Introduction
Tour category: Combined-Auto
Availability: June-September
Duration: 7 days
What you will visit in these 7 days
- Kilemche valley
- Song Kol Lake
- Issyk-Kul Lake
- Fairytale Canyon
- Barskoon Waterfall
- Djeti-Oguz Rocks
- Altyn Arashan Gorge
- Burana Tower
- Bishkek city
Day | Highlights | Overnight at |
Day 1 | Start of the tour. Horse riding to Kilemche valley | Yurt Camp |
Day 2 | Horse riding to Song-Kol lake (3,000m) | Yurt Camp |
Day 3 | Horse riding back to Kyzart. Drive to Yssyk-Kol | Guest House |
Day 4 | Explore the southern shore of Yssyk-Kol lake | Hotel |
Day 5 | Trekking to Altyn Arashan 13 km +600 m gain | Guest House |
Day 6 | Trekking back to Karakol. Drive to Chon Kemin | Guest House |
Day 7 | Explore the Bishkek city | Hotel |
Why you will love this tour
- Experience nomadic life in a traditional Kyrgyz dwelling boz-ui (yurt)
- Ride a horse in Song-Kol lake – best destination to combine horse riding and exploring nomad’s life
- Hike to Altyn Arashan
- Meet the Kyrgyz eagle hunters
- Visit the most popular sites of the south shore of Ysyk-Kol Lake – Fairy-Tale canyons, Barskoon waterfalls and Jety-Oguz mountains.
- Enjoy views of alpine lakes, fields, and mountains
- Learn about the history of the Islam Renaissance in Central Asia exploring Burana Tower
- Soak in the hot springs of Altyn-Arashan
- Explore Bishkek on foot
Itinerary
After breakfast, you will head to Kyzart village. The drive time is three hours, so you will arrive in the village by the lunchtime. After a brief instruction of horse riding from your guide, it will be time to saddle up for a horseback ride to beautiful Kilemche valley. As you will leave the village behind, follow the trail as it gradually climbs up the west bank of the stream of Chaar-Archa river. Then you will break off to the right towards the valley of Kilemche – a summer pasture of the local nomads. After your arrival and cup of tea, get ready to enjoy the smooth atmosphere of the valley with a sweeping views. Keep your camera handy to catch beautiful sunset over the mountains. Release your horses for overnight with your guide and go for the dinner at boz-ui – a traditional dwelling of the nomad Kyrgyz people.
After breakfast in Kilemche, you will continue the journey on horse towards to JalgyzKaragai pass (3400 m) on the way to Song-Kol Lake. The pass provides a great panoramic view to both – Song-Kol lake and Kilemche valley on other side. After a while enjoying the view and giving a break for the horses, the ride continues across grassy hills, home to grazing herds of sheep, goat, horse, and cattle. In the warm summer months, nomad families will be busy with daily chores including milking cows and horses. You will arrive in yurt camp by the lake for lunch and fuel up with a hearty lunch before hitting the road again. You will have about two hours more of horse riding on the trail by the lake until you reach the Tuz-Ashuu pasture, where the local shepherd’s family will cordially welcome you with a bowl of kymyz – a national Kyrgyz drink made from horse milk. The remainder of the day you will spend with the family watching their daily life. For hiking lovers, the valley is a great place to stroll over the mountains around.
Take some extra time to enjoy the scenery of Song-Kol lake before you start the journey. With mountains in the background, the lake looks even more beautiful in the morning sunlight. Once you get on your horse again, choose the upper trail for better views of the lake and make your way towards Kara-Kiya pass. From here, the ride is fairly moderately strenuous as you will descend towards the village, then spend the last hours of smooth riding until you will reach the village. On arrival, you will have a lunch at guesthouse and continue your journey east driving to Bokonbayevo village, taking in stunning views of Ysyk-Kol Lake and enormous mountains of Terskey-Ala-Too. After you will check-in at the guesthouse, you can rest until dinner.
