Accommodation

You will stay at a twin room in various hotels throughout most of this tour.

On night 3, you will get to enjoy a stay at a yurt camp, each shared by four or five people. Please note that there are no beds, you will sleep in a traditional way on the mattresses. There are sleeping yurts and a separate dining yurt. There are toilets and showers outside (not in the yurt) but they are good. In wintertime, the yurt is heated.

Single room is available at an extra cost, but it is not possible in the yurts.

Program

Day 1: Bishkek - Chon-Kemin (170 kilometers, 3 hours of riding)

Arrival to Bishkek early in the morning (early check-in to the hotel for supplement). Transfer to Bishkek city center for breakfast. Later, transferred to Chon-Kemin. Arrival to Chon-Kemin, accommodation in the guesthouse. Lunch is in the guesthouse. In the afternoon, horse ride to the panoramic view of the valley. A horse riding of 3 hours. Light horse riding.

Dinner and overnight in the guesthouse.
Included meals: Breakfast and dinner
Overnight in Kemin Guesthouse

Day 2: Chon-Kemin - Karakol (300 kilometers, 4 to 5 hours of riding)

After breakfast, transfer to the northern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake, which is the second-largest mountainous lake in the world with an altitude of 1,607 meters above sea level.

On the way, you will make a 30-minute break with a photo stop at a nice spot at the lake right behind the city of Balykchy. Later, you will have a walk in the Open Air Museum of Petroglyphs in Cholpon-Ata city. The Open Air Museum sometimes referred to as a Stone Garden, covers some 42 hectares and contains a number of prehistoric monumental structures (stone circles, tombs, the remains of a boundary stone wall, balbals) and Petroglyphs (dating from the II millennium BC up to the Middle Ages up to the VI century AD).

In the afternoon, upon arrival to Karakol, go on a city tour visiting the Russian Orthodox Church, the Muslim Mosque in Dungan Style, and the Museum of Mikhail Prjevalsky. Afterward, you will visit a local bazaar. Have dinner with a local family. Overnight in the hotel.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Overnight in: Amir Hotel, Green Yard Hotel

Day 3: Karakol - Bokonbaevo/Tamga (150 kilometers, 2 hours of riding)

After breakfast, transfer to the southern shore of Issyk-Kul lake. Here, you will have another three hours of horse riding along the lakeside and in nature. Dinner and overnight in the yurts.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Overnight in: yurt camp

Day 4: Bokonbaevo/Tamga - Bishkek (330 kilometers, 4 to 5 hours of riding)

After breakfast transfer to Bishkek. On the way, you can visit a workshop that produces the parts of the yurts. Upon arrival to Bishkek dinner in the local restaurant. Overnight in the hotel.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Overnight in: B hotel 1

Day 5: Bishkek

After breakfast, transfer to the outskirts of Bishkek, to the horse club. Another three hours of horse riding. Enjoy lunch, and then transfer to Bishkek. Go on a city tour visiting Central Ala-Too Square, Oak Park, and Victory Square.

Farewell dinner in the local restaurant. Overnight in the hotel.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Overnight in: B hotel 1

Day 6: Bishkek - Departure

Today is the day that you fly back to your home country.

Included meals: breakfast

Level of difficulty

There are no difficulties on the route, but you should have an average level of fitness because sometimes they have long transfers of 4-5 hours by mountain roads.

Conditions

It is necessary to bring warm clothes, trekking boots, raincoats, etc. The weight of personal things is not limited.

Location

Kyrgyzstan is a magical place with shades of Shangri-la or The Lost World. Maybe those masters of prose who wrote such masterpieces had visited or heard of this legendary mountain kingdom. Unlike its Himalayan or South American counterparts of literary fame, Kyrgyzstan, or The Kyrgyz Republic to give it its official title, is real but its beauty and untamed wildness are the stuff of oral legends.

It is said that everything in life can be found in Kyrgyzstan, both physically and geographically. There are flat steppes, arid deserts, green, rolling foothills, plunging ravines with turbulent, frothing rivers, waterfalls cascading from the sides of sheer mountain faces, wondrous nut, and fir forests full of some of the most beautiful - and endangered - species in the world, endless grass-covered high mountain pastures, alpine meadows that make Switzerland's meadows look like small well-tended parks, and staggeringly beautiful snow-covered mountain peaks sitting atop some of the most difficult - and rewarding - climbs in the mountaineering world.

This is a land where vultures and eagles soar. Seeing is believing and the only way you can ever experience the true delights of this small, secluded mountainous country - by Asian standards - is to visit it. Words alone cannot do justice to the variety of sights and sounds - and truly awesome silences - that await you.

