Home / Tours / Issyk-Kul & Altyn-Arashan - 4 Days
Issyk-Kul & Altyn-Arashan - 4 Days
Four days around Issyk-Kul. The Burana tower and Kok-Moinok on the way out, an eagle hunter, the canyons and Jety-Oguz on the south shore, then off-road up to Altyn-Arashan for a night in a yurt. Runs from April to November.
Why you'll love this tour
Good to know
- Accommodation: 1 night at guesthouse, 1 night at yurt
- Activities: Horse riding - optional
- Departures from: Bishkek
- Best time to go: April to November
- Local certified English-speaking guide
- Private transport & airport transfers
- Small group or fully private
- 24/7 support team in Bishkek
What to pack
- Motion-sickness tablets, as mountain roads can be winding and bumpy
- A light blanket or extra layer for long drives at altitude
- Comfortable shoes with grip for the short walks at each stop
- Sun protection: a hat or cap, sunglasses, and high-SPF sunscreen
- Some cash in Kyrgyz som for villages, where cards are not accepted
Full packing list and arrival tips: Easy from abroad: visas, arrival and logistics
Before you go
- Visa: most Western and East-Asian passports enter visa-free for up to 30 days within any 60-day period (the rule changed at the end of 2025), so check your own nationality on evisa.e-gov.kg
- Money: the local currency is the Kyrgyz som; carry cash for villages and camps, as card payments mostly work only in towns
- Connectivity: mobile data is decent in towns, but there is usually no signal at high mountain yurt camps, so let people know you may be offline
- Drinking water: stick to bottled or boiled water, and bring enough for stretches where none is available
Read before you go: Staying in a yurt: nomad culture & etiquette
Day-by-day itinerary
Tap any day to expand. Every itinerary can be tailored to your dates, pace and fitness.
You leave Bishkek for Issyk-Kul, the Pearl of Central Asia, starting with the ancient Burana Tower and then a homemade Dungan lunch with a local family in Iskra Village, a warm introduction to the country's mix of cultures.
Along the way you stop at the Kok-Moinok canyons for a short walk, then follow the southern shore of the lake to Bokonbaev, where a guesthouse welcomes you for the night.
The morning begins with an eagle-hunter demonstration by a local Kyrgyz hunter, a close look at a tradition kept alive for generations. From there you explore the colour-streaked Fairy-Tale Canyons.
Lunch is at the home of mountaineer Lyubov Danichkina in Tamga Village, and the afternoon takes in the Barskoon Waterfalls and the red rock of the Jety-Oguz Valley before you reach Karakol for the night.
Today you climb into the mountains aboard a sturdy Soviet UAZ truck, following a river through pine forest up to the Altyn-Arashan gorge. Lunch waits at a guesthouse on arrival.
The afternoon is for soaking in the natural hot springs, walking the trails, or simply resting with Peak Palatka rising to 5200 m above the valley. There's an optional ride if you'd like one, and dinner is served in a traditional yurt where you spend the night.
A last quiet morning in Altyn-Arashan, with the mountains all around, before the UAZ carries you back down to Karakol for lunch at a local restaurant.
The road home runs along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, the Pearl of Central Asia, with long lake views before you reach Bishkek in the evening.
Sights visited on this tour
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan's leafy, Soviet-planned capital and the gateway to the mountains.
Issyk-Kul Lake
A vast, warm mountain lake that never freezes, framed by snowy peaks.
Altyn-Arashan
A green hot-springs valley cradled by peaks above Karakol.Gallery
Common questions
It runs 4 days, starting and ending in Bishkek.
The season runs April to November. June to September brings the warmest days, and the high-pasture yurt camps are open.
It's moderately paced, with Horse riding - optional. Good general fitness is enough, and there is no technical climbing.
A mix over the trip: 1 night at guesthouse, 1 night at yurt.
Tell us about your trip
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