Part of the Ile-Alatau National Park and located 70km east of Almaty, this beautiful, densely forested gorge, carved out of rock by the whitewater of Turgen River, is a hiker's wonderland. The gorge sees relatively few visitors, so the half a dozen waterfalls, the most impressive of which is the 55m Buzgul, meadows and surrounding mountains remain relatively pristine. You can get here with your own wheels or else do a hiking or mountain biking tour with Kazakhstan Travel Agency.