Home / Tours / Issyk-Kul Shore Ride, Eagles & Boat - 3 Days
Issyk-Kul Shore Ride, Eagles & Boat - 3 Days
A full loop of Issyk-Kul in three private days. You start with Burana Tower and Konorchek Canyon, meet an eagle hunter in Bokonbayevo and sleep in a yurt near the shore. Then come a short beginner ride, Skazka Canyon, Barskoon, Jeti-Oguz and a night in Karakol, before Cholpon-Ata and a boat on the lake. For travellers who want the whole lake at a brisk pace.
Why you'll love this tour
Good to know
- Accommodation: 1 night at yurt, 1 night at hotel
- Activities: hiking - 1 day, horse riding - 1 day, sightseeing - 1 day
- Departures from: Bishkek
- Best time to go: All year round
- Local certified English-speaking guide
- Private transport & airport transfers
- Small group or fully private
- 24/7 support team in Bishkek
What to pack
- Long trousers that won't chafe during long hours in the saddle
- Closed shoes or boots with a small heel that sit well in the stirrups
- Riding gloves to protect your hands on the reins
- A waterproof, windproof jacket and a warm layer for cold yurt evenings
- Sun protection: a hat or cap, sunglasses, and high-SPF sunscreen
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
- Altitude: camps sit around 2,500 to 3,900 metres, so take it easy on the first day and drink plenty of water
- 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 · Safety first: how we look after you in the mountains
Day-by-day itinerary
Tap any day to expand. Every itinerary can be tailored to your dates, pace and fitness.
We pick you up in Bishkek in the morning and drive toward Issyk-Kul as the Tien Shan rises ahead. At Burana Tower, a Silk Road site from the 9th to 10th centuries, your guide tells the story of Balasagun among the balbal stones. Then you climb the tower for the view.
If you want some action, we stop at Konorchek Canyon for a 2-3 hour hike through red rock. It is scenic and not hard. If you would rather take it easy, we skip it and you get more time by the lake.
In the afternoon you reach Bokonbayevo. A local hunter explains why golden eagles mattered so much to nomads, then lets his bird fly across open ground.
In the evening you check in at a yurt camp near the lake. Dinner is homemade Kyrgyz food, and the day ends around a bonfire.
After breakfast at the yurt you go for a short ride, on mountain trails or by the water. It is gentle and fine for first-timers.
Next is Skazka Canyon, the Fairy Tale Canyon, all red and orange rock. An easy walk with your guide takes you to the best viewpoints. Then we turn into Barskoon Gorge and hike a forest trail to one of its waterfalls.
In the afternoon you see Jeti-Oguz, the Seven Bulls, and hear the legends behind its red cliffs. You can finish in natural hot springs before we reach Karakol for dinner and a hotel night.
We start with a short walk around Karakol. You visit the wooden Dungan Mosque, built in Chinese style without nails, and the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral. Your guide explains how different peoples shaped the town.
Then we drive to the Grigoriev and Semenov gorges, with pine forest, rivers and open meadows. There is time for an easy walk. A short ride can be added at extra cost.
In Cholpon-Ata you visit the Ruh Ordo cultural centre by the lake and the petroglyphs, carved more than 2,000 years ago. From May to September you also take a boat out on the lake and can swim.
Then we drive home along the north shore and drop you at your hotel in the evening.
Sights visited on this tour
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan's leafy, Soviet-planned capital and the gateway to the mountains.
Karakol
A characterful eastern town with a wooden mosque and Russian church.
Fairy-Tale Canyon
Wind-carved red and orange rock formations near the Issyk-Kul shore.Cholpon-Ata
Jeti-Ögüz
Burana Tower
Gallery
Common questions
It runs 3 days, starting and ending in Bishkek.
The season runs All year round. June to September brings the warmest days, and the high-pasture yurt camps are open.
It's fast-paced, with 1 days hiking and 1 days horse riding and 1 days sightseeing. Good general fitness is enough, and there is no technical climbing.
No. Our guides match each horse to your level and keep the first day gentle, so complete beginners ride this route every season.
A mix over the trip: 1 night at yurt, 1 night at hotel.
From $1000 per person. The exact price depends on group size and season, and we confirm it for your group within 24 hours.
Tell us about your trip
Tell us your dates and we'll confirm availability and a tailored price within 24 hours. Free to enquire, no prepayment.
Enquiry received!
A local expert will email you within 24 hours about “Issyk-Kul Shore Ride, Eagles & Boat - 3 Days”.
Other tours you might like
Road trip4 daysIssyk-Kul Full Circle & Boat Ride - 4 Days
- Golden eagle show on the south shore near Bokonbayevo
- A night in a lakeside yurt camp on Issyk-Kul
- Off-road truck ride up to the Altyn-Arashan hot springs
Road trip4 daysSong-Kul Yurts, Eagles & Karakol - 4 Days
- Yurt nights at both Song-Kul and Issyk-Kul
- Horse ride across the Song-Kul meadows
- Felt workshop and home-cooked lunch in Kochkor
Combined5 daysIssyk-Kul Loop via Chong-Kemin - 5 Days
- Three-hour horse ride in Chong-Kemin National Park
- Boorsok cooking class with a local family
- Ride into Kok-Jaiyk Valley and sleep in a yurt