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1 – Everyone can;
10 – Everest climber.
We’ll meet at the Bishkek airport and drive along a picturesque road framed by mountain peaks to the city of Karakol, the starting point of our route. At the end of the way, the legendary Issyk-Kul will appear in front of us from the serpentines of the Boom Pass.
Upon arrival in Karakol, we’ll settle in a yurt camp — for one night we’ll feel like real nomads. And then we’ll go on a small sightseeing walk around the city. We’ll visit one of the first Orthodox churches built in Kyrgyzstan — the Church of the Holy Trinity, and see an unusual Chinese-style Dungan mosque. If desired, we can have dinner in a traditional restaurant.
In the morning we’ll get in a car and go up to one of the most picturesque gorges of the Issyk-Kul region — Jeti Oguz Gorge. This name, which means “seven bulls”, was given to the gorge for the seven majestic red rocks standing here side by side.
From here we’ll take a short walk to another majestic place — the Dragon Gorge, and then start off to the western part of the Irdyk Gorge, resembling the famous Grand Canyon. We’ll set up a camp above the gorge.
Today we’ll walk along a picturesque path through the forest, flowering meadows and valleys. On the way, we will enjoy an impressive view of the turquoise surface of Issyk-Kul.
After setting up a camp, if there is enough time, we will take a light walk to a small mountain lake.
We’ll get up early, have breakfast, leave our backpacks at the camp and take a light walk to Jashyl-Kol lake, hidden in the mountains. Afterwards we will climb to Trigopunkt Peak — the ascent does not require special training, so everyone can handle it. From the top we will take a look at the beautiful views of the mountain peaks, Issyk-Kul and Jashyl-Kol.
Towards evening we will go down to the camp.
Today we’ll take a fascinating hike to Karakol Gorge — one of the most favorite places of the travelers. Our route will go through a relic forest of 300-year-old juniper and slopes covered with Tian Shan fir trees. Near the turbulent Karakol River we’ll stay for the night.
In the morning we’ll start our way up the gorge until we reach a small meadow with yurts. From there, the path will lead us to a magical place where a little log hut is hidden under the cover of a coniferous forest. It looks like we are in a scenery for a fairy tale. This place is called Sirota shelter. We’ll set up tents for the night right near here.
Along the rocky slopes and steep cliffs, we will continue our way up. At the end of the hike we’ll be rewarded with an unforgettable view of the Ala-Köl mountain lake with pure turquoise water reflecting the peaks of the surrounding ridges.
We’ll set up camp right on the lake shore.
We’ll start the day with an ascent to the Ala-Köl Pass, overlooking the majestic snow-covered peaks of the Tien Shan. Descending from the pass, we’ll get to the Keldyke Gorge, which reveals the whole variety of mountain landscapes — from dense forest to blooming alpine meadows. The gorge will lead us to the thermal springs of Altyn Arashan. We’ll spend the rest of the day here in order to properly rest after the 6-day hike. The walking part of our journey has finished.
After breakfast we’ll get on a cross-country vehicle and drive to Karakol, where we’ll have time for a short walk around the city. Then, we’ll have lunch and head off to the famous Issyk-Kul. We will spend the night on its very shore in a traditional yurt camp.
After breakfast we’ll go to Bishkek airport to catch a flight home. Group transfer is included in the price.
Special prices are valid until 05.12.2024!
We will meet you with a “Strannik” sign on the first day of the tour at 10:00 at Manas International Airport, Bishkek (FRU).
Note: If you arrive at any other place, you will need to get to the airport by the designated time. We will not be able to pick you up from another hotel, bus station, or any stop along the way.
On the last day of the tour you’ll be transferred to Manas International Airport by 14:00 local time. We recommend booking return tickets for the flights departing after 16:00.
The meeting of the group will take place at Manas International Airport, Bishkek (FRU), at 10:00 local time.
On the last day of the tour you’ll be transferred to Manas International Airport by 14:00. We recommend booking return tickets for the flights departing after 16:00 local time.
Note: We kindly ask you not to purchase the tickets until the manager sends you a confirmation and guarantees that the tour will take place.
From Manas airport to Karakol city and back, and to the starting point of the hike we will travel by a comfortable minibus.
