Kyrgyzstan

Your guide will pick you up at Manas International Airport and accompany you to the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, just a 30-minute drive from the airport. This entire day is dedicated to a guided tour of Bishkek. It includes visiting Pobeda Square (Victory Square), Duboviy Park (Oak Park), Central Ala-Too Square, National Philharmonic, and many others places of interest. However, no tour of Bishkek is complete without visiting our Asian Bazaar! We will show it to you today and you will be able to take a lot of dynamic photos of bustling local life. This bazaar is a noisy and colorful tapestry of fabrics, produce, and people selling and buying goods. Traditional dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Night is at the hotel.

In the morning we will visit Ala Archa gorge. It is a Natural Park. At the Soviet Time only V.I.P. people had permission to go for a walk here. The Ala Archa gorge is on a spur of the Tien Shan Mountain range. It is just 45 km from Bishkek. You can have a short hiking tour to see a panoramic view of the gorge. Then you will be transferred to Chon Kemin gorge. On route to the gorge, you will visit Burana Tower. It is a minaret dating from the 11th century. You can climb to the top if you wish to experience the same view that Silk Road travelers saw themselves. Burana Tower served as a sign along the Great Silk Road to let travelers know there was a city and place to have a rest. Nearby you will see an open-air museum of Balbals (stone warriors). These grave-stones look like warriors as they were made in honor of brave soldiers who died for their Motherland. After your excursion, there is a scenic transfer to Chon Kemin gorge. Night is at the guesthouse.

Today you will drive to the celestial Issyk Kul Lake, the second largest alpine lake in the world (1608 m above sea level). The lake is called “the pearl of Central Asia”. For more than 1 500 years local people considered the lake to be a sacred one. You can come up to the lake and to see mountains all around it. Today you will drive along the whole northern shore and arrive to Karakol town. Also we will visit today a place with ancient stone patterns – petroglyphs. In Karakol we will visit the Dungan mosque. It was built in Chinese style without using a single nail. It will be followed by the visit of an old wooden Orthodox Church. Night is in a hotel.

Today we will drive to Jeti Oguz gorge. It’s famous for its red rocks formations that have a name Seven Bulls – Jeti Oguz. In addition, you will see there the Broken Heart Mountain. If you want it is possible to go on a top of a mountain (20 minutes) to see a panorama view of the gorge. Then we continue our trip, breaking in Bokonbaeva village, where we will meet a local eagle-hunter. He hunts hares and foxes with the help of eagles (a traditional way of nomadic hunting). Night is in a guesthouse.

In the morning we start our drive to the second largest lake in Kyrgyzstan – Son Kul Lake. This lake is surrounded by mountains and it is the highest alpine lake in Kyrgyzstan, situated at an altitude of 3013 meters above sea level. Kyrgyz nomads started to come to this wonderful area with their families for rest and relaxation. Herders of the Naryn region come to the lake to use it as a pastureland. After our arrival, you will be free to explore and enjoy the virgin nature of the lake and its surroundings. Overnight is in nomadic collapsible dwellings – yurts. They are made of a wooden skeleton, covered with felt coverings.

At the morning we will drive to see amazing Moldo Ashu pass! It is one of the most amazing places! After it, we will drive to the capital of Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek city. In Kochkor village you will spend some time with a family that will show you the way our national felt carpets are produced. In addition, you will visit a small handicraft museum there. They have many examples of silver decorations, coats made of wolves, horse saddle decorations, carpets and more. Afterwards you will be transferred to the capital of Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek city. Night is in a hotel.

In the morning is transfer to airport.