Colors of Kyrgyzstan 2021

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Sunday

  

  Bishkek. (40 km / 40 min) Arrival in Bishkek early in the morning. Upon your arrival at Manas International Airport, you will be greeted by our guide at the arrival gates. The transfer to the city will take 30 to 40 minutes. Check-in at the hotel (early check-in at 7 am is included in the price). Rest until 12:00 pm. Start the city tour after a late breakfast. The guided tour includes the monument to the Kyrgyz national hero Manas, the changing of the honor guard, the statues of Kurmanjan Datka and Lenin, the main Ala Too square, government buildings, Oak Park, and the fine arts gallery. A sightseeing tour of Bishkek ends at Victory Square. Lunch at 3:00 pm. In the afternoon, you will have free time to explore the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Dinner is at your leisure. (Breakfast - hotel, lunch - local café)

• day 2

  Monday

  

  City of Bishkek - City of Cholpon Ata (280 km / 5 hours). Breakfast at the hotel. Today, we have an interesting day as we leave the city to head towards the countryside. At the beginning, we stop to learn more about the Great Silk Road and visit the historical complex of the Burana Tower. The Burana Tower (ancient minaret) is located 12 km from the city of Tokmok. The area where the tower is located was called the city of Balasagyn. This city had strategic importance on the Great Silk Road. Here, you will see a small museum with exhibits found during excavations, providing more details about this ancient settlement, and you will become familiar with the collection of Balbals, Turkic tombstones. Lunch with a local Kazakh family in Tokmok. Continuation to Lake Issyk Kul after lunch. Lake Issyk Kul has a tectonic origin. It is the second largest alpine lake in the world after Lake Titicaca, located in South America. Its length reaches 182 km and its width 58 km, its maximum depth can reach 668 m. During the summer period, the water reaches up to 20-23 °C. On the way, you will admire beautiful landscapes and changing scenery. Arrival at the city of Cholpon Ata and visit to the famous local petroglyph site. After the excursion, settle in at the lakeside complex. Dinner at a local restaurant. (Breakfast - hotel, lunch - local Kyrgyz family, dinner - complex)

• day 3

  Tuesday

  

  City of Cholpon Ata - City of Karakol - Djety Oguz Canyon - Village of Tamga (250 km / 5 hours). In the morning, we continue our visit and head further along the northern shore of Lake Issyk Kul. In a few hours, we reach the city of Karakol. Karakol is a very interesting small city with traditional Russian architecture. It was founded in the middle of the 19th century and became an important garrison settlement in the Issyk Kul region. City tour upon arrival. Visit the memorial museum of N.M. Przhevalsky, a great Russian explorer and researcher of the Asian continent, located 12 km from Karakol. Later, the Dungan mosque, a unique building in the style of a Chinese pagoda, which is still in use today. You will also visit the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, built of wood without a single nail. In the church's miraculous iconostasis is the famous Tikhvin icon of the Divine Mother, painted in 1897. Lunch later in a local café in the city of Karakol (not included). Continue to the Djety Oguz canyon for a short hike. Djety Oguz, in Kyrgyz, translates as "Seven Bulls." Unlike the Fairy Tale Canyon, this picturesque gorge is distinguished by the Tian Shan fir-covered mountains. At the entrance to the gorge, you will face the famous Broken Heart rock. Climbing further up to the panorama, you will see these famous rocks of the seven bulls. The tour guide will tell you the legend about the origin of the gorge's name. In Soviet times, a sanatorium was built in the gorge. Many people came here to be treated with radon water. Cosmonauts also came here for rehabilitation, even Yuri Gagarin. After Djety Oguz, continue by car along the southern shore of Lake Issyk Kul. Reach the village of Tamga and settle in a local guesthouse or yurt camp. Dinner at the accommodation. (Breakfast - resort, dinner - guesthouse / yurt camp)

• day 4

  Wednesday

  

