Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Kyrgyzstan: Karakol, Jety-Oguz and Song-Kol on Foot
9 days from Bishkek: three nights in Karakol for the Altyn Arashan and Jety-Oguz walks, a night in Kochkor and two yurt nights at Song-Kol with a day on horseback.
9 days · Round trip from Bishkek · up to 12 guests
Herders below the Tian Shan near Karakol Photo: Bgag, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tian_Shan_in_Kyrgyzstan_02.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Bishkek
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 6.5 h on day 8
- Activity level
Active
Four days have 4 to 6 hours of walking on mountain paths and grassy tracks: about 14 km and 900 m of climbing to Altyn Arashan at about 2,600 m (day 3), 10 to 12 km up the Jety-Oguz valley to about 2,500 m (day 4), about 10 km mostly downhill over pastures to Song-Kol at about 3,000 m (day 6), and a ride or a 4 to 5 hour walk at Song-Kol (day 7). You sleep two nights at about 3,000 m, so take the first climbs slowly. Three days have about five and a half to six and a half hours on the road. Every long walk has a shorter version, a 4x4 or a seat in the van.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 680 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Walk up the Arashan valley to the hot springs of Altyn Arashan, then soak before the 4x4 takes you down
- The red Seven Bulls of Jety-Oguz and a long walk into the Kok-Jaiyk meadow
- Dinner at home with a Dungan family in Karakol, with ashlyamfu among the small dishes
- Watch shirdak felt rugs made in Kochkor, the felt town of Kyrgyzstan
- Walk the last pastures down to Song-Kol at about 3,000 m and stay two nights in a yurt
- A day in the saddle with a local horseman above the lake, or the same route on foot
- Burana Tower and the petroglyphs of Cholpon-Ata on the way east
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 6.5 h, on day 8.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 680 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 6.5 h, on day 8.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Bishkek
Manas International Airport to your hotel in central Bishkek
- Dinner
- Stay in Bishkek
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Manas International Airport (FRU), about 30 km north of Bishkek, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall.
Evening
Plan to land by about 3 pm to join the late-afternoon walk; if your flight lands in the evening or overnight, as many do, the driver still meets you and your guide briefs you over breakfast. Bishkek is a green, low-rise city on a Soviet grid, with the snow wall of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too range at the end of most streets. At about 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide takes those who have arrived on a short walk to Ala-Too Square, where the guard changes at the flagpole, past the Manas monument and through Oak Park with its open-air sculptures. Then the group meets for a briefing on the days ahead: the walks, the altitude at Song-Kol, what to pack for the yurt nights and how the long drives are broken up. We sit down together to a welcome dinner of Kyrgyz dishes at a local restaurant.
Included
- Pick-up at Manas International Airport (FRU)
- Short evening walk: Ala-Too Square, the Manas monument and Oak Park
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon walk
Activity: About 2 km on flat city streets.
Burana Tower and the north shore to Karakol
Bishkek to Burana Tower, the Boom gorge and Cholpon-Ata, then Karakol
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Karakol
- Drive about 6 h
We leave at 8 am. This is the longest road day of the trip, about 400 km and six hours of driving, because Karakol lies at the far eastern end of Issyk-Kul and we do not use flights on this route; we break it into three parts. First Burana Tower, an hour east, reached at about 9:15 before the heat: an 11th-century minaret standing alone in fields near the site of Balasagun, a Karakhanid capital, part of the Silk Roads UNESCO World Heritage listing, with a field of carved balbal grave stones and a small museum.
Afternoon
Then the Boom gorge of the Chu River down to the lake and along the north shore to Cholpon-Ata for a sit-down lunch and a walk among the boulders of the petroglyph field, carved with ibex and hunters. The last stretch runs along the lake under the Kungey Ala-Too to Karakol, where we arrive in the late afternoon for three nights.
Included
- Burana Tower, the balbal field and the site museum with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Cholpon-Ata
- The Cholpon-Ata petroglyph field
Free time: Evening free in Karakol
Activity: Short walks only. If the stair inside Burana Tower is open on the day, it is dark, steep and narrow; skip it if you prefer.
Walk to the hot springs of Altyn Arashan
Karakol to the Ak-Suu trailhead, on foot to Altyn Arashan, then 4x4 back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Karakol
- Drive about 2 h
A short drive takes us to the bridge above the village of Ak-Suu, where the track to Altyn Arashan starts, and we set off on foot at about 8:30, before the sun is high. The path climbs about 14 km and 900 m through spruce forest beside the Arashan river, with a few steep stretches, and opens into a wide valley at about 2,600 m with views up to the snow peak of Palatka. Allow five to six hours with stops.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a guesthouse in the valley, and then the reward: a soak in the hot springs that give Altyn Arashan, the golden spa, its name. Bring swimwear.
