8 days
Kel-Suu Lake, 3,514 m
Tash-Rabat & Kel-Suu Expedition
- Season
- July – mid-September
- Pace
- Active
- Group
- 2–6 travellers
See the route
All tours
Song-Kol & Issyk-Kul Jeep Loop
Two great lakes, one high pass and a night in a yurt in five days.
- Duration
- 5 days
- Season
- June – September
- Start and finish
- Bishkek and back
- Pace
- Moderate
- Group
- 1–6 travellers
Overview
The classic first trip to Kyrgyzstan. Cross the Kalmak-Ashuu pass to sleep in a yurt at Song-Kol, ride along the shore in the morning, then drop down to Issyk-Kul for canyons, gorges and a rough 4×4 track to the hot springs of Altyn-Arashan.
Why you'll love it
- Sleep in a family yurt camp on the shore of Song-Kol at 3,016 m.
- Ride a horse along the lake with a local herder
- Walk through the red ridges of Fairy Tale Canyon
- Bounce up the 4×4 track to the hot springs of Altyn-Arashan
What you'll do
- Jeep expedition
- High mountain passes
- Alpine lakes
- Yurt stays
- Horse riding
- Hot springs
- Canyons
Places you'll visit
Day by day
Start the day on horseback: an easy ride along the shore with a herder from the camp, no experience needed. After lunch in the yurt we drive back down the plateau and on to the south shore of Issyk-Kul.
Tonight's guesthouse is in Bokonbaev, a village known for its eagle hunters and felt makers.
- Drive
- 230 km, 5 h
- Road
- Asphalt and dirt road
- Activity
- Optional horse ride, about 2 h
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Overnight
- Guesthouse, Bokonbaev1,650 m
We leave Bishkek in the morning and follow the Chui valley east to the Boom gorge, then climb to Kochkor for lunch with a local family.
After Kochkor the asphalt ends. The gravel road climbs in switchbacks to the Kalmak-Ashuu pass, where the plateau of Song-Kol suddenly opens below. Evening walk along the shore and dinner in the yurt camp.
Note: Evenings at the lake are cold even in summer. Keep a warm layer in your day bag.
- Drive
- 320 km, 6–7 h
- Road
- Asphalt and dirt road
- Highest point
- Kalmak-Ashuu pass, 3,446 m
- Meals included
- Breakfast, dinner
- Overnight
- Yurt, Song-Kol3,016 m
A slow day along the lake. Walk the ridges of Fairy Tale Canyon in the morning light, swim from a quiet beach, then turn inland to the red cliffs of the Jeti-Oguz gorge.
We end in Karakol, the main town of the east, with time for a walk and dinner in a local restaurant.
- Drive
- 170 km, 4 h
- Road
- Asphalt
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch
- Overnight
- Hotel, Karakol1,770 m
The road to Altyn-Arashan is a rocky track along a river through spruce forest, the kind of drive this trip is named for. It takes about two hours to cover 15 kilometres.
Afternoon free for the hot springs, a walk to the upper valley and views of Palatka peak.
- Drive
- 35 km, 2–3 h
- Road
- Off-road
- Activity
- Walks in the upper valley
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Overnight
- Guesthouse, Altyn-Arashan2,600 m
Included
- Private 4×4 vehicle with an experienced local driver
- English-speaking guide
- All accommodation listed in the itinerary
- Meals as listed for each day
- Drinking water in the vehicle
- Entrance fees for parks and sights on the route
- Airport pickup and drop-off in Bishkek
- One horse ride at Song-Kol
Not included
- International flights
- Visa fees, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Alcohol and personal expenses
- Tips for your driver and guide
- Hot spring entry at Altyn-Arashan
Where you stay, how you travel
Accommodation
1 night in a yurt, 2 nights in guesthouses, 1 night in a hotel
Yurt, 1 night
Family-run yurt camps with beds, thick felt walls and warm blankets. Shared outdoor toilets; showers are basic or unavailable at the highest camps.
Guesthouse, 2 nights
Village guesthouses with private or shared bathrooms, hot showers and home-cooked meals.
Hotel, 1 night
Comfortable small hotels in towns, with private bathrooms and Wi-Fi.
Vehicle
Toyota Land Cruiser or similar 4×4
Up to 3 travellers per vehicle, plus luggage
High-clearance 4×4 with air conditioning, a roof rack for luggage and a first-aid kit. Larger groups travel in two vehicles in convoy.
Photos from the route
Good to know
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Best season
High routes and yurt camps open from June to mid-September. Lower routes around Issyk-Kul work from May to October. Nights above 3,000 m can drop close to freezing even in July.
Altitude
Some passes reach 3,000–3,600 m and a few overnights are close to 3,000 m. We gain height gradually. Drink plenty of water, go easy on the first evening and tell your guide if you feel unwell.
What to pack
Warm layers and a down jacket, a waterproof shell, sturdy walking shoes, a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, a headlamp, a reusable water bottle and any personal medication.
Money
Cards work in Bishkek and Karakol. Carry Kyrgyz som in cash for villages, yurt camps and small purchases. Exchange offices in Bishkek give better rates than the airport.
Phone and internet
A local SIM card works in towns and along main roads. Expect little or no signal at high lakes and passes, which most travellers end up enjoying.
Electricity
220 V with European two-pin sockets (types C and F). Yurt camps usually charge phones from solar panels or a generator in the evening.
Insurance
Travel insurance that covers medical emergencies and evacuation at altitude is strongly recommended.
Food and dietary needs
Meals are home-style Central Asian cooking: soups, noodles, plov, bread and fresh vegetables in summer. Vegetarian and other diets are possible if you tell us in advance.
Other routes
All tours
4 days
Issyk-Kul Family Circuit
- Season
- May – October
- Pace
- Easy
- Group
- 2–6 travellers
See the route
10 days
Too-Ashuu pass, 3,586 m
Grand Kyrgyzstan Overland
- Season
- June – September
- Pace
- Moderate
- Group
- 1–6 travellers
See the route