Bishkek

First day of the tour will be devoted to a city tour in Bishkek - the capital of Kyrgyzstan. We will see following places:

• Ala-Too square - the main square situated right in the center of Bishkek
• Osh bazaar - an oriental market where you can find a wide range of products - from food to clothes
• Kyrgyz National Historical Museum - a biggest museum in Kyrgyzstan and one of the biggest in Central Asia, its area is 8000 square meters
• Exhibition hall of artists
• Oak park

We will get acquainted with the city, see the influence of Soviet architecture, and also learn a lot about the history of Kyrgyzstan and its culture in the museum.

Accommodation in a hotel.

Bishkek - Kyzyl-Oi

We start from Bishkek at 8 AM and take the main road Bishkek-Osh, but after passing the Too-Ashuu pass (3200 m) we turn left and enter high-alpine Suusamyr valley. A little bit after we will be able to see incredible Kokomeren river - the main inflow of Naryn river (535 km) - the biggest water arteria of Kyrgyzstan. We will make short walking along Kokomeren to enjoy beautiful surroundings.
After a little while we will stop at Kojomkul museum to get to know the famous Kyrgyz hero, who lived in 20th century, was largely known by his tremendous strength and contributed very much to the development of our country.

Arrival in the afternoon to Kyzyl-Oi village, accommodation in a guest house run by local family. In the evening a short walk to admire the nature.

Kyzyl-Oi - Song-Kol

Depart from Kyzyl-Oi village to Song-Kol lake - one of the highest alpine lakes in Kyrgyzstan (3016 m above sea level). There are several passes to Song-Kol, we will take Kara-Keche pass (3300 m), where there is also a coal mine that provides fuel for the whole republic.
By arriving to the lake, we will be able to see an immense pasture where Kyrgyz live only by nomadic lifestyle - in yurts, ancient nomad dwellings that are used by people for centuries.

Overnight stay in yurt. Possibility to make a horseback riding on the hills, to have a beautiful view to the Song-Kol lake.

Song-Kol

This day we head to the north side of Song-Kol lake. Continuation of our immersion into nomadic culture, numerous yurts, herds of sheeps, cows and horses that we will encounter on our way. This high alpine pasture is used from June to September. Due to the high altitude, there are absolutely no trees here, since only low hard grass and numerous edelweiss grow in such conditions. Beautiful views of the lake, high ridges and particular ambiance of this place situated far from civilization awaits us on this day.

Accommodation in a yurt.

Song-Kol - Tash-Rabat

We leave Song-Kol lake and will go through the pass "32 parrots" to have picturesque scenery of underlying valley.
Our way lies through Naryn city, an administrative center of Naryn region, where we will stop to have a lunch.

We head to Tash-Rabat, an ancient building that had been used as caravanserai in the days of Silk Road period, made of stone and partially dug into the hill behind of it. This is a perfectly preserved cultural and historical monument, the only one of its kind on the territory of Kyrgyzstan and one of the most important remnants of the Great Silk Road that has come down to us in such preservation.

Accommodation in a guest house near Tash-Rabat.

Tash-Rabat

Tash-Rabat valley has its unique nature, lush pastures and numerous flowers. Apart from that, this place is largely known by its enormous number of marmots that inhabit this area. We will enjoy the surroundings and make quite a long walk to reach the pass and panoramic view to Chatyr-Kol lake, situated very close to Chinese border.
Our hike is not very easy, but it will be totally worth it - we will have wonderful views. But in case if the weather is cloudy, however, the way itself is an excellent beauty to see.
The hike will take us 7-8 hours to get there and back. Our camp is situated on the altitude of 3100 m, while we will try to reach 4000 m of the pass. Difficulty of the hike is moderate, with steep ascents closer to the pass.

Overnight stay in guest house near Tash-Rabat.

Tash-Rabat - Koshoi-Korgon - Kochkor

We leave Tash-Rabat valley for Kochkor village, en route to stop to see Koshoi-Korgon fortress, that had been used for protection from hostile tribes during Middle Ages. It is said that Koshoi, one of the most loyal friends of Manas (a national hero, who united all the Kyrgyz tribes and saved the Kyrgyz from extinction) and a legendary hero, built this castle, which walls have protected the people for many years. During excavations there were found swords, knives, arrows and other objects of military purpose.

We pass through Naryn and arrive to Kochkor village, where we visit women's cooperative, where local women sell their hand-made products - souvernis, made of wool, felt and other materials. Besides, we will get to see a demonstration of felt production, as well as fabrication of traditional carpets using the technology that transcended over centuries.

Accommodation in a guest house in Kochkor.

