Soviet Stuff In Tian Shan Ranges - 8 Day Tour
About this tour
Are You a soviet stuff lover? You collect photos of Lenin and old soviet coins? Whant to see Chernobyl like abandoned city? Love everything related to soviet buildings: factories, boats and cars? Than this is the trip for You! Take Your cameras and lets hit the soviet roads on soviet uaz bukhanka (it can be also on a different car) in the beautiful mountains of Kyrgyzstan! The trip we offer is a great chance to have an exiting combined mixture of soviet stuff lovers and nature lovers. This is a jorney into the history of powerful Soviet Union in old times; from boat factories and torpedo tests to the uranium mining cities in a remotest and high mountain ranges with awesome landscapes and hot springs where the adventure starts!
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Kyzyl-Oi, Kyrgyzstan
Pick up from airport Manas, drive to straight to Kyzyl oi village (from Kyrgyz language; the red valley, due to the red rocks of the valley), the road goes through the beautiful Kyrgyz Ala Too mountain range with a highest asphalted road with a 3klometer long tonnel on more than 3800 meters above the sea level. It is actually a continuation of the famous pamir highway (M41). We drive along the Karabta river and pass through the tonnel after which You can see vast pasters of Suusamyr valley with an average altitude of mlre than 2k meters. The road goes down and along the way there are stops in open air shops lying along the road, people are selling here 100% natural products like: kurut (dried cheez), kaimak (creem), kymyz (fermented mare's milk, a national baverage of Kyrgyz nomads) etc. Another stop in a museum of a famous Kyrgyz baatyr-hero a huge guy Kojomkul with height about 234cm, weighing 160kilos, he wasnt a fat person bjt strong in a perfect shape and during his life had done many good things to his people. Rest in a guesthouse.
Day 2: Kyzyl-Oi, Kyrgyzstan to Minkush Road, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
In the morning we drive to the sowth, following beautiful Kokomeren (Garden Thyme) river, the shores of the river are rich of the vegetation and provide nice shadows, so we take advantage of that and have some nice coffee in with tasty snacks in a wanderfull spot. Going further there is totly different landcapes accompaning us untill the old Soviet Uranium mining city Minkush (one thousand birds), at arrival we can see a life in the radioactive soviet uranium mining city, after we drive to a beautifulake Akkol to make camp near the shore.
Day 3: Minkush Road, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Son-Kul Lake, Naryn, Kyrgyzstan
With no rush we leave nice spot to get the better one! Our aim today is reach Sonkul lake. Is never enough to describe this amazing place with vast pastures full of horses, sheeps and yaks. The road passes by one of the biggest coal minings of the country; Karakeche. At arrival rest in a yurt camp
Day 4: Son-Kul Lake, Naryn, Kyrgyzstan to Kaji-Say, Kyrgyzstan
The trip continues towards the south shore of the Issikkul lake. We decend from the Kalmak ashuu pass down to Tolok after to Kochkor town where have lunch and pass by the Ortotokow water reservouir. Further going there is a nkce stop in a place called Fairy tale due ro the weird looking rocky formations. At arrival small walks to the rest of soviet abandone factories producing electronic parts like transistor etc. Rest in a homestay.
Day 5: Kaji-Say, Kyrgyzstan to Enilchek, Kyrgyzstan
Today is a long but interesting day! Tons of cool places and so much to see! Stops in: Jetyoguz (seven bulls), Barskoon (snowleopard valley), Chonashuu (big mluntain pass). Mines and hotsprings of Engilchek.
Day 6: Enilchek, Kyrgyzstan to Karakol, Kyrgyzstan
Drive back tO Karakol city. In order not to drive the same road, we take a long cut ))), at arrival visit of Prezhevalsk boat port, see where in soviet times (even now Russia) they tested torpedos etc.
Day 7: Karakol, Kyrgyzstan to Balykchy, Kyrgyzstan
In the morning we drive to Balykchy by the north shore of the Issikkula lake, this making a whole circle of the lake. Along the way several stops in Grehoriev and Semenkv gorges, Cholpon Ata muesum, at arrival to Balykchy visit of the boat club, soviet boat factory and many other interesting thing to see. Rsst in a homestay
Day 8: Balykchy, Kyrgyzstan to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
The last day but not the least! The rosd takes us to Aktuz valley another soviet mining city where they built factories and mine of uranium. On the way stops for small walks in nice canyons of Konorcchok. Arrive to Bishkek Drop off to airport
What's included
What to know
This tour can be customized. Please get in touch with me.
Route & locations
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Kyzyl-Oi, Kyrgyzstan