Pearls of Kyrgyzstan: Issyk-Kul and Song-Kul Lakes 2027

• Best Season: mid June — mid September
• Duration: 8 days
• Category: combined – 4 days travel + 4-days medium-level hiking
• Level of Difficulty: easy to medium
• Group size: any
• Transport: Jeep or Minivan (2-5 pax); Minibus (6-12 pax).
• Requirements: weatherproof warm clothes, trekking boots, hat, sleeping bag with mat (can be provided upon request), sunglasses and sunscreen

Day 1:

Meet you at CBT office in Bishkek by 9 in the morning by address Gorkiy st. 58.

Bishkek – Issyk-Ata Gorge – Tamchy

Drive to the Issyk-Ata gorge on the northern slopes of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too and relax in its mineral hot springs. After lunch on the way, continue east to Tamchy, a quiet village on the north shore of Issyk-Kul. Free afternoon, with an optional horse ride or a walk around the village. Dinner and overnight at a local guesthouse.

Day 2:

Tamchy – Cholpon-Ata – Karakol

Follow the north shore of Issyk-Kul to Cholpon-Ata and visit the Rukh-Ordo cultural centre, a lakeside park dedicated to five of the world’s major religions. After lunch on the way, arrive in Karakol and see its two landmarks: the colourful Dungan Mosque and the wooden Russian Orthodox Church. Dinner at a café and overnight at a guesthouse.

Day 3:

Karakol – Kyzyl-Suu – Jeti-Oguz Pass (trek day 1)

A short drive (40 km) brings you to the Kyzyl-Suu valley, where the trek begins. Walk towards the Jeti-Oguz valley over the Jeti-Oguz pass (2,800 m), about 18 km, stopping at a waterfall in the Kok-Jaiyk gorge and for a picnic lunch on the trail. Dinner and overnight at a yurt camp.

Day 4:

Jeti-Oguz – Skazka Canyon – Bokonbaevo (trek day 2)

A short morning hike to a viewpoint facing Oguz-Bashy peak (5,180 m), finishing at the panoramic viewpoint over the Jeti-Oguz gorge. After lunch at an eco-village lodge, drive along the south shore to Skazka, the “Fairy-Tale” canyon of red and orange sandstone. Dinner and overnight at a yurt camp near Bokonbaevo.

Day 5:

Bokonbaevo (eagle hunting) – Kochkor

After a relaxed breakfast, head into the hills for a traditional eagle hunting show, where a local hunter flies his golden eagle. Lunch at a yurt camp in the mountains, then drive to Kochkor, a village known for its felt carpets. Dinner and overnight at a guesthouse.

Day 6:

Kochkor – Kyzart – Kilemche (Song-Kol trek day 1)

Drive to the Kyzart pass to meet your guide and pack horses. The trail crosses the wide grasslands of Kyzyl-Kiya and climbs over the Chaar-Archa pass (3,061 m), with a riverside lunch and views of the 4,400 m Baba-Ata mountain. In the afternoon, walk over green hills to the Kilemche summer pasture. Dinner and overnight in a yurt.

Day 7:

Kilemche – Jalgyz-Karagai Pass – Song-Kol Lake (Song-Kol trek day 2)

Climb in the morning to the Jalgyz-Karagai pass (3,400 m), with wide views back over Kilemche. From the top, walk down as Song-Kol slowly fills the view. After lunch at Jaman-Echki, transfer along the shore to Batai-Aral and meet your host family of Kyrgyz shepherds. Dinner and overnight in their yurt.

Day 8: 

Song-Kol – Kalmak-Ashuu Pass – Burana Tower – Bishkek

After breakfast, drive down from Song-Kol over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass towards Bishkek. On the way, stop at Burana Tower, an 11th-century minaret and the last trace of the Silk Road city of Balasagun. The tour ends at the CBT office in Bishkek.