Itinerary

1. Day 1- Go for Bishkek City Tour

   • Meet your guide after arriving in Bishkek and transfer to the hotel.

   • Spend your day taking an advanced Bishkek city tour covering places- Ploshad Pobedy (Victory Square), Duboviy Park (Oak Park), Ploshad Ala-Too (Ala-Too square), the History Museum, National Philharmonic and other places on request.

   • Stroll through the streets of the famous Central-Asian Bazaar. Osh or Orto-Sai bazaars are also colourful, and all kinds of goods are sold there.

2. Day 2- Visit Burana Tower

   • Drive to Issyk-Kul region, Karakol.

   • En-route visit, an essential point on the ancient Silk Road- the Burana Tower, an architectural complex dating back to the 10th century. Monuments include a minaret, remnants of a castle, and an ancient warrior cemetery.

   • Enjoy a home-cooked meal near Burana at a Kyrgyz family home and stay at a local family's home.

3. Day 3- Drive to Karakol

   • Drive to Karakol Valley. On the way to The Alps camp,  we will pass by steppe foothills, mountain forests, woodland, alpine meadows and even the realm of eternal snow with bare rocks and glaciers.

   Overnight stay at the accommodation.

4. Day 4- Experience the Beauty of Ala Kul Lake

   • Have breakfast and continue to Ala Kul Lake. The lake lies in the glacier valley of the left head of Kurgaktor River, at an altitude of 3,532 meters above sea level, with beautiful views of the snow-capped peaks.

   • Have lunch on the shore of Ala-Kul Lak and head to Altyn-Arashan.

   Overnight stay in a hut and enjoy the serenity of the mountains.

5. Day 5- Explore the Markets of Karakol

   • Spend the morning at Altyn-Arashan, and explore the surroundings.

   • Trek down to the foothill and then transfer by car back to Karakol.

   • Explore the town, visit the local market, and stroll around the old residential quarters, admiring the wooden architecture.

   Overnight in Karakol home-stay.

6. Day 6- Visit the Beautiful Places around Karakol

   • Drive to Jeti-Ögüz Gorge (Seven Bulls), named after huge flaming red rocks resembling a bull's shape.

   • Visit the Kök-Jaik area (Valley of Flowers) and have a picnic lunch on lush pasture.

   • Head to the southern shore of Issyk-kul. On the way, visit Skazka canyons, admire rock formations shaped by wind erosion.

   Overnight at a yurt camp. After dinner, enjoy a folklore show.

7. Day 7- Witness Eagle Hunting

   • Witness Eagle hunting demonstration in the morning and learn how local hunters trained eagles as partners.

   • Have lunch at yurt camp and drive to Kochkor Village.

   • Visit a handicraft workshop, and learn how Kyrgyz carpets (ala kiiz) are made.

   Overnight at homestay in Kochkor, and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

8. Day 8- Transfer to Isakeev Vilage

   • Transfer from Kochkor to Isakeev village (30 min) to start trekking. Have lunch on the way to Ters Tor Pasture.

   • Arrive at a lake to do fishing.

   Overnight stay near the lake in a yurt camp (3,000 meters).

9. Day 9- Visit Kol Tor Lake

   • Start climbing to visit another lake, the Kol-Tor (3,400 meters).

   • Have lunch and go down to Isakeev village to get back to Kochkor.

   Enjoy dinner & overnight in a guesthouse.

10. Day 10- Transfer to Kyzart Pass

    • Transfer to Kyzart pass, the starting point for a 2-day horseback trip to Song Kul. 

    • See the area of summer pasture for Nomads at Cross Kyzyl-Kiya Jailoo.

    • Continue over Chaar-Archa Pass (3,061 meters) and have a picnic lunch by the river, enjoying views of the holy Baba-Ata Mountain (4,400 meters).

    • Follow the trail to Kilemche Jailoo.

    Dine and sleep in yurt camp.

11. Day 11- Meet a Kyrgyz Shepherd Family

    • Spend the morning climbing to Jalgyz Karagai pass (3,400 meters) and enter the lake basin. The trek offers superb views of grassland and mountain ranges.

    • Have lunch at Jaman Echki, follow the lake shore east to Batai Aral, and meet the host family of Kyrgyz shepherds to enjoy typical local food, such as fermented mare’s milk and grill fish from the lake.

    Overnight in yurt.

12. Day 12- Stay at Song Kul Lake

    • Rest and relax by the lakeside.

    • Watch or participate in the everyday life of shepherds: milking cows; making national milk products like kymyz (fermented mare’s milk) or airan (a sour dense milk product); tending sheep and cattle.

    • Enjoy home-cooked meals, stroll along the lakeshore, and play local sports.

    Overnight stay in yurt camp.

13. Day 13- Departure

    • Have breakfast, transfer by car to Bishkek (6 hours) and check in to the guesthouse.

    • Explore the capital city of Kyrgyzstan and visit the downtown square and surrounding sites of interest.

    Have dinner.