Overview
Tamga lies in the middle part of the south shore of Issyk Kul Lake, 1 km from the beach with red sand.
Understand
History Tamga got its name from an old petroglyph text; its name can be translated as letter. Nobody translated the text yet, nobody knows how old it is, but there are speculations about old Tibetan language.
Get in
Either from Karakol by taxi, marshrutka, bus or hitch-hike, or from Balicnyi by the same ways.
See
Petroglyphs - you won't find it yourself, ask for a guide. It lies around 20 minutes by horse from the centre. Christian/Muslim cemetery, on dry hills behind the village. Sanatorium where Jurij Gagarin was preparing for the first cosmic flight ever. Open until September 15.
Tamga Tash. A rock that has the Buddhist/biplane inscriptions "Om Mani Padme Hum" on it, a divine formula of Buddhism. It is dating back from the 3rd to 8th centuries. The locals interpretation is "Tamga".
Fairy Tale Canyon. A beautiful and colorful mountain range, made of sandy red and yellow formations, popping out of the otherwise rather grey region. Diverse forms that look quite different with rain, shortly after or just sun. The satellite picture best summarises its potential. The canyon was named because of its bizarre rocky landscape, which for many years has been transformed by erosion into amazing sculptures and formations. Some formations look like the Great Wall of China and you can also find other formations that look like snakes, dragons, sleeping giants and even whole castles. From the canyon you can see a majestic panorama of Lake Issyk-Kul and snow caped mountains. It’s an easy hike close to Lake Issyk-Kul. It is kind of a touristy rip-off, charging entrance for a non-private mountain range—it is not-even a national park. If you do not want to support this practice, take the second road 1 km further east along the highway, which leads to the same colorful canyon (last 1 km walk), just its eastern range.
Sayakbol Karalaev Monument. Monument of the famous Manas teller that lived between 1894 and 1971.
Do
Barskoon waterfalls & gorge. Barskoon waterfall is a geological protected area in the Jeti-Ögüz District of the Issyk Kul Province, on one of the tributaries of Barskaun River. It was established in 1975. Within the Barskoon valley there are two waterfalls on top of the mountain and the mountainside. At the foot of the mountain you can enjoy the beautiful river of Barskoon. During the summer time there yurts to stay over night. At the yurt you can try Kyrgyz traditional drink Kymys while enjoying the beauty of the landscape.There are three amazing waterfalls that can be seen within 2-4 hr hiking (return) from 2,350 m to 3,300 m.. Make sure to bring a lunch and hiking boots. Best to come here in spring when lots of water is coming from the mountain. Another interesting highlight are the two busts of Yuri Gagarin at the foot of the gorge. Food yurts, small shops and horse rental are available at the foot of the trail.
Kara Kul. A salt lake, but not as salty as those in Tong district.
Eat
In the village, behind the main sanatorium entrance there is a cafe that serves common Kyrgyz stuff - lagman, manty, samse... and some other food. They have tasty pasta-style lagman.
At the main crossroad there is a cafe that serves food.
Sleep
There are a few privately run guesthouses, but they are not cheap. The old Soviet sanatorium is also a choice; though the room facilities are outdated as of 2026, its interior decorations are relatively well preserved, and most of all, it's fairly affordable.
Just next to the bazaar there is Tamaras Guesthouse B&B, in front of which there is a small shop run by Kyrgyz family. Tamara and her daughter Alia speak fluent English. Tamara was a teacher of Russian language and literature, her husband Akbar was journalist. Interesting and resourceful people to speak with. Tamara is able to organize horse tours with guide and old horses for inexperienced riders if needed. Do not accept the offer to eat in her place instead of a cafe which is 50 meters away. Tamara charges 200 som for lagman with bread and tea, while in the cafe you would pay 70 only.
Close to the entrance of the village, on the left side, there is a guesthouse run by a Russian. She does not negotiate and does not go lower than 600 per som person. It's further from the centre.
Make Tamga your own.
Before committing, pick one main reason for this visit and two nearby experiences that support it. Check the guide’s transport sections against current operator information. A convenient base can save more time than adding another attraction.
- Choose your arrival point and one base. Write down the real transfer time, not just the map distance.
- Build a first-day plan with room to settle in. Cluster the places you want to see rather than crossing the city repeatedly.
- Use actual accommodation and transport quotes in your budget. Add fees to the quote before comparing it.
- Keep one uncommitted block. Weather, energy and a good local recommendation can all change your plan.
Source transparency
This guide adapts licensed text by Wikivoyage contributors. It is not a claim that Lakhou has visited or independently verified every listing. We converted the source to plain text, selected practical sections and removed price sentences and private contact information. The planning framework and any related-business booking recommendations above are Lakhou editorial additions.
Original revision 5239501 · Contributor history · CC BY-SA 4.0. Reused text and adaptations on this page are available under that license. Source revision date: 2026-03-26. This is not a date of field verification.
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