Wilderness of Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan Tour: The Main Tourist Attractions and Best Places to Visit

 

Country: Kyrgyzstan
Tour duration: 8 days / 7 nights
Itinerary: BishkekIssyk Kul LakeKarakol Jety-Oguz Gorge Karakol Bokonbaevo village NarynTash-RabatNarynKochkorBishkek

Kyrgyzstan is an incredible country of nomads, immense landscapes, high mountains, green alpine meadows, and dense pine woods, deep canyons, wild rivers, and crystal mountain lakes. Apart from the popular destinations, you will also get to experience rarely-visited places of interest and see a quite different culture.

You will witness real falcon hunting in Bokonaevo mountain village, and will visit the high-altitude Naryn town and the medieval caravanserai Tash Rabat, witness the way of living of nomads in their traditional housing – yurts, taste traditional dishes of unique Kyrgyz cuisine, and take part in a felt carpet making workshop in a small handicraft Kochkor village as well.

Formerly covered by the extensive network of the Great Silk Road, Kyrgyzstan still retains the unique architectural monuments, original culture and a great number of interesting traditions that have remained from those remote times. You will ride along the beautiful roads, enjoy the truly breathtaking views, and will get to experience many other attractions of Kyrgyzstan.

 

  • Itinerary /
    Services & Cost
  • Visa
  • Useful Information

 

Tour itinerary 2024:
Day 1. Arrival in Bishkek. Bishkek – Issyk Kul Lake (250 km, 4-5 hrs).
Meeting at Bishkek airport at any time of arrival mentioned by tourist. Transfer to Bishkek.
Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan, a cozy green city with a population of about 1 million people which is located in the middle of the Chuy valley, at an altitude of 750 meters, and right at the foot of Kyrgyz part of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range.
11:00Sightseeing in Bishkek: visit the central Ala-Too Square, flagstaff (and changing of the guard), statue of Lenin and Freedom Monument, Monument to Manas the Great.
Transfer to the Lake Issyk-Kul, Cholpon-Ata town. Check in at a hotel.
High-altitude Lake Issyk-Kul (“warm lake”) is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan, the second largest alpine lake in the world after Lake Titicaca in South America, and the second (after lake Baikal) lake with the clearest water in world. The lake is located at an altitude of 1620 meters and is surrounded by mountains all around. The water in Issyk-Kul is a little salty, it does not freeze in the winter and in the summer its temperature warms up to 24 degrees Celsius. The northern shore of Issyk-Kul is a famous resort zone with well-developed infrastructure.

Meals: breakfast.
Overnight at the hotel.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Day 2. Issyk-Kul (Cholpon-Ata). Sightseeing.
09:00Tour of Issyk-Kul: cultural center «Rukh Ordo» named after Chingiz Aytmatov, an open-air museum of petroglyphs in Cholpon-Ata, where you can see more than 1000 stones with drawings.
Lunch at a local restaurant (payment on the spot). Return to the hotel.
Free time.
Optionally for an extra charge:
Boat trip on Issyk-Kul lake.

Meals: breakfast.
Overnight at the hotel.

Suusamyr valley

Day 3. Issyk-Kul Lake – Karakol (140 km, 4-5 hrs). Karakol (sightseeing).
09:00Transfer along the Eastern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake to the city of Karakol.
Sightseeing in Karakol: Memorial complex of the great traveler N.M.Przhevalskiy – the place where you can find a museum, monument, and tomb of the infamous expeditor; wooden Russian Orthodox Church (Holy Trinity Cathedral, 19th century) and impressive wooden Dungan mosque, built without metal nails by the Dungan people.
Lunch in Karakol – tasting of the famous Karakol ashlyamfu, the national dish of the Uighurs and Dungan made of noodles with starch and sauce.
After lunch transfer to the Jeti-Oguz Gorge on the northern slopes of the Terskey Ala-Too Ridge, viewing red rocks "Broken Heart" and "Rocks of Seven Bulls". Huge dark green woods spread over red sandstone mountain slopes and create an incredible color contrast.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.
Overnight at the hotel.

Dungan church

Day 4. Karakol – Naryn (310 km, 6-7 hrs).
09:00 Transfer along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake. A stop for a guided tour at the “Skazka” canyon (Fairytale canyon), which consists of sand and red clay. It has been forming for millions of years under the influence of geological processes, water, and wind. You can wander for hours between fabulous castles and towers through a winding labyrinth, the bottom of which is strewn with ephedra bushes. There is even an unusual canyon that looks kind of like the Great Wall of China.
Afterwards, we move to the Bokonbayevo village, the inhabitants of which are famous for breeding wild predator birds. Demonstration of a hunting falcon.
Lunch at a local guesthouse.
Transfer to Naryn, a city located more than 2000 meters above sea level.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5. Naryn – Tash-Rabat caravanserai – Naryn (220 km, 4-5 hrs).
09:00 Sightseeing in Tash-Rabat medieval caravanserai (inn) on the Great Silk Road.
The Tash-Rabat caravanserai is a unique architectural monument of the early Middle Ages, dating the 15th century more precisely, a symbol of the Tenir-Too mountain architecture and one of the main archaeological sites of Kyrgyzstan. It is located at 3200 meters in the picturesque Kara-Koyun canyon, close to the Chinese border.
Then we will return to Naryn.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Overnight at the hotel.

