12-day tour to the lakes of Tien Shan

Arrival at Manas Airport in Bishkek where our team will pick you up and will drive you to the capital.

Standard check-in at 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 bazar. 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* (My Hotel)

Note: it is highly recommended to book an extra night at the hotel, as most flights to Bishkek arrive late at night or early in the morning.

Breakfast in the hotel.

At the beginning of our journey, we will have to overcome the mountain pass Too Ashu. We cross the wonderful Suusamyr valley, a paradise for nomads.

Picnic or lunch at a small cafe along the way.

Later we change the highway to the off-road. Our road will run along the Kokemeren river.

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) 

Note: guesthouses in this area are simple and mostly with shared bathroom and WC.

Breakfast in the guesthouse. Departure.

A winding mountain serpentine leads you to the gorge. We cross the pass and the coalmine Kara Keche to reach Son Kul lake. 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.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Yurt camp

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.

We continue our trip after breakfast in the yurt.

We keep our road towards Naryn, the administrative center of the region. This small city is located at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, on the bank of the biggest river in Kyrgyzstan.

When you arrive in Naryn, you take a shower and have a rest in the hotel. Before dinner in the restaurant, you can take a walk in the town.

Diner at the restaurant.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel 3* (Khan Tengri Hotel)

After breakfast, we head towards the Chinese border to reach Kel Suu lake. This mesmerizing mountain lake is located at an altitude of 3400 meters. Surrounded by steep rocks from all sides, it has many caves, grottos, and stone islands.

We arrive at the yurt camp, and after some rest, we will hike to the lake (2 h), or you can ride a horse (1h) (option).

Dinner in the yurt camp.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Yurt camp

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

We will spend a whole day in the area of the mountain lake.

You can ride horses and explore this magical and beautiful place with breathtaking landscapes.

All the meals are served in the yurts.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Yurt camp 

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

Breakfast in the yurt.

The goal is to reach Kochkor village. On the way, we pass the Kyrgyz summer pastures with yurts camps of local shepherds.

Upon arrival in Kochkor, you can take a shower and have a rest in the guesthouse. Before dinner, you have free time to walk in the village.

Dinner and overnight in the guesthouse.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Guesthouse (Mira Guesthouse)

After breakfast, we go towards the biggest lake in the country Issyk Kul, the pearl of Kyrgyzstan. We go by the south shore of the lake.

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

Later, 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.

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

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Guesthouse (U Pavla Guesthouse or similar)

Optionally: yurt show, eagle hunting

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.

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 78)

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.

In the evening, we get to Tarsuu village located in Chon Kemin valley famous for the diversity of flora and fauna.

Dinner in the guesthouse.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Guesthouse (Kemin Guesthouse)

Breakfast in the guesthouse. Transfer to Bishkek.

Along the way, we visit Burana Tower 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.

Lunch at the cafe or the guesthouse.

When we arrive in Bishkek, we will have time to visit the local market and buy some souvenirs.

In the evening, dinner at a traditional Kyrgyz restaurant.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel 3* (My Hotel)

Transfer to the airport. Departure.