Tour Time: 7 days 6 night
Departure:
Return:
Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Age: Min 16 - 60+
Max People: 10
Themes: Cultural, Historical, Archaelogical, Adventure, Gastronomical tours, Photography tours,
Kyrgyzstan is a fascinating country with a strong nomadic heritage in the heart of Central Asia. This is your opportunity to experience the itinerant way of life, witnessing how people live hand in hand with nature and continue customs that have been passed down through many generations.
This trip will lead you on a one-week tour of Kyrgyzstan. You will discover the country’s highlights, from the rural lakeshore of Issyk Kul, to the sublime alpine pastures of Song Kul, and Kyrgyzstan’s green capital, Bishkek. You will be immersed in the ancient nomadic culture of their Kyrgyz, including their equestrian traditions.
Your guide will meet you in airport and you will be transferred to Bishkek city. Rest until 11 a.m. This entire day is dedicated to a guided tour of Bishkek. It includes visiting Pobeda Square (Victory Square), Duboviy Park (Oak Park), Central Ala-Too Square, the History Museum, National Philharmonic, and many others places of interest. But no tour of Bishkek is complete without visiting our Asian Bazaar! We will show it to you today and you will be able to take a lot of dynamic photos of bustling local life. This bazaar is a noisy and colorful tapestry of fabrics, produce, and people selling and buying goods. Traditional dinner will be served at 7 p.m. You will spend the night in a hotel.
After breakfast we start our drive to the second largest lake in Kyrgyzstan, Song Kul Lake. You will have lunch on route. Song Kul Lake is surrounded by mountains and it is the highest alpine lake in Kyrgyzstan, situated at an altitude of 3013 meters above sea level. Since ancient times Kyrgyz nomads have come to this wonderful area with their families for rest and relaxation. On the journey we will drive over Tue Ashu Pass which is 3586 meters above sea level. Dinner and overnight will be spent in nomadic collapsible dwellings - yurts. They are made of a wooden skeleton, covered with felt coverings. Yurts are built without nails.
In the morning you will be transferred to Kochkor village. The road will go along amazing gorge and you will drive today over Kalmak Ashu pass that is 3 225 meters high. In Kochkor village you will spend some time with a family that will show you the way our national felt carpets are produced. Also you will visit a small handicraft museum there. Afterwards you will be transferred to the celestial Issyk Kul Lake, the second largest alpine lake in the world (1608m.above sea level). The lake is called "the pearl of Central Asia". At Bokonbaeva village we will visit a local eagle-hunter. He hunts hares and foxes with the help of eagles (a traditional form of nomadic hunting). You can come up to the lake and to see mountains all around it. Your dinner and night will be in guest house.
Today you will be transferred to Karakol city. On the way we can visit the "Skazka" canyon .Canyon was named due to its bizarre rocky landscape, which for many years has been transformed by wind into fabulous sculptures and formations. Some formations in "Skazka" have been named for their similarity to well-known objects. For example, one set of ridges in the canyon is named "The Chinese Wall" due to its similarity to the Great Wall of China. Then is transfer to famous gorge of Jeti Oguz, Red Rocks. Also you will see there the Broken Heart Mountain. Then we continue our way to Karakol town. In Karakol you will visit the Dungan mosque. One of its highlights is the fact that it was built in a Chinese style without using a single metal nail. The mosque will be followed by a visit to an old wooden Orthodox Church. Your dinner will be in a local restaurant. Night is in a hotel.
In the morning you will visit the Dungan mosque. One of its highlights is the fact that it was built in a Chinese style without using a single metal nail. The mosque will be followed by a visit to an old wooden Orthodox Church. Afterwards you will be transferred to Issyk Kul Lake. This time we will drive along the northern shore of Issyk Kul Lake. This is a great chance to see the whole lake from all sides. It is the biggest mountain lake in Central Asia and also the favorite place for swimming in summer time. People come to vacation at the lake from neighboring countries. We will visit valley Semenovskoye, and mountain lake Altyn kol, then we cross via mountain pass to Grigorevskoye valley. Picnic lunch. Walking in the forest area. Then we drive to Issik kul lake, we drive to the hotel on the beach. Free time on the beach. Dinner and night in hotel.
In the morning you will be transferred to Bishkek city. Today we will visit Burana Tower. It is a minaret from the 11th century. Burana Tower was used during the Great Silk Road as a sign for travelers that there was a city to have a rest. Nearby you will see an open air museum of Balbans (stone warriors). After an interesting excursion and climbing to the top of the tower you will transfer to the Kyrgz capital. Traditional dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Night is in a hotel.
