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: Issyk-Kul, a Night at Altyn-Arashan, Song-Kul and Tash-Rabat (Private)
The most complete Kyrgyzstan trip from Bishkek in your own 4x4: Burana Tower, Konorchek Canyon, Issyk-Kul, a night in the Altyn-Arashan valley by the hot springs, Kok-Jaiyk, Skazka Canyon, an optional eagle show, two nights at Song-Kul and Tash-Rabat. All meals included. Any date, 15 May – mid-October.
About this trip
Ten days for the whole country's mountain side, with nights in the places most trips only pass through. 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.
The tour is private: your own 4x4 with a driver-guide who speaks everyday English, for up to 4 travellers. 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
- When: any start date from 15 May to 6 October. Song-Kul opens in mid-May, and the last tours finish by 15 October.
- Group size: 1 to 4 travellers in one 4x4; the price per person falls as more of you travel. For 5 to 8 travellers we use two cars: message us for a price.
- 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.
- Book at least 3 days ahead, or 45 days ahead with a language guide (60 days for July and August).
- Horse riding: with a full day at Song-Kul, the half-day ride is the one we recommend; 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.
The same trip also runs as a small-group tour every Saturday: see the 10-day Full Kyrgyzstan group tour.
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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