Kochkor - Kol-Ukok - Kochkor

Not far from Kochkor there is a gorgeous lake named Kol-Ukok, where we head today. In summer, shepherds live here, who drive cattle to pastures. Nomads set up yurts and live here for several months. The Kol-Ukok lake is situated on the altitude of 2970 m above sea level and has a beautiful color. The water there is cold, but people come here for the particular ambiance and calmness of this place. The road to arrive the pasture is not in a good shape, so from one point we have to go by walk to arrive the camp. We rest in the yurt of shepherds, and after that we continue our way on horseback to reach the lake and return to the starting point. From there, we will return to Kochkor by our car or bus.

Accommodation in a guest house in Kochkor.

Kochkor - Orto-Tokoi - Ak-Sai canyons - Bokonbaevo

We leave Kochkor for our next destination - Issyk-Kul lake, its south shore.
En route we will see Orto-Tokoi water reservoir, its water is used for irrigation of Kyrgyzstan and south Kazakhstan.

Arrival to the south shore of Issyk-Kul lake, visit to the family that engages in yurt production. We will see a demonstration of how Kyrgyz make their dwellings - yurts, and will wittness all the phases of production.

After that we head to Ak-Sai canyons, that are also called as "Valley of Forgotten Rivers", because many years ago there were rivers that flowed there. Possibility to swim in the lake. If we climb up to the top of surrounding hills, we will observe a marvelous panorama of Issyk-Kul lake. But we need to keep in mind, that if it rains, we cannot enter the canyon because of the dangerous sandy road.

Demonstration of an ancient nomadic art - hunting with a golden eagle, practiced by Kyrgyz since olden times.

Accommodation in a guest house in Bokonbaevo.

Bokonbaevo - Skazka valley - Barskoon - Jeti-Oguz - Karakol

Visit to Skazka valley, which can be translated as "Fairytale". The shapes of this canyon can be similar to the characters of a fairytale, this similarity has been a reason to give such name to a valley. An amazing place that has stunning landscapes and incredible views.

After that we head to Barskoon valley, where magnificent waterfalls are situated. By making a walk, we will be able to see them from near. Barskoon valley is also known by its gold mine - Kumtor, the biggest gold production in Central Asia.

After a hike, we head to Jeti-Oguz (translated from Kyrgyz as "7 bulls") valley, famous by its red rock formation and its picturesque nature. We take a stroll to admire the surrounding views, and after this we go to Karakol town, the administrative center of Issyk-Kul region.

Accommodation in a guest house in Karakol.

Karakol - Jyrgalan

For today our places of interest in Karakol are:
The Holy Trinity Church, built by Russian in 19th century of wood;
Dungan Mosque, constructed without using any nails. Another particularity of this building is that is the only one mosque with chinese style;
History Museum of Karakol, which contains a vast number of interesting information about this city and Kyrgyz people in general.

After seeing this popular sites, we go to Jyrgalan valley, that is not far from Karakol. This valley has a lush pastures and wonderful views over the mountains. We will have a walk there to appreciate and enjoy the nature.

Accommodation in a guest house in Jyrgalan.

Jyrgalan

A walking day in Jyrgalan - we are interested in climbing a panoramic spot, where it can be possible to see all the beauty of this valley. The trail goes through an open place, allowing you to feel the full scale of the surrounding mountains and valleys, which are like a carpet of bright green colors.

Overnight stay in a guest house in Jyrgalan.

Jyrgalan - Semenov gorge - Grigoriev gorge - Cholpon-Ata

Depart from Jyrgalan to Semenov gorge, situated on the north side of Issyk-Kul lake. This gorge is famous by its pristine nature and a vast number of Tien-Shan firs. We will have a stroll from Semenov gorge to Grigoriev gorge, that is adjacent, by admiring wonderful landscapes of these places.
After a walk, we return to the main road and continue our way to Cholpon-Ata resort town. There we have an opportunity to see an open air museum of petroglyphs (stone drawings) dated from 2000 BC to 4 century AD.

Accommodation in a guest house in Cholpon-Ata.

Cholpon-Ata - Konorchek canyons - Burana - Bishkek

We are leaving for Bishkek, but on the way we will stop to see the magnificent canyons of Konorchek. To see its beauty, we have to make a walk of 3-4 hours there and back.
En route we also stop near Tokmok town, more precisely - Burana tower, dated from 10th century AD. This monument is one of the rarest buildings left from the ancient times. It is said that this tower was part of a big medieval city - Balasagyn, which was a capital city of Karakhan empire, that once resided on the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan. This was a period of blossom of Silk Road, and this place belonged to its main routes. That's why there were found numerous objects of different religions and cultures, that we will be able to see in the museum on the territory of the Burana architectural complex.

After a visit we return to Bishkek.

Accommodation in a hotel in Bishkek.