📅 Time of year: June to September

🚙 Tour category: Most Popular • Road Trip

⏳ Duration: 7 days

💰 PRICE

💵 The price is influenced by various factors such as group size 👥 or season ☀️. The accessibility of some places can change during the year 🏔️. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a fixed price.

🗺️ Itinerary

• 🏙️ Bishkek
• 💙 Song-Kol Lake
• 🏰 Tash-Rabat Caravan Saray
• 💎 Kel-Suu Lake
• 🌊 Issyk-Kul Lake
• 🏔️ Karakol
• 🏙️ Bishkek

🏨 Accommodation

• 🛖 2 nights in a traditional yurt
• 🏡 3 nights in a guesthouse
• 🏨 1 night in a hotel

🎒 Useful Info

• 🧥 Weatherproof warm clothes
• 🧢 Hat
• 🕶️ Sunglasses & sunscreen ☀️

❤️ Why You Will Love This Tour

• 🛖 Experience authentic nomadic life in a traditional Kyrgyz boz-ui (yurt)
• 🦅 Meet legendary Kyrgyz eagle hunters
• 🚙 Drive through the breathtaking Tien-Shan Mountains
• 🤝 Discover the rich culture and incredible hospitality of Kyrgyz nomads
• 🌲 Pass through forests, alpine meadows, and yak pastures
• 🏜️ Visit the most famous sights along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake:
• 🏜️ Fairy-Tale (Skazka) Canyon
• 💦 Barskoon Waterfalls
• ❤️ Jety-Oguz Mountains
• 🏛️ Learn about the Islamic Renaissance in Central Asia while exploring Burana Tower

🗓️ Day 1 — Bishkek → Song-Kol

🌅 Begin your adventure with a scenic drive to Song-Kol Lake, the cradle of Kyrgyz nomadic culture.

🏛️ Your first stop is the famous Burana Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Explore:

• 🏰 Ancient Balasagun ruins
• 🏛️ Archaeological museum
• 👀 Climb the tower for panoramic views of the Chui Valley

🍽️ Enjoy lunch at a local café and try the traditional dish Kattama.

Continue toward Song-Kol Lake.

⛰️ Stop at Kalmak-Ashuu Pass (3400 m) for spectacular views.

🚙 Drive across alpine pastures filled with:

• 🐑 Sheep
• 🐐 Goats
• 🐎 Horses
• 🐄 Cattle

Meet nomadic families during their summer migrations.

🛖 Arrive at the yurt camp.

🌅 Free time by the lake.

🐎 Optional horseback riding.

🌌 Dinner and overnight in a traditional boz-ui (yurt).

🗓️ Day 2 — Song-Kol Lake

🌅 Wake up in your yurt surrounded by pristine nature.

🐎 Enjoy a peaceful horseback ride along the lakeshore.

Visit a local nomadic family where you'll taste:

🥛 Kymys — traditional fermented mare's milk.

🍽️ Return to camp for lunch.

Spend the afternoon at your own pace:

• 🐎 More horseback riding
• 🥾 Hiking
• 🌊 Relaxing beside the lake

🌄 Enjoy another peaceful evening under the stars.

🗓️ Day 3 — Off-Road Drive to Tash-Rabat

🥞 Leisurely breakfast.

🚙 Continue south toward Tash-Rabat Caravan Saray.

This off-road journey passes through dramatic mountain landscapes and high passes.

🍽️ Lunch in Baetov Village.

🛖 Tea break at the yurt camp.

🏰 Guided visit to Tash-Rabat Caravan Saray, a remarkable 14th-century Silk Road monument known as the "Stone Palace."

Learn about:

• 🐪 Silk Road history
• 🛏️ Ancient caravanserais
• 🕌 Trade and religious traditions

🥾 Short walk through the surrounding mountains.

🍽️ Dinner.

🏡 Overnight at the guesthouse.

🗓️ Day 4 — Off-Road Drive to Kel-Suu Lake

🌄 Early departure for another unforgettable adventure.

🚙 Travel through one of Kyrgyzstan's wildest mountain regions.

