Nature & Culture Treasures of Central Asia

Visa and Visa invitation to Uzbekistan:

Visa-free regime for up to 60 days has been established  for citizens of countries below:

Visa-free regime for up to 30 days has been established  for citizens of countries below:

Read more about visa to Uzbekistan here »»

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:

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

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

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

Read more about visa to Kyrgyzstan here »»

Itinerary brief description

This trekking is rather easy and is suitable for anyone with good physical condition. Tourist above 16 and under 65 years of age can join this tour provided they have no serious health problems and their doctor does not object to participation in such kind of tourist activities. Children above 14 can also join this trekking tour provided they are accompanied by their parents.

Trekking to high altitude lake Sary-Chelek and other lakes of the Western Tien-Shan.

Trekking on foot covers from 10km to 18km a day with altitude difference up to 850m. The route runs at the maximum altitude of 2750m above sea level (Kuldambes pass).

Each participant carries his own rucksack with personal belongings, supply of drinking water and first-aid kit. The rest of the gear (the weight of the gear should not exceed 15kg per person), as well as group camping equipment and supply of provisions is transported by pack-horses. Typically the region enjoys rather stable weather: it’s warm and sunny, though some rain is possible, which relieves the monotony of the trip. The daytime temperatures range between +15° to +30°С, whereas at night the temperature can drop as low as +8 or +10°С.

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Equipment on route

- Tents are used for accommodation of two persons. The tents are wind-resisting and water-proof and are suitable for any weather conditions. For your comfort the tents are equipped with firm air-beds as well as comfortable sleeping bags with individual lining.
- Tent camp also has a big hangar-like mess tent with tables and camp chairs.
- Throughout the trek we provide quality tableware.
- To cook dishes during the trek we provide gas burner with gas cylinders or a supply of firewood.
- The tent camp is equipped with portable WC.

Any trekking group is provided with portable radio transmitters and GPS navigator.

We also offer the travelers small a flashlight for forehead with extra batteries.

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List of personal gear provided by Central Asia Travel company

List of personal gear which tourist should bring himself

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Service staff

Throughout the trekking travel you will be escorted by high altitude guide, who is the tour manager and our authorized representative. He is responsible for the safety and security of the group as well as decision making, including any changes in the route due to unforeseen circumstances that could threaten the health and well-being of the participants.

The tour is serviced by a team whose responsibility is to pitch and take down tents, lay the table for meals, wash up, pack the loads on horses, make fire and the like.

The team also includes a dedicated professional cook and a horse handler who is responsible for proper packing of the loads on horses and porterage.

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Meals

Throughout the trek programme you will be served hot meals three times a day.
Below you can find the menu of one of the trekking days:

		Breakfast: First dish: cereal porridge (semolina, oats, rice). Second dish: cooked eggs with sausages, omelette, pancakes, thick pancakes, toasted bread, cottage cheese pancake, etc. Buffet table: cheese, sausage, assorted bread, butter, ketchup, marmalade, chocolate paste, sweets, cookies, wafers, dried cream, honey, sugar, halavah. Drinks: selection of hot drinks, such as tea (black and green), coffee, cocoa.
		Lunch: Buffet lunch: assorted bread, fresh salads, canned fish, cheese, sheep cheese, assorted meat appetizers, tea (black and green) sweets, cookies, wafers, fruits (apples, pears), dried fruits (apricot, raisin, figs, etc.), assorted nuts. *In case of camp lunch first course is added.
		Dinner: First course - soup (European or local cuisine). Second course - various dishes of European cuisine with assorted garnish, as well as a choice of local dishes. Buffet table: assorted bread, cheese, sausage, ketchup, spices (mustard, various dressings), sweets, cookies, wafers, sugar. Drinks: selection of hot drinks, such as tea (black and green), coffee, cocoa, thin jelly. Dessert: watermelon, melon, fruits.

Starting point

Tourists should arrive to Osh - the starting point of the tour on the date the tour begins. All expenses connected with early arrival or late departure on completion of the tour should be covered by tourists themselves. In this case our company can arrange transfers to and from the airport as well as book the hotel.

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Route Map

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who can attempt this trek? Should the participants of the tour have prior trekking experience or prepare themselves physically?
2. Can people with health problems participate in this programme?
3. Is travel insurance compulsory for this tour?
4. What is the weather like in the mountains?
5. Is it possible to swim in the lakes?
6. What are the probabilities of encountering some dangerous creatures (besides relatively harmless mosquitoes) such as snakes, spiders, scorpions, mites etc.?
7. Is it allowed to pick up mountain herbs and flowers? Which plants should be avoided?
8. How are meals organized during the trek programme?
9. How about communication facilities during trek travel?
10. How good is Internet access?
11. Visa, permits.

