The heart of Kyrgyzstan

Day 1:  Airport – Bishkek (ca. 30 km, 40 min)

Arrival at Manas Airport in Bishkek. Our team will pick you up and will drive you to the capital. (check-in at the hotel after 14:00).

We start our city tour in Bishkek. We will visit the heart of the city, Ala-Too Square. After, we can enjoy a walk in Oak Park, one of the favorite places of local people. Bishkek is known as the greenest city in Central Asia thanks to its countless parks and alleys.

After lunch, we will have time to visit the local market – Osh bazaar. Here you can appreciate the creativity and talent of local artisans. Just as you step into the market, you plunge into the oriental atmosphere: an infinite flow of people and a great variety of goods and colors.

In the evening, we can go to one of the best restaurants in Bishkek, where you can taste delicious Kyrgyz national dishes.

Meals included: no meals included
Accommodation: Hotel 3* (Rixon Hotel or similar)

Day 2:  Bishkek – Burana – Cholpon Ata (ca. 290 km, 4h)

Breakfast in the hotel. Departure.

Along the way, we visit Burana, located about 80 km from the capital. The tower with funerary monuments, earthworks, remains of the castle, and three mausoleums – that’s all that last out of the ancient Balasagyn town founded by Karakhanids at the end of the ninth century.

As we arrive in Cholpon Ata, we will visit the petroglyphs museum. The 42 hectares of the museum are lined with stones, tombs, balbals and various petroglyphs dated from the 2nd millennium BC until the 4th century AD.

You will stay in the comfortable resort hotel on the shore of Issyk Kul lake. You can swim in the lake and relax on the beach.

Dinner in the local restaurant.

Mealsincluded: breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel 4* (Kapriz Resort Hotel or similar)
Optionally: boat trip (100 USD/hour per group

Day 3: Cholpon Ata – Grigoriev and Semenov gorge – Karakol (ca.160 km, 3h)

After breakfast, we go towards Grigoriev and Semenov gorge.

They are located on the northern shore of Issyk Kul Lake, 60 kilometers from Cholpon Ata. These places are considered the most famous attractions in the Issyk Kul region. We can drive to the first lake at Grigoriev Gorge to have a picnic on the shore (if the weather is nice). You can take a walk and enjoy the wild nature around you.

When we get to Karakol, we will visit its famous sights, such as the Russian Orthodox cathedral
and Dungan mosque.

For dinner, you can order the typical dish of this region ¨ashlan fu¨, Dungan traditional cuisine.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel 3* (My Hotel or similar)

Day 4:  Karakol – Altyn Arashan – Karakol (ca. 25 km, 2h one way)

Breakfast in the hotel.

Today we try a special transport (Russian SUV car UAZ) on real broken mountain roads. We have to overcome the enormous rocks. This ride will be exciting.

When we arrive at Altyn Arashan, you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes and fresh mountain air. Later, swimming in the hot springs.

Lunch in the guesthouse. After some hiking, we come back to Karakol by the same way.

Dinner in the restaurant.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel 3* (My Hotel or similar)

Day 5: Karakol – Jety Oguz – Barskoon – Tamga (ca. 135 km, 2-3h)

After breakfast, we go towards Jety Oguz gorge. 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.

Then we go to the Barskoon Gorge. The gorge is 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.

When we get Tamga, you will try a Russian sauna.

Dinner and overnight in the guesthouse

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Guesthouse (U Pavla Guesthouse or similar)

Day 6: Tamga – Skazka – Bokonbaevo – Kochkor (ca. 170 km, 3h)

Breakfast in the guesthouse. Then we go towards Kochkor by the south shore of the lak).

Along the way, we visit Skazka canyons, which translates from Russian as Fairytale. There you can find rocks of surprising shapes and sizes. A real skyscraper or an animal may appear in front of you. You can do short hiking in the canyons.

In Bokonbaevo we meet an eagle hunter with his bird of prey (option). Eagle hunting is one of the ancient traditions of nomads.

Upon arrival in Kochkor, you can walk in the village. Dinner and overnight in the guesthouse.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Guesthouse (Mira Guesthouse or similar)

Optionally: yurt show (45 USD per group), eagle hunting (45 USD per group). You can book
and pay on spot.

Day 7: Kochkor – Son Kul (ca. 125 km, 3h) 

Breakfast in the guesthouse. Departure.

A winding mountain serpentine leads you to Son Kul Lake. We cross the mountain pass Kalmak Ashu. The lake is surrounded by green meadows, long used by nomads for grazing their animals.

When we arrive at the yurt camp in Son Kul, you can appreciate the hospitality of the nomads and get to know their lifestyle

Dinner in the yurts

Note: yurt capacity 4-5 people. But during the low season, you can be accommodated 2pax per yurt according to the availability. Toilets and sauna are outside.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Yurt camp

Day 8: Son Kul – Kyzyl Oy (ca. 150 km, 3h)

Breakfast in the yurt. Transfer to Kyzyl Oy village.

Along the way, we cross the pass and the coalmine Kara Keche.

We get Kyzyl Oy, a mountain village located at an altitude of about 1800. Here you can take a picture of extraordinary landscapes of majestic mountains surrounding it.

Dinner in the guesthouse.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Guesthouse (CBT Guesthouse or similar)

Day 9: Kyzyl Oy – Bishkek (ca. 200 km, 4-5h) 

Breakfast in the guesthouse. Departure.

The road to Bishkek passes through the Suusamyr valley and the Too Ashu pass. From the mountain pass, there is a clear view over the whole valley with green grass and yurt camps.

We will return to civilization by descending from the pass and passing along one of the most important roads in the country.

After lunch, we will have time to visit the local market and buy some souvenirs.

Dinner at the restaurant.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel 3* (Rixon Hotel or similar)

Day 10:

Bishkek – Airport – Departure (ca. 30 km, 40 min)

Transfer to the airport. Departure.

Meals included: breakfast

Include:

• • All transfers in comfortable and air conditioned vehicle:
    – 2pax: SUV
    – 4-10pax: one minibus type
    Mercedes Sprinter
  • English speaking driver for 2pax
  • Russian speaking driver for 4-10pax
  • English speaking guide for 4-10pax
  • Accommodation described in the program in twin/double room/yurt
  • Breakfasts (except the day1)
  • Visits described in the program
  • Mineral water
  • Transfer on Russian SUV car UAZ Karakol – Altyn Arashan – Karakol
  • Hot springs
  • Our assistance 24/7

Not include:

• • International flights
  • Personal expenses
  • Supplement for 4-star hotel (Plaza/Ambassador or similar) in Bishkek – 75 USD per person for 2 nights
  • Single room supplement – 285 USD per person*
  • Insurance
  • Early check-in & late check-out**
  • English speaking guide for 2 pax – 1075 USD per group
  • Lunches & Dinners – 290 USD per person
  • Optional activities
  • Tips for guides and drivers
  • Alcohol
  • Other services not mentioned as included