Evening
In the afternoon a local 4x4 takes us back down the rocky track, about an hour and a half of bouncing, and we are in Karakol by early evening. Dinner tonight is your own: Karakol has good cafes for lagman noodles and plov.
Included
- Guided walk from the Ak-Suu trailhead to Altyn Arashan
- Lunch at a guesthouse in the Altyn Arashan valley
- The Altyn Arashan hot springs
- Local 4x4 back down the valley
- Park and eco-zone fees
Easier option: Ride up in the 4x4 with the lunch supplies, walk an hour up the valley towards Palatka, then soak in the springs.
More active option: Walk on past the springs up the valley for another hour towards Palatka before lunch.
Free time: Evening free in Karakol
Activity: About 14 km and 900 m of climbing on a rocky forest track, 5 to 6 hours, up to about 2,600 m. The 4x4 track is very rough.
Jety-Oguz valley and a Dungan dinner
Karakol to the Jety-Oguz valley and back, then Karakol old town
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Karakol
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about 40 minutes west to Jety-Oguz, named for its seven bulls, a wall of red sandstone cliffs above the river, and the split rock called the Broken Heart. From the old Soviet sanatorium we walk up the valley past summer yurts and grazing horses, through spruce slopes, into the Kok-Jaiyk meadow, the valley of flowers, at about 2,500 m, with snow peaks at its head. The round walk is 10 to 12 km and four to five hours.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a yurt in the valley. We are back in Karakol by mid-afternoon for a free hour or two. At about 5 pm we walk the old town of single-storey Russian houses with carved window frames to the Holy Trinity Cathedral, built of wood in 1895, and the Dungan Mosque, finished in 1910 by Dungan craftsmen in the style of a Chinese temple.
Evening
In the evening a Dungan family welcomes us to dinner at home, with ashlyamfu, the cold noodle dish Karakol is known for.
Included
- Jety-Oguz walk with your guide: the Seven Bulls, the Broken Heart and the Kok-Jaiyk meadow
- Lunch at a yurt in the Jety-Oguz valley
- Karakol walk: the Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Dungan Mosque
- Dinner with a Dungan family in Karakol
Optional experiences
- The Przhevalsky museum and memorial on the lakeshore near Karakol, priced at booking
Easier option: Walk the lower valley past the Seven Bulls for an hour and wait with tea at a yurt while the others go up to the meadow.
More active option: Climb the ridge above the valley to the viewpoint over the Seven Bulls and the Broken Heart, about an hour extra.
Free time: Mid-afternoon free in Karakol
Activity: 10 to 12 km on grassy valley tracks, 4 to 5 hours, up to about 2,500 m, with steady gentle climbs.
The south shore and Skazka to Kochkor
Karakol along the south shore of Issyk-Kul to Skazka Canyon, then Kochkor
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kochkor
- Drive about 5.5 h
Today we cross from the east end of the lake to the high valley of Kochkor, about 330 km and five and a half hours of driving: the road has to go round the lake, and Kochkor puts Song-Kol within reach tomorrow.
Afternoon
We break it with Skazka and a long lunch. We leave at 8:30 and follow the quieter south shore of Issyk-Kul, with small villages and apricot orchards between the water and the Terskey Ala-Too. Mid-morning we stop for an hour at Skazka, the fairy-tale canyon, to walk among eroded clay ridges striped red, yellow and purple. Lunch is a sit-down meal in a south shore village. In the afternoon the road leaves the lake near Balykchy and climbs to Kochkor at about 1,800 m, a farming town known for felt, where we arrive at about 4 pm. The rest of the day is free: walk the main street to the felt shops or rest after the drive.
Evening
Dinner is home cooking at our guesthouse.
Included
- Skazka Canyon walk with your guide
- Sit-down lunch on the south shore
- Dinner at the guesthouse in Kochkor
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Kochkor
Activity: About 2 km on sandy paths and short steep slopes at Skazka.
Over the pass and on foot to Song-Kol
Kochkor over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass, then on foot to a yurt camp at Song-Kol
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Song-Kol
- Drive about 3 h
Before we leave, women at a local workshop show us at 8:30 how shirdak rugs are made: wool beaten into felt, cut and stitched into bold patterns. At about 9:30 we drive south up the Kalmak-Ashuu road, a gravel track of tight bends that climbs to a pass of more than 3,300 m; the whole road to the lake is about 90 km and three to four hours by van.
Afternoon
Below the far side of the pass, after about three hours, the van stops for a picnic lunch, and we walk the last stretch, about 10 km and four hours, mostly downhill over open pastures dotted with herders' yurts, horses and sheep, with Song-Kol coming into view below. The lake is about 3,000 m up, about 29 km long and ringed by bare green hills. The van meets us at the camp on the grassy shore, where we stay two nights in felt yurts with beds, bedding and a stove, one for each couple or solo guest.
