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 and Altyn-Arashan in 5 Days: Hot Springs, Red Rocks and Skazka Canyon
A private 4x4 round trip from Bishkek, all year: the Burana Tower, Chon-Kemin, Issyk-Kul and Karakol, the Altyn-Arashan hot springs, Jeti-Oguz, Barskoon, Skazka Canyon and Bokonbaevo. English-speaking driver-guide, all meals included. Any date from 1 November 2026.
About this trip
Five days for the whole of Issyk-Kul, in any season. Besides the Burana Tower, Chon-Kemin, Karakol, Jeti-Oguz, Barskoon, Skazka Canyon and a night in the eagle hunters' village of Bokonbaevo, a full day takes you by 4x4 up to Altyn-Arashan, a mountain valley with natural hot springs, at their best with snow all around. 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 guesthouses in Chon-Kemin and Bokonbaevo and, for two nights, a hotel in Karakol, and every meal from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 5 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 – Altyn-Arashan – Karakol | Hotel, Karakol |
| 4 | Karakol – Jeti-Oguz – Barskoon – Skazka Canyon – Bokonbaevo | Guesthouse, Bokonbaevo |
| 5 | 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. The Altyn-Arashan hot springs are at their best in the snow.
- 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
The Altyn-Arashan hot springs
A 4x4 or an old Soviet UAZ climbs a rough track through the forest and along the river into the Altyn-Arashan valley, under the peaks of the Terskey Ala-Too. Time for the natural hot springs and a walk up the valley, then back to Karakol for a second night in the hotel.
- Day 4
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 5
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
- The 4x4 or UAZ trip to Altyn-Arashan
- 4 nights: 2 in a hotel in Karakol and 2 in guesthouses in Chon-Kemin and Bokonbaevo; twin rooms
- 3 meals a day, from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 5
- 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)
- The bathing fee at the Altyn-Arashan hot springs, if one is charged
- Drinks other than with meals, tips, travel insurance and personal expenses
Other trips you may like
Kyrgyzstan Classic in 7 Days: Small-Group Tour Every Saturday from Bishkek
Join a small group, at most 4 travellers in each 4x4, on the classic Kyrgyzstan loop: Burana Tower, Issyk-Kul, the hot springs of Altyn-Arashan,…
Kyrgyzstan Classic in 7 Days: Issyk-Kul, Altyn-Arashan Hot Springs, Kok-Jaiyk and Song-Kul (Private)
The classic Kyrgyzstan loop from Bishkek in your own 4x4: Burana Tower, Chon-Kemin, Issyk-Kul, the hot springs of Altyn-Arashan, Jeti-Oguz and the…