BISHKEK – BURANA -CHON-KEMIN (180 km, 3.5 hours) Altitude 1533 m

Bishkek - Upon arrival, travel to Bishkek for a city tour. Begin by visiting the Ala-Too main square, the National flagpole & changing of guards, the Peace and Friendship monument dedicated to the April 2010 revolution victims, the Manas on horse monument, and the open-air Art Gallery showcasing local artists’ paintings. Explore Oak Park, Old Square, and stroll along Erkindik Boulevard, where you can encounter townspeople of all ages relaxing. Visit Youth Alley, where the Statue of Manas, the founder of the Kyrgyz nation, stands in front of the Kyrgyz State Grand Philharmonic Hall.

Burana Tower - Next, drive to the Burana Historical Complex, located within a large archaeological and architectural site near Tokmok, 80 km east of Bishkek. This unique minaret, built in the 11th century in the medieval town of Balasagun, was the capital of the prosperous Karakhanid State. A mosque and a minaret once stood near the tower, used to call people to prayer. Climb the stairs to the top of Burana for a stunning view of the surrounding valley. On the east side of the tower, you can find the remains of mausoleums. The museum complex perimeter features ancient Turkic stone sculptures.

Enjoy lunch with a local family and learn about their lifestyle and traditions.

Tar-Suu - Continue the journey to the breathtaking Chon Kemin Valley, a protected area home to some of the country’s most diverse flora and fauna.

Arrive at Tarsuu village and check into a family-run guesthouse in the Chon-Kemin valley. Before dinner at the guesthouse, take a leisurely stroll around the village to gain insight into rural Kyrgyz life. Enjoy a campfire in the evening.

CHON-KEMIN - TEPKE (300 km / 5 hours) Altitude 1600 m

Issyk-Kul Lake - Issyk-Kul Lake is the second-largest mountain lake in the world, situated at an altitude of 1,607 meters above sea level, with a depth of 668 meters. The lake is located within the Issyk-Kul Biosphere Reserve. It stretches 182 kilometers long and about 60 kilometers wide, covering an area of 6,236 square kilometers.

Issyk-Kul translates to “warm lake” in Kyrgyz, as it never freezes. The lake is surrounded by snow-capped high mountain ranges – Kungoi Ala-Too (“sunny” slopes) to the north and Terskei Ala-Too (“shady” slopes) to the south. These high mountain ranges provide the lake with a mild microclimate year-round. Approximately 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake (including Jyrgalan, Type, and even mineral hot springs), with no rivers flowing out, giving the waters healing properties and a salinity of 0.6%. The largest towns and villages around the lake include Karakol, Cholpon-Ata, Balykchy, Bosteri, Kyzyl-Suu, and Bokonbaevo.

Cholpon Ata - The small city of Cholpon-Ata is renowned for its petroglyphs, resorts, sandy beaches, and underground mineral springs. The city expanded as caravanserais were built, and during Soviet times, the many resorts made Cholpon-Ata a summer destination. Today, it is a popular summer spot with numerous resorts, hotels, and attractions. Visit the open-air petroglyphs museum (stone inscriptions) containing over 2000 petroglyphs dating from 800 BC to 1200 AD. The rocks feature drawings depicting hunting scenes, sacrifices, victories, wars, and everyday activities.

TEPKE - JYRGALAN (50 km / 1.5 hours) Altitude 2300 m

JYRGALAN – KARAKOL (60 km / 1.5 hours) Altitude: 1700m

Karakol - In the afternoon, drive along the scenic road to Karakol town. Located at the eastern tip of Lake Issyk-Kul, Karakol was founded in the late 19th century as a Russian military outpost and grew as a refuge for Chinese Muslims fleeing persecution in the early 20th century. Some buildings here are constructed in a Chinese style from wood without metal nails, while others remain from the Russian colonial period.

Take a sightseeing tour in Karakol. Explore the Central Bazaar to see locals buying and selling household products, food, and fabrics. Visit the One Village-One Product shop for local organic and handmade products.

Visit the beautiful Dungan mosque and Orthodox church in Karakol.

Enjoy a home-cooked dinner at a local Uighur or Dungan family’s home, featuring traditional food specialties. (Uighurs are Turkic Muslims who make up a large minority of the population of Western China, and Dungans are Hui Chinese people who also consider themselves Muslims).

KARAKOL - ALTYN ARASHAN - KARAKOL (100 km / 5 hours) Altitude: 2400 m

Altyn Arashan - Embark on an off-road day trip to Altyn-Arashan Gorge by special 4WD truck (Russian UAZ). This is a favored destination for tourists worldwide. Altyn-Arashan (translated as Golden Spa) is a valley and mountain resort near Karakol. It is a hot spring development set in an alpine valley, containing the 4260-meter Peak Palatka in its southern part. The resort has numerous wooden sheds with hot sulfurous pools to cure various ailments. The resort is set in a botanical research area called the Arashan State Nature Reserve, home to about 20 snow leopards and several bears. For those interested, there are hot spring tubs. Optional: horseback riding tour is available upon request for an extra charge (1-3 hours). It is possible to bathe in open-air swimming pools and hike in the area.

KARAKOL - KOCHKOR (270 km / 5 hours) Altitude: 1770 m

Kaji-Say - Visit Fairy Tale Canyon (1-2 hours hiking, easy to medium level). The canyon was named for its bizarre rocky landscape, which has been transformed by wind into fabulous sculptures and formations over many years. Some formations in “Skazka” have been named for their similarity to well-known objects. For example, one set of ridges in the canyon is named “The Chinese Wall” due to its resemblance to the Great Wall of China. You can also find what appear to be statues of a hippopotamus, snake, dragon, sleeping giant, and even whole castles. Because the different rocks are composed of distinct materials, the rocky statues not only have unusual shapes but also magical colors.