Kochkor (Kochkorka)

Day 6. Naryn – Kochkor (130 km, 4-5 hrs).
09:00 Check-out from the hotel, transfer to Kochkor. Several stops for photo shoots along the way. From these spots you will see an amazing variety of Kyrgyz landscapes.
Kochkor village is the handicraft center of Kyrgyzstan, where the authentic traditions of felt production have been preserved intact.
Master class on making traditional felt carpet (rug) shyrdak. Traditional Kyrgyz felting and decorating of felt carpets is one of the most complicated folk crafts, it is included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Felt is made from sheep's wool; it is absolutely eco-friendly and incredibly convenient in nomad’s life.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7. Kochkor – Bishkek (250 km, 6-7 hrs).
09:00 Transfer to Bishkek.
On the way sightseeing of the Burana Tower complex (minaret of the Burana settlement, 10th-11th centuries): facade, interior, museum. It is an archaeological and architectural monument located in the depth of the ruins of Buraninsky settlement. It is an outstanding ancient building and plays a very important part in the Kyrgyz cultural heritage. Its height today is 21.7 meters, but initially the tower was at least 40 meters tall, however, its upper part was subsequently destroyed by an earthquake.
Accommodation at the hotel on arrival in Bishkek. Free time.

Meals: breakfast.
Overnight at the hotel.

Cholpon-Ata

Day 8. Departure from Bishkek.
Breakfast at the hotel (or lunch-box). Early morning transfer to the airport. Departure.

Meals: breakfast.

Burana Tower

Cost of the tour in USD per person, season 2024:

Group 1 pax 2-3 pax 4-5 pax 6-7 pax 8-9 pax 10-11 pax Supplement for single accommodation
Hotel 3* 3405 USD 1939 USD 1417 USD 1238 USD 1104 USD 1099 USD +290 USD
Hotel 4* 3459 USD 1974 USD 1452 USD 1256 USD 1122 USD 1117 USD +305 USD

The cost of the tour includes:

  • Accommodation at the hotels, mentioned above, or in similar, but of the same category in double/twin rooms with breakfasts, including early check in on day 1 in Bishkek; check-in at other hotels - at 14:00; check-out - at 12:00.
  • Meals according to the program.
  • Master class on making traditional felt rugs.
  • Falconry demonstration.
  • Services of English-speaking local guides for sightseeing.
  • Comfortable air-conditioned transportation throughout the tour, including ‘airport-hotel-airport” transfers.
  • Bottled mineral water per day per person.

The cost of the tour does not include:

  • The cost of international flights.
  • Meals not mentioned above.
  • Medical expenses and insurance.
  • Porters at airports.
  • Tips and gratitudes.
  • Visa fees.

Information on the hotels

Location Hotel 3* Hotel 4*
Bishkek Olive Hotel 3* or similar Plaza Hotel 4* or similar
Issyk-Kul Lake Kapriz Hotel or similar
Karakol Green Yard Hotel 3* or similar Karagat 4* or similar
Naryn Grand Khan Tengri 4*or similar
Kochkor Nomad Hotel 3* or similar

Transportation
On this route will be used the following type of transport (depending on the number of people in a group):

Group Type of transport
Group 1–3 pax "Toyota Sequoia" or similar
Group 4–6 pax "Mitsubishi Delica" or similar
Group 7–10 pax "Mercedes-Benz Sprinter" or similar

 

Visa to Kyrgyzstan

Under current rules visa-free stay within unlimited period on the territory of Kyrgyzstan is granted for the nationals of the following countries:

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belorussia
  • Cuba
  • Georgia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Laos
  • Moldova
  • North Korea
  • Russia
  • Tajikistan
  • Vietnam

List of states granted visa-free stay up to 90 days: Mongolia, Ukraine.

List of states granted visa-free stay up to 60 days

  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Andorra
  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Bahrain
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Britain
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Kuwait
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Monaco
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Republic of Korea
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States of America
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vatican

Visa-free access to Kyrgyzstan up to 30 days: Malaysia.

Read more about visa to Kyrgyzstan here »»

Photos of the tour:

View all photos »»

Video about Kyrgyzstan:

Charms of Kyrgyzstan’s nature
Charms of Kyrgyzstan’s nature
Base Camp surroundings (3600 M) at the foot of Lenin PeakBase Camp surroundings at the foot of Lenin Peak Kyrgyzstan painted with sand Kyrgyzstan painted with sand Trekking to Lake Sary ChelekTrekking to Lake Sary Chelek

View all videos »»

© Copyright © Central Asia Travel.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the copyright owner.

to the top »»

Heritage group tours:

Adventure group tours:

Other interesting tours:

Usefull links:


     	

TOUR ORDER

×

Tour name *

Full name *

Citizenship

Phone number * 

Telegram  

E-Mail * 

Number of
participants: 

Accommodation on the route:



Preferable form of communication:

Comments, wishes on the program:

Inserting your personal data in this form you give your consent to the processing of your personal data

Book a guided tour

×

Sightseeing tour name *

Full name *

Citizenship

Phone number * 

Telegram  

E-Mail * 

Number of
participants: 

Preferable form of communication:

Your comments and suggestions:

Inserting your personal data in this form you give your consent to the processing of your personal data



Send to a friend

×




Search on the site

Whats new on the site