Song-Kul to Ala-Kul on Horseback - 10 Days

Today the trail climbs. After breakfast you work your way up toward the Jalgyz-Karagai Pass at 3300 m, a steady effort that pays off at the top, where Song-Kul opens up far below for the first time.

You drop down toward the lake past grazing herds and scattered yurts, reaching the Tuz-Ashuu pasture in the afternoon. The evening is yours to rest by the water, and once the sun sets the sky here fills with stars.

An easier day in the saddle, riding the open shore of Song-Kul. With two days behind you, your guide may pick up the pace to a canter across the smooth lakeside grass.

By midday you reach the Ozbek-Ashuu pasture on the western shore, where a nomad family hosts you for the night. The afternoon is free, walk the shoreline or take a short ride into the nearby hills before dinner.

You say goodbye to your hosts and ride back over the Ozbek-Ashuu Pass at 3300 m, with one last look down over Song-Kul before the trail drops to Kyzart. There's lunch and a chance to freshen up in the village.

In the afternoon you swap the saddle for the road and drive to the southern shore of Issyk-Kul. There may be time to catch the sunset over the Fairy-Tale Canyons before you reach your guesthouse near Bokonbaev for the night.

Back in the saddle, you ride out of the village and up into the Boz-Salkyn summer pastures. A traditional lunch waits in a yurt before you carry on to the Shatyly viewpoint, where the whole sweep of Issyk-Kul spreads out between the peaks and canyons.

You return by a different trail to the Boz-Salkyn pasture, where a herder family hosts you for the night.

A demanding day climbing through alpine forest to the Karaly-Archa Pass at 2900 m, where the view widens out over Issyk-Kul and the Terskey-Ala-Too range behind it.

On the way down you stop for a picnic beside the Tuura-Suu River, then ride on through the afternoon to reach the Kok-Bulak yurt camp by evening.

An easy downhill ride through a scenic gorge brings you back to Bokonbaev. There you meet local eagle hunters, who share an old Kyrgyz tradition and let you see, and photograph, a trained eagle up close on horseback. Lunch follows at the guesthouse.

In the afternoon you drive to Karakol along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, with a stop at the Fairy-Tale Canyons along the way. You arrive in the evening for dinner and a comfortable hotel bed.

A short drive to Ak-Suu village, then back in the saddle for a relaxed ride up into the Altyn-Arashan gorge, following the river through alpine forest with mountains all around. You stop for a picnic and to rest the horses along the way.

You reach the guesthouse by evening, with time to explore further up the gorge or sink into the natural hot springs before dinner.

The big day. You ride out from Altyn-Arashan, crossing rivers and weaving through alpine forest to the Keldike Gorge. There you leave the horses and tackle the final climb on foot, a challenging push up to the Ala-Kul Pass at 3900 m, where the turquoise lake and its glaciers open out below.

After a picnic and time to take it all in, you return to the horses and ride back down to Altyn-Arashan. The hot springs are waiting at the end of a long day, followed by dinner at the guesthouse.

A final ride back down the river trail to Ak-Suu, one last morning in the saddle and a last lungful of mountain air. From there you drive to Karakol for lunch and a moment to look back on the week.

The long drive home runs along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, reaching Bishkek by evening, around 8-9 pm, the close of a trip built on horseback days, high passes, and nomad hospitality.