# Talas to Song-Kul Backroads - 7 Days A week on the back roads of the west: Talas, Besh-Tash lake, Toktogul and Kyzyl-Oi, with homestay nights along the way. Then Ak-Kol and Ming-Kush lead to two nights with herders at Song-Kul, and you return by Tash-Bashat and Issyk-Kul. - Duration: 7 days - Type: Off-the-beaten-path, Road trip - Best season: June to September - Starts and ends in: Bishkek - Pace: Moderately paced - Activities: Horse riding - optional - Accommodation: 1 night at yurt, 2 nights at guesthouse, 2 nights at yurt - Total driving: 1340 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/talas-to-song-kul-backroads-7-days/ ## Highlights - Talas and Besh-Tash lake - Toktogul and the village of Kyzyl-Oi - Ak-Kol lake and Ming-Kush on the way to Song-Kul - Two nights in a yurt with herders at Song-Kul ## Itinerary ### Day 1: Drive to the Talas region We follow the main Bishkek-Osh highway south, climbing to the Too-Ashuu Pass at 3600 m where the road tunnels through the ridge and the views stretch for miles. Lunch is at a shepherd's yurt in the broad Suusamyr Valley. Crossing the Otmok Pass brings us into the Talas region and to the Manas Ordo complex, tied to the hero of Kyrgyzstan's great epic. The night is spent at a homestay in Kok-Tokoi Village. - Transfer: 300 km · 5-6 h - Meals: Lunch at yurt, dinner at homestay - Overnight: Homestay ### Day 2: Besh-Tash Lake & on to Toktogul This morning we drive up through a wooded gorge into the national park to reach the alpine Besh-Tash Lake, a quiet pool held high among the peaks. After taking it in we return to Talas for lunch. The afternoon road runs over the Ala-Bel Pass and down through the Chychkan Gorge toward the Toktogul Reservoir. You spend the night at a homestay in Kara-Suu Village, the water spread out below. - Transfer: 240 km · 5 h - Meals: Breakfast and dinner at homestay, lunch at restaurant - Overnight: Homestay ### Day 3: Scenic drive to Kyzyl-Oi Village Today the route leaves the highway behind for dirt tracks winding through remote country and small traditional villages. We stop for a picnic by the Toluk River before climbing the Kyrk-Kyz Pass at 3400 m, where the mountains open out in every direction. By evening we drop to Kyzyl-Oi, a village set between steep slopes on the banks of the Koko-Meren River. A walk through its lanes leads into dinner. - Transfer: 170 km · 5-6 h - Meals: Breakfast at homestay, picnic lunch, dinner at guesthouse - Overnight: Guesthouse ### Day 4: Ak-Kol Lake, Ming-Kush & Song-Kul We follow the Koko-Meren River toward Song-Kul, stopping for tea and a short walk at Ak-Kol Lake. Lunch is in Ming-Kush, once a closed uranium town, where the stories of its Soviet past still linger. The last stretch climbs the Tuz-Ashuu Pass at 3300 m and delivers you to Song-Kul, the great high-mountain lake. You settle into a yurt on the pasture for the night. - Transfer: 190 km · 4 h - Meals: Breakfast and lunch at homestay, dinner at yurt - Overnight: Yurt ### Day 5: A day with nomads at Song-Kul From early morning you live the day at the herders' pace. There is milking the mares, gathering dried dung for the fire, moving the sheep and milking the cows, then a hand in cooking lunch and the small chores that keep a yurt running. There is no fixed schedule, only the rhythm of the camp. If you like, a short ride out across the pasture can fill the afternoon before another night under the stars. - Activity: Horse riding · optional - Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner at yurt - Overnight: Yurt ### Day 6: Drive to Tash-Bashat Village We trace the lakeshore and then climb the Terskey-Torpu Pass at 3300 m, its tight serpentine bends zig-zagging up the mountainside. A rest and lunch stop in Naryn breaks the drive. The day ends at Tash-Bashat Village and a cosy hotel. An evening walk through the village or up into the hills leads to a bonfire under a wide, starry sky. - Transfer: 170 km · 4-5 h - Meals: Breakfast at yurt, lunch at restaurant, dinner at hotel - Overnight: Hotel ### Day 7: Issyk-Kul Lake & back to Bishkek The final day heads toward Issyk-Kul through quiet villages, climbing the Dolon Pass at 3030 m for one last sweep of mountain views. In Kochkor we call on a Dungan family and watch them prepare lagman, their signature dish. After a brief stop at the lake near Balykchy, we drive on to Bishkek, with the option of a last wander through Osh Bazaar before the tour ends. - Transfer: 350 km · 5-6 h - Meals: Breakfast and lunch at guesthouse ## 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 June to September. 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. Good general fitness is enough, and there is no technical climbing. **Where will I stay?** A mix over the trip: 1 night at yurt, 2 nights at guesthouse, 2 nights at yurt. ## How to book Send your dates and group size and we confirm availability and a tailored price within 24 hours: https://azattours.com/tours/talas-to-song-kul-backroads-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