A three-day private tour of the best of Issyk Kul lake: the 11th-century Burana Tower, Kok Moinok canyon, a ship ride from Cholpon Ata, Grigoriev and Semyonov gorges, Karakol's Dungan mosque, Jeti Oguz, Skazka canyon and eagle hunting.
A three-day private tour of the best of Issyk Kul, the shortest version of the operator's Issyk Kul series. Day one leaves Bishkek for the 11th-century Burana Tower, the Kok Moinok canyon and Cholpon Ata, with a ship ride that stops at a depth of 120 m. Day two crosses to the south coast through the Grigoriev and Semyonov gorges, visits Karakol's Dungan mosque and Orthodox church and ends with a horseback ride in the Jeti Oguz valley to the Maiden Braids waterfall and a night in a yurt camp. Day three covers the Jeti Oguz rocks, the Skazka canyon, eagle hunting and archery in Ak Sai and the Canyon of Forgotten Rivers.
This is a private tour with published per-person rates for the all-inclusive package: 1,315 US dollars for a solo traveller, 780 US dollars per person for two people and 585 US dollars per person for groups of three and more. Larger groups are quoted on request.
The 'From' price of 585 US dollars on the official page corresponds to the rate for a group of three or more.
Only your group participates. Start time is 8 AM or coordinated with you. Duration: 3 days and 2 nights. Availability: all year round. Level of difficulty: easy to moderate.
Group departures on the same route are available as a separate programme with an all-year-round schedule; the operator also offers four-day and five-day versions of the tour.
The operator suggests summer clothes, warm clothes, a cap or panama, sunglasses, sunscreen, swimwear, a towel, hiking shoes, an umbrella and a camera.
After a hotel pick-up in the morning the group drives towards the Issyk Kul region (230 km) with a stop at the 11th-century Burana Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage site, for about 30 minutes: a climb to the top of the tower, a visit to the archaeology museum and a walk past the balbals, ancient stones with depictions. The next stop is the picturesque Kok Moinok canyon for a light one-hour hike, then lunch in a restaurant. On arrival in Cholpon Ata, the central town of the lake's north coast, the group goes to the local dock for a ship ride; four kilometres out the ship stops at a depth of 120 m, and in the hot season (May to September) passengers may swim with life jackets. Hotel check-in (Olimp or similar), dinner and free time.
The morning starts with the move towards the south coast of the lake and the two stunning Grigoriev and Semyonov gorges, where the group explores the landscapes and hikes to the hidden alpine lake Suttuu Bulak (2.5 hours both ways), with lunch in a village cafe. In Karakol, which sits on the line between the north and south coasts, there is a short city excursion to the Dungan mosque of 1910 and the Russian Orthodox church of 1895. The route continues along the south coast into the Jeti Oguz (Seven Bulls) valley and deep into the valley of flowers to a jailoo (green summer pasture) with yurt camps, where a horseback voyage through the forests and up the mountains reaches the Maiden Braids waterfall. Check-in at the yurt camp, free time on the meadows, dinner, a bonfire, stargazing and a night in yurts.
The last day opens with more time at the Jeti Oguz red rocks and their panoramic viewpoint, then a walk along the south coast to the fascinating Skazka (Fairy Tale) canyon for a charming one-hour hike. In Ak Sai village the group watches an eagle hunting demonstration — the eagle hunts an artificial prey — and the berkutchi, the eagle's owner, explains this traditional way of hunting before everyone tries archery. A delicious picnic on the wild beach of Issyk Kul follows, with eating, swimming and sunbathing, then a short hike up to the Canyon of Forgotten Rivers (1 hour both ways). The final 230 km bring the group back to Bishkek, with a drop-off at each hotel (not included). The tour ends there.
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