Kyrgyzstan

Exploring Untouched Landscapes

Price

1,395 USD

Duration

8 Days

Level

easy-moderate

Date

September 15, 2023

Book Now

Overview Itinerary Details What’s Included Get Inspired

8 days

1,395 USD / 435 KWD / 5,150 AED / 5,300 SAR

Book Now

Overview

Kyrgyzstan may be a small country, but it has been blessed with some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. Massive mountain ranges intertwine with vast valleys dotted with nomadic settlements, herds of yaks, donkeys, and horses, or picturesque urban centers. During the summer months, the mountain breeze blows down from the snow-capped peaks and embraces life with a freshness that you will miss when back home.

In this itinerary, we have combined gorges, mountains, and lakes to offer you an authentic view of the Kyrgyz countryside and its untouched nature. On the way, you will also get a taste of the local hospitality, gaining insights into traditional practices and old rituals that survive to our day, and delving a bit more into the essence of this lesser-known civilization.

Trip Highlights:
Get ready to:

Live like a local in a traditional yurt, surrounded by silence, the Kyrgyz nomads, and their herds of yaks, donkeys, goats and horses.
Stay by the two most beautiful lakes of the country: Song Kul (an alpine lake at 3000 m altitude) and the large Issyk Kul.
Interact with the nomadic tribes and the craftsmen in the villages, learning more about their way of living and the Kyrgyz civilization.
Witness an eagle hunting demonstration: a traditional occupation and one of the most important highlights of the trip.
Hike through the Skazka Canyon, also known as the Fairytale Canyon, full of colorful formations and exciting, narrow paths.
Marvel in front of the Jeti Oguz Seven Bulls Rocks.
Explore the picturesque Karakol town and Jyrgalan valley.
Admire ancient petroglyphs that have turned a large area into an open-air museum.
Meditate in the Ruh Ordo Cultural Center, which was built to allow guests to achieve spiritual growth while discovering different cultural and religious elements in the region.
Trek in the Ala-Archa National Park, exploring some of its most popular corners and admiring the breathtaking landscapes.

Share this trip:

Activities: cultural interactions, cultural sightseeing, hiking/trekking, nature watching, Eagle Hunting Demonstration

Itinerary Details

Day 1 (15th September 2023): Arrival at Bishkek (D)

Upon your arrival at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, you will be welcomed by a Rahhalah representative, and transferred to the hotel.
Spend the rest of the day at leisure exploring the capital at your own pace, before meeting with the rest of the group at 7pm for a welcome dinner in one of the most delightful restaurants of the city.

Accommodation: 3-4* hotel in Bishkek.

Day 2 (16th September 2023): Bishkek – Kochkor – Song Kul Lake (B, D)

After breakfast, you will leave Bishkek heading towards the countryside.

Initially, you will drive towards the large town of Kochkor and, on the way, you will stop for an easy hike to Konorchek canyons. In Kochkor, you will stop for lunch and some souvenir shopping before driving towards Song Kul, one of the jewels of the country.

Song Kul is an alpine lake stretching at an altitude of 3000 m, surrounded by nomadic shepherds who look after yaks, donkeys, goats and horses. Its beauty is highly praised as it is surrounded by pasture and mountain ranges but remains a hidden gem since it is not easily accessible.

You will stay in a yurt camp, the best one by the lake, isolated from the other yurt accommodations. Once you check in, you will go on a 2-hour hike to enjoy the silence and serenity of the area, marveling as the setting sun casts a spell on the landscape. Dinner will be prepared by the family in the yurt camp.

Note: Please expect cold weather and bring warm clothes. The mountain weather changes constantly and unpredictably. You should be ready for all kind of weather, even snow.

Driving distance: 330 km.
Hiking time: 2 hrs.
Optional: Horse riding.

Overnight in a yurt camp.

Day 3 (17th September 2023): Song Kul – Issyk Kul – Eagle hunting demonstration (B, D)

After breakfast in the yurt, you will check out and head to Issyk Kul: the second largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea and the seventh deepest lake in the world.
Upon arrival there, you will check in your new yurt camp and enjoy lunch before heading to the mountains on the southern shore of the lake. There, you will also visit the Boz Salkyn valley, and finish with a hike to Shatyly for incredible panoramic views.

Before dinner, you are in for a treat and what promises to be one of the highlights of the trip: an eagle hunting demonstration, hosted by a world champion. You will have the opportunity to learn how humans and eagles have collaborated for centuries in Central Asia, the impact of this partnership on the local culture, and, of course, you may take photos with the eagles as well. The evening will end with a few additional sporting demonstrations that have defined the Kyrgyz civilization.

Driving distance: 250 km.
Hiking time: 1-2 hrs.
Eagle show: 1 hr.

Overnight in a yurt camp.

Day 4 (18th September 2023): Skazka Canyon – Jeti Oguz – Karakol (B)

You will leave the lake early in the morning, heading first to Skazka Canyon, also known as the Fairytale Canyon. This spectacular sandstone formation is like a giant playground for adults, and you will spend around one hour, climbing, hiking, and admiring the rainbow-colored designs.