In the morning, you’ll meet eagle hunter. First, you’ll drive to an open field near the village where you will meet the hunter with his eagle. After some explanations of the peculiarities of golden eagles and hunting with them, he will demonstrate hunting to fox and rabbit. If you do not want to see how the eagle hunts the wild animals, then the hunter will use the skin of a fox. After the demonstration, there will be many opportunities for you to snap some great photos with the eagle on your wrist. Righr after the show leave Bokonbaevo behind as you travel to the east along the south shore of Ysyk-Kol Lake. Your destination is a city of Karakol – the most touristic city of the country. On your way, you will discover some of beautiful and popular sites on the southern shore: Skazka canyons, Barskoon waterfalls and Jety-Oguz mountains In the early evening, you will arrive in the city of Karakol. Founded in 1869 by Russian settlers, now Karakol is the most popular tourist city. Following the tour, you will visit popular and interesting sites including Dungan Mosque and Holy Trinity Church among other sites of interest. Finish up your day with a dinner in restaurant.
Hop the car from Karakol to start your hike up the Altyn-Arashan gorge. First, you will drive to Ak-Suu village whence your trekking starts. Lace up your hiking boots and begin your 2-days trekking to the gorge with your guide following the path by the river. The hike is smooth and easy and offers an opportunity to enjoy both hill and mountain landscapes often coming into direct view. As you will reach the first panorama, you will linger for picnic, taking in views across the entire valley and peak Oguz-Bashi (nicknamed ‘Tent’).
Altyn-Arashan (translated as “Golden Spring”) is one of the most popular tourist spots in Kyrgyzstan, thanks to its unique nature, extensive spruce forests and stunning views. Altyn-Arashan is also widely known for its hot springs located right in the gorge.
Upon your arrival in the gorge, relax in the hot springs after a 4-hour trekking. You can also take a short walk to the waterfall in the valley before the dinner in yurt in the gorge. Overnight at yurt or in the guesthouse.
Wake up with breakfast in Altyn-Arashan and perhaps take one last walk around the valley before you hit the path back to Karakol following the same way. After you will arrive at the finish point in Ak-Suu village, you will drive to Karakol and visit the local market to taste the most famous dish of the city – Ash-lyam-fu.
On the second half of the day, you’ll drive to Chong-Kemin gorge. You’ll have about four hours more of driving on the main coastal road with Ysyk-Kol Lake on one side and the Kungey Ala-Too mountain range on the other. By the evening you will arrive in a guesthouse in the gorge where the local family will cordially welcome you with a cup of tea after difficult but adventurous day.
The remainder of the day you will spend as you like: you relax in your room or stroll over the mountains around.
On the final day, you’ll explore Bishkek, beginning with a visit to Osh Bazaar, a bustling market where you can shop for souvenirs and local products. Then, head to Ala-Too Square, the heart of the city, and visit the Central Mosque, a symbol of the country’s rich cultural and religious heritage. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner before checking into your hotel for the night.
Tour Map
Price for the trip
Number of people |
Price per person in USD |
Total price in USD |
2 |
1350 USD |
2700 USD |
Included / Excluded
- Transfer Toyota Sequoia 2 SUVs
- English speaking guide - driver
- Full board meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Accommodation double and triple rooms 7 nights
- Horse riding, rent of horses
- Eagle hunting show & archery
- Mineral water per day per pax
- 1L of mineral water per day per pax
- Entrance fees and tickets
- Personal expenses
- Activities outside of the program
- Single supplement
Accommodation (click on for more info)
Day 1-2 Yurt stay
Day 3–Emily guest house in Bokonbaevo
Day 4–78 hotel in Karakol
Day 5– Elza guest house in Altyn Arashan Day 6-Jekshen guest house in Chon Kemin
Day 7 –Bugu hotel in Bishkek
Requirements
- Warm clothes
- Trekking shoes
- Sunglasses & sunscreen
Important note for the horse riding to Song-Kol
- Inside the yurt, no toilet. Bathroom is outside. Shared
- Accommodations is in traditional yurt with no showers
- Horseback riding experience is not required
- Altitude 3,016 m
- No internet & Mobile connections – Expect to be offline for 2 days
- Limited Electricity – Charging devises may not be possible, so bring power banks if needed
- Pack Light – Luggage will be carried by pack horses, so take one more light bag • Weather Conditions – The weather can be unpredictable, with cold nights even in summer