Classic · Culture & Silk Road
Classic Kyrgyzstan: Lakes, Yurts & Silk Road
10 days · Round trip from Bishkek · From $1,490 USD
Tour overview
Your adventure at a glance
- Trip code
- KTG-CL10
- Days
- 10
- Starts
- Bishkek
- Ends
- Bishkek
- Group size
- 2–12
- Season
- May – September
If you only have one trip to Kyrgyzstan, make it this one. Over ten days we circle the country’s best-loved landscapes: the Silk Road minaret at Burana, the warm blue sea of Issyk-Kul, the red cliffs of Jeti-Oguz and the wild pastures around Song-Kul lake, where you’ll sleep in a felt yurt at 3,000 metres.
It’s an easy-paced trip with short walks, an optional horse ride and plenty of time with local families — from a felt-making cooperative in Kochkor to an eagle hunter on the south shore.
Is this tour for me?
What's included
Highlights
Moments you'll remember
- Climb the 11th-century Burana Tower and walk among the balbal stone faces
- Swim in Issyk-Kul, the second-largest alpine lake on earth
- Hike under the red "Seven Bulls" cliffs of Jeti-Oguz
- Watch a golden eagle hunt with a berkutchi on the south shore
- Two nights with a herding family in a yurt camp at Song-Kul lake (3,016 m)
- Make your own shyrdak felt pattern with the women of Kochkor
10 days, Bishkek
Day by day
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Day 1 Bishkek
Bishkek
Arrive at any time — your driver meets you at Manas airport. In the late afternoon, an orientation walk around Ala-Too Square, Oak Park and the Soviet-era centre, then a welcome dinner of beshbarmak and laghman.
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Day 2 Burana Tower & the north shore
Bishkek → Burana → Cholpon-Ata
Drive east through the Chuy valley to Burana Tower and its field of balbals. Continue through the Boom gorge to Issyk-Kul and the open-air petroglyph museum at Cholpon-Ata. Time for a first swim.
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Day 3 Karakol
Cholpon-Ata → Karakol
Follow the north shore to Karakol. Visit the wooden Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Dungan mosque, then dinner with a Dungan family — six courses of noodles, dumplings and spicy salads.
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Day 4 Jeti-Oguz & Valley of Flowers
Karakol → Jeti-Oguz → Karakol
Morning at the Seven Bulls and Broken Heart rocks, then a gentle 3–4 hour hike (or horse ride) up to the Valley of Flowers with a picnic lunch by the river.
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Day 5 Skazka Canyon & eagle hunters
Karakol → Skazka → Bokonbaevo
Along the quiet south shore to Skazka, the "Fairy Tale" canyon of red and orange rock towers. In Bokonbaevo meet a berkutchi and watch his golden eagle fly. Night in a lakeside yurt camp.
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Day 6 Kochkor felt-makers
Bokonbaevo → Kochkor
Over the Kyzart hills to Kochkor, home of a women's felt cooperative. Learn how shyrdak carpets are made and press your own small piece. Evening with a host family.
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Day 7 Up to Song-Kul
Kochkor → Kalmak-Ashuu pass → Song-Kul
Drive over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass (3,446 m) onto the high pastures of Song-Kul. Settle into your yurt, then walk to the shore as horses graze around the camp.
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Day 8 A day on the jailoo
Song-Kul
A full day at the lake: an optional 2–3 hour horse ride, watching the family milk the mares, kymyz tasting and a lesson in the national game ordo. Clear nights here are full of stars.
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Day 9 Back to Bishkek
Song-Kul → Bishkek
A scenic descent via the Kyzart pass and Kochkor, with a lunch stop by Orto-Tokoy reservoir. Farewell dinner in Bishkek.
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Day 10 Departure
Bishkek
Free time for Osh Bazaar or souvenir shopping before your airport transfer.
Dates
Travel on your own dates
Pick any start date in the season. You travel with your own guide and vehicle, so the trip is shaped around your group. The price depends on group size.
Price details
What's in the price
Included
- All accommodation as listed
- Meals as listed (9 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners)
- English-speaking local guide throughout
- Private vehicle with experienced driver
- Airport transfers on day 1 and day 10
- Entrance fees: Burana, Cholpon-Ata, Jeti-Oguz, Skazka
- Eagle-hunting show and felt-making workshop
- Horse ride at Song-Kul (2–3 hours)
- Drinking water in the vehicle
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance (required)
- Meals not listed
- Tips for guide and driver
- Alcoholic drinks
Frequently asked questions
All the answers to your questions
Do I need to be fit for this tour?
No. Walks are 2–4 hours on easy trails, and the only altitude is Song-Kul at 3,016 m, which most people handle well after a gradual drive up.
What are the yurts like?
Traditional felt yurts with beds, warm blankets and a stove. Toilets are shared outhouses and showers are basic or absent — think of it as glamping with a family.
Can I do this tour privately on my own dates?
Yes. Every tour can run privately for 1 or more travellers on any date between May and September. Send us a request and we'll quote.
Request this tour
Tell us your dates and group size. We'll confirm availability and the final price within 24 hours — no payment needed to ask.
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