Day 1: Afternoon transfer to Chong-Kemin Valley, 3 hours from Bishkek. On the way, visit the Burana Tower architectural complex (10-11th century, an important point on the Great Silk Road), 15km from the main road. 1 hour. Arrive in Chong-Kemin. Lunch and take a stroll around Chong-Kemin. Dinner, bed and breakfast at a homestay.
Day 2: Morning departure to Issyk-Kul Lake. Transfer to Karakol (5-6 hour drive). On the way, we make a stop in Cholpon-Ata to visit an open-air petroglyph (rock painting) gallery (5km from Cholpon-Ata, heading to the mountains). Lunch en-route at a café. Afternoon arrival in Karakol followed by a city tour: visit the Dungan Mosque and the Russian Orthodox Church. Dinner, bed and breakfast at a homestay.
Day 3: Morning transfer to the Ak-Suu Village (about 30 km). Start trekking towards Altyn-Arashan (Golden Spa) Valley. You have to ascent three hills during the day. Trek time: around 5-6 hours. Picnic on the way. Arrival in Arashan. It is possible to take a thermal water bath at the Altyn-Arashan. Overnight in a mountain hut (hostel style) or yurt.
Day 4: At the Altyn-Arashan resort is possible to take a thermal water bath. You will never be able to forget the sight of the snow on Peak Palatka (Tent) 5260 m or «Swallow’s Nest Pool», nestling beneath the open sky. After late breakfast walk from Altyn Arashan resort down by Arashan Gorge (3 hours). Drive to Karakol (30 minutes). Dinner, bed and breakfast at a homestay.
Day 5: Transfer to the Jeti-Ögüz Gorge (Seven Bulls). Visit the Kök-Jaik area (Valley of Flowers). Picnic lunch en-route. Transfer to a yurt camp on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake (800 meters from the beach). Dinner and overnightin a yurt.
Day 6: Breakfast. Leave for Kochkor Village (Naryn region) –about a 3-hour drive. En route visit the village of yurt makers – Kyzyl-Tuu Village. Experience how the yurt is being made. Lunch in the village. Afternoon transfer further to Kochkor Village. Dinner, bed and breakfast at a homestay.
Day 7: Morning departure to the Kashka-Suu Village (1.5 hours). Start the 3-day trek to Song-Kul Lake (“The Final Lake”), 3016 meters above sea level through Tolok pass (3227 m). Song-Köl is a mountain lake located in the Tian-Shan Mountain Range at an altitude of 3016m used by the shepherds from the Kochkor, Jumgal, Naryn and At-Bashy regions as a jailoo – a pasture during the summer months. It is considered to be the pearl of Kyrgyz jailoos. The road to Song-Köl winds through mountainous terrain until it seems to disappear into the very sky itself. This is probably why Song- Köl is translated from Kyrgyz as “the final lake”. Today we head to the Kilemche Jailoo. The name means “like a carpet” and this swathe of grass covers whole mountain ranges, with shadings as subtle as any shyrdak (a shyrdak is a Kyrgyz felt carpet). Optional: horseback tour.
Day 8: Continue your journey to Song-Kul Lake. After breakfast at Kilemche, spend the morning climbing the Ak-Tash Pass (3 450m), over the Song-Kul mountains and into the lake’s basin. The morning climb offers wonderful views of Kilemche jailoo, and the pass itself is rocky and exciting. From the pass, Song-Kul is still distant, but as you trek down the slopes, it gets larger and larger, the mountains on the other side get higher and higher until finally, the lake fills most of your field of view and the southern mountains tower above it. After lunch at the Jaman-Echki yurt, follow the lakeshore west to a shepherd’s yurt in the Tuz-Ashuu area. Meals and overnight stay in a yurt or tent. Trekking time: 5 hours.
Day 9: After breakfast at Tuz-Ashuu, start the trek towards Kyzart Village. Arrive in Kyzart and have lunch at your home-stay. Late afternoon transfer to Kyzyl-Oi Village (2,5 hours). Dinner, bed and breakfast in a home-stay. Kyzyl Oi is an old village which has kept its distinct Central Asian character with its reddish clay houses. It is located in the Suusamyr Valley in a narrow gorge of the powerful Kokomeren river. The village is located at 1800m where the valley forms a bowl surrounded by high red colored mountains, which give the place its name, Kyzyl-Oi, meaning “Red Bowl” in Kyrgyz.
Day 10: Spend time till lunch in Kyzyl-Oi Village. Lunch. After lunch transfer to Toktogul village via Suusamyr Valley and Chychkan Gorge, 3-4 hours. Arrival in Toktogul, dinner, bed and breakfast in a home-stay
Day 11: Transfer to Arslanbob village, 5-6 hours. Drive along the biggest water reservoir in Central Asia, Toktogul water reservoir. Lunch en route. Arrival in Arslanbob, dinner, bed and breakfast in a home-stay. Explore the village.
Day 12: Morning start 1 day hike to the wild wallnut forests of Arstanbap with a late afternoon arrival back in Arslanbob. Lunch during hike. Dinner, bed and breakfast at a home-stay.
Day 13: Morning transfer to Osh (4 hours). On the way visit an 11th century architectural complex in Özgön. Arrive in Osh and explore the city: visit the sacred Sulaiman-Too (Prophet Solomon’s mountain) and Osh bazaar, one of Central Asia’s largest open-air markets. Optional lunch and dinner at a café serving Kyrgyz dishes. Bed and breakfast at a CBT homestay.
Day 14: Depart to Bishkek, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan or China.
Winter skiing in Boz-Uchuk and Jyrgalan Valleys!
The M41, known as the Pamir Highway is a road across the Pamir Mountains through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. This route has been in use for thousands of years and formed one link of the ancient Silk Road trade route.
Departures 2025:
May 12-18, 19-25
May 27 – June 01
September 23-29
June departures: 21-29
July: 4-13
Aug departures: 3-11 with Birds of Prey Festival in Bokonbaevo
Experience and enjoy Kyrgyzstan with us!