# Easy Week: Song-Kul & Issyk-Kul - 7 Days A calm week by road. Two nights in a yurt at Song-Kul with an optional ride, the south shore of Issyk-Kul, an off-road trip up to Altyn-Arashan and a night in Chong-Kemin national park. Walks are short and easy, and it ends with a Bishkek city tour. - Duration: 7 days - Type: Road trip - Best season: May to October - Starts and ends in: Bishkek - Pace: Moderately paced - Activities: Horse riding - optional, trekking - easy walkings - Accommodation: 1 night at hotel, 2 nights at yurt, 3 nights at guesthouse - Total driving: 1140 km - Price: on request (depends on group size, season and options). Free quote, no prepayment to enquire. - Group: small group or fully private, with a local English-speaking guide - Page: https://azattours.com/tours/easy-week-song-kul-issyk-kul-7-days/ ## Highlights - Two nights in a yurt at Song-Kul, with an optional ride - The south shore of Issyk-Kul - Off-road up to Altyn-Arashan - A night in Chong-Kemin national park and a Bishkek city tour ## Itinerary ### Day 1: Drive to Song-Kul Lake We leave Bishkek and stop early at the Burana Tower, a thousand-year-old minaret standing among scattered stones from a vanished Silk Road town. A visit with a local Dungan family follows, with a plate of their famous lagman for lunch. From Kochkor the road climbs over the Kalmak-Ashuu Pass at 3400 m, alpine lakes glinting below, before dropping to Song-Kul. You spend the night in a yurt on the open pasture, surrounded by herds and silence. - Transfer: 320 km · 5-6 h - Meals: Lunch at restaurant, dinner at yurt - Overnight: Yurt (3100 m) ### Day 2: A day at Song-Kul Lake The whole day belongs to the lake and the life around it. You can ride out along the smooth shoreline and into the surrounding hills, call on a nomad family in their yurt, and try a bowl of kymys, the tangy fermented mare's milk that is a staple up here. As the light fades, dinner is served at the camp and the sky fills with stars. Few places feel as far from the rest of the world as this one. - Activity: Horse riding · optional - Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner at yurt - Overnight: Yurt (3100 m) ### Day 3: Drive to Issyk-Kul Lake Leaving Song-Kul behind, we descend the famous 33 Parrots Pass, a dizzying series of switchbacks, and pause for a short walk to the Kajyrty Waterfall. The road then crosses the Kum-Bel and Dolon passes, with a hearty lagman lunch along the way. In the afternoon we reach the Ak-Say Canyons on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, their red walls rising sharply from the dry hills. The night is spent at a guesthouse in Bokonbaev Village. - Transfer: 230 km · 4-5 h - Meals: Breakfast at yurt, lunch and dinner at guesthouse - Overnight: Guesthouse ### Day 4: Along the south shore of Issyk-Kul The day opens with an eagle hunter showing how his bird is trained and flown, then a walk through the Fairy-Tale Canyons and their oddly sculpted rock. Lunch is hosted by Lyubov Danichkina, a well-known alpinist, at her home in Tamga Village. From there we visit the Barskoon Waterfalls and the red ridges of Jety-Oguz before reaching Karakol. An evening stroll through the old town leads into dinner. - Transfer: 150 km · 3-4 h - Meals: Breakfast and lunch at guesthouse, dinner at restaurant - Overnight: Hotel ### Day 5: Off-road to Altyn-Arashan Gorge This morning we trade the road for a rugged Soviet UAZ truck and bounce up a rough track that follows a clear river through thick pine forest. The climb is bumpy but the scenery only gets better the higher you go. Altyn-Arashan opens out into a wide alpine valley beneath Peak Palatka, which tops out above 5000 m. The afternoon is yours to soak in the hot springs, walk the meadows, or simply take in the view before dinner and a night in the mountains. - Transfer: 30 km · 2-3 h - Meals: Breakfast at hotel, lunch and dinner at guesthouse - Overnight: Guesthouse ### Day 6: Drive to Chong-Kemin National Park After a slow morning in Altyn-Arashan, the UAZ carries you back down the valley to Karakol for lunch. The worst of the track is behind you and the rest of the day is on smooth road. We follow the north shore of Issyk-Kul past the resort towns of Cholpon-Ata and Balykchy, then turn into the green valley of Chong-Kemin National Park. The evening is for resting at the guesthouse. - Transfer: 300 km · 4-5 h - Meals: Breakfast and dinner at guesthouse, lunch at restaurant - Overnight: Guesthouse ### Day 7: Return to Bishkek & city tour We leave Chong-Kemin for the capital, with a last stop at the Burana Tower on the way. After lunch in Bishkek, a guided walk takes in Ala-Too Square and the busy aisles of Osh Bazaar, a good spot for last souvenirs. The tour closes in the city, with time to look back on the mountains, lakes and pastures of the week behind you. - Transfer: 170 km · 3-4 h - Meals: Breakfast at guesthouse, lunch at restaurant ## Common questions **How long is this tour?** It runs 7 days, starting and ending in Bishkek. **When is the best time to go?** The season runs May to October. June to September brings the warmest days, and the high-pasture yurt camps are open. **How fit do I need to be?** It's moderately paced, with Horse riding - optional and trekking - easy walkings. Good general fitness is enough, and there is no technical climbing. **Where will I stay?** A mix over the trip: 1 night at hotel, 2 nights at yurt, 3 nights at guesthouse. ## How to book Send your dates and group size and we confirm availability and a tailored price within 24 hours: https://azattours.com/tours/easy-week-song-kul-issyk-kul-7-days/#book - WhatsApp and phone: +996 502 888 001 (https://wa.me/996502888001) - Email: azatbeyshenaliev1@gmail.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azattourskg/ - Enquiry form: https://azattours.com/#plan - Based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan