Kyrgyzstan Tour. Yurt – Nomadic Culture

Bishkek city – Kochkor town(250 km, 3-4 hours drive)

Arrival in Bishkek early in the morning. Meeting at the airport by a local driver. Breakfast. Transfer to Kochkor. Drive to Kochkor village. Kochkor is a village surrounded by mountains and big hills. On the way visit the old town of Balasagun. This city was founded by the Karachanid Khaganat. It was the Karachanid Khaganat that spread Islam in Kyrgyzstan. Visit the Burana Tower. It was built in the 10th-11th centuries. The original height of the tower was at least 40 meters, but the upper part was destroyed by an earthquake. Currently, the tower is 21.7 meters high.

If you wish, you can visit the women’s cooperative “Altin Kol” (“Golden Hand”). Here you can attend felt making workshops and purchase beautiful felt handicrafts from local artists. Dinner at the guest house in Kochkor.

Altitude during the day: 1606 m in Tamga and 1800 m in Kochkor.

Accommodation: Comfortable guesthouse

Nutrition: Breakfast/Lunch/dinner

Kochkor – Son-kul (150 km, 3-4 hours drive).

Breakfast at the guest house. Then transfer to Son-Kul lake (Son-Kul). Mountain lake at an altitude of 3016 meters above sea level. Nomads spend their summers on jailoo (pastures) and graze their livestock. Herds of sheep and horses may also be encountered. Lunch in a yurt camp. Overnight in yurts (yurts are traditional nomadic dwellings). Taste kymyz (mare’s milk) and watch the shepherd’s wife making bread and cheese. Dinner with freshly baked bread and overnight in a yurt camp.

Day altitude of 1800m at Kochkor and 3030m at Son-kul Lake.

Accommodation: yurt camp

Nutrition: Breakfast/lunch/dinner

Son-Kul

Breakfast. You will spend the whole day in Son-Kul. Here you will have a mountain hike, meet local shepherds and observe the pastoral life. You will also be able to milk a mare and see how nomads live. There are various hiking trails in Son-kul. There are no special hiking trails here. You can do a self-guided walk, which can take anywhere from one to five or six hours. If you want to walk all day, lunches can be provided. Horseback riding can be arranged for those who wish to do a horseback ride during the day. This is available at an additional cost. We can have a local stable boy available for horseback riding. Overnight and dinner at the yurt camp.

Accommodation: Yurt camp

Nutrition: Breakfast/lunch/dinner

Son-kul – Karakol (380 km, 6-7 h drive)

After breakfast in a yurt transfer to Karakol. Drive along the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Located at an altitude of 1607 meters above sea level, it is the second largest mountain lake in the world. Despite being surrounded by mountains, the lake does not freeze in winter (hence the name). Optional boat trip on Lake Issyk-Kul.

Arrival in Karakol and accommodation in a family guest house. Dinner. Overnight stay.

Day altitude: 3030 m in Sonkur, 1760 m in Karakol.

Accommodation: Guesthouse

Nutrition: Breakfast/lunch/dinner

Karakol – Jety-Oguz (40 km, about 1 hour drive).

If Arrive in Karakol on Sunday and visit the Sunday animal market. This popular event in the region is held once a week. It starts very early. We arrive here before breakfast.

After breakfast  visit a Russian Orthodox church, a Muslim mosque and the Prjevalsky Museum.

In the afternoon we go to Jety-Oguz gorge, famous for its red rocks.

Pass day: Karakol 1760 m, Jeti-Oguz 2200 m.

Accommodation: Yurt camp

Nutrition: Breakfast/lunch/dinner

Jety-Oguz – Svetlaya Polyana – Tamga.

Breakfast in yurt. Start trekking to Svetlaya Polyana, 3-4 hours. Arrival to Tamga, overnight in yurt camp near the lake. Swimming in the lake is possible. There is also a wild beach here. Dinner in the yurt camp.

Altitude above sea level during the day: 2020 m in Jety-Oguz and 1606 m in Tamga.

Accommodation: Yurt camp

Nutrition: Breakfast/lunch/dinner

Tamga.

All day to enjoy Lake Issyk-Kul. The campsite is only 150 meters away from the lake. You will live in yurts like nomads. Meals are served in a separate yurt. Before dinner you can admire the unforgettable sunset and beautiful starry sky. Tamga village is located on the main route of the Silk Road. As you know, this famous Silk Road transported not only goods but also religion. Stones with Buddhist inscriptions were found in one of the valleys of Tamga, which is why the village was named “Tamga”, which means “writing”. There are several optional activities and sightseeing on these days:

1. Visit to Baarskoon Gorge and Baarskoon Waterfall. Easy hike through the gorge and to the waterfall.
2. In the Tamga valley, where you can see old Buddhist inscriptions carved on stone.

Dinner and overnight stay in yurt camp.

Afternoon altitude 1606 above sea level in Tamga.

Accommodation: Tamga

Nutrition: Breakfast/lunch/dinner

Tamga – Bishkek (330 km, 5-6 hours drive).

After breakfast transfer to Bishkek. Visit to the “fairy-tale” valley. Walking along the sand hills, your imagination will turn over from the different colors and shapes created by the sand. You will see many different elements.

If you wish, you can make a stop at Kyzyl Tuu. Here local artisans make wooden parts of yurts. Local craftsmen will teach you how to make wooden yurt parts with your own hands.

Arrival in Bishkek and overnight stay in a hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

Altitude during the day: 1606 m in Tamga, 800 m in Bishkek.

Accommodation: 3-4 star hotel in Bishkek

Nutrition: Breakfast/lunch/dinner

Free time in Bishkek. Hotels are already booked. You can explore Bishkek on your own or use the services of a guide. Overnight at the hotel.

Optinal for extra pay-Shooting practice with real guns, sniper or pistol.

Day altitude: 1606 m at Tamug, 800 m at Bishkek.

Accommodation: Bishkek 3-4 star hotel.

Nutrition: Breakfast/lunch