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Song-Kul Yurts, Eagles & Karakol - 4 Days
A private four-day trip that links Song-Kul and Issyk-Kul. You cross Kalmak-Ashuu Pass to a yurt camp on Song-Kul, ride a horse across its meadows and come down the 33 Parrots road. Then an eagle show, a second yurt night by Issyk-Kul, the red rocks of Jeti-Oguz and hot springs. Good for travellers short on time who still want both lakes.
Why you'll love this tour
Good to know
- Accommodation: 2 nights at yurt, 1 night at hotel
- Activities: sightseeing - 4 days, horse riding - 1 day
- Departures from: Bishkek
- Best time to go: May to September
- 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 and head for the mountains. First stop is Burana Tower on the old Silk Road. You climb it for the view, then look around the ruins and the small museum.
The road runs through Boom Gorge to the Orto-Tokoy Reservoir, bright blue water against dry hills. In Kochkor a local family cooks lunch for you. Afterwards you visit a felt workshop where women make carpets by hand, the way it has been done for centuries.
In the afternoon we climb Kalmak-Ashuu Pass. Here the land turns to green pasture with grazing herds and wildflowers. After a photo stop at the top we drop down to Song-Kul.
You reach the yurt camp late in the afternoon. There is time for a walk along the shore before dinner. At night the sky over the lake is one of the clearest in the country.
Mornings at Song-Kul are fresh and quiet. After breakfast you ride a horse across the open meadows, with the lake in view the whole way. It is an easy ride and a real taste of nomad life.
Late in the morning we start down the 33 Parrots road, a chain of hairpin bends with big mountain views. At the bottom a short, easy walk leads to a waterfall. Lunch is in Kochkor.
In the afternoon we reach Bokonbayevo for the eagle show. A hunter works with his golden eagle in front of you and explains the tradition. You can hold the bird for a photo.
The night is at Bel-Tam yurt camp on the Issyk-Kul shore. Dinner is by the lake, and the evening ends around a bonfire.
We follow the south shore east. In Skazka Canyon, the Fairytale Canyon, wind has shaped red sandstone into castles, animals and tall walls. Viewpoints above the canyon make good photo stops.
In Barskoon Gorge a short, easy path through pine forest leads to one of the finest waterfalls in the area. The air is cool and the water loud.
Jeti-Oguz is next, with its red cliffs called the Seven Bulls and the Broken Heart. Your guide shares the legends behind them.
Late in the day you soak in natural hot springs with mountains all around. Then we drive on to Karakol, and the evening is yours.
We start with a short look at Karakol. The wooden Dungan Mosque was built without nails in a Chinese style, and the Holy Trinity Cathedral shows the Russian side of the town's past. Your guide explains how these faiths have lived side by side. We also walk through the local bazaar.
Then we drive into the Grigoriev and Semenov gorges for a gentle walk among forest and rivers. A horse ride is possible here at extra cost.
In Cholpon-Ata you visit the Rukh Ordo open-air centre and the petroglyphs, stone carvings more than 2,000 years old. From May to September a boat takes you out on Issyk-Kul, and you can swim straight from the deck.
We reach Bishkek in the evening and drop you at your hotel.
Sights visited on this tour
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan's leafy, Soviet-planned capital and the gateway to the mountains.
Song-Kul Lake
A high alpine lake ringed by summer yurt camps and grazing horses.
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.
Kochkor
A central crossroads town famous for its felt-craft and handicrafts.Cholpon-Ata
Jeti-Ögüz
Gallery
Common questions
It runs 4 days, starting and ending in Bishkek.
The season runs May to September. June to September brings the warmest days, and the high-pasture yurt camps are open.
It's fast-paced, with 4 days sightseeing and 1 days horse riding. 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: 2 nights at yurt, 1 night at hotel.
From $1200 per person. The exact price depends on group size and season, and we confirm it for your group within 24 hours.
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Tell us your dates and we'll confirm availability and a tailored price within 24 hours. Free to enquire, no prepayment.
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