Kyrgyzstan in 6 Days: Issyk-Kul, Altyn-Arashan, Skazka Canyon and Song-Kul
A private 4x4 round trip from Bishkek: Burana Tower, a canyon hike at Konorchek, the shore of Issyk-Kul, the Altyn-Arashan valley, the red rocks of…
Full Kyrgyzstan in 10 Days: Small-Group Tour Every Saturday from Bishkek
Join a small group, at most 4 travellers in each 4x4, on the most complete Kyrgyzstan trip: Burana Tower, Issyk-Kul, a night at Altyn-Arashan, Kok-Jaiyk, Skazka Canyon, an optional eagle show, two nights at Song-Kul and Tash-Rabat. Every Saturday, 15 May – 2 October. All meals included.
About this trip
Ten days for the whole country's mountain side, shared with a few other travellers. After the Burana Tower and Konorchek Canyon you follow Issyk-Kul to Karakol and spend a night up in the Altyn-Arashan valley, by the hot springs under the glaciers. Then the Kok-Jaiyk meadows above Jeti-Oguz, the Barskoon waterfalls, Skazka Canyon and an optional eagle show, two nights in a yurt at Song-Kul, a lake at about 3,000 m, and finally Tash-Rabat, the stone caravanserai of the Silk Road in a high valley near the Chinese border.
Each 4x4 takes at most 4 travellers, with a driver-guide who speaks everyday English. You sleep in a hotel in Karakol and in guesthouses and yurt camps elsewhere, with every meal from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 10.
The route at a glance
| Day | Route | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bishkek – Burana Tower – Konorchek Canyon – Chon-Kemin | Guesthouse, Chon-Kemin |
| 2 | Chon-Kemin – Issyk-Kul – Karakol | Hotel, Karakol |
| 3 | Karakol – Altyn-Arashan | Guesthouse, Altyn-Arashan |
| 4 | Altyn-Arashan – Karakol | Hotel, Karakol |
| 5 | Jeti-Oguz – Kok-Jaiyk | Guesthouse, Kok-Jaiyk |
| 6 | Barskoon – Skazka Canyon – Bokonbaevo | Guesthouse, Bokonbaevo |
| 7 | Bokonbaevo – Song-Kul | Yurt, Song-Kul |
| 8 | Song-Kul, a full day | Yurt, Song-Kul |
| 9 | Song-Kul – Tash-Rabat | Guesthouse or yurt, Tash-Rabat |
| 10 | Tash-Rabat – Bishkek | — |
Good to know
- Departures: every Saturday from 15 May to 2 October 2027; the last tour returns on 11 October. Pick-up at your Bishkek hotel or the airport between 8:00 and 9:00.
- Guaranteed from 2 travellers. Travelling alone? You join a Saturday that already has a booking. If nobody else has booked your date, we offer you another Saturday or the private tour.
- At most 4 travellers per car. When a fifth traveller books, a second car joins the group.
- Book at least 14 days before the first booking on a date; once a Saturday is confirmed, you can join until shortly before departure.
- In English only. For a guide in another language, choose the private tour.
- The last day is a long drive back from Tash-Rabat to Bishkek: plan your flight for the next day.
- Rooms: twin rooms and shared yurts. Travelling alone, or three of you? One traveller can have a twin room or yurt to themselves: choose it when you book.
- Horse riding at Song-Kul is an option when you book; in August the rides go in the morning or evening, out of the midday heat.
- Visa: many nationalities visit Kyrgyzstan without a visa. Please check the rules for your passport.
Day by day
- Day 1
Bishkek – Burana Tower – Konorchek Canyon – Chon-Kemin
Pick-up at your hotel or Manas airport. The first stop is the Burana Tower, the 11th-century minaret left from the Silk Road city of Balasagun, with its field of old stone grave figures. Then a 2–3 hour hike through the red sandstone gorges of Konorchek Canyon, and on to the green Chon-Kemin valley for the night in a family guesthouse.
- Day 2
Along Issyk-Kul to Karakol
A scenic drive along the north shore of Issyk-Kul, the great mountain lake that never freezes, with stops on the way. In the afternoon you reach Karakol at the eastern end of the lake. Night in a hotel.
- Day 3
Up to Altyn-Arashan
The 4x4 climbs a rough track into the Altyn-Arashan valley, an alpine meadow under the peaks of the Terskey Ala-Too. Hike up the valley in the afternoon and soak in the hot springs if you like. Night in a mountain guesthouse.
- Day 4
Altyn-Arashan – Karakol
A morning hike in the valley while the light is best, then back down to Karakol for a night in the hotel.
- Day 5
Jeti-Oguz and the Kok-Jaiyk valley
The red cliffs of Jeti-Oguz, the Seven Bulls, and hikes up into Kok-Jaiyk, a wide valley of meadows and fir forest where herders graze their horses in summer. Night in a guesthouse in Kok-Jaiyk.
- Day 6
Barskoon, Skazka Canyon and Bokonbaevo
Along the south shore of Issyk-Kul with a hike to the Barskoon waterfalls, then Skazka, the 'fairy-tale' canyon of wind-carved sandstone. In Bokonbaevo, if you added the eagle show, a local eagle hunter shows you how he works with his golden eagle. Night in a guesthouse.
- Day 7
Over the mountains to Song-Kul
A scenic drive over the passes to Song-Kul, a lake at about 3,000 m where herders bring their horses and sheep for the summer. Settle into the yurt camp; horse riding if you added it.
- Day 8
A full day at Song-Kul
A day to hike the hills above the lake or ride out with a horse and an instructor, if you added the ride. Meals at the camp and a second night in the yurt.
- Day 9
Song-Kul – Tash-Rabat
A mountain drive south to Tash-Rabat, the stone caravanserai of the Silk Road, standing alone in a high valley. Explore its domed halls and walk in the valley. Night in a guesthouse or yurt nearby.
- Day 10
Tash-Rabat – Bishkek
A long drive back north to Bishkek, with stops on the way. Drop-off at your hotel or the airport in the evening.
What's included
- 4x4 off-road vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide for the whole tour, fuel included
- Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Bishkek or Manas airport
- 4x4 trip to Altyn-Arashan
- 9 nights: 2 in a hotel in Karakol, 4 in guesthouses (one of them in Altyn-Arashan), 2 in a yurt at Song-Kul and 1 in a guesthouse or yurt at Tash-Rabat; twin rooms and shared yurts
- 3 meals a day, from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 10
- Entrance fees on the route and Tash-Rabat
Not included
- International flights, and a Kyrgyzstan visa if your passport needs one
- Hotels in Bishkek before or after the tour
- Horse riding and a professional or language guide (see the options)
- The eagle hunter's show in Bokonbaevo, 1 hour (an option when you book)
- A room or yurt to yourself (an option when you book)
- Drinks other than with meals, tips, travel insurance and personal expenses
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