The northern shore of Issyk-Kul

Bishkek City - Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan and the largest city in the country in terms of the number of inhabitants (more than 1 million).

Bishkek is located in the center of the Chui Valley at the foot of one of the mountain ranges of the Tien Shan - Kyrgyz Ala-Too. Its length is 375 kilometers and extends from the Boomsky gorge to the Talas region. The highest point of the ridge (4875 meters) is the peak of Semenov-Tyan-Shan.

Bishkek residents divide the city into up and down. The upper part (south) is closest to the mountains, the lower (north) is closest to the border with Kazakhstan. The upper part of the city is considered cleaner in terms of ecology. How to determine the top and bottom? It’s very simple: the top is where the mountains are.

06.00-meeting at the hotel, departure from Bishkek

Boom Gorge - 112 kilometers from Bishkek towards Issyk-Kul, the road leads to the Boomsky Gorge, which is located in the eastern part of the Kyrgyz ridge and is the only corridor between Issyk-Kul and Bishkek.

The name Boom, literally meaning “evil spirit”, was given to the gorge for the fact that crossing it brought many difficulties and trials. The first to experience the complexity of crossing the Boomsky Gorge was the Russian researcher Pyotr Semenov Tian-Shan in 1850.

Our breakfast will be held in the Boom Gorge

08.00-breakfast at the Boom gorge

Semenovskoye Canyon - Semenov Gorge is a large and famous gorge on the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, located on the Kungei Alatau mountain range. It is located about 40 km from Cholpon Ata, on the road from Bishkek. The area is rich in hiking trails, some of which run through the mountains towards the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan.

There is an emerald lake Suttu-Bulak in the Semenov gorge, to take it into account, we will walk 3.5 km in one direction

11.00-arrival at the Semenovskoe gorge
11.00-12.20-hike to Lake Suttuu-Bulak, walk along the gorge
14.00-turn around
15.00-arrival at the parking

Grigorievka - Gigoryevsky Gorge is extremely popular with tourists, which is explained by the beauty of the gorge and its easy accessibility. Most of the gorge can be driven by an ordinary car, there is a normal dirt road. The length of the entire gorge is about 35 km. Almost all along the gorge there are picnic areas, yurts, cafes. Locals sell honey, koumiss, fish, barbecue, and offer horses for walks.

15.20-panorama on Gri Goryevsky Gorge, Jailoo Kyrchyn
15.50 - Maiden’s Tears waterfall

Issyk Kul Province - The pearl of the Tien Shan - Issyk-Kul is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan. Issyk-Kul translates as “hot lake”. The water temperature here does not drop to minus even in winter, so the lake never freezes. It is located at an altitude of 1,608 meters above sea level and ranks seventh in the list of the deepest lakes in the world.

Issyk-Kul is a favorite vacation destination for Kyrgyzstanis.

The main feature of Issyk-Kul is its mountainous and maritime climate.

17.00 - 18.00 - walk along the shore of Issyk-Kul, hot springs on the shore

Karakol - Karakol is a city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the eastern part of the Issyk-Kul region, at the foot of the Terskei-Alatoo ridge, in the lower reaches of the Karakol River, 12 km from the coast of Lake Issyk-Kul, at an altitude of 1690-1850 meters above sea level. The distance to Bishkek city is 400 km, to the nearest railway station Balykchi 220 km by road and waterway — 184 km.

Karakol is a city that everyone should visit. Being among the mountain ranges, just five kilometers from the Terskey Ala-Too mountain system, the city has recently become one of the most popular places for tourism. A truly wonderful and unique picture opens up from the Karakol ridges: the mirrored surface of Lake Issyk-Kul is framed on all sides by snow-white caps of mountains, reaching their peaks into the clouds.

19.30-21.00 dinner
21.15 check-in at the hotel, personal time

Jeti-Oguz gorge, Kok-Zhaiyk jailoo

Karakol - Karakol (formerly known as Przhevalsk from 1889 to 1922 and from 1939 to 1992) is the fourth most populous city in Kyrgyzstan. It serves as the administrative center of the Issyk-Kul region. The city is located near the eastern end of Lake Issyk-Kul. Geographically, it is located at an altitude of 1690 to 1850 meters above sea level.

08.00-breakfast at the hotel

Jeti-Oguz Canyon (Seven Bulls Rocks) - Jeti-Oguz are large red rocks carved by the river from the Terskey-Alatoo mountains. As a result of weathering, the rock was cut into 7 parts. Therefore, this place was named “7 Bulls” (in Kyrgyz, “jets” is “seven”, and “oguz” is “bull”). Nearby is the “Broken Heart” rock. As usual, this is due to the legend of unhappy love.

09.00-departure to the Jeti-Oguz gorge
10.00-rocks “7 Bulls”, “Broken Heart”, panorama with a view of the gorge

Karakol Historical Museum - During his four expeditions to Central Asia, Przhevalsky collected thousands of plant and animal samples and mapped thousands of square kilometers. His maps were important for understanding where mountain ranges begin and end, as well as which plants and animals are common in a particular area. Przewalski became the first European since Marco Polo to visit Qinghai Lake on the Tibetan Plateau, although he never reached his final destination – Tibetan Lhasa. The gazelle and Przewalski’s horse, as well as several species of plants and reptiles, are named in honor of the great researcher.
The Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky Memorial Museum was opened in Karakol in 1957, including documents and exhibits from the archive of the Geographical Society of the USSR. Today, the museum’s exposition includes documents, photographs and personal belongings of Przewalski. His grave and monument are nearby.

17.30-18.30 - visit to the Przewalski Museum

Karakol - The specialty of Karakol is ashlian fu. Since the XVIII century, the migration of Dungans to the Issyk-Kul region began. Thanks to them, this cold dish has become so popular.

Locals say that the secret of Karakol ashlian fu is in the gas station, but no one divulges it. The dish is now prepared not only by Dungans, but also by Kyrgyz, and is sold in bazaars, shops, cafes throughout the republic. However, not every Ashlian fu is considered Karakol. You can distinguish a fake by starch. In Karakol, it is cut into plates, not cubes. And a fried pie with potatoes is always served.

Taking a ready—made dish with you is a risky business, but you can buy seasonings for its preparation at the grand bazaar. They also sell dried fruits, nuts and fried beans, ten different types of ground red pepper.

The Issyk-Kul Brand souvenir shop has been opened in Karakol, where you can buy felt products, natural soap, jam, honey.
21.00-arrival at the hotel, personal time

The southern shore of Issyk-Kul

Karakol - Karakol is a garden resort town, the best place in Kyrgyzstan for coastal exploration and trekking, attracting trekkers and climbers from all continents. Here you can find Scythian burial mounds, nomad camps, and hot springs. Karakol stands out among all Kyrgyz cities for its European architecture, looking at which it is difficult to believe that China is only 150 kilometers away.

08.00 - breakfast at the hotel

Barskoon Waterfall - The gorge is famous for its waterfalls. One of the most famous is “Tears of the Leopard”. In addition to the waterfall “Tears of the Leopard”, three more are noteworthy: “Beard of the Aksakal”, “Splashes of champagne” and “Manas Bowl”.

According to legend, the “Cup of Manas”
was formed after Manas scooped up water with his hand, and a bowl remained in the rock.

There is a legend among the people about how the largest 100-meter waterfall “Tears of the Leopard” appeared:
The badger, having gone hunting, left three badgers in the den, and they got out and crashed, falling down from the rocks. When she saw the dead badgers, the badger began to cry, and her tears turned into a waterfall with three ledges, on which the water of the river falls alternately.

A fascinating sight: the waters of the Barskaun River, flowing from under the Terskei Alatau glaciers, fall from a high sheer cliff.

11.00 -13.00 walk to the waterfalls

Boom Gorge - The Boom Gorge is located in the middle reaches of the Chu River on the border between the Kyrgyz Ala-Too and Kungey Ala-Too ridges. The length of the gorge is about 30 km[1].

The Boom Gorge connects the Chu Valley with the Issyk-Kul Basin and is a kind of calling card on the way from Suyab to Lake Issyk-Kul.

The nature of Boom is very diverse. In its upper part, gentle forms predominate; the river floodplain is quite wide and covered with dense vegetation. The lower part of the gorge is a narrow canyon where the river meanders among steep rocks.

A railway line (1948, 180 km) connecting Bishkek and Balykchy (in Soviet times Frunze and Rybachye) passes through the Boom Gorge, as well as a highway connecting the Chui and Issyk-Kul regions. The administrative border between these regions is the Red Bridge], thrown across the river in the middle part of the gorge. At the top of the gorge there are a number of roadside cafes for numerous tourists.

19.30 - 20.15 dinner in the Boom gorge

Bishkek - Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan and the largest city in the country. It constitutes a special administrative unit. The city is located in the north of the Kyrgyz Republic, in the Chu Valley, at the foothills of the Tien Shan, 40 km north of the Kyrgyz ridge, 25 km from the border with Kazakhstan. Bishkek, being the center of international tourism in Kyrgyzstan, often serves as a transit point and resting place on the way to Lake Issyk-Kul or the Tien Shan Mountains and at the same time can offer tourists a large number of attractions.

22.30 - arrival in Bishkek

• Trekking sticks
• Individual guide
• Lunch
• Dinner
• In-vehicle air conditioning
• Breakfast
• 4* Hotel accommodation - 2 nights

• Alcoholic beverages
• Personal expenses