On the last day of the hike from Altyn Arashan to Karakol we will travel by an all-terrain vehicle (GAZ-66 or ZIL-131) — be prepared for some jolting.
Note: You will stay in the tents/rooms with other members of the group of any gender, depending on the availability. If you need another option, please, let us know.
Важно! Для оформления погранпропуска срок действия вашего загранпаспорта должен составлять не менее 6 месяцев после поездки.
Национальная валюта в Киргизии – киргизский сом. В банках и обменных пунктах принимают доллары США, евро, российские рубли. В кафе, ресторанах и магазинах принимают только национальную валюту.
The weather in the mountains is changeable. Average daytime temperature during summer is +15...+20 °C, but at night it can drop to 0...+5 °C. The higher we climb, the colder it gets. When approaching the passes, strong wind may appear. Temperatures can drop to +10…+12 °C.
The water temperature in mountain rivers and lakes does not rise above +5...+7 °C; we do not recommend swimming in mountain reservoirs.
The water in Lake Issyk-Kul warms up to +17...+20 °C.
This tour is suitable for anyone who is in good physical shape and doesn’t have medical contraindications for heavy physical activity. All participants carry their personal belongings by themselves. Additional weight of group equipment (tents, cooking pots, food) per person is no more than 5–6 kg. The average weight of the backpack for women is 16–18 kg, for men — 20–23 kg.
Children are allowed to participate from the age of 16 and only if accompanied by their parents.
The checklist #44 will help you prepare for this hiking trip.
It is no longer required to present certificates of vaccination or testing for COVID-19 to enter Kyrgyzstan. Wearing masks is still mandatory in public transport and healthcare facilities.
We strongly recommend getting travel insurance that includes trekking at altitudes above 3,500 meters with the coverage of at least $10,000. The insurance policy must cover the transportation of the injured or ill (the amount of coverage for the transportation of the injured or ill should be at least $5,000).
In the absence of an insurance policy, all expenses for transportation and treatment are borne by the tourist.
Since this is a group tour, the food is the same for all participants. Unfortunately, we cannot prepare an individual meal for you. If you have an intolerance or allergy to any of the products, please notify the manager in advance. We will pass this information on to the guide or accommodations. However, we kindly ask you to follow up on this matter during the trip. If you have strict dietary restrictions, we recommend bringing suitable food with you or buy it on the spot.
Note: For cooking, we use boiled water from streams, springs and other water sources that we meet on the way. We also use these natural sources to replenish the drinking water supplies. If this option is not suitable for you, you can bring water disinfectants with you or boil the water before each hike.
Thank you to the entire organizing team for one of the most beautiful and engaging journeys of my life! I would especially like to highlight a few moments:
- The well-planned route. In the first days of the hike, we didn’t encounter any other tourists, the difficulty increased gradually, each campsite was more beautiful than the previous one, and almost every evening there was an opportunity to refresh in a river after a day’s hike.
- The professionalism of our guides. Their coordinated work, excellent knowledge of the route, and immense patience were remarkable. I felt completely safe, thank you so much!
- The quality and high level of comfort: Everything was top-notch—warm welcome from Anatoly, pleasant gifts, comfortable transportation with air conditioning and Wi-Fi, cozy yurt accommodation on the first and last nights, high-quality and spacious Tramp tents, tasty and varied hiking meals, and on the day of the mid-hike drop-off, we were treated to stuffed peppers, watermelon, and melon for dinner. It was pure happiness!
Once again, a big thank you for the hard work, attention to every detail, care, and safety. Until we meet again!
This is a hike around the unpopular sights of the Tian Shan Mountains. A carefully planned route will allow us to enjoy the pristine beauty of mountain landscapes, not spoiled by the presence of a human. We’ll start in the Chüy valley and finish the journey with an overnight stay on the shore of the famous Issyk-Kul.
We’ll spend most of the nights in tents, and cook food over a campfire. For 2 nights we’ll stay in traditional Kyrgyz yurts like real nomads. Acclimatization and all the hikes on the tour are well thought out: we’ll go with backpacks for no more than 6 hours a day with gradual elevation gain.
An important difference between our program and other similar ones is that we have excluded the difficult mountain pass, and instead of it we’ve added even more picturesque places to the route. In 10 days we will see: