Rivers and lakes of Kyrgyzstan
In one week, you will discover the most beautiful places in Kyrgyzstan, the heart of Tien Shan, including Chong Kemin National Park, Issyk Kul Lake, the 2nd largest mountain lake in the world, and the mythical Song Kul Lake, great summer meeting of Kyrgyz nomads.
The best way to see the heart of Kyrgyzstan
7 Days • Discovery tours • Kyrgyzstan
2 people: $1,020
3 people: $790
4 people: $660
5 people: $610
6 people: $560
7 people: $530
8 people: $499
Program

Meeting at Bishkek's airport, visit of the capital and Burana tower, then drive to Chong Kemin National park
Arrival by air in Bishkek. Meeting with your guide at Manas airport. Transfer to Bishkek. City tour in Bishkek, then transfer to Chong Kemin valley through the Burana tower. Night in homestay.

Drive to Tamchy with walk in the red canyon of Kyzyl Terek
In the morning transfer to Issyk Kul lake, on the way visit of Kyzyl Terek red canyon (1470 m. alt.), a red canyon similar to the Creek canyon, but smaller. Picnic in the canyon. We continue our road to the lake Issyk Kul (1606 m. alt.), second biggest mountain lake of the world. Arrival in Tamchy village, visit of eagle-man. Then meeting with our local family. Dinner and night in homestay. Musical evening.

After a swim in Issyk Kul lake, drive to Kochkor
Free morning on Tamchy beach, then drive to Kochkor along Issyk Kul lake and Orto Tokoy dam lake. Arrival in Kochkor, visit of the village and a craft center. Night at the inhabitant.

Drive to Song Kul's lake (Tash Doeboe) through the Kalmak Ashuu pass with a walk
In the morning we continue our journey that will climb to the pass of Kalmak Ashu (3470m. Alt.). From the pass we walk to a peak or to the lake, and then we drive around the lake to join a jailoo (alpine) along the south shore of the lake. Traditional meal and overnight in yurts. (3090m. Alt.)

Discovery's day at Lake Song Kul
The whole day is at our disposal to enjoy the silence and to discover the daily life of nomadic yurt. (options: demonstration nomadic games; hunt petroglyphs, walk or riding to the lake; discovery of nomadic lifestyle; Kyrgyz cooking classes.) Dinner and overnight in yurt.

Drive to Bishkek through Karakitchi pass and Kekemeren valley
In the morning, drive to Kyzyl Oy village where we will have lunch, through the Karakitchi pass 3350 m. Then we drive to the high valley of Suusamyr, visit of the Kojumkul village, name of a Kyrgyz hero of the last century. After, the road cross by a tunnel the mountains of the Kyrgyz Alatoo, and down to Bishkek. Dinner in local restaurant. Night in guesthouse.

Transfer from Bishkek to Manas International Airport.
Depending on your flight time, your guide will join you to the airport and help you check in for your flight. If your flight is later in the day your guide will show you more places in Bishkek before your flight. We hope you enjoyed your trip to Kyrgyzstan and we hope you come back again to explore other counties in Central Asia with us.
The best tour agency I've ever had. Highly recomended. I am so glad and thankful for choosing Nomad's Land for my Kyrgyz travel experience. They were the only tour that listened to my wishes and tried to implement them all. They literally left not even one desire unfulfilled: The other tours I contacted were unable to provide me with a yurt accommodation in lake Song-Köl. Nomad's Land was on the contrary very ccoperative. Especially once I knew that the yurt camp owners in Song-Köl waited extra for me before leaving, I was very touched. It seemed to me that Nomad's Land has a wide network of contacts in Kyrgyzstan and they have long and solid experience in the country. The people, yurt camps and hotels Nomad's Land work with, are beyond what I call good. They are perfectly chosen. Thank you Bakyt for not leaving even one desire unfulfilled and cheers to the whole team, including the guide Timurlan and the managers Alex and Samuel.
1 week of exploration around Kel-Suu at the top, despite the vagaries of the weather. We can only salute the seriousness and professionalism of the agency. Easy contact, team attentive. In addition to being able to discover a place that is difficult to access for independent hikers - and absolutely superb - we also took a real pleasure in getting into Kyrgyz culture more deeply. A big thank you to our great guide (Fabien) for having been able to motivate us whatever the circumstances, inventing new recipes based on kurut and allowing us to better understand the country. We hope to be able to leave with Nomad’s Land as soon as possible!
On your way

Chong Kemin National Park KG
This park encompasses the entire Chong Kemin Valley. There are many trails still virgin or almost. Several passes between Issyk Kul Lake or Kitchi Kemin Valley.
The total area is 126,514 hectares. Here in the park the river Chon Kemin flows. More than 780 species of plants grow and rare mammals such as snow leopard, brown bear, maral, Eurasian lynx, golden eagle, himalayan griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), saker falcon and sablefly are found.

Song Kul lake KG
The scenary Song Kul (or Song Kul) lake is the main pasture of nomads. Hundreds yurts are built during summer. The beautiful lake large of about 25-35 km is a natural reserve. Many species of birds are stopping during their long migration. Some tombs from Sakh times and petroglyphs are most ancient traces of live. Different trekking or horseback riding roads are joining the place.

Orto-Tokoy water reservoir KG
The Orto-Tokoy reservoir is the first reservoir built in Kyrgyzstan. Construction began in 1941 and ended in 1960. It is located on the Chu River, behind the village of Kochkor. Its length is about 18 km, its volume is over 470 million cubic meters, and its maximum depth is 47 meters.
The main purpose of the reservoir is to regulate the water level of the Chuy River in order to irrigate for agricultural land in Chui Oblast and southern Kazakhstan.

Kochkor KG
Kochkor is a town of shepherds located in Naryn oblast 200 km from Bishkek. It is located at 1800m. alt. The city has 17,000 residents. Most of them are shepherds or farmers. With the Kyrgyz hospitality, tourism is an increasingly important for economy. It is a starting point to reach the sights as Lake Song Kul, Sarala-Saz pastures, Lake Koelykoek, the salt mine Chong Tuz, and also the crossroads between Issyk Kul lake and City Naryn. Places for visiting: the women cooperative "Kochkor Kutu" which develops Kyrgyz crafts. Opportunity to see a demonstration of the production of livestock market mouton. The cattle market held each Saturday is always a colorful and lively event,don't miss it.

Konorchek canyon KG
A small Creek canyon! But you can walk two days around the red cliffs. The main valley named Konorchek, and the small canyon starting from the train bridge named Kyzyl Terek can be visited in 2 hours walk. A good option on the way to Issyk Kul lake.

Issyk Kul lake KG
The Issyk-Kul lake has a length of 182 km, a maximum width of 60 km and covers an area of 6,236 km². This makes it the second largest mountain lake in the world behind Lake Titicaca. Located at an altitude of 1,606 m, it reaches 668 m deep.
About 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake. The largest are the Djyrgalan (Jergalan) and Tyup. It is fed by springs, including many hot springs and snowmelt, and it has no outlet. Its south side is dominated by the Tian Shan mountain range of wild beauty. The lake water is slightly saline and level down about 5 cm per year.
The Issyk-Kul lake is an important step on the Silk Road, a dirt road for travelers from the Far East to Europe. Many historians believe that the lake was the point of origin of the plague that hit Europe and Asia in the early and mid 14th. The status of the lake as a place of passage for travelers allowed the plague spread across the continents through the medieval merchants who unknowingly took away the vermin infested with them. Armenian monastery from the 14th century was found on the northeast coast of Lake retracing the steps of a medieval map used by Venetian merchants on the Silk Road.

Burana Tower KG
Burana Tower is seven km. far from the city of Tokmok. It is an 11th century minaret, and one of the first buildings of such type in Central Asia. The original height of minaret was 45 meters. Today the tower is 24.6 meters high, the remaining part came down during an earthquake in the 15th century. In the 10th to 12th centuries, Karakhanids khanate was a great feudal state of Central Asia and Kazakhstan.
The founders, "karakhans", chigil tribes by birth, lived in the Tien-Shan and for a short time of the second half of the 10th century they conquered a large territory. One of the capitals of this state was Balasagun. In Karakhanids' time new towns and settlements were developing, the centers of big cities were improved and Moslem religious buildings were built in the town of Balasagun. Burana tower, mausoleums and other buildings found after archeological excavations are the witnesses of that build up. The town's life declined slowly, people left it, the buildings fell apart and finally in the 15th century it ceased to exit.
Info
What is included
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All transportation in a private vehicle
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All airport transfers
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Accommodation as described in the program
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Meals (3 per day)
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Bottled water & tea
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English-speaking guide
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All the activities listed in the program
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Entry fees at national parks and/or border zones listed in the program
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Entry fees at museums and historical sites listed in the program
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Domestic flights mentioned in the program
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A contribution to our sustainable development projects
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Organisation of the trip & local taxes
What is not included
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International flights
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International banking fees (PayPal, ...)
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Travel & repatriation insurance
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Visas / LOI (if applicable)
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Alcoholic and soft drinks
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Personal expenses
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Additional costs due to unexpected personal events (health, loss of luggage, ...)
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Tips for guide & driver (always optional, always appreciated)
Ready to go?
Book your tour today.
May we help you?
Our trip designers are at your disposal for building your dream! Feel free to contact us.
- Postal address
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Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
- Phone number
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Ecotourism projects
Through various ecotourism projects and initiatives, Nomad's Land aims to increase awareness of ecotourism and responsible travel, for a sustainable development of the tourism sector.

Ayana Zholdoshbek

