Home / Tours / Winter Issyk-Kul & Karakol Skiing - 4 Days
Winter Issyk-Kul & Karakol Skiing - 4 Days
A winter loop around Issyk-Kul from Bishkek. We walk snowy red canyons, meet an eagle hunter in Bokonbayevo, see the frozen falls of Barskoon and the Seven Bulls at Jeti-Oguz, then give you a full day on the slopes at Karakol. It suits skiers and first-timers alike, plus anyone who wants the lake without summer crowds.
Why you'll love this tour
Good to know
- Accommodation: 1 night at yurt, 2 nights at hotel
- Activities: hiking - 2 days, skiing - 1 day, sightseeing - 1 day
- Departures from: Bishkek
- Best time to go: December to March
- Local certified English-speaking guide
- Private transport & airport transfers
- Small group or fully private
- 24/7 support team in Bishkek
What to pack
- Thermal base layers, top and bottom, to stay warm in deep cold
- An insulated hat and warm, waterproof gloves
- Heavy socks and warm, waterproof boots for snow
- Sunglasses and sunscreen: snow doubles the high-altitude glare
- A power bank, since the cold drains phone batteries fast
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
- Winter weather can change the day's plan; your guide adjusts the route for snow and road conditions
- 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 · When is the best time to visit Kyrgyzstan?
Day-by-day itinerary
Tap any day to expand. Every itinerary can be tailored to your dates, pace and fitness.
We collect you from your Bishkek hotel and head east as the snowy ridges come into view. First stop is Burana Tower, an 11th-century Silk Road minaret. You see the stone balbals and the small museum, then climb up for a winter view over the Chui Valley.
In Boom Gorge we pull in at a roadside tea house. Hot tea from a samovar and fresh katama bread warm you up before the walk.
Then you pick your canyon with your guide. Konorchek Canyon is a moderate hike of about 3 hours between red sandstone walls. Kok-Moinok is an easy walk of about an hour. We decide together on the day, based on the snow and how you feel.
By afternoon we reach Bokonbayevo. A local berkutchi shows how he works with his golden eagle in winter. You can try archery and take photos with the bird. The night is spent in a yurt.
Breakfast is served in the yurt, with Issyk-Kul quiet under winter light. Our first stop is Skazka Canyon. Snow makes its red and orange rock shapes stand out even more. Your guide walks you to the best viewpoints and tells the old stories behind them.
Next comes Barskoon Gorge. A short hike through spruce trees and snow leads to waterfalls frozen into ice. It is one of the best photo stops of the trip.
At Jeti-Oguz you see the Seven Bulls and the Broken Heart rock, red cliffs dusted with white. There is time to walk further into the gorge. A horse ride on the snowy trails is possible here as an extra, and it suits beginners.
In the evening we reach Karakol. You check into a warm hotel and have dinner before tomorrow's ski day.
After breakfast we drive up to Karakol Ski Resort, set among pine forest and high Tien Shan peaks. The whole day is yours on the mountain.
New to skiing? Rent gear on site and book a lesson with an instructor if you like. Confident skiers get longer runs and higher viewpoints. Kids have tubing, sledding and gentle slopes, and a panoramic cable car climbs above 3,000 meters for anyone who prefers to just look.
When the lifts close, we take you to a natural hot spring in Karakol. Warm mineral water after a cold day on the snow is the best way to rest your legs. Then back to the hotel for the night.
We start with Karakol itself. The Dungan Mosque was built without a single nail and has a bright Chinese-style look. The wooden Russian Orthodox Church, with its green roofs and fine carving, is the town's other landmark.
Then we drive to the north shore of Issyk-Kul and turn into Grigoriev and Semyonov Gorges. In winter you find snowy meadows, tall spruce and frozen rivers under white peaks. The walk here is easy, with plenty of time for photos.
From there we follow the quiet north shore road back to Bishkek, stopping for photos whenever you ask. We drop you at your hotel in the evening.
Sights visited on this tour
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan's leafy, Soviet-planned capital and the gateway to the mountains.
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.Jeti-Ögüz
Burana Tower
Gallery
Common questions
It runs 4 days, starting and ending in Bishkek.
The season runs December to March. June to September brings the warmest days, and the high-pasture yurt camps are open.
It's moderately paced, with 2 days hiking and 1 days skiing and 1 days sightseeing. Good general fitness is enough, and there is no technical climbing.
A mix over the trip: 1 night at yurt, 2 nights at hotel.
From $1400 per person. The exact price depends on group size and season, and we confirm it for your group within 24 hours.
Tell us about your trip
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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A local expert will email you within 24 hours about “Winter Issyk-Kul & Karakol Skiing - 4 Days”.
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