On the trail of the Silk Road

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Day 1. Airport – Bishkek

  We will pick you up at the airport or at the border and drop you off at a comfortable hotel where you can rest. After resting and breakfast, a tour of the city of Bishkek is planned. We will visit sights such as the central Ala-Too square, the historical museum, the city's green parks, and other well-known places. After lunch in a local restaurant, we will visit the famous market, the Osh bazaar, where you will immediately immerse yourself in the oriental atmosphere with all its colors and aromas. Dinner in a traditional restaurant where you will taste national cuisine. Accommodation: 3* Hotel (My Hotel 3* or similar)

• day 2

  Bishkek – Kyzyl Oy

  Breakfast at the hotel. Departure. Our adventures begin. Leaving the Tchuy valley, you pass through the magnificent Too Achou pass and arrive in the Soussamyr valley. As soon as you cross the pass, you leave the most developed part of Kyrgyzstan and will be immersed in the virgin land of the nomads. Lunch on the way in a café or picnic. At the bottom of the valley, you leave the highway for an off-road track that runs along the Kokomeren river. Stop in the village of Kyzyl Oy for the night. Dinner and overnight in a guesthouse. Accommodation: Guesthouse (CBT Guesthouse or similar)

• day 3

  Kyzyl Oy – Son Kol

  After breakfast, the road from the village of Kyzyl Oy leads you to Lake Son Kol. The goal of this day is to reach Lake Son Kol, and to do so, you must cross a mountain pass near the Kara-Ketche coal mine. Lunch en route in a café or as a picnic. Arrival on the southern shore of Lake Son Kol, where you will discover the life of the Kyrgyz nomadic people. You will enjoy national cuisine and sleep in a traditional Kyrgyz yurt. Accommodation: Yurt camp* Option: horseback ride, demonstration of equestrian games *Note: 6 people per yurt. But in low season, you may be accommodated 2 people per yurt, depending on availability.

• day 4

  Son Kol - Tash Rabat

  An unforgettable morning with fresh air and a beautiful view of the lake surrounded by mountain ranges. After breakfast, we hit the road and continue our journey. On our way, we have to cross the Moldo Achou pass (3400 m), then we head towards the ancient caravan stop on the Silk Road: Tash Rabat. On the way, we stop in the town of Naryn for lunch at a restaurant. We arrive at the yurt camp in Tash Rabat. Tash Rabat is a historical monument founded by monks in the 10th century. At the height of the Silk Road, Tash Rabat lost its religious significance and the monastery then served as a "caravanserai" hotel. Dinner and overnight in a yurt. Accommodation: Yurt camp Option: Horseback ride *Note: 6 people per yurt. But in low season, you may be accommodated 2 people per yurt depending on availability.*

• day 5

  Tach Rabat – Kel Sou Lake

  After breakfast, in the morning, we visit Tash-Rabat. Afterwards, our route takes us to the Chinese border. The goal of this day is to reach Lake Kel Sou, located at an altitude of 3,400 m and surrounded by the Kokchaal-Too mountain range (Kok-Kiya valley, Ak-Sai river basin). Lake Kol Sou is surrounded on all sides by steep rocks, with several caves and cavities. In the lake, there are also small stone islands. Outdoor lunch. Dinner by the lake. Accommodation: Yurt camp Option: Horseback ride *Note: 6 people per yurt. But in low season, you may be accommodated 2 people per yurt depending on availability.

• day 6

  Lake Kel Sou

  Breakfast under the yurt. We spend the whole day by the alpine lake. You will feel like real speleologists while exploring the ancient caves. For lunch, we have a picnic. Dinner under the yurt. Accommodation: yurt camp Option: horseback ride *Note: 6 people per yurt. But in low season, you may be accommodated 2 people per yurt depending on availability.*

• day 7

  Kel Sou – Naryn

  After breakfast, transfer to Naryn. Along the way, we pass through Kyrgyz pastures, with yurts and horses. As we approach Naryn, we find ourselves back in civilization. We stop at the hotel. Rest in comfortable conditions. Possibility to take a shower. After resting, we take a walk in the city. Lunch and dinner at the restaurant. Accommodation: Hotel (Khan Tengri Hotel or similar)

• day 8

  Naryn – Bokonbaevo – Skazka – Tamga

  In the morning, we head towards Lake Issyk Kol and, passing along the southern shore of the lake, we will visit the village of Bokonbaevo where you will meet a real eagle hunter with his birds of prey. He will show you the talent of his hunting bird (optional). Then, we head towards the Skazka canyons, which translates as "Fairy Tale". Here, you can find objects of surprising shapes and sizes. A real skyscraper or an animal may appear before you. Lunch on the road in a guesthouse or a café. Dinner and overnight in the guesthouse. You will try the real Russian sauna "banya" there. Accommodation: Guesthouse (U Pavla Guesthouse or similar) Option: visit a Kyrgyz family who makes yurts, assembling a yurt.

• day 9

  Tamga – Jety Oguz – Karakol

  After breakfast, we head towards the Jety Oguz gorge. The gentle slopes of the cliffs, densely covered with grass and conifers that from afar look like a soft carpet, offer an extraordinary contrast to the gorge. The ochre cliff named Broken Heart, located at the entrance of the gorge, gives a romantic touch to this magical place. In the gorge, you will take a one-hour walk. Upon arriving in Karakol, you will have lunch and visit the Orthodox church dedicated to the Holy Trinity as well as the Dungan mosque. At dinner, you will have the opportunity to taste the most popular dish of this place, "achlyan fou," a specialty of traditional Dungan cuisine. Accommodation: Guesthouse (Jamilya Guesthouse or similar) Option: dinner with a Dungan or Uyghur family, including a cooking master class, or a boat ride for sunset.

• day 10

  Karakol – Grigorievskoe and Semienovskoe gorges – Tchon Kemin

  After breakfast, we head towards the Grigorievskoe and Semienovskoe gorges. They are located on the northern shore of Lake Issyk Kol, the pearl of Kyrgyzstan. These places are considered the most famous attractions of the Issyk Kol region. We will go to the first lake in the Grigorievskoe gorge and have a picnic by this lake (if the weather allows us). You can take a walk, enjoy the wild nature around you, and have a pleasant time in this beautiful place. In the evening, we arrive at Tchon Kemin. Dinner and overnight at the guesthouse. Accommodation: Guesthouse (Kemin Guesthouse or similar) Option: yurt setup, horseback riding, folk show.

• day 11

  Tchon Kemin - Bourana - Bishkek

  Return to Bishkek. On the way, we visit the historical monument: the Burana Tower. The Burana Tower is a large minaret located in the Chuy Valley, in the north of Kyrgyzstan. It is about 80 km east of the capital, Bishkek, near the town of Tokmok. The tower, accompanied by funerary monuments, earthworks, castle remains, and three mausoleums, is all that remains of the ancient city of Balasagyn, founded by the Karakhanids at the end of the 9th century. After lunch, we will have time to visit the local market. In the evening, the farewell dinner awaits us. Accommodation: 3* Hotel (My Hotel or similar)

• day 12

  Bishkek – Airport – Departure

  Transfer to the airport