8 days in beautiful Kyrgyzstan

After breakfast we will go to the national park Ala-Archa where we will take pleasure from seeing a great Kyrgyz nature. The park is located in 40 km from Bishkek on the slopes of Kyrgyz Ala-Too. Ala-Archa is translated from Kyrgyz language as “motley juniper”. The gorge got its name due to a great amount of juniper covering its slopes. As different kinds of juniper have different colors and the gorge seems to be very colorful. Almost all treks and hiking trips start from the same named alpine camp Ala-Archa, located at the forest zone on the height of 2100m over the sea level. The camp first consisted of tents in 1951 and then grew into the modern size. This was the second important place in Soviet Union after Caucasus, a kind of climbing Mecca of Central Asia. A lot of famous climbers started their climbing career here. The camp itself is located close to Ak-Sai glacier, that is surrounded by many summits of different difficulty level. We will have a hike to Ak-Sai waterfall and come back to Bishkek. Overnight.

Kegety – Tokmok (80 km / 1.5 h). In the morning after the breakfast we will drive to Kegety gorge and trek to the mountainous Kel-Tor lake which will take us about 5 hours. After that we will drive to the historical-architectural complex of Burana Tower. Excursion to the museum and the tower Burana (XI c.). Visit the remaining foundations of once majestic mausoleums (XI - XII centuries) - tombs of the powerful rulers of the city. Visit the open-air museum where you can see the life evidence of numerous representatives of various doctrines, cultures, religions and lifestyles collected from the whole Chu valley. We will have dinner in the evening and overnight in the hotel not far from Tokmok town.

Tokmok – Bokonbaevo (170 km / 3 h). In the morning after the breakfast we will be transferred to the southern shore of Issyk-Kul lake to the village of Bokonbaevo where we will have lunch in yurts on the shores of Issyk-Kul lake. On the way, we will have the opportunity to see beautiful canyons of Komorchek in Boom gorge (the hike will take 4 - 5 hours). After that we will continue our way to the lake. Issyk-Kul is the second largest mountain lake after Lake Titicaca in South America, is among the 25 largest lakes in the world and is in seventh place on the list of the deepest lakes on our planet. Issyk-Kul Lake also ranks second in water transparency after Baikal lake. The local population calls Issyk-Kul lake «The Pearl of Kyrgyzstan». Similar to a small bead strung on a chain of mountain ranges, it really justifies this name. Similar to a small bead strung on a chain of mountain ranges, it really justifies this name. In the village we will visit the house of an eagle hunter and see the eagle hunting show. We will also visit the local felt factory and see Shyrdak show (the process of making national yurt rugs). Dinner and overnight in yurts.

Bokonbaevo – Karakol (130 km / 2 h). In the morning we will enjoy the view of Terskey-Ala-Too ridge and after breakfast continue our way. We will see the amazing change of landscapes like in kaleidoscope. The first place we will visit today is the Fairy Tale gorge. The whole originality of the place is the frozen in bizarre forms colorful rocks, like after the eruption. Solid clusters made of limestone and sandstone are bulging from the colorful soil and the place looks like the ruins of ancient castles. The most surprising is that the architect and sculptor of the place is the nature that used only water, sun and wind as instruments. Besides the fancy castles and fairy figures, the structures can also be considered as many-domed churches, and crenellated walls with loopholes; for example - Sandy fence, which is very much like the Chinese wall, stretching for several kilometers along the southern shore of Lake Issyk- Kul. Further we drive to Djeti-Oguz by the eastern shore of Issyk-Kul lake. The gorge is located in 60 km to the west of Karakol on the northern slopes of Terskey-Ala-Too. This is one of the most beautiful places in Kyrgyzstan. For 25 km on both sides of the gorge the fir trees are growing at first merging into small groups and then turning into huge forest mass. The gorge finally becomes a wide Kok-Djayik valley which is totally covered by fir forests up to the very top of the ridge. Over the forest zone (about 3000 m) in the wide valley of about 15 km there are amazing subalpine and alpine meadows called Djailoo. During the spring and the summer Djeti-Oguz gorge turns into a kind of flower holiday, among which you may see the silver stars of Edelweiss flowers, alpine daisies and asters, and nard (golden root). In the Autumn the gorge is being a colorful canvas as it’s covered not only by coniferous forests but also by the leaf trees. In the gorge we will hike to a waterfall and see the enormous stone forms “7 bulls” and “Broken heart”. In the evening we will come to Karakol for dinner and will have a little walk around the town, visit an ancient Dungan Mosque, and a Holy Trinity wooden Church which was built without a single nail. Overnight at the hotel.

Karakol – Cholpon-Ata (150 km / 2.5 h). In the morning after breakfast we will be transferred to Cholpon-Ata – the town which is located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in Kyrgyzstan – Issyk-Kul lake. On the way we may visit Grigoriev gorge and if the weather allows us, we will have a little hike to the mountainous lake. The beauty of nature is fascinating: forbs, greenery, fresh mountain air and silence. We will organize an outdoor picnic and continue our journey to the city of Cholpon-Ata. The evening is free. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Cholpon-Ata - Bishkek (250 km / 4 h). In the morning you will visit Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs (stone inscriptions) left on the stones by ancient people. Here you can also visit the historical museum of the city and the cultural complex Ruch Ordo, which is very interesting for its collection of all the most important world religions. On the other hand, you can relax all morning in the hotel, walk along the beach and swim in the blue waters of the lake. In the evening departure to Bishkek. Hotel accommodation and farewell dinner.

Departure. This morning the car will take you to the airport for your flight home.