Evening
Watch the sunset over the water, then dinner at camp.
Included
- Shirdak felt workshop in Kochkor
- Drive over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass with your guide
- Guided walk over the pastures to Song-Kol
- Picnic lunch on the way
- A yurt night at Song-Kol
- Dinner at camp
Easier option: Stay in the van to the camp and walk the last 3 km along the lake shore instead.
Activity: About 10 km over grassy pastures, mostly downhill, about 4 hours at 3,000 to 3,300 m. Take it slowly on the first day at altitude.
A horse day at Song-Kol
Song-Kol: on horseback or on foot above the lake
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Song-Kol
Morning
Get up for the sunrise if you can: the lake is often still and the hills turn pink. After breakfast a local horseman brings the horses round. Kyrgyz horses are small, steady and used to beginners, and the horseman leads anyone who has not ridden before. We ride about three hours at a walk along the shore and up into the hills to a viewpoint over the whole lake, past herders' yurts where families make kymys, fermented mare's milk, through the summer. If you would rather walk, your guide leads the same route on foot, four to five hours.
Afternoon
Lunch is back at the camp. The afternoon is free: sit by the water, walk the shore for birds, or visit a herding family with your guide.
Evening
Dinner is at the camp, and on a clear night the stars over Song-Kol are worth going outside for.
Included
- Horse ride with a local horseman, about 3 hours, or the same route on foot with your guide
- Lunch at camp
- A second yurt night at Song-Kol
- Dinner at camp
Easier option: Skip the ride and walk the lake shore near camp for an hour or two.
More active option: In the afternoon, climb the ridge behind the camp to about 3,500 m for the view over the lake, about 3 hours return.
Free time: Afternoon free at the lake
Activity: Riding at a walk, about 3 hours, with helmets provided; the walking route is 4 to 5 hours on grassy slopes at 3,000 to 3,300 m. Riders' weight limits apply; ask us when you book.
Back to Bishkek
Song-Kol over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass to Kochkor, then the Boom gorge to Bishkek
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Bishkek
- Drive about 6.5 h
Morning
We leave the lake at 8:30 after breakfast. This is the longest driving day, about 330 km and six and a half hours: Song-Kol is reached only by mountain tracks, and the trip ends in Bishkek. We break it in two places. First about three hours on gravel back over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass and down to Kochkor, with photo stops on the bends.
Afternoon
In Kochkor we stop for an hour for a sit-down lunch and a stretch, and you can buy felt from the town's shops. The afternoon road is paved, about three and a half hours: past Balykchy and into the Boom gorge, where we stop for half an hour by the Chu River to walk and take a break from the van, then down into the Chuy valley and Bishkek, where we arrive at about 5 pm.
Evening
There is time to wash off the dust before we sit down together for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Included
- Drive over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass and through the Boom gorge with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Kochkor
- A stop by the Chu River in the Boom gorge
- Farewell dinner in Bishkek
Activity: A road day with short stops only.
Depart from Bishkek
Bishkek to Manas International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
The trip ends after breakfast.
Evening
A driver takes you to Manas International Airport (FRU), about 30 km and 40 minutes north of the city; many flights from Bishkek leave at night or in the early morning, and the transfer is timed to your flight. If your flight is late in the day, the morning is yours: Osh Bazaar, the city's best-known market, for dried fruit, spices, felt and the tall white kalpak hats; a coffee on Erkindik Boulevard; or the State History Museum on Ala-Too Square. If you want another day in the mountains, ask us about an extra night with a walk in Ala Archa National Park, about 40 km south of the city. Your guide says goodbye at breakfast or sees you to the airport.
Included
- Drop-off at Manas International Airport (FRU)
Optional experiences
- An extra night in Bishkek with a guided walk in Ala Archa National Park, priced at booking
Free time: Morning free in Bishkek
Activity: Hotel checkout is usually at noon; book a flight leaving after about 2 pm to enjoy a free morning, or any time for an early transfer.
