Explore the Hidden Treasures of Kyrgyzstan

Trip Essentials:

Tour Type: auto/trekking

Total Duration: 11 days

Best Season: mid-June – end of September

Level of Difficulty: moderate

Maximum Altitude on the Trip: 3 800 meters ASL

Start and End Point: Bishkek

Transport: jeep/minivan/minibus depending on the size of the group

Best group size: 2- 12 persons

 

Trip Highlights

Issyk-Kul Lake – the crown jewel of the Tian Shan, Lake Issyk-Kul is 6232 sq m of sparkling blue paradise.  The second largest saline lake in the world, its name in Kyrgyz means “hot lake”– though surrounded by spectacular snow capped peaks, the water never freezes.  Silk Road traders stopped here to recover from the grueling trek over the passes of the Tian Shan, and it is still the most popular destination in Kyrgyzstan to relax for both tourists and locals.

Lake Son-Kul— in Kyrgyz “the final lake”.  Son Kul gleams like a brilliant sapphire on it’s lush green mountain plateau.  At 3016 m it is inaccessible during winter months, and even in summer weather conditions can change rapidly. “The Last Lake” is considered one of the most beautiful areas for summer pasturing with an area of 270 km sq.  In winter the lake freezes over with ice more than a meter thick.

Nomads have been making the upland trek to this 3016 m asl lake since ancient times with their livestock.  Some left mysterious “standing stone” arrangements.

Lake Son-Kul is a beautiful place to experience life on a jailoo – summer pasture.  Ride horses in the surrounding mountains, or stay in a yurt and experience an old-fashioned Kyrgyz summer.

Kol-Suu lake – Kol-Suu is an alpine lake in the At-Bashi District of Naryn Province of southeastern Kyrgyzstan. It is located at 3500 m elevation in the Kurumduk Valley which means “the preserved valley” of the Tian Shan mountains. Lake Kel-Suu is straddled by sheer cliffs on one side and the Sary-Beles mountain (4,726 meters high) to the east. It was only recently formed by a landslide in the 1980’s. It varies in width from approximately 800 meters down to only a 100 narrow meters in places. The lake is fed and drained by the Kurumduk River, a left tributary of the Kok-Kyya River.

Services Included

Price includes:

Twin accommodation according the program (overnights at home stays, guest houses yurt camps)

Meals during tour (10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 9 dinners), except alcoholic drinks

Transport services,

Visiting cultural/historical places and entrance fees

Enter fee to the festival Birds of prey

Cultural events and show according to the program

Border permit to Kol-Suu lake

English speaking touring guide

Fully supported 3 days trekking tour from Jety-Oguz to Kok-Jayik valley

Fully supported 2 days trekking tour to Song-Kol lake

1 day trekking tour to Kol-Suu lake

Price doesn’t include:

Accommodation in Bishkek;

Meals at cafés

single supplement;

personal expenses and activities out of program;

travel insurance;

souvenirs and tips;

international air fare;

horse riding;

boat trip and rafting

visa fee and visa support

 

Meeting day

This day meeting with all participants over coffee. Meeting and instruction.

 

Day 1

This day drive to Chong-Kemin Valley. Visit the Burana Tower architectural complex (10th-11th century, an important point on the Great Silk Road) on the way (15 km from the main road, 1 hour). Upon arrival to Chong-Kemin have a lunch at home stay.  Accommodation in a local guesthouse. Optional: horse riding or walk around the village.

 

Day 2

After breakfast drive to Karakol (about 5-6 hours). On the way make a stop in Cholpon-Ata to visit an open-air petroglyph (rock painting) gallery (5km from Cholpon-Ata, heading to the mountains). Continue your way to Karakol, make another stop to visit Agro farm “Kyzyl-Tash”, where you will have a lunch. Upon arrival to Karakol, visit Dungan Mosque and Russian Ortodox Church. Dinner will be at café, overnight at guest house.

Day 3

Transfer from Karakol to Kyzyl-Suu valley ( 40 km from Karakol) . Start trekking towards Jeti Ogyz valley via Jeti Ogyz Pass (2800 meter elevation) – 18 km walking distance. Max elevation – 2800.

Lunch on route, diner and overnight in the yurt camp.

Day 4

Trekking to Yrdyk Valley via Kum Bel Pass (3400 meters elevation) 14-16 km walking distance, max elevation – 3400 meters. Lunch on route overnight in the Tents.

Day 5

Walk down to Yrdyk valley, on the way visit Red cliffs. – 9-10 km walking distance. Short transfer to Jety-Oguz gorge, where you will have a lunch at local guest house. Transfer to Bokonbaevo village, dinner and B&B will be at yurt camp.

Day 6

After late breakfast transfer to the mountain area to see eagle hunting show and have a lunch at Jaychi yurt camp. Then transfer to Kochkor village for dinner and B&B at guest house.

 

Day 7

After breakfast drive to Kyzart pass, from where you will start trekking tour to Song-Kol lake. Within sight of the road, cross Kyzyl-Kiya jailoo, an enormous, relatively flat sea of grass.  Continue over the Chaar-Archa Pass (3 061 m) into the Chaar-Archa Valley and eat a tasty lunch by the racing river, with views of holy 4400 m Baba-Ata Mountain.  Sated, ford the river and follow the trail over verdant hills to Kilemche Jailoo.  The name means “like a carpet,” and this swathe of grass covers whole mountain ranges, with shadings as subtle as any shyrdak (shyrdak is a Kyrgyz felt carpet).  Dine and sleep in a yurt, naturally.

Day 8

After breakfast at Kilemche, spend the morning climbing to Jalgyz Karagai pass (3400 m), over the Song-Kol Mountains and into the lake’s basin. The morning climb affords wonderful views of Kilemche jailoo, and the pass itself is rocky and exciting.  From the pass, Song-Kol is still distant, but as you traipse down the slopes, it gets larger and larger; the mountains on the other side get higher and higher, until finally the lake fills most of your field of view and the southern mountains tower above it.  After lunch at Jaman Echki, car will pick up you and transfer to Batai-Aral yurt camp.

 

 

Day 9

Morning transfer to Kol-Suu lake via 32 sloop pass. Have a lunch at local guest house in Naryn village. On the way you will make a stop at Border zone, where you need to show border permit to enter to this area. Dinner and B&B will be at yurt camp, near the lake.

Day 10

After breakfast make 2 hours trek to Kol-Suu lake, optional horse trek to the lake and back. Make a picnic lunch at Kol-Suu lake. Walk at surrounding area. Optional: horse riding. By lunch time return to yurt camp. Than transfer to Naryn. Upon arrival to Naryn, hotel accommodation. Dinner at café.

Day 11

Morning transfer to Bishkek, upon arrival to Bishkek, end of the tour.