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…
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 Kok-Jaiyk valley, Skazka Canyon, an optional eagle show and a night in a yurt at Song-Kul. All meals included. Any date, 15 May – mid-October.
About this trip
A week in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, at your own pace and on your own dates. From Bishkek you follow the Silk Road to the Burana Tower and the Chon-Kemin valley, then drive along Issyk-Kul to Karakol. A 4x4 takes you up to the hot springs of Altyn-Arashan, and you hike in the high meadows of Kok-Jaiyk above the red rocks of Jeti-Oguz. On the south shore come the Barskoon waterfalls, Skazka Canyon and, if you like, an eagle hunter's show, and the trip ends with a night in a yurt at Song-Kul, a lake at about 3,000 m where nomads spend the summer.
Your 4x4 has a driver-guide who speaks everyday English and takes up to 4 travellers. You sleep in a hotel in Karakol and in guesthouses and a yurt camp elsewhere, with every meal from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 7.
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 | Altyn-Arashan and its hot springs | Hotel, Karakol |
| 4 | Jeti-Oguz – Kok-Jaiyk | Guesthouse, Kok-Jaiyk |
| 5 | Barskoon – Skazka Canyon – Bokonbaevo | Guesthouse, Bokonbaevo |
| 6 | Kochkor – Song-Kul | Yurt, Song-Kul |
| 7 | Song-Kul – Bishkek | — |
Good to know
- When: any start date from 15 May to 9 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.
- 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 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.
The same trip also runs as a small-group tour every Saturday: see the 7-day Kyrgyzstan Classic group tour.
Day by day
- Day 1
Bishkek – Burana Tower – 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 on to the Chon-Kemin valley, green and quiet between two mountain ranges, 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
Altyn-Arashan and its hot springs
The 4x4 climbs a rough track into the Altyn-Arashan valley, an alpine meadow under the peaks of the Terskey Ala-Too. Walk up the valley and soak in the hot springs before driving back down to Karakol for a second night in the hotel.
- Day 4
Jeti-Oguz and the Kok-Jaiyk valley
The red cliffs of Jeti-Oguz, the Seven Bulls, and then a hike 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 5
Barskoon, Skazka Canyon and Bokonbaevo
Along the south shore of Issyk-Kul to the Barskoon waterfalls and 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 6
Over the mountains to Song-Kul
The road through Kochkor and over the passes to Song-Kul, a lake at about 3,000 m where herders bring their horses and sheep for the summer. Time by the lake, with horse riding if you added it. Night in a yurt camp.
- Day 7
Song-Kul – Kochkor – Bishkek
A morning by the lake and lunch, then the drive back through Kochkor to Bishkek. 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
- 6 nights: 2 in a hotel in Karakol, 3 in guesthouses and 1 in a yurt at Song-Kul; twin rooms and shared yurts
- 3 meals a day, from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 7
- Entrance fees on the route and the Altyn-Arashan hot springs
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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