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…
Issyk-Kul in 4 Days: Burana Tower, Barskoon, Skazka Canyon and the Eagle Hunters' Village
A private 4x4 round trip from Bishkek, all year: the Burana Tower, the Chon-Kemin valley, Issyk-Kul and Karakol, Jeti-Oguz, the Barskoon waterfalls, Skazka Canyon and Bokonbaevo, with an eagle hunter's show as an option. English-speaking driver-guide, all meals included. Any date from 1 November 2026.
About this trip
Four days around Issyk-Kul, in any season, with the Silk Road and the eagle hunters' country. You start at the Burana Tower, stay in the Chon-Kemin valley, follow the north shore to Karakol and come back along the south shore past Jeti-Oguz, the Barskoon waterfalls and Skazka Canyon to Bokonbaevo, where a local eagle hunter can show you his golden eagle. The route keeps to the valleys, so it runs all year.
The tour is private: your own 4x4 with a driver-guide who speaks everyday English, for up to 4 travellers. You sleep in a guesthouse in Chon-Kemin, a hotel in Karakol and a guesthouse in Bokonbaevo, and every meal from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 4 is included.
The route at a glance
| Day | Route | Night |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bishkek – Burana Tower – Chon-Kemin | Guesthouse, Chon-Kemin |
| 2 | Chon-Kemin – Issyk-Kul – Karakol | Hotel, Karakol |
| 3 | Karakol – Jeti-Oguz – Barskoon – Skazka Canyon – Bokonbaevo | Guesthouse, Bokonbaevo |
| 4 | Bokonbaevo – Bishkek | — |
Good to know
- When: any start date, all year, from 1 November 2026. Low season runs from 1 November to 30 April and high season from 1 May to 31 October; the start date sets the price.
- Winter: Issyk-Kul never freezes, and every road on this route stays open all year. From December to February the days are short and cold: bring warm layers.
- 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.
- Rooms: twin rooms. One traveller can have a twin room 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 in Chon-Kemin is an option when you book, weather permitting in winter; in August the rides go in the morning or evening.
- The eagle hunter's show in Bokonbaevo, 1 hour with a local hunter and his golden eagle, is an option when you book.
- Visa: many nationalities visit Kyrgyzstan without a visa. Please check the rules for your passport.
Travelling in summer and want the high pastures too? See the 7-day Kyrgyzstan Classic with Song-Kul.
Day by day
- Day 1
Bishkek – Burana Tower – Chon-Kemin
Pick-up at your hotel in Bishkek or at 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 through the countryside to the Chon-Kemin valley for the night in a family guesthouse.
- Day 2
Along Issyk-Kul to Karakol
A morning in Chon-Kemin, with horse riding as an option, then the drive along the north shore of Issyk-Kul, the great mountain lake that never freezes, with photo stops by the water and the snow peaks of the Tian Shan behind it. Karakol, at the eastern end of the lake, by late afternoon. Night in a hotel.
- Day 3
Jeti-Oguz, Barskoon and Skazka Canyon
The red rocks of Jeti-Oguz in the morning. Along the south shore you walk up the Barskoon gorge to its waterfalls, frozen in midwinter, and explore Skazka Canyon. Night in a guesthouse in Bokonbaevo.
- Day 4
Bokonbaevo – Bishkek
If you added the eagle show, the morning starts with a local eagle hunter flying his golden eagle, a Kyrgyz tradition kept alive in the villages of the south shore. Then the drive back to Bishkek, with 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
- 3 nights: 1 in a guesthouse in Chon-Kemin, 1 in a hotel in Karakol and 1 in a guesthouse in Bokonbaevo; twin rooms
- 3 meals a day, from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 4
- Entrance fees on the route
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 to yourself (an option when you book)
- Drinks other than with meals, tips, travel insurance and personal expenses
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