North Kg: Hiking Adventure To Glacier Lakes
About this tour
- About this tour: Two days of tour pretty intense hiking and horse riding with climbing to 4000 m. asl pass of Ala-Kul lake. If you are adventurous and fit, this option for you. The main part of tour is a good balance of exploring nomad culture, history and landscape.
- Spots for visiting: Issik-Kul and Song-Kol lake. Altyn-Arashan gorge and Ala-Kul lake hiking (4000 m. asl). Aksay, Kok-Moynok and Fairy Tale (Skazka) canyons. Karakol, Balykchi and Cholpon-Ata cities. Jety-Oguz, Barskoon and Kyrchyn gorges. Burana tower, Church and Mosque of Karakol, Kalmak-Ashuu pass.
- Activities and shows: Hiking and mountain climbing, horse riding and Eagle hunting.
- Accommodations: Traditional Kyrgyz yurts, Hotels and guesthouses.
- Inclusions: Transportation, accommodations, meals, entrance fees, horse riding and eagle hunting show.
- Additional Details: Vegetarian and gluten-free meals can be arranged upon request. We use spacious 4x4 vehicles with 3rd row of seats and can fit 6 persons.
Total distance: - ~1600km.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Chong-Kemin National Park, Shabdan, Kyrgyzstan
• Start in Bishkek. Short City tour optionally, Central “Ala-Too Square” and Monument of Revolutions. Burana tower and medieval Balasagun Karavan-Saray. Lunch at Uyghur restaurant in Tokmok or Kattama fried bread in Tolok village. Chong-Kemin gorge, horse riding to panorama. Dinner in guesthouse. • Overnight: Guesthouse in Chong-Kemin with private bath • Total driving: ~160 km, ~4 hours.
Day 2: Chong-Kemin National Park, Shabdan, Kyrgyzstan to Karakol, Kyrgyzstan
• Kok-Moynok canyons. Rukh-Ordo ethnic museum center in Cholpon-Ata city, Petroglyph open-air museum optionally. Lunch at local restaurants. Chon Ak-Suu (Grigorievski) gorge, hiking to lakes. Small pass and Kyrchyn Gorge, where was World Nomad Games. Driving to Karakol town. Dinner in Karakol (customers pay by menu) - Kyrgyz restaurant with ethnic music show or Trout restaurant. • Overnight: Guesthouse in Karakol with private bath. • Total driving: ~340 km, ~6 hours.
Day 3: Karakol, Kyrgyzstan to Altyn-Arashan, Altynarasan, Kyrgyzstan
• Karakol city tour. Russian Orthodox church, Dungan mosque and Victory Park. Shopping for 2 days hiking. Trying local street food as a cold noodles soup. Driving to start point in Ak-Suu village. Hiking to Altyn-Arashan, 15km, elevation 600m, 4-5 hours. Lunch with snacks. Hotspring pool swimming. Dinner in guesthouse. • Overnight: Guesthouse in Altyn-Arashan with private bath. Hiking or driving to Altyn-Arashan gorge with famous thermal hotsprings there. If you are going to hike Alakol lake (Seasonally, June-September), we have to get this destination day before. And this day start hiking with overnight in tents under the Alakol lake pass. Optionally we can do hiking started in Karakol gorge and finish in Altyn-Arashan. Another option, if you don't want long hiking and tent overnight, we can do horse riding for one day.
Day 4: Altyn-Arashan, Altynarasan, Kyrgyzstan to Karakol, Kyrgyzstan
• Breakfast. Horse riding to Ala-Kul pass 7km, elevation 1100m. Lunch with snacks. Climbing up to Ala-Kul lake 400m elevation (challenging hiking). Horse riding back to Altyn-Arashan. Driving down to Karakol by Soviet Military Car – UAZ “Bukhanka”. Dinner in Karakol. • Overnight: Guesthouse in Karakol with private bath.
Day 5: Karakol, Kyrgyzstan to Bokonbayevo, Kyrgyzstan
• Jety-Oguz redrocks, panorama and canyon. Lunch at local restaurants in Kyzyl-Suu village. Barskoon “Snow Leopard nest” gorge, hiking to waterfalls, Yuri Gagarin monuments. Skazka canyon. Dinner at yurtcamp. • Overnight: Yurtcamp at the shore of Issik-Kul lake. • Total driving: ~200 km, ~5 hours.
Day 6: Bokonbayevo, Kyrgyzstan to Song-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
• Eagle Hunting show. Aksay canyon hiking, Shatyly Panoramic view optionally. Lunch at local restaurants in Kochkor or fried Song-Kol fish in Sary-Bulak optionally. Kalmak-Ashuu pass to Song-Kol or Terskey-Torpok (33 parrots). Dinner at yurtcamp. • Overnight: Yurtcamp at the shore of Song-Kol Lake. • Total driving: ~200 km, ~6 hours.
Day 7: Song-Kul, Kyrgyzstan to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
• Horse riding at Song-Kol (optionally). Via Kochkor town end in Bishkek. Or alternatively via Kyzyl-Oi village (+ extra day) along Kokomeren river. Suusamyr valley. Too-Ashuu pass. Suluu Tor lakes. Arrival and finish in in Bishkek. Overnight: Yurtcamp at the shore of Song-Kol Lake. • Total driving: ~300 km, ~6 hours.
What's included
Inclusions: Transportation, accommodations, meals, entrance fees, horse riding and eagle hunting show.
Alcohol beverages.
Languages spoken
What to know
This tour can be customized. Please get in touch with me. Additional locations: • Enilchek ghost town (320km, +1 extra day) • Saryjaz valley (300km, +2 extra day) • Altyn Arashan (+1 extra day) • Ala-Kul lake (+2 extra days) • Ara-Bel plateau (160km, + 6 hours) • Tosor Pass (+1 extra day) • Djuuku gorge and pass (160km, +1 extra day) • Shatyly Panorama (50km, +3 hours) • Chong-Kemin gorge (80km, +4 hours) • Konorchek Canyon (+3 hours) • Ak-Tuz uranium factory (80km, +4 hours) • Kol-Ukok (60km, +1 extra day) • Kol-Kogur (80km, +1 extra day) • Ala-Archa National Park (80km, +4 hours) • Shar Waterfall (80km, +1 extra day) Additional activities: • Kyrgyz felt (Shyrdak) show; • Kyrgyz National Nomadic House (Yurt) show; • Kyrgyz ethnic music band show; • Kok-Boru horses game; • Boating at Issik-Kul (with swimming at deep side) and Kel-Suu lake;
Route & locations
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Chong-Kemin National Park, Shabdan, Kyrgyzstan