Destination:

💎 Kel-Suu Lake — one of Central Asia's most spectacular alpine lakes.

🌄 Enjoy incredible mountain scenery throughout the drive.

🥪 Picnic lunch beside the river.

Cross:

⛰️ Kyndy Pass (3600 m)

🚓 Pass through the border police checkpoint.

Continue another two hours to the yurt camp near Kel-Suu Lake.

🛖 Check into your yurt.

The remainder of the afternoon is free:

• 🥾 Short hike through the valley
• ☕ Relax and enjoy the peaceful mountain atmosphere after the 6–7 hour drive.

🗓️ Day 5 — Visit Kel-Suu Lake • Drive to Kochkor

🥾 Lace up your hiking boots this morning for a half-day trek to Kel-Suu Lake.

Enjoy a 4.5-hour hike through the breathtaking Kok-Kiya Valley, surrounded by:

• 🏔️ Spectacular mountain scenery
• 🌿 Alpine meadows
• 🌊 Crystal-clear rivers
• 🦬 Herds of yaks
• 🐎 Wild horses
• ❄️ Snow-covered glaciers

🐎 For those who prefer, it is also possible to reach the lake on horseback.

💎 Kel-Suu Lake is a stunning glacial lake located near the Kyrgyz-Chinese border at an altitude of 3,500 m.

📸 Take time to admire the incredible scenery and capture unforgettable photographs.

Return to the yurt camp for lunch.

🚙 In the afternoon, begin the scenic drive to Kochkor.

The journey passes through:

• 🏔️ Mountain landscapes
• 🛖 Nomadic yurts
• ☕ Coffee stop in Naryn
• 🌄 Kara-Unkur Gorge
• ⛰️ Dolon Pass

🏡 Overnight at a local guesthouse in Kochkor.

🗓️ Day 6 — Explore the South Shore of Issyk-Kul Lake

🌅 Early departure from Kochkor.

Drive east along the spectacular southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake 🌊 toward Karakol.

🦅 In Bokonbaev Village, meet a traditional eagle hunter.

Learn about:

• 🦅 Golden eagles
• 🏹 Traditional hunting techniques

Watch a live eagle hunting demonstration.

🦊 If preferred, the demonstration can be performed using a fox skin instead of live animals.

📸 Afterwards, enjoy taking memorable photos with the eagle on your arm.

Continue after lunch.

Visit:

🏜️ Fairy-Tale (Skazka) Canyon

Explore the incredible red and yellow sandstone formations.

🥾 Easy hiking through this magical landscape.

💦 Barskoon Gorge

Walk to the first beautiful waterfall surrounded by dense spruce forests.

❤️ Jety-Oguz Mountains

Visit one of Kyrgyzstan's most famous natural landmarks.

Discover:

• ❤️ Broken Heart Rock
• 🐂 Seven Bulls Rock Formation
• 🌲 Beautiful alpine valley
• 🦅 National zoological reserve

📸 Plenty of opportunities for stunning photographs.

Continue to Karakol, founded in 1869 by Russian settlers.

🍽️ Dinner at a local restaurant.

🏨 Accommodation: Hotel

🗓️ Day 7 — Return to Bishkek

🚙 Drive back to Bishkek along the scenic northern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake.

Enjoy magnificent views with:

🌊 Issyk-Kul Lake on one side

🏔️ Kungey Ala-Too Mountains on the other.

Stop at:

🌿 Kyrchyn (Grigorievka) Valley

Home of the World Nomad Games.

🥾 Enjoy an easy walk and plenty of photo opportunities.

Continue to Cholpon-Ata.

🍽️ Lunch at a local restaurant.

Arrive in Bishkek.

🏙️ Short city sightseeing including:

• 🏛️ Ala-Too Square
• 🏢 Houses of Parliament
• 🏛️ White House
• 🛍️ Osh Bazaar

🍽️ Finish your journey with a farewell dinner together with your guide team.

ℹ️ Good to Know

• 🐎 Horse riding experience is not required.
• 📅 We also offer 8 to 10-day tour options following this itinerary.
• 📩 If you would like information regarding the price of this tour, please send us a request.