Best of Kyrgyzstan

TRIP ESSENTIALS

• Tour Type: Soft Adventure / Nature & Culture
• Total Duration: 10 Days
• Availability: July – September
• Level of Difficulty: Moderate (Includes long drives and high altitudes)
• Start and End Point: Bishkek
• Transport: 4×4 SUV

Overview
This 10-day trip is for those who want to see the real Kyrgyzstan without the stress of heavy trekking. We’ve designed a route that takes you deep into the Tien-Shan mountains on 4×4 trucks, so you can reach the most remote spots comfortably.
We’ll start in the green valleys of Chong-Kemin, head to the high-altitude Song-Kul Lake to live like a nomad in a yurt, and travel all the way to the wild, cliff-walled Kel-Suu Lake near the Chinese border. You will get to relax in natural hot springs at Altyn-Arashan, explore red “Martian” canyons, and meet local eagle hunters. It’s a perfect mix of wild nature, authentic culture, and mountain freedom. If you want to see the best of our country in one trip, this is for you.

Itinerary
Day 1. Bishkek – Burana – Chon Kemin
Depart from the capital and head east toward the Chong-Kemin Valley. Your first stop is the historical Burana Tower (1,200m), an 11th century minaret that once served as a sentinel on the Silk Road. Explore the field of “balbals” (stone ancestors) before continuing into the mountains. Upon arrival in ChongKemin, settle into your guesthouse and enjoy a homemade lunch. In the afternoon, you can enjoy an easy horse-riding session through the coniferous forests or take a light hike. End the day with a peaceful dinner and stay in the valley.

• Meals: Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Guesthouse

Special information
Today involves approximately 3 hours of driving (150 km)

Day 2. Chon Kemin – Kochkor – Song-Kul Lake
After breakfast, we drive to Kochkor village, famous for its handicraft traditions. Here, you will witness a felt-making show and see how traditional Kyrgyz carpets (shyrdaks) are created. After a local lunch, we begin our ascent to SongKul Lake (3,016m) via the Kalmak-Ashuu pass (3,446m). As the asphalt ends, we enter the world of the nomad. Song-Kul is a vast alpine lake surrounded by lush pastures where Kyrgyz shepherds spend their summers. Upon arrival, we will settle into a yurt camp, enjoy a traditional dinner, and experience the silence of the high mountains under a sky full of stars.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Yurt Camp

Special information:
Today involves approximately 3-4 hours of driving (200 km) via the KalmakAshuu Pass (3,446 m). Due to the high altitude, it can be quite cold in the evenings, so please have your warm clothes ready. At the lake, experience a true disconnect: there is no mobile signal and electricity is limited, so ensure your power banks are fully charged. Facilities tonight are basic, with shared outdoor bathrooms and no showers.

Day 3. Song-Kul Lake — Free Day
Enjoy a full day at leisure by the lake. You can spend the morning walking along the shore or watching the nomadic life of local shepherds. For those who want more adventure, an optional horse ride to the nearby ridges offers a panoramic view of the entire lake. This is a day for relaxation, photography, and total immersion into the mountain silence.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Yurt Camp

Special information
This is a slow-paced day. Physical activity includes optional hiking or horse riding (optional). Total disconnection from the internet and electricity continues.

Day 4. Song-Kul – Kok-Kiya Valley
After breakfast, we depart Song-Kul via the spectacular Terskey-Torpok Pass, popularly known as the “33 Parrots Pass” due to its 33 dramatic hairpin turns. We pass through Naryn town to refuel and then head into the remote AtBashy region. The landscape shifts into a harsh, lunar like terrain of jagged cliffs as we enter the Kok-Kiya Valley near the border zone.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Guesthouse

Special information
Today involves 6 hours of off-road driving (260 km). We are entering a restricted military border zone; please have your original passport ready for inspection at checkpoints. Tonight’s accommodation is very remote and basic.