On your way to Karakol, you will pass by the Barskoon Valley and the village of Jeti Oguz to get a view of the famous Seven Bulls Rocks: a stunning and unique geological formation that stands out with its curves and unexpected red color.

Late in the afternoon, you will arrive at the beautiful city of Karakol, where you will enjoy dinner in an excellent local restaurant.

Driving distance: 200 km.
3 different hikes, 1 hr. each.

Accommodation: 3* hotel.

Day 5 (19th September 2023): Karakol – Jyrgalan (B, D)

After breakfast, you will head to the Jyrgalan Valley – which promises to become your favorite place in Kyrgyzstan! There, you will enjoy a 3-hour hike to the nearby waterfall and spend time strolling through the adorable mountain village.

Driving distance 60 km
Hiking time: 3 hours hike to the waterfall.

Accommodation: local guest house.

Day 6 (20th September 2023): Petroglyphs – Rhu Ordo Cultural Center – Bishkek (B)

After breakfast, you will head back to Bishkek. On the way, you will stop to observe the ancient petroglyphs spread on hundreds of boulders in an impromptu, open-air museum, and you will visit the new Ruh Ordo Cultural Center which offers spiritual enrichment to the visitors.

After lunch in the city of Cholpon Ata by the Issyk Kul lake, you will continue towards Bishkek where you are expected to arrive in the evening.

Driving distance: 400 km.
Visit to the Ruh Ordo Cultural Center: 1.5 hrs.
Petroglyphs excursion: 40 min.

Accommodation: 3-4*hotel, Bishkek.

Day 7 (21st September 2023): Trekking in the Ala-Archa National Park (B, L)

After breakfast, you will head to the Ala-Archa National Park, where you will spend most of the day exploring some of its most beautiful corners. The park is quite large, dotted with small and bigger glaciers and more than 50 mountain peaks. Its altitude ranges from about 1,500 meters at the entrance to a maximum of 4,895 meters at Peak Semenova Tian-Shanski, the highest peak in the Kyrgyz Ala-Tau range of the Tian Shan. Its name “archa” is inspired from a varicolored juniper of the region which the Kyrgyz people traditionally hold in high esteem. Interestingly enough, although the smoke of this juniper’s burning wood is used to chase away the evil spirits, the tree should not be planted near a house as, based on the local beliefs, it will gradually deplete the energy of the humans living in the proximity.
Today’s trek will take you to a waterfall: one of the most famous and popular attractions in the gorge, while, on the way, you will enjoy the magnificent wilderness of Kyrgyzstan.

Driving distance: 40km.
Trekking distance: 10km / medium level of difficulty.

Accommodation: 3-4* hotel in Bishkek.

Day 8 (22nd September 2023): Departure from Bishkek (B)

After breakfast, and depending on your departure details, you will be transferred to the airport for flight back home.

Notes

This cost is based on Double Occupancy. Single Supplement applies in the hotels but is not possible at the yurts. Single supplement for the hotel rooms amounts to 200 USD per person extra.
All services stipulated above are subject to availability at the time of booking/reservation. All prices are subject to change.
All accommodation is subject to change to a similar one depending on availability.

The Price Includes:

5 nights’ accommodation in 3-4-star hotels and local guesthouses (double occupancy).
2 nights’ accommodation in traditional yurt camps (maximum 4 people in a yurt, 2 people only if there is availability).
Meals as described in the itinerary (B, L, D).
Transportation as per the itinerary.
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure (day 1 and 8 respectively).
All activities as described in the itinerary.
English-speaking certified and experienced local guide.
Two liters of bottled or filtered water per person, per day.
Entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites as per the itinerary.

The Price Excludes:

International airfare.
Airport taxes.
Travel insurance.
Visa fees.
Beverages.
Early check-in/late check-out.
Single Supplement cost.
Meals not included above.
Optional/additional activities.
Tips and gratuities.
Personal expenses.
PCR test if needed.

Important: The itinerary and schedule are subject to change due to weather, road challenges or operating conditions. At any moment, the guide has the RIGHT to change the program for the safety and convenience of the travelers.

Also, the trip's price does not cover expenses that may occur due to conditions beyond Rahhalah's control (force majeure). Such cases include but are not limited to extreme weather conditions, flight cancellations or delays, and natural phenomena (earthquakes, volcano eruptions, hurricanes, etc.). We, the Rahhalah team, both in our HQ and on the ground, will do our best to assist you with alternative arrangements (like new accommodation and/or transportation arrangements, revised itinerary and activities etc.), but ALL NEW COSTS incurred because of force majeure are to be covered by the traveler.

We strongly recommend that, before your departure, you purchase travel insurance that covers trip cancellation costs, loss of baggage or personal items, medical emergencies, and other unexpected circumstances that cannot be controlled by Rahhalah or any traveler.