A seven-day private tour combining Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan: Almaty's Panfilov Park and Kok Tobe, Charyn canyon, the Kolsay and Kaindy lakes, then over the Kegen border to Karakol, Jeti Oguz, Barskoon, Skazka canyon, Issyk Kul and Bishkek. All year round.
A single week that covers the highlights of two neighbouring countries, from Almaty to Bishkek. In Kazakhstan the programme visits Panfilov Park with the Zenkov cathedral, the Green Bazaar, Republic Square, Kok Tobe and the Opera and Ballet theatre, then drives to Charyn canyon and the Kolsay lakes, with a day trip to the turquoise Kaindy lake whose spruce trunks still stand in the water. The group then crosses the remote Kegen border into Kyrgyzstan for Karakol, the Jeti Oguz valley, the Barskoon waterfalls, Skazka canyon and a night in the Bel Tam yurt camp on Issyk Kul, followed by eagle hunting in Ak Sai, the Kok Moinok canyon, Chon Kemin and the Burana Tower before finishing in Bishkek.
This is a private tour with published per-person rates for the all-inclusive package: 3,800 US dollars for a solo traveller, 2,020 US dollars per person for two people and 1,600 US dollars per person for groups of three and more. Larger groups are quoted on request.
The 'From' price of 1,600 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: 7 days and 7 nights. Availability: all year round. Level of difficulty: easy to moderate.
The operator suggests bringing summer clothes, warm clothes, a cap, sunglasses, sunscreen, swimwear, a towel, hiking shoes, an umbrella and a camera.
The route crosses from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan at the Kegen checkpoint, a remote land border in the mountains. The group travels through it with the same vehicle and driver, and the operator arranges the crossing as part of the programme.
The day is given to Almaty: Panfilov Park, the oldest park in the city, with the Zenkov cathedral, the eternal fire and Second World War monuments; the Green Bazaar with local shopping, dried fruit and souvenirs; Republic Square with its national monuments; the legendary Hotel Kazakhstan, the first tall building in Central Asia; Kok Tobe, the Green Hill recreation area reached by cable car for a panoramic view of the city; the Opera and Ballet theatre in old Soviet architecture; and Panfilov alley with its restaurants. The day ends with a drop-off at a hotel (Plaza 4* or similar).
A three-hour drive brings the group to Charyn canyon, often called the little brother of the Grand Canyon, for hiking and photography, with lunch in a cafe. The road then continues for two hours to the Kolsay lakes, the 'Pearls of the Tien Shan', hidden among conifer forests and the high peaks of the Tien Shan in south-eastern Kazakhstan, along the border with Kyrgyzstan. Check-in at a hotel (Kolsay Prestige, Kolsay Grand or similar, depending on availability), free time to walk around the lake and dinner at the hotel.
After breakfast a short 12 km drive leads to Kaindy lake, the turquoise lake with spruce tree trunks sticking out of the water, which appeared after a massive landslide caused by the devastating Kemin earthquake of 1911. A twenty-minute walk (or an optional horse ride) reaches the lake, with free time for the place, then lunch in Saty village. The group returns to Kolsay for a deeper exploration of the lake, hiking through the forest to a panoramic viewpoint, with free time in the evening.
After breakfast the group continues through atmospheric, desert-like scenery towards the remote land border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan (3 hours), with lunch on the way and the Kegen border checkpoint crossing. On the Kyrgyz side the drive continues to the town of Karakol, with hotel check-in on arrival (Hotel 78, Green Yard or similar). A short city excursion in the evening visits the Dungan mosque of 1910 and the Russian Orthodox church of 1895, followed by the Ak Suu natural hot springs, dinner in a restaurant and free time.
The group heads for the Jeti Oguz valley with its Seven Bulls rocks, driving deep into the valley of flowers to a jailoo (green summer pasture). A magnificent hike (or an optional horse ride) through forests and uphill leads to the Maiden Braids waterfall (1.5 hours both ways). Lunch is on the way, followed by the atmospheric Barskoon valley with its three waterfalls, then the Skazka (Fairy Tale) canyon. The day ends at the Bel Tam yurt camp on the wild beach of Issyk Kul, with showers, toilets, water sinks, laundry and a bar; the night is spent in a yurt to the sound of the lake waves, with dinner in a big kitchen yurt and a bonfire outside.
After breakfast the group moves to the nearby Ak Sai village to watch an eagle hunting demonstration and to take part in archery. The drive then goes deep into the Ak Sai canyons to explore the Canyon of Forgotten Rivers with a light hike to its panoramic viewpoint (1.5 hours both ways). Coming down from the canyons, the group stops on the wild beach for a picnic and a last swim in Issyk Kul, then continues to the mountain valley of Chon Kemin (2 hours), visiting the Kok Moinok canyon on the way. Check-in at the Kemin hotel, free time in the alpine air, dinner and free time.
After breakfast the group drives to Bishkek (2 hours), stopping on the way at the UNESCO World Heritage site Burana Tower. About 40 minutes are spent there: climbing to the top of the tower, visiting the archaeology museum and walking around the territory to see the balbals, ancient stones with depictions. After lunch in a restaurant in Bishkek comes a three-to-four-hour city excursion through the capital's Soviet architecture, green parks and traditional bazaars, and a hotel check-in (Ambassador, Solutel, City Stay or similar). The tour ends in Bishkek.
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