Day 5. Kel-Suu Lake – Naryn City
In the morning, we head to the breathtaking Kel-Suu Lake, famous for its vertical cliffs and turquoise water. You can reach the lake by a 2 hour hike or an optional horse ride. After exploring the lake and its caves, we have lunch at the camp and begin our journey back to Naryn city. Naryn is the highest city in Kyrgyzstan and serves as our comfortable base for the night.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel / Guesthouse

Special information
The road back to Naryn involves approximately 4 hours of driving

Day 6. Naryn – Ak Say Canyon – Bokonbaevo
We leave the high mountains of the Naryn region and head toward the deep blue shores of Issyk-Kul Lake. Before reaching the village, we will explore Ak-Say Canyon. This hidden gem offers a stark, desert-like landscape of jagged peaks and dry clay hills. A short hike to the top provides one of the most spectacular panoramic views, where the golden-red desert rocks meet the shining blue waters of Issyk-Kul. Afterward, we continue to Bokonbaevo, where you will meet a Berkutchi (Eagle Hunter). He will demonstrate the ancient nomadic art of hunting with golden eagles and explain the deep bond between the hunter and the bird. We will finish the day by settling into a cozy guesthouse for a home-cooked dinner.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Guesthouse

Special information
Today involves approximately 5-6 hours of driving (250 km)

Day 7. Bokonbaevo — Barskoon Waterfall — Jeti-Oguz — Karakol
After breakfast, we go towards Barskoon gorge famous for its waterfalls. One of the best known is Tears of a Leopard. Here you find the monument for the first cosmonaut Yu. A. Gagarin, who was very fond of this place and rested in the nearby Tamga military sanatorium.
Then we drive to Jeti Oguz. The name of the gorge is symbolic and means “seven bulls” in Kyrgyz because there are seven giant red-brown rocks resembling furious bulls standing together. You can take a walk here and enjoy the beautiful landscapes.
When we get to Karakol, we will visit its famous sights, such as the Russian Orthodox cathedral and Dungan mosque.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel / Guesthouse

Special information
Today involves approximately 3 – 4 hours of driving (170 km)

Day 8. Karakol – Altyn Arashan
Today we switch to a rugged Russian 4×4 UAZ truck to conquer the “broken” mountain road to Altyn-Arashan gorge (2,600m). This is an exciting off-road ride over enormous rocks and through pine forests. When we arrive, you can enjoy the fresh air and breathtaking alpine landscapes. Later, you can relax and soak in the natural hot springs located right in the valley. We will have a lunch and dinner in the guesthouse, spending the night surrounded by snow-capped peaks and the peace of the high mountains.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Guesthouse

Special information
The road is extremely bumpy and adventurous; the drive to the gorge involves approximately 2 hours of intense off-roading. There are no shower facilities. You can soak in the natural thermal pools, but there is no place to take a regular hot shower

Day 9. Altyn Arashan – Cholpon – Ata
After breakfast in the gorge, we descend back to Karakol by the same adventurous UAZ route. From there, we travel along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake toward Cholpon-Ata. We will visit the open-air Petroglyph Museum to see ancient rock carvings. The rest of the afternoon is yours to relax by the lake or enjoy an optional boat trip on the “Pearl of Central Asia.”

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Accommodation: Hotel / Guesthouse

Special information
Today involves approximately 4 hours of driving (around 170 km). This includes the slow 2-hour 4×4 descent from Altyn-Arashan to Karakol and the 2-hour scenic drive along the lake to Cholpon-Ata.

Day 10. Cholpon-Ata — Bishkek
On our final day, we head back to the capital through the dramatic Boom Gorge. We follow the Chu River as we descend from the mountains. Arrive in Bishkek by late afternoon, where you can visit the Osh Bazaar for last-minute souvenir shopping. We conclude the journey with a farewell dinner in the city.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Special information
Today involves approximately 4.5 hours of driving (260 km)