A four-day private tour to two of Kyrgyzstan's finest high-altitude lakes: Son Kol at 3,000 metres and remote Kel Suu near the Chinese border. Burana Tower, Kok Moinok canyon, Naryn, horseback rides, a motorboat on Kel Suu and a night in a yurt.
The operator combined its two high-altitude lake destinations into one four-day private route for travellers with limited time. Day one leaves Bishkek for the Burana Tower at Tokmok, the Kok Moinok canyon and the Orto Tokoi reservoir before climbing mountain passes to a private yurt at Son Kol, 3,000 m above sea level. Day two is for horseback riding on the meadows, a walk to a viewpoint and the descent to Naryn. Day three covers a three-hour off-road drive to remote Kel Suu near the Chinese border, a horseback ride to the lake and a motorboat along its turquoise water. The last day returns to Naryn and Bishkek past yaks and marmots.
This is a private tour with published per-person rates for the all-inclusive package: 1,570 US dollars for a solo traveller, 970 US dollars per person for two people and 740 US dollars per person for groups of three and more. Larger groups are quoted on request.
The 'From' price of 740 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: 4 days and 3 nights. Availability: June to October, the season when the high mountain passes to Kel Suu and Son Kol are open. Level of difficulty: easy to moderate.
The operator suggests summer and warm clothes, a cap or panama, sunglasses, sunscreen, swimwear, a towel, hiking shoes, an umbrella and a camera.
Kel Suu lies close to the Chinese border in one of the remotest parts of Kyrgyzstan, and the road passes border checkpoints that require special permits. The operator arranges the permits and the checkpoint crossing as part of the programme.
One night is spent in a private yurt at Son Kol, one night in a hotel in Naryn (Grand Khan Tengri 4* is named on the page) and one night at the Kel Suu base camp in wooden shacks; the operator also mentions camping in the Kok Kiya valley.
After a hotel pick-up the group heads for the Naryn region, stopping at Tokmok (80 km) for the Burana Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the ancient minaret of the Kharakhanid Empire capital of the 11th century, an important point on the Great Silk Road. About 40 minutes are spent on the panoramic view from the top of the tower, a walk among the balbals and a visit to the archaeology museum. The route continues to the Kok Moinok canyon for a light hike, then lunch in a restaurant and a stop at the Orto Tokoi reservoir before the serpentine mountain passes up to Son Kol at 3,000 m above sea level. Check-in to a private yurt, free time to walk around the lake at sunset, dinner, a bonfire and a night under the stars.
The day is given to the lake, its green pastures and its landscapes. After breakfast a horseback ride crosses the vast lush meadows along Son Kol, followed by a short walk up a hill to contemplate the lake from a viewpoint, a good spot for photographs and for simply relaxing. Back at the camp there is free time to explore the lake before departure. Lunch is served in a kitchen yurt, after which the group descends through more mountain passes with a short stop at a lovely waterfall and reaches Naryn town, where it checks into a hotel (Grand Khan Tengri 4*). Free time, dinner in a restaurant and the night.
After breakfast the group heads for Kel Suu, one of the remotest areas of Kyrgyzstan, several mountain passes away from China. The drive passes border checkpoints with special permits and covers three scenic off-road hours before reaching Kel Suu's base camp, where the group checks into wooden shacks and has lunch. A fascinating horseback ride then leads to the lake itself (1.5 hours one way), and a motorboat explores this magical creation of nature, gliding along the turquoise surface guarded by rocky mountains on both sides. Personal time follows, then the return to the camp, free time for the enchanting views of the Kok Kiya valley, dinner and a bonfire under the starry sky.
The morning brings more personal time to walk around and contemplate the surroundings of Kel Suu before leaving this magical place for Naryn. Along the way there is a unique opportunity to see local wildlife, yaks and marmots, in their natural habitat. The group has lunch in Naryn town, freshens up and continues the drive to Bishkek, where everyone is dropped off at their hotel. The tour ends in Bishkek.
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