Location

Kyrgyzstan lies at the very heart of Central Asia, surrounded by the mighty expanses of China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. It covers an area of 198,500 square kilometers and its longest borders run 925 kilometers from west to east and 454 kilometers from north to south. The topography and geography of the country lend itself to a North-South divide, with the main concentrations of population/business in the north and south with an almost uninhabited interior.

Time

GMT +6: It does not operate Daylight Saving Time
Almaty Kazakhstan Kyrgyz time: Same time
Tashkent Uzbekistan Kyrgyz time: -1 hour
Beijing China Kyrgyz time: +2 hours
Moscow Russia Kyrgyz time: +3 hours

Climate

The mountainous terrain and distance from the sea and desert outskirts give Kyrgyzstan what can only be described as a harsh continental climate, with big changes in temperature occurring over short periods of time. The wettest place is the west slope of the Ferghana Range with 1,000 millimeters, whilst the driest is Balykchy on the western tip of Issyk-Kul Lake with 100 millimeters of precipitation.

The average temperature throughout the country in January varies between -4 degrees Celsius to -14 degrees Celsius and in July between 12 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius and there is an average of 247 days of sunshine a year.

Landscapes

The fact that 94% of Kyrgyzstan is covered by mountains produces great variations in the geographical and topographical appearance of the country. The lowest valley floor is 500 meters above sea level and the highest peaks soar to more than 7,000 meters above sea level in the mighty Tien Shan Range.

These mighty peaks are world-renowned and are part of the exclusive list of 7,000-meter plus peaks of the world; Pobeda Peak (Victory Peak) - 7,439 meters, Lenin Peak - 7,134 meters, and the legendary Khan-Tengry - 7010 meters, the white/pink marble pyramid held sacred by Kyrgyz through the ages.

Mountain lakes abound and arguably one of the most beautiful series of lakes anywhere in the world can be found at Sary Chelek in a national park, to see this is to behold the true beauty of nature. The "Pearl of the Heavenly Mountains" - or Issyk-Kul Lake - is the second-largest high mountain lake in the world, second only to Lake Titicaca in size and is so big it has its own unique biosphere. Although forests cover only a small area of Kyrgyzstan, the truly unique indigenous walnut tree forests of Arslan-bob are warranted for a visit on their own.

Flora and fauna

The flora and fauna here are both unique and plentiful, ranging from exquisite semi-tropical tulips to stunningly beautiful alpine edelweiss - yes, Kyrgyzstan isn't known as the "Switzerland of Asia" for nothing, and the vitamin content of herbs here isn't bettered by a single country in the world, not even Georgia, whose herbs are much loved by Western medical and perfume companies. There is even a uniquely fir tree - the Tien Shan Spruce.

The number and range of birds of prey have to be seen to be believed and travelers to the more remote parts of the country will be amazed at how close they can get to these animals if they are careful. Although they should probably be counted as domestic animals, it should be noted that camels and yaks are also to be found in the higher areas and plans are afoot to dramatically increase the breeding of yaks.

To do full justice to the wonderful range of flora and fauna would take far more space than is available here - so, again, please come and see for yourself - you will not be disappointed!

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Food

The package includes meals as outlined in the itinerary (daily breakfast, 4 lunches, and 5 dinners). You will also be provided with 1 liter of water per day per person.

The following meals are included:

Breakfast
Dinner
Drinks

The following drinks are included:

Water

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Regular (typically includes meat and fish)

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

What's included

Transport for transfers and excursions (good condition car with A/C) for Kyrgyzstan
5 nights (twin room accommodation + four or five people accommodation in a yurt. Please note that there are no beds. You will sleep in a traditional way on the mattresses)
Meal is indicated each day
Mineral water during the tour (one liter a day per person)
English-speaking tour guide
Entry fees to museums
Horses for riding in Chon-Kemin, Bokonbaevo, Bishkek
Helmets

What's not included

Alcohol and soft drinks
Full board
International and domestic flight tickets
Uzbekistan visa fees
Items of a personal nature including extra luggage charges, room service, medical expenses, etc
Camera and video fee where applicable
Trip cancellation, medical and accident insurance
Early check-in on Day 1

How to get there

Recommended Airports

FRU

Manas International Airport

19 km

Transfer included

Airport: Manas International Airport Airport transfer included: Manas International Airport No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.

Cancellation Policy

A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.

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Day 1: Bishkek - Chon-Kemin (170 kilometers, 3 hours of riding)

Day 2: Chon-Kemin - Karakol (300 kilometers, 4 to 5 hours of riding)

Day 3: Karakol - Bokonbaevo/Tamga (150 kilometers, 2 hours of riding)