Bokonbayevo - Enjoy a home-cooked lunch at a local family’s home in Bokonbaev village.

Visit the house of a local hunter who trains falcons. Learn about the hunting heritage and enjoy an eagle hunting show.

KOCHKOR – KOK-KYIA (KEL SUU) (260 km / 6-7 hours) Altitude: 3514 m

Kochkor - After breakfast, enjoy a presentation of cultural activities: spend time with a local expert learning about the traditional craft of felt making, a craft that has survived the centuries. Kyrgyz have always used felted wool to cover their yurts and to make rugs, bags, slippers, and hats. To make an ala-kiyiz rug, a second layer of felt of one or more colors is pressed into the original piece, creating a rug with a fuzzy pattern. A shyrdak is made with the appliqué method, resulting in a crisper design. In 2012, the art of making these felt rugs was included on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The people who know how to make them are mostly older women, and the knowledge is not being passed down to new generations.

KEL SUU – NARYN (120 km / 4.5 hours) Altitude: 3514 m

NARYN - SON-KOL (150 km / 3.5 hours)

Moldo-Ashu Pass - A path leading to the mountain Son Kul lake passes through this interesting point on the map of Kyrgyzstan. Tourists who have visited here only once unanimously claim that the pass is one of the most beautiful places in the entire territory of the state.

The path to the pass periodically turns into a serpentine. Descending from Moldo Ashuu is also not easy because of the rather steep slope. But from here, you can admire the magnificent landscapes of mountain peaks and gorges, majestic glaciers, and the divine beauty of centuries-old fir trees growing on the slopes of the peaks.

This area is known for the fact that fog often falls on the pass. It is so dense that visibility in the Moldo Ashuu region during this natural phenomenon is practically zero.

Song-Kul - The road to the lake offers stunning views of the Tien-Shan Mountains, green pastures where you can see herding horses and sheep, small mountains, rivers, and local nomads with their yurts. You can stop and visit nomads, where you will be offered bread and the national drink Kymyz (fermented mare’s milk) as a gesture of their hospitality. Son Kol is a mountain lake, virtually in the center of Kyrgyzstan. The area around the lake is very picturesque, especially in summer. Due to the high altitude, there are no trees; only low hard grass and edelweiss can grow in these conditions. Arrive at Son-Kol and check into a yurt camp.

SON KOL Altitude: 3000 m

Song-Kul - Spend the day learning about nomadic life. Visit local shepherds’ families, observe their household duties – milking mares and cows, making Kymyz and other dairy products, cooking meals, and taking care of livestock. Enjoy an easy hike to explore the beautiful views and panorama. Take time to walk to the lake and enjoy a boat trip if weather conditions allow.

Enjoy a traditional horse games show.

Optional: horseback riding tour is available upon request for an extra charge (1-3 hours). Optional: early in the morning, go to the shepherd’s yurt and help him drive the animals out, participating in the traditional activity that has been practiced for thousands of years.

SON KOL - BISHKEK (230 km / 5 hours) Altitude: 800 m

Kalmak-Ashuu - The height of the Kalmak-Ashuu pass is 3447 m above sea level. It is noteworthy that the road through the pass is open only in summer and autumn (from June to October); the rest of the time, it remains impassable due to heavy snows. On the way to the pass, nature surprises: stone deserts give way to endless alpine meadows, decorated with beautiful edelweiss.

Osh Bazaar - Upon arrival, visit Osh market for final souvenir shopping and to see the oldest market in Bishkek. Osh Bazaar is a popular site to visit in Bishkek. The bazaar is an original and authentic phenomenon for the Central Asian region. It is not only a place of sale but also a place for socialization and organization of local residents. Today, people are happy to come, bargain, communicate, and find out the latest news in society. For the convenience of residents and guests of the capital, the market is divided by interests. Entering the arch, fresh bread and ready-made meat delicacies are sold on the right, along with an indoor meat pavilion. The left rows feature sweets, fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, nuts, and food.

Kiyal Market (“dream”) is located on a parallel street opposite the food market. It sells clothes, household goods, national products, and souvenirs.

• English speaking local guide
• Cultural activities: Boorsok show, Eagle hunting show, Yurt show, Felt making show, Horse games
• All meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Comfort with in-vehicle air conditioning and standard twin-share accommodation
• Excursions and entrance fees to monuments as per itinerary
• Required border zone permit (D8) included
• Bottled drinking water

• Travel/Medical insurance
• Beverages with included meals
• Personal expenses; payment for photo and video cameras at monuments
• Tips for guides & drivers & porters at hotel
• Horseback riding in all places Helmets are not available!
• Boat in Kel-Suu

Kyrgyzstan is distinguished by the magnificent Tien Shan mountain range which covers 90% of the country’s landscape, fertile valleys, and approximately 2000 pristine alpine lakes. The country also stands out for its ongoing preservation and respect for age-old nomadic traditions.
If you are a lover of nature and mountains, and have a desire to explore the nomadic lifestyle of Central Asia, then Kyrgyzstan will capture your heart! It is one of the rare untouched destinations where you can experience the original nomadic culture.
Plan your trip to Kyrgyzstan today. A simple flight from Istanbul and the government’s dedication to promoting tourism won’t keep this gem undiscovered for much longer.
But for now, it stands still in time: a place where you can sense the pulse of life as it used to be and continues to be. Experience this feeling while it’s still possible.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.