Best of Kyrgyzstan — 7-Day Tour

Why this trip

If you have a week and this is your first time in Kyrgyzstan, this is the loop we would plan. It joins the country's two best-known lakes: Song-Kul, a lake among high summer pastures at 3,016 m where you sleep two nights in a yurt, and Issyk-Kul, at 1,607 m the second-largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. Between them come a Silk Road tower, two sandstone landscapes and Karakol, the town at the foot of the Terskey Ala-Too.

We do not hide the driving. The highlights are spread out, so Day 4 and Day 7 are mostly on the road. Walks are short and optional; the main effort is the altitude on Song-Kul.

A note on May and October. Song-Kul's yurt camps usually operate from June to September, and the passes up to the lake can be snowbound at either end of the season. For May and October dates, Ilgiz proposes an alternative for the two Song-Kul nights and puts it in your quote.

The route and the team are put together by Ilgiz, our lead guide from Kochkor, with more than 15 years of guiding travellers. The price is published below.

Transparent pricing

Per person, in USD. What is included is listed below and confirmed in writing with your quote. Groups are capped at 8.

Solo, pair and larger groups: exact price in our reply within 24 hours.

Day by day

Sample itinerary — Ilgiz confirms the exact route and camps for your dates.

1. Day 1

   Bishkek → Burana Tower → Kochkor

   Pickup at your Bishkek hotel and east about 80 km to Burana, near Tokmok: an 11th-century minaret, all that stands of the medieval city of Balasagun, with a field of carved stone grave figures (balbals) and a small museum. Then through the Boom gorge to Kochkor, Ilgiz's home town.

   Night in Kochkor
2. Day 2

   Kochkor → Kalmak-Ashuu pass → Song-Kul

   Up the gravel road over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass, about 3,400 m, and down onto the Song-Kul plateau. Afternoon by the lake, which is about 29 km long, and the first night in a yurt camp.

   Yurt camp, dinner + breakfast
3. Day 3

   A full day on Song-Kul

   No driving. Walk the shore, take an optional horse ride, or just watch the herds move across the pasture. Nights at 3,000 m are cold even in summer, so bring warm layers. Second yurt night.

   Yurt camp, dinner + breakfast
4. Day 4

   Song-Kul → Issyk-Kul south shore → Skazka canyon

   Down off the plateau and east to Issyk-Kul. Late afternoon in Skazka, the "fairy tale" canyon near Tosor, where wind and water have cut red and yellow sandstone into ridges and towers. Night on the south shore.

   Long driveNight on the south shore
5. Day 5

   South shore → Jeti-Oguz → Karakol

   East along the shore to Jeti-Oguz, about 25 km from Karakol: the red sandstone "Seven Bulls" and the Broken Heart rock, then a walk up the valley. On to Karakol for the evening.

   Night in Karakol
6. Day 6

   Karakol

   A slower day in town: the wooden Dungan mosque, built between 1904 and 1910 without nails, and the wooden Holy Trinity Cathedral, completed in 1895. Afternoon free, or a short walk at the edge of the mountains.

   Night in Karakol
7. Day 7

   Karakol → Bishkek

   Back to Bishkek along the north shore of Issyk-Kul, roughly 380–400 km. A long day in the car; drop-off at your hotel or the airport in the evening.

   ≈ 380–400 kmHotel/airport drop-off

What's included

Our standard plan for this tour. Your written quote confirms every line before anything is charged.

Meet your guide

Ilgiz — founder & lead guide

Ilgiz is from Kochkor, where Day 1 ends, and has guided travellers around Kyrgyzstan for more than 15 years. He built this loop. When you enquire, we tell you which guide is assigned to your dates before you commit to anything. More about Ilgiz

Questions about this tour

Before you choose dates: Best time to visit Kyrgyzstan · Song-Kul guide · All travel guides