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Two Lakes Horse Trek - 5 Days
Ride from Kyzart to Kilemche and over the pass to Song-Kul, then back down and across to Issyk-Kul. The last two days are in the hills above the lake, over the Karaly-Archa pass to Boz-Salkyn and down to Bokonbaev. Three nights in yurts.
Why you'll love this tour
Good to know
- Accommodation: 2 nights at guesthouse, 3 nights at yurt
- Departures from: Bishkek
- Best time to go: May to October
- 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.
You set off from Bishkek for Kyzart Village, in the hills below Song-Kul. A homemade lunch waits at a family homestay, and your guide runs you through the basics in the saddle before you head out.
The afternoon ride traces the Chaar-Archa River through quiet valleys and open country to Kilemche, a gentle trail and a good way to settle in with your horse. You spend the night at a herder's yurt camp, with time to watch nomad life wind down before dinner.
Today asks more of you. After breakfast you climb toward the Jalgyz-Karagai Pass at 3300 m, a steady effort, but the wide mountain views from the top more than repay it.
You drop down to Song-Kul for lunch at a lakeside yurt, then ride west along the shore, past scattered nomad camps, to the Tuz-Ashuu pasture where you spend the night.
You retrace the trail over the Tuz-Ashuu Pass at 3300 m, catching a last look at Song-Kul before the descent to Kyzart Village. Lunch and a short rest follow.
In the afternoon you drive to the southern shore of Issyk-Kul and a guesthouse near Bokonbaev. If you're up for it, there's an optional sunset run out to the Fairy-Tale Canyons before dinner.
The day starts gently, riding through open fields and grazing meadows toward the Boz-Salkyn Valley, with a riverside picnic around midday.
Then the trail steepens for the climb to the Karaly-Archa Pass at 2800 m, where Issyk-Kul opens out below. A final descent through forest brings you to a nomad yurt camp for the night.
A last morning ride drops downhill through a scenic gorge to Bokonbaev, where you meet local eagle hunters and see this old Kyrgyz tradition up close.
After lunch, the afternoon is spent on the road back to Bishkek, bringing the trip to a close.
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.
Issyk-Kul Lake
A vast, warm mountain lake that never freezes, framed by snowy peaks.Bokonbayevo
A lakeside town on Issyk-Kul's south shore known for eagle hunters.
Kyzart
A quiet farming village and trailhead for the horse route to Song-Kul.Gallery
Common questions
It runs 5 days, starting and ending in Bishkek.
The season runs May to October. June to September brings the warmest days, and the high-pasture yurt camps are open.
It's moderately paced. 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 guesthouse, 3 nights at yurt.
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