Kyrgyzstan And Pamir Tour - 12 Day Tour
About this tour
Bishkek, Ala Archa, Chon Kemin, Issyk Kul, Karakol, Osh, Murgab, Langar, Khorog, Kalai Khum, Dushanbe
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Bishkek
Bishkek – Ala Archa – Bishkek Your driver 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. The first half of the day is dedicated to a guided tour of Bishkek. It includes visiting Pobeda Square (Victory Square), Duboviy Park (Oak Park), Central Ala-Too Square, Old Square, National Philharmonic, and many others places of interest. In the afternoon 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. Afterwards we return to Bishkek. This overnight will be in a hotel.
Day 2: Bishkek to Чон-Кемин, Киргизия
Bishkek – Burana – Chon Kemin Today your tour in Kyrgyzstan will continue to Chon Kemin gorge. On route to the gorge you will visit Burana Tower (an 11th century minaret) and an open air museum of Balbals (stone warriors). After an interesting excursion and climbing on the top of the tower is transfer to Chon Kemin gorge. Here you will meet a nice family that will prepare a traditional lunch for you. In the afternoon we will have 3 hours of horse riding. Your route will go high in the mountains and you will even ride horses through a mountain forest. On the top you will see the panorama view of the gorge. The night and dinner will be in a home stay.
Day 3: Чон-Кемин, Киргизия to Karakol
Chon Kemin – Issyk Kul lake northern shore – Karakol Today you will be transferred to the celestial Issyk Kul Lake, the second largest alpine lake in the world (1608m.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 metal nail. This will be followed by the visit of an old wooden Orthodox Church. Your dinner will be in a local restaurant. Night is in a hotel.
Day 4: Karakol to Bishkek
Karakol – Jeti Oguz – Issyk Kul southern shore – Bishkek Today we will drive to Jeti Oguz gorge. It’s famous for its red rocks formations that have a name Seven Bulls – Jeti Oguz. Also 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. It is an ancient kind of hunting animals preserved from generation to generation. You will find out a lot of interesting facts about it. After this visit we will continue our way to Bishkek. Night is in a hotel.
Day 5: Bishkek to Osh
Bishkek – Osh In the morning we will transfer you to the airport for a flight to the city of Osh. In Osh city you will have a walk and will get to visit a famous and special place – Suleiman Mountain. Suleiman Too (Solomon’s Mountain) is situated in the city center and it is considered a place of pilgrimage for local Muslims, because according to the legend, biblical prophet Solomon (Suleiman, in the Koran) was buried at the foot of it. It is not a real city tour without visiting our Asian Bazaar. We will show it to you today and you will be able to take a lot of photos there. Night is in a hotel.
Day 6: Osh to Murghob
Osh – Kyrgyz border – Karakul Lake – Murgab In the morning is transfer to Tajik border. You tour in Tajikistan starts with a view the light-blue lake of Karakul (3, 815 m), the name of which can be translated as “The Black Lake”. Karakul is the highest large mountain lake of the world, excluding those in Tibet and Titicaca. After making photo of the lake we will drive to Murgab. They say in the Pamir: “to arrive here and do not see Murgab is like not visiting the Pamirs at all”. After all, by the Roof of the World, we mean Murgab. On the way you will drive over the highest Ak Baital pass (4 655 m). Often the landscape of Murghab is compared to the surface of the Moon by visitors, viewing the scene with outsiders’ eyes. Night is in a guesthouse.
Day 7: Murghob to Лангар, Таджикистан
Murgab – Yashil Kul Lake – Bulunkul Lake – Langar The most beautiful lakes of the Pamirs are Yashil Kul and Bulunkul (Blue lakes), stretched on the altitude of 3 700 meters above sea level, are situated in the Murghab district. The color of water in Bulunkul is a subtle inter-play of violet and dark-blue in the sunlight. Species of fish like are found in abundance in the lake. There is the opportunity to see yaks, a unique species of domestic animals, sharing features of cow and sheep, traditionally used as a beast of burden apart from giving milk and meat products. On the way to the lake you will drive over Naizatash pass (4 137 m). In the afternoon we will drive to Yamg along Afghanistan border. Night is in a homestay.
Day 8: Лангар, Таджикистан to Khorugh
Langar – Khorog Today we will drive along Tajik-Afgan border to Khorog. Situated in the heart of Asia, the Pamirs are a corner of sky-scraping, snow-capped, majestic mountains, transparent clear blue waters of lakes and rivers, wide valleys and bone-dry deserts. For hundreds of years, people have called these highest mountains of the world as “the Roof of the World”. Today you will understand why. The land of Pamirs is located at elevations from 3 500 to 4 200 meters above sea level. Pamirs is perhaps one the few areas in Central Asia where ancient ethnic and cultural peculiarities of the Pamir people exist. Over the years, communities were isolated from each other by impassable mountain ranges, and developed into separate enclaves with different dialects and sometimes distinct or different languages. Dinner is in a restaurant. Night is in a guesthouse.
Day 9: Khorugh to Qalaikhumb
Khorog – Kalai Khum In the morning is transfer to Kalai Khum village. This area consists of high rocky mountains over 6 000 meters and only 1 road was possible to be built. Passing though the Pamirs, the tourists have the rare opportunity to not only marvel the beauty of virgin environment, but also know more about the ethnography, history and everyday life of mountain dwellers and with this imagine how the history of humanity evolved as in the story of creation. On the way we will stop in small villages to communicate with local people and to see their life. Human settlements are located on both sides of the river in narrow mountain valleys. On the other side of the river you will see Afgan stony villages and gardens. Night is in a homestay.
Day 10: Qalaikhumb to Dushanbe
Kalai Khum – Norak – Dushanbe In the morning we will drive to Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan. Today we will finish drive along Afghanistan border. The highest point of the day is Shuraba pass (2 267 m). This part will amaze you by its unique mountains – it is Territory of Pamir Mountains. Over the centuries, the Pamirs have inspired the world’s greatest explorers – Marco Polo, Hsuan Tsang, Mirza Muhammad Haidar. And now you also have a chance to travel here. You will drive along natural border – Pyanj River. Having visited the Pamirs, many travellers called this giant mountain system the ocean of white and blue mountains. You will see Norak water reservoir that is called Tajik Sea. Night is in a hotel.
Day 11: Dushanbe
Dushanbe The entire day is dedicated to a guided city tour. First of we will visit Rudake Park, National library, White House, National state seal, and House of parliament. After it we will walk in National park to make photos of Ministry of Inner Affairs and the biggest National Flag in the world – 165 m high pole, 30 m wide, 60 m long. After excursion in Central Museum you will have lunch. Then you will visit to Gurminj Museum of traditional musical instruments. To feel real life you should visit Asian bazar. It has colorful goods, fruits and vegetables. We will see today the main highlights of Dushanbe and you will find out many interesting facts about Tajik people. Night is in a hotel.
Day 12: Dushanbe
Flight In the morning is transfer to airport.
What to know
What to bring: warm clothes (jacket, warm pants) as well as season clothes, sunglasses, sun blocks, umbrellas or raincoats
Route & locations
Bishkek