A private six-day journey through the Issyk Kul region with a challenging two-day trek to the alpine lake Ala Kol at 3,600 m: Burana Tower, a ship ride on the lake, hot springs, Jeti Oguz, waterfalls, a yurt camp and eagle hunting.
A blend of a cultural tour around the whole Issyk Kul region and a two-day trek to the alpine lake Ala Kol. The route goes from Bishkek through the Burana Tower and the Konorchek canyon to Cholpon Ata, where a ship takes the group out on the lake. It continues through the Grigoriev and Semyonov gorges to Karakol, then by mountain truck into the Altyn Arashan valley, where the trek begins: a night in tents on the plateau before the 3,800 m Ala Kol pass, the crossing to the lake and a hot spring soak. The final days cover Jeti Oguz, Barskoon, the Skazka canyon and Bel Tam.
Private tour: only your group participates. Start time 8 AM or coordinated.
Duration 6 days / 5 nights. Availability: May - October.
Level of difficulty: medium-advanced - the programme includes a two-day alpine trek.
Ala Kol lake lies at 3,600 m and the pass is crossed at 3,800 m; nights are spent in tents provided by the operator.
Suggested to bring: summer clothes, warm clothes, baseball cap or panama, sunglasses, sunscreen, swimwear, hiking shoes, umbrella, camera. Warm clothes are necessary for Ala Kol, where summer night temperatures may drop below 0 degrees Celsius.
The prices published on the page are all-inclusive: 1 person (solo private tour) 2,760 USD; 2 people 1,580 USD per person; 3 people and up 1,190 USD per person. Larger groups are asked to make an inquiry.
The headline From price of 1,190 USD per person therefore applies to groups of three or more.
Included in the package: transport with driver, English-speaking guide, additional mountain guide, 5 nights (hotels, tent, yurt), full board, trekking equipment, mountain truck transfers, all activities and admissions. Not included: flight tickets, accommodation on the 6th night, travel and health insurance and personal expenses.
Pick-up at your hotel in the morning and drive towards the Issyk Kul region (230 km). Stop at the Burana Tower, described by the operator as a UNESCO World Heritage site: about 30 minutes to climb the tower, visit the archaeology museum and see the balbals. Then a light hike through the red clay passage of the Konorchek canyon to a panoramic viewpoint, and lunch in a road cafe. On arrival in Cholpon Ata a ship takes the group about 4 km out on the lake and stops at a depth of 120 m; in the hot season (May - September) you can swim with life jackets provided. Check-in at a hotel (Olimp or similar), dinner in a restaurant and free time.
Visit to the open-air spiritual centre Rukh Ordo, then the drive towards Karakol between the north and south coasts. On the way, the two scenic gorges Grigoriev and Semyonov with a hike to the Suttuu Bulak green alpine lake (2.5 hours both ways) and lunch. Arrival in Karakol and check-in at a hotel (78, Green Yard or similar). A short drive to the neighbouring Ak Suu village for a swim in the hot spring pools near the forest, return to Karakol, dinner in a restaurant and rest before tomorrow's trek.
Trekking equipment is loaded onto a special mountain truck for a two-hour off-road drive to the Altyn Arashan valley. After packing tents, sleeping bags and mats, the trek to Ala Kol begins; lunch on the way. The walk usually takes about seven hours, depending on the group's physical condition, as far as the Keldike camp, the last point before the lake, with snowy peaks around. The group sets up a tent camp on the plateau before the Ala Kol mountain pass; free time while the cook prepares dinner. Overnight in tents.
After breakfast, the last stretch to Ala Kol lake: the Ala Kol mountain pass at 3,800 m must be crossed. From the top of the ridge the turquoise lake opens up from a panorama viewpoint in the thin mountain air. After enjoying the views the group descends back to the valley (about 5 hours), with lunch on the way, and reaches Altyn Arashan with its many natural hot springs - the right time for a relaxing bath after the trek. Return to Karakol by mountain truck, check-in at a hotel (78, Green Yard or similar), dinner in a restaurant.
Drive to the Jeti Oguz (Seven Bulls) gorge and deeper into the valley of flowers to a jailoo with yurt camps, where a horse ride (or hike) leads through forests and up the mountains to the Maiden Braids waterfall. Continue along the south coast of Issyk Kul with lunch on the way and a visit to the scenic Barskoon valley with its three waterfalls, then an easy walk in the Skazka (Fairy Tale) canyon. The day ends at the Bel Tam yurt camp on the wild beach of the lake, with showers, toilets, water sinks, laundry and a bar: a warm yurt above the sound of the waves, dinner in a big kitchen yurt and a bonfire outside.
After breakfast at the yurt camp, more time on the beach to appreciate the scale of the lake. The group then takes the main road of the south coast to Ak Sai village for an eagle hunting demonstration and an archery session (the hunt uses an artificial carcass as prey), followed by a drive into the Ak Sai canyons and a one-hour hike to the panoramic viewpoint of the Canyon of Forgotten Rivers. Picnic on the wild beach and a farewell to Issyk Kul, then the drive back to Bishkek (230 km) and drop-off at your hotel (not included).
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