, lunch with Kazakh treats and organizational fees — you don’t need to pay separately for these. On the spot, money will be needed only for personal extras: souvenirs or additional portions of fish, and tips for the guide and driver are optional. We recommend arranging insurance yourself in advance.
Write on WhatsApp with the date and number of people — we’ll confirm places in the mini-group without prepayment. Payment is already on the day of the trip: Kaspi, by card or in cash, and cancellation of the booking is free. We’ll agree on the exact time and meeting place in Almaty in messages to suit your date.