  Village of Tamga - Skazka canyon - village of Kochkor - Son Kul lake (290 km / 5 hours). After a good breakfast, continue our journey along the southern shore of Lake Issyk Kul. Near the village of Tamga, we stop to visit and walk in the Skazka canyon (Fairytale canyon). The canyon is picturesque with the dark blue Issyk Kul lake in the background. Continue to the village of Kochkor where a delicious lunch awaits us. Here, we will learn more about the traditional carpet-making process - shyrdak show. The local ladies will share their knowledge and experience of felt and carpet production. After a pleasant time in the village of Kochkor, head towards Son Kul lake. The alpine lake Son Kul is located on the Tien Shan range at an altitude of 3016 m. The area around Son Kul is a pasture for livestock coming from the village of Kochkor, the Naryn and Jumgal regions. During the summer, the Son Kul pasture is considered the best Kyrgyz jailoo. The road to the lake crosses windy passes and disappears into the sky. As a result, Son Kul lake, in the Kyrgyz language, translates as "Last lake". Accommodation in a comfortable local yurt camp. Here, you can feel like real nomads and get familiar with the culture of the Kyrgyz people. The yurt is a traditional dwelling of the nomads of Central Asia. The foundation of the yurt consists of a wooden frame and several layers of felt. The construction of such a dwelling does not require much time, which makes it practical and useful for the inhabitants. The interior of a yurt is decorated with felt carpets and traditional embroidery. Dinner and overnight at the yurt camp. (Breakfast - hotel, lunch - local Kyrgyz family, dinner - yurt camp)

• day 5

  Thursday

  

  Lake Son Kul - City of Naryn - Tash Rabat Caravanserai (250 km / 5 hours). In the morning, we continue to explore Kyrgyzstan and head towards one of the most spectacular passes in our country: Moldo Ashuu. We drive to the city of Naryn, where we stop for lunch and a visit of the city. Naryn is a long and narrow city, located along the famous Naryn River, also called Syr Darya, which is one of the largest rivers in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. Naryn is the only city in Kyrgyzstan where 90% of the population is Kyrgyz. Lunch in a local café (not included). After lunch, we will visit the central blue mosque, the central square, and the historical and ethnographic museum. Later, we will drive further south towards China. We will head towards the Kara Koun canyon and reach the yurt camp. Accommodation. The Tash Rabat caravanserai is located at an altitude of 3200 m, not far from the Chinese border (Torugart). Its origin is a complete mystery; however, there is a hypothesis that it was built in the 10th century. Researchers consider it a Nestorian monastery, others assume it is a supply house for trade caravans, and still others insist on its defensive function. It is clear that during different eras, the Tash Rabat caravanserai had different functions. Dinner and overnight at the yurt camp. (Breakfast - yurt camp, dinner - yurt camp)

• day 6

  Friday

  

  Tash Rabat Caravanserai - Chon Kemin Valley (330 km / 5-6 hours). In the morning, after breakfast as usual, we head towards the Tash Rabat caravanserai for an excursion. After an interesting historical visit, we get back on the road towards the city of Bishkek. After the village of Kochkor, the Orto Tokoi water reservoir and the Boom canyon, we turn towards the Chon Kemin valley. Chon Kemin is a valley located 170 km from the capital, in a picturesque area between Lake Issyk Kul and the border of the State of Kazakhstan. This natural park, bearing the same name as the valley, is famous for a few historical battles between the Kyrgyz and Kazakh tribes. Here, we take the time to relax, swim in the pool (optional) and walk leisurely towards the nearest canyon. Dinner and overnight in a guesthouse. (Breakfast - yurt camp, dinner - guesthouse)

• day 7

  Saturday

  

  Chon Kemin Valley - city of Bishkek (170 km / 3 hours). After breakfast, head towards the city of Bishkek. A fairly short drive, in case we arrive in the capital around lunchtime. Lunch in a local café (not included). There are still some interesting activities to do in the city of Bishkek. Visit the Osh market, one of the brightest examples of bargaining and local life. In addition, we will have time to shop at the market or at the large local department store ZUM. A farewell dinner and a folk show in a local restaurant await us today. Especially for you, musicians will play national melodies of the Kyrgyz people and introduce you to musical instruments. You will listen to a song and enjoy the charming melodies of our ancestors. Night at the hotel. (Breakfast - guest house, dinner - local restaurant).

• day 8

  Sunday

  

  City of Bishkek - airport. (35 km / 40-45 min) Early breakfast. Today, in Bishkek, your journey ends. (Breakfast at the hotel, if time permits)