5 days
Kalmak-Ashuu pass, 3,446 m
Song-Kol & Issyk-Kul Jeep Loop
- Season
- June – September
- Pace
- Moderate
- Group
- 1–6 travellers
See the route
All tours
Tash-Rabat & Kel-Suu Expedition
Eight days into the high south, to a Silk Road caravanserai and a lake in a canyon.
- Duration
- 8 days
- Season
- July – mid-September
- Start and finish
- Bishkek and back
- Pace
- Active
- Group
- 2–6 travellers
Overview
Our most remote route. From Song-Kol we cross the Moldo-Ashuu pass to Naryn, sleep beside the stone caravanserai of Tash-Rabat, then drive deep into the border zone to the turquoise Kel-Suu lake before returning via the south shore of Issyk-Kul.
Why you'll love it
- Reach Kel-Suu, one of the most remote lakes in Central Asia
- Sleep near a 15th-century Silk Road caravanserai
- Cross three passes above 3,000 m
- Three nights with herding families in yurt camps
What you'll do
- Jeep expedition
- High mountain passes
- Alpine lakes
- Yurt stays
- Nomadic culture
- Trekking
Places you'll visit
Day by day
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
- Lunch, dinner
- Overnight
- Yurt, Song-Kol3,016 m
Leave the lake by its southern road and drop over the Moldo-Ashuu pass, a long staircase of hairpins with views over the whole plateau.
In the afternoon we follow the Naryn river to the town of the same name for a night in a guesthouse.
- Drive
- 180 km, 5 h
- Road
- Off-road
- Highest point
- Moldo-Ashuu pass, 3,346 m
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Overnight
- Guesthouse, Naryn2,040 m
South over the low Kara-Kyungey ridge into the wide At-Bashy valley, with the wall of the Kokshaal range ahead. Turning into a side valley we reach Tash-Rabat, a stone caravanserai that sheltered Silk Road traders for centuries.
Afternoon walk to the ridge above the valley; night in a yurt camp nearby.
- Drive
- 120 km, 3 h
- Road
- Asphalt and dirt road
- Activity
- Walk to the ridge, 2–3 h
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Overnight
- Yurt, Tash-Rabat3,200 m
A day of real off-road driving. We pass the border-zone checkpoint with permits arranged in advance and follow river beds and gravel tracks into the Kok-Kiya valley, where herders spend the summer.
Note: Bring your passport. The border-zone permit is checked on the way in and out.
- Drive
- 150 km, 5–6 h
- Road
- Off-road
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Overnight
- Yurt, Kok-Kiya3,000 m
A short drive and an hour's walk bring us to the shore of Kel-Suu, a turquoise lake caught between vertical rock walls. Picnic lunch by the water and plenty of time to explore before returning to the same camp.
- Drive
- 40 km, 1–2 h
- Road
- Off-road
- Highest point
- Kel-Suu Lake, 3,514 m
- Activity
- Walk to the lake, 1–2 h each way
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Overnight
- Yurt, Kok-Kiya3,000 m
Our longest day. Back out of the border zone, through Naryn and over the Dolon pass, then down towards Issyk-Kul. We stop often, and dinner tonight is by the lake.
- Drive
- 400 km, 8–9 h
- Road
- Asphalt and dirt road
- Highest point
- Dolon pass, 3,030 m
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Overnight
- Yurt, Bokonbaev1,650 m
An easy day after the expedition. Morning walk in Fairy Tale Canyon, a swim, then the red cliffs of Jeti-Oguz before an evening in Karakol.
- Drive
- 170 km, 4 h
- Road
- Asphalt
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch
- Overnight
- Hotel, Karakol1,770 m
Along the north shore of Issyk-Kul with a stop at the Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs, arriving in Bishkek in the evening.
- Drive
- 400 km, 7 h
- Road
- Asphalt
- Meals included
- Breakfast, lunch
- End of day
- Arrive in Bishkek
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
- Border-zone permit for Kel-Suu
Not included
- International flights
- Visa fees, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Alcohol and personal expenses
- Tips for your driver and guide
Where you stay, how you travel
Accommodation
5 nights in yurts, 1 night in a guesthouse, 1 night in a hotel
Yurt, 5 nights
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, 1 night
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
Border-zone permit
Kel-Suu is inside the border zone. Send us a passport scan at least 3 weeks before the trip and we arrange the permit.
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.
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