- Bishkek1 night
- Karakol3 nights
- Kochkor1 night
- Song-Kol2 nights
- Bishkek1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June to September is the season. Days in Karakol are warm and mostly dry; Song-Kol is cool by day and can drop near freezing at night even in July, with snow possible in early June and late September. Wildflowers are best in the Jety-Oguz and Song-Kol meadows in late June and July, when herders bring their flocks up to the summer pastures. Yurt camps at Song-Kol only stand in summer, so the trip does not run from October to May.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Walkers who want 4 to 6 hour mountain days without carrying a pack or sleeping in a tent
- Travellers who want two yurt nights at a high lake with their own yurt
- First-time riders curious about a day on a Kyrgyz horse
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a fair single price
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: rocky trails, steep grassy slopes and uneven village lanes
- Travellers with heart or lung conditions who should not sleep at about 3,000 m
- Travellers who want luxury hotels; Kochkor is a village guesthouse and Song-Kol a yurt camp with shared toilets
- Multi-day trekking with camping and summit days
- Travellers who do not want any day with five or more hours in a vehicle
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Bishkek1 night
- Karakol3 nights
- Kochkor1 night
- Song-Kol2 nights
- Bishkek1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 1 in a central Bishkek hotel, 3 in a central Karakol hotel, 1 in a village guesthouse in Kochkor, 2 in a yurt camp at Song-Kol, 1 in a central Bishkek hotel
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard where the town has them
- A yurt for each couple or solo guest at Song-Kol
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Hotels and the camp named when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Manas International Airport, Bishkek (FRU)
- Our own vehicle and driver for the whole trip
- Local 4x4 down from Altyn Arashan
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 9
- Local guides, hosts and a horseman where sites require them, including at Burana Tower and Song-Kol
Activities
- Bishkek: Ala-Too Square, the Manas monument and Oak Park
- Chuy valley: Burana Tower, the balbals and the site museum
- Cholpon-Ata: the petroglyph field
- Karakol: the Altyn Arashan walk and hot springs, the Jety-Oguz valley walk, the Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Dungan Mosque
- Issyk-Kul south shore: Skazka Canyon
- Kochkor: a shirdak felt workshop
- Song-Kol: the walk in over the pastures and a horse ride with a local horseman, or the same route on foot
- All park, eco-zone and entrance fees for included sights
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 7 lunches, including lunch at Altyn Arashan and in the Jety-Oguz valley
- 6 dinners: a welcome dinner in Bishkek, dinner with a Dungan family in Karakol, dinner at the Kochkor guesthouse, two dinners at the Song-Kol camp and a farewell dinner in Bishkek
Not included
- International flights to and from Bishkek
- Visa fees, if your passport needs a visa
- Travel insurance, which must cover walking at up to 3,500 m and horse riding
- Meals not listed above
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, drivers, horseman and hosts
- Optional activities: the Przhevalsky museum and an extra Bishkek night with Ala Archa
- Photo fees where a site charges them
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 680 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Kyrgyzstan walking trip price include?
Eight nights in hotels, a Kochkor guesthouse and a Song-Kol yurt camp, 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 6 dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicle and driver, the Altyn Arashan 4x4 and hot springs, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, the Song-Kol horse ride, the felt workshop, the Dungan family dinner and every park fee and entry on the day plan.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That keeps the group together on narrow trails, means one horseman can manage the ride at Song-Kol, and lets everyone fit around one table at the Dungan family dinner.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from Bishkek and back, walks every trail with you and handles the camp and the horses. Local guides, hosts and a horseman join where sites require them. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be for this Kyrgyzstan trek?
You should be comfortable walking 4 to 6 hours on mountain paths with up to 900 m of climbing, as on the Altyn Arashan day. You carry only a day pack. Every long walk has a shorter version, a 4x4 or a seat in the van, so you can rest a day.
Will the altitude at Song-Kol affect me?
Possibly a little. Song-Kol is at about 3,000 m and the pass above it more than 3,300 m. The walks before it, up to about 2,600 m, help you adjust, and most people feel only short breath or a headache the first night. Tell us about heart or lung conditions when you book.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own costs CAD 680 more on the small-group trip, shown up front before you book. At Song-Kol you have a yurt to yourself. You join the same meals, walks and the horse day as everyone else; the supplement only covers the room.
When is the best time to walk in Kyrgyzstan?
June to September. The tracks are clear of snow, the meadows flower in late June and July, and herders are on the summer pastures. Song-Kol yurt camps only stand in summer, and nights there can be near freezing even in July, so the trip does not run from October to May.
Do I need a visa for Kyrgyzstan?
Canadian citizens can currently visit Kyrgyzstan for up to 60 days without a visa. Rules differ by passport and change from time to time, so we check yours when you book and tell you what to carry on arrival.
Do I have to ride a horse?
No. The horse day at Song-Kol is optional on the day; your guide leads the same route on foot if you prefer. If you ride, the horses are steady, the pace is a walk, a local horseman leads beginners and helmets are provided. Weight limits apply, so tell us when you book.
How long are the drives?
Three days are long: Bishkek to Karakol about 6 hours, Karakol to Kochkor about 5.5 and Song-Kol back to Bishkek about 6.5, much of the first half on gravel. Each has a sit-down lunch and a named stop. The walking days have two hours or less.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are per person sharing a room, taxes included: from CAD 3,500 on the small-group trip.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 6,300 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, drivers and local guides.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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