diff --git a/dvc/remote/base.py b/dvc/remote/base.py
index 10969250a0..6418102485 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/base.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/base.py
@@ -547,11 +547,26 @@ def download(
         if to_info.scheme != "local":
             raise NotImplementedError
 
-        logger.debug("Downloading '{}' to '{}'".format(from_info, to_info))
+        makedirs(to_info.parent, exist_ok=True, mode=dir_mode)
 
+        if self.isdir(from_info):
+            # need to create dir here
+            # also pass the individual file name (file and to)
+            for file_info in self.walk_files(from_info):
+                self.single_file_download(
+                    file_info, to_info, name, no_progress_bar, file_mode
+                )
+        else:
+            self.single_file_download(
+                from_info, to_info, name, no_progress_bar, file_mode
+            )
+
+    def single_file_download(
+        self, from_info, to_info, name, no_progress_bar, file_mode
+    ):
+        logger.debug("Downloading '{}' to '{}'".format(from_info, to_info))
         name = name or to_info.name
 
-        makedirs(to_info.parent, exist_ok=True, mode=dir_mode)
         tmp_file = tmp_fname(to_info)
 
         try: