Tash-Rabat & Kel-Suu Road Trip - 11 Days

Today's drive follows the Koko-Meren River toward Song-Kul, with a tea stop at little Ak-Kol Lake. You pass through Ming-Kush, a former uranium town with an unusual past, where a local family hosts you for lunch.

From there you climb the Tuz-Ashuu Pass (3300 m) and drop down to the wide grasslands of Song-Kul, reaching a nomad family's yurt by evening, your first night out on the high pastures.

A full day to slow down at Song-Kul and step into nomad life. In the morning you can ride out along the lakeshore, with the option to carry on into the surrounding hills, or simply settle in at camp.

Spend time with a herder family, taste kymys, the fermented mare's milk that's a summer staple here, and let the afternoon unfold at its own pace. After dinner, the open sky puts on a show of stars.

You leave the lake and drive south on a beautifully varied road, up over the Moldo-Ashuu Pass (3200 m), down to a streamside picnic, then through the small villages of the Ak-Talaa region.

Crossing the Mels Pass, the wide Arpa Valley opens out before you reach a cosy guesthouse near the 15th-century Tash-Rabat Caravanserai. After tea, walk up to this remarkable stone way-station and the hills around it.

Today you drive deep into the Kok-Kiya Valley, gateway to the hidden Kel-Suu Lake. The track threads through the villages of the At-Bashy region, framed by dramatic ranges, with a riverside picnic in the Bosogo Valley along the way.

You cross the high Kyndy Pass (3900 m) into the vast Ak-Say pastures, passing yurts and herds, and reach your guesthouse in Kok-Kiya by early evening, time for a gentle walk before dinner.

One of the trip's great highlights. After breakfast you set off on a gentle trek, following a river through open valleys with mountains on every side and herds grazing in the distance.

About two hours in, Kel-Suu reveals itself, a startling lake hemmed by cliffs. Linger over a packed lunch and the views (an optional boat ride is possible) before retracing the trail to the guesthouse.

You drive back out of Kok-Kiya toward Naryn through wide-open pasture country, reaching town around lunchtime for a warm meal and a short rest.

In the afternoon it's a short drive on to Tash-Bashat, an authentic, untouristed village where you check into a comfortable hotel, a welcome change after yurts and mountain guesthouses. Stroll the streets, unwind, and enjoy a hearty dinner.

Today blends scenery and culture on the way to Issyk-Kul. You climb over the Dolon Pass (3030 m), then stop in Kochkor to visit a local Dungan family and cook lagman, their famous hand-pulled noodle dish, and then eat the meal you helped make.

Driving on east to the lake, you reach a lakeside yurt camp with time for a swim. In the evening, head to the Ak-Say canyons to catch the sunset before returning for the night.

The day starts with an eagle-hunter demonstration, a window onto an old Kyrgyz tradition. From there you explore the dramatic, colour-streaked Fairy-Tale Canyons and stop in Tamga for lunch at the home of a Soviet-era mountaineer.

The afternoon takes in the Barskoon Waterfalls and the red sandstone of the Jety-Oguz Valley before you arrive in Karakol, time for a short wander through town before dinner.

A morning to swap the car for a rugged Soviet UAZ truck and bump your way up into the Altyn-Arashan gorge. The track follows a clear river through dense pine forest, with the peaks rising higher at every turn.

Lunch is at a guesthouse deep in the gorge, and the afternoon is yours, soak in the hot springs, walk the trails, or just take in the view toward Peak Palatka (5200 m) before dinner and a night in the mountains.

A last quiet morning in Altyn-Arashan before the UAZ carries you back down the river road to Karakol for lunch.

From there the drive home follows the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, the lake glinting beside you and the peaks lined up beyond, reaching Bishkek in the evening, the close of a road trip across the country's wildest corners.