1. Who can attempt this trek? Should the participants of the tour have prior trekking experience or prepare themselves physically?
   This trekking is rather easy and is suitable for anyone with good physical condition. Tourist above 16 and under 65 years of age can join this tour provided they have no serious health problems and their doctor does not object to participation in such kind of tourist activities. Children above 14 can also join this trekking tour provided they are accompanied by their parents.
   The offered trekking tour can be graded as simple-average, which means no special skills in mountaineering are required. The escort team consists of an experienced high altitude guide able to choose the right path and advise you on the precautions to be taken in each section of the route. During the tour you will have to trek on foot long distances. Therefore the only condition for those willing to participate in this trekking programme is absence of medical contraindications to such activities.
2. Can people with health problems participate in this programme?
   Please note, that the route of the tour runs through mountains with considerable altitude differences (the maximum altitude is 2750 m above sea level). The participants can experience some symptoms of altitude sickness which disappear when the descent from the mountains starts. Therefore the tour may not be suitable for persons suffering from heart or respiratory problems (hypertension, asthma). We recommend you to consult your doctor before planning this tour.
3. Is travel insurance compulsory for this tour?
   Yes, it is. The medical insurance of up to $ 10,000- 15,000 should be obtained before leaving your homeland.
4. What is the weather like in the mountains?
   In the summer the weather is fair and sunny with daytime temperature reaching +28°С. At night, however, and on rainy days the temperature drops to +8 or + 10ºС which makes the availability of warm jacket rather useful.
5. Is it possible to swim in the lakes?
   Most definitely it is. In summertime the temperature in the lakes is about 17-19°С. No wonder many travelers like to experience some bracing bathing. So don’t forget your swimsuit.
6. What are the probabilities of encountering some dangerous creatures (besides relatively harmless mosquitoes) such as snakes, spiders, scorpions, mites etc.?
   Though such a probability exists, it is too small as proved by our long experience of organizing trekking tours.
7. Is it allowed to pick up mountain herbs and flowers? Which plants should be avoided?
   It is advisable not to touch the plants you are not familiar with as some of them can be rather toxic (for example giant fennel can sting you when you touch its leaves). It is forbidden to pick up Red Book plants. The mountain slopes are home to many medicinal herbs including mint, origan, thyme, which you can pick up and brew a delicious ‘mountain tea’. The banks of the rivers are covered with bushes of dog rose and sea-buckthorn.
8. How are meals organized during the trek programme?
   You will be escorted by a cook and other service staff responsible for arranging regular and tasty meals. You don’t need to bother about tableware, kitchen utensils and equipment as we provide all these as well as tables, chairs, and tents throughout the whole trek programme.
   Drinking water is provided from crystal-clear mountain springs. However, it is recommended to drink only boiled water. In cities and during long transfers it is advisable to use bottled water.
   Below you can find the menu of one of the trekking days:
   Breakfast:
   First dish: cereal porridge (semolina, oats, rice).
   Second dish: cooked eggs with sausages, omelette, pancakes, thick pancakes, toasted bread, cottage cheese pancake, etc.
   Buffet table: cheese, sausage, assorted bread, butter, ketchup, marmalade, chocolate paste, sweets, cookies, wafers, dried cream, honey, sugar, halavah.
   Drinks: selection of hot drinks, such as tea (black and green), coffee, cocoa.
   Lunch:
   Buffet lunch: assorted bread, fresh salads, canned fish, cheese, sheep cheese, assorted meat appetizers, tea (black and green) sweets, cookies, wafers, fruits (apples, pears), dried fruits (apricot, raisin, figs, etc.), assorted nuts.
   *In case of camp lunch first course is added.
   Dinner:
   First course - soup (European or local cuisine).
   Second course - various dishes of European cuisine with assorted garnish, as well as a choice of local dishes.
   Buffet table: assorted bread, cheese, sausage, ketchup, spices (mustard, various dressings), sweets, cookies, wafers, sugar.
   Drinks: selection of hot drinks, such as tea (black and green), coffee, cocoa, thin jelly.
   Dessert: watermelon, melon, fruits.
9. How about communication facilities during trek travel?
   Cellular telecommunication is available in Osh and on the way to Aflatun settlement. In the mountainous areas, especially in mountain valleys, there are difficulties with signal receipt. Tour manager is equipped with portable satellite terminal to provide uninterrupted external link. Moreover, the group is provided with walkie-talkie to ensure trouble-free connection between trekkers.
10. How good is Internet access?
    Internet access is available only in Osh. There are many internet-cafes there.
11. Visa, permits.
    Kyrgyzstan has considerably simplified its visa policy and today citizens of 70 countries of the world enjoy visa-free access to this Central Asian state.
    Visa-free entry to the territory of Kyrgyzstan is granted for the nationals of the Russia, the CIS countries and a number of citizens of European and other foreign countries.
    The details on Kyrgyz visa, rules of entry and stay on the territory of Kyrgyzstan you can find here.
    To enter the territory of Kyrgyzstan the foreign national must have a foreign passport valid for not less than 6 months following the termination date of the tour.
    It is also important that before their trip to Kyrgyzstan foreign nationals arrange travel medical insurance with coverage of up to $10,000-15,000.