Discover the Best of Kyrgyzstan

Drive: 3–4 hrs   |   Stay: Guesthouse   |   Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Meet your guide and fellow travellers at the CBT office on Gorkiy Street, Bishkek, at 9:00am. The journey east begins with a rewarding detour to the Burana Tower — the most striking remnant of Balasagun, a great Silk Road city of the Karakhanid Khanate. Built in the 11th century as a minaret, the tower originally stood twice its current height of 24.6m before a 15th-century earthquake brought down its upper half. Wander the excavated grounds, explore the outdoor collection of ancient balbals (stone figures), and absorb a remarkable chapter of Central Asian history.

Continuing into the Chong-Kemin Valley, the landscape shifts to lush, intimate mountain terrain — a 500-hectare protected area ranging from semi-desert to glacier. Arrive at your guesthouse homestay for lunch, then spend the afternoon exploring the valley on foot or on horseback. Dinner and overnight in a local guesthouse.

Drive: 5–6 hrs   |   Stay: Guesthouse   |   Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, the road heads east along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul — the "hot lake" of Kyrgyz legend, a vast inland sea of sparkling blue that never freezes despite being ringed by snow-capped peaks. A stop at Cholpon-Ata reveals one of the region's most fascinating secrets: a remarkable open-air gallery of petroglyphs (rock paintings) dating back thousands of years, set in a field of boulders 5km from the lakeshore towards the mountains.

The drive continues to Karakol — the main town of the eastern Issyk-Kul region and the gateway to the Tian Shan. On arrival, visit two of the town's most distinctive landmarks: the beautifully decorated Dungan Mosque, built without a single nail in traditional Chinese style, and the wooden Russian Orthodox Church — a reminder of the town's Tsarist-era past. Dinner at a local café; overnight in a guesthouse.

Drive: 40 km   |   Trek: 18 km  |  5–6 hrs   |   Max Elevation: 2,800m   |   Stay: Yurt Camp   |   Meals: B, L, D

The first of two days of trekking begins with a short transfer to the Kyzyl-Suu valley trailhead. From here, the route climbs through the Kok-Jayik gorge, passing a beautiful waterfall hidden among the pines, before ascending to the Jeti-Oguz Pass at 2,800m. The views from the pass are expansive, with the Terskey Ala-Too range spread out in every direction. Lunch is taken on the trail.

The descent brings you into the legendary Jeti-Oguz valley — named for the striking red rock formations that rise from its floor. Arrive at a traditional yurt camp in the early evening, in time for dinner and a well-earned rest after 18km of beautiful mountain terrain.

Trek: 5 km  |  2–3 hrs   |   Drive: 3 hrs   |   Stay: Yurt Camp   |   Meals: B, L, D

The morning begins with a short hike to the viewpoint above Ogyz Bashy Peak (5,180m elevation) — a panorama of glaciated summits and deep green valleys that rewards the early effort handsomely. Back at the yurt for lunch, then the afternoon trek winds down through the Jeti-Oguz mountain range to the famous Seven Bulls rock formation — seven dramatic red sandstone pillars that have inspired Kyrgyz legend for centuries — before finishing at the panoramic viewpoint above the valley.

The drive then heads south around the lakeshore to the atmospheric Skazka Canyon — a maze of eroded red and ochre cliffs that glows brilliantly in the afternoon light — before continuing to the village of Bokonbaevo on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul. Dinner and overnight at a yurt camp.

Drive: 3 hrs   |   Stay: Guesthouse   |   Meals: B, L, D

One of the most memorable experiences of the tour. After breakfast, transfer into the mountains above Bokonbaevo where a master berkutchi (eagle hunter) demonstrates the ancient art of hunting with golden eagles — a tradition practised by Kyrgyz nomads for over 2,000 years and recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Watch the birds soar, stoop, and return to the falconer's glove in a spectacular natural setting, and learn about the deep bond between hunter and bird that takes years to develop.

Lunch is served at a yurt camp in the mountain area. The afternoon drive continues west to Kochkor — a quiet market town and the jumping-off point for tomorrow's trek to Song-Köl. Dinner and overnight at a local guesthouse.

Drive: 2 hrs to Kyzart   |   Trek: 5–6 hrs   |   Pass: 3,061m   |   Stay: Yurt Camp   |   Meals: B, L, D

The Song-Köl trekking adventure begins. Transfer to Kyzart, where you'll meet your local guide team and pack horses before setting off across Kyzyl-Kiya jailoo — an enormous, rolling sea of grass that stretches to the horizon in every direction. The trail climbs to the Chaar-Archa Pass at 3,061m, with sweeping views of the sacred Baba-Ata Mountain (4,400m) to the south. Lunch is taken by the river in the Chaar-Archa Valley below the pass.

The afternoon trail leads over gently rolling hills to Kilemche Jailoo — whose name means "like a carpet" — a vast, seamless expanse of alpine pasture that covers the mountain ranges in shades of vivid green. Dine and sleep in a traditional yurt as the sun sets over the high grasslands.

Trek: 4–5 hrs   |   Pass: 3,400m   |   Stay: Shepherd's Yurt by the Lake   |   Meals: B, L, D

The most magnificent day of the entire tour. From Kilemche, the trail climbs to the Jalgyz Karagai Pass at 3,400m — a rocky, exhilarating ascent that rewards every step with expanding views of the jailoo below and the Song-Köl mountains above. And then, from the top of the pass, Song-Köl appears for the first time: vast, impossibly blue, its far shores lined by a wall of high peaks that seem to grow taller as you descend towards the water.

After lunch at Jaman Echki, the route traces the eastern lakeshore to Batai-Aral, where a family of Kyrgyz shepherds are spending their summer on the high pastures. Their yurt is your home for the night — a genuine, unhurried encounter with a way of life that has continued here for millennia. Share their food, their fire, and their stories under a sky blazing with stars.

Drive: 5–6 hrs   |   Meals: Breakfast

A final breakfast at the lake shore — take a last walk along the water's edge and say farewell to the shepherds before the transfer back to Bishkek begins. The route home crosses the dramatic Kalmak-Asuu Pass, offering one final panorama of the Tian Shan before the road descends into the foothills and the capital comes into view. Arrive in Bishkek in the afternoon, where the tour concludes — bags full of memories, and perhaps a shyrdak felt carpet or two from the markets along the way.