Waterfalls near Almaty: how to choose between Turgen and Butakovka

The waterfalls near Almaty sit in two gorges of Ile-Alatau National Park, the mountain range directly south of the city: Turgen to the east and Butakovka just above the city. Both work as day trips from Almaty. They demand different things: Turgen needs transport over 70–90 km, while Butakovka needs strong legs.

Two gorges near Almaty with waterfalls

Within day-trip range of Almaty, this guide covers waterfalls in just two places: the Turgen gorge and the Butakovka gorge. Both lie inside Ile-Alatau National Park, so both charge the park fee, which is set in MCI, a state accounting unit rather than a fixed price.

The table puts the two side by side. Read it as a trade-off between distance and effort.

Turgen suits someone who wants several falls and little walking. Butakovka suits a hiker who would rather spend hours on a trail than on a road.

Turgen gorge gives the most waterfalls for the least walking

The Turgen river gorge on the eastern edge of the park is 49 km long and holds seven waterfalls. The easy one is Bear Waterfall, 1–1.5 km along a trail from the road. Kairak is a different matter: a full-day hike.

The catch is getting there. Turgen is 70–90 km from Almaty, about 1.5 hours, and we could not confirm any public transport to the gorge. Without a car, plan on arranging a driver, and leave time if you want Kairak as well as Bear Waterfall.

Butakovka is a hike first and a waterfall second

The Butakovka waterfall is 15–30 m high. The page sources give different figures, so expect something in that range rather than an exact height. The fall sits in a gorge directly above Almaty.

Two approaches appear in the summary. From Medeu, on the edge of the city, the route crosses a pass and takes 2.5–3 hours on foot each way, so a round trip fills most of a day. There is also a shorter approach of about 2.3 km from a barrier in the gorge itself, but we could not confirm how you reach that barrier without a car.

Two shorter gorges closer to town also have falls: Gorelnik, between Medeu and Shymbulak, with two waterfalls at roughly 2,400–2,500 m, and Ayusai near Kokshoky, where a 1.9 km trail passes three waterfalls of 3–10 m.

When the waterfalls are worth the trip

Late spring to early autumn is the window. The two gorges peak at slightly different times, so the month you travel can decide which one you pick.

From June to August either gorge works. In May, Turgen rates higher. In September and October, Butakovka is the stronger choice. In winter both are rated only possible, and we could not confirm trail conditions or whether the falls freeze.

Water near Almaty that is not a waterfall

If a waterfall does not fit your plans, a few other water trips appear in this guide. The closest is Alma-Arasan, radon and sulphur hot springs in Prokhodnaya gorge about 16 km from Almaty. City bus 28 runs to the Olen stop. A spa has operated here since 1931, and in 2025 the city began rebuilding the trail from the car park to the spring.

Further out, Tamgaly Tas has Tibetan Buddhist carvings on boulders above the Ili River, about 92 km in a straight line north of Almaty. The Sarytogay ash grove is a protected relict forest that turns gold in September and October. For a wider comparison of 15 day trips, including which ones work without a car, see nature near Almaty.