Issyk Kul Lake: Nomadic Living Experience

Embark on a 3-day adventure around Issyk Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan. Discover the natural wonders, including Barskoon Waterfalls and Red Canyon. Enjoy eagle shows, yurt stays, traditional food, hiking, and immerse yourself in the authentic Kyrgyz experience.

Duration: 3 days
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Bishkek - Burana Tower - Boom Gorge- Bokonbaevo - Kadji Say

Burana Tower - Our first stop is 11th Century Minaret Burana. There is a museum with historical artifacts, an ancient graveyard with stone sculptures (balbal stone) Souvenir shop is available.

Bokonbayevo - Eagle Show on request: Bokonbaevo is home for Kyrgyz Eagle Breeders, where they will tell the history of Falconry, how they breed and harness the eagles. It will be followed by a live eagle demonstration: Flying, catching prey. Then Kyrgyz dogs taigans will show their skills and speed. After that traditional archery shooting for the guests.

Boom Gorge - Gorge along the way to Issyk Kul from Bishkek. We will stop for lunch

Canyon Fairy Tale - Vast Canyons with spectacular landscapes, red rocks and hills. Canyon overlooks the Issyk Kul lake making contrast pictures. Souvenir shop and nomad outfits available for photoshoots

Kaji-Say - We will stop at picturesque beach on south shore of Issyk Kul for a swimming / chilling

Tamga - Barskoon Waterfalls- Jeti Oguz - Karakol

Barskoon Waterfall - There are 3 waterfalls available to visit at different elevations. We will visit all or one of them as per preference. Free time in the area. The monument of the first man is space is available over there

Jeti-Oguz Canyon (Seven Bulls Rocks) - Seven bulls valley feature 7 giant red rocks. Its a popular touristic destination.

Karakol - Overnight stay and dinner in the town of Karakol

Karakol - Chon Oruktu - Bosteri - Bishkek

Dungan Mosque - Short visit to an over 100 years old mosque

Bishkek-City - Our Final destination

Chon-Uryukty - We will visit natural mineral hot pools on open air. Mineral water comes from 1200 meters. Admission is 250 som

Cholpon Ata - We will drive thru the resort city and stop for a lunch at famous restaurant

What's Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Breakfast
  • All fees and/or taxes
Additional Information

Our three-day tour around Issyk Kul alpine lake is an excellent opportunity to discover the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage, steeped in rich nomadic history. Experience authentic nomadic living at a Kyrgyz Yurt camp on the lake’s shore. Enjoy a Golden Eagle presentation, showcasing a unique and ancient regional practice. Explore Issyk Kul, the second-largest alpine lake, featuring diverse landscapes, cultural heritage, and natural wonders such as Barskoon glacier waterfalls, Fairy Tale Canyon, crystal-clear rivers, Jeti Oguz gorge with its surreal red rock formations, majestic mountains, and lush green meadows and pastures. Savor local cuisine, including a special barbecue dinner, and observe the daily life of locals. Be surrounded by numerous sheep, cows, and horses in the valleys. For hikers, a moderate guided hike to two waterfalls and a gorge will be available. Activities include a live eagle presentation, Kyrgyz yurt stay, homestay, traditional Kyrgyz food, hiking, tasting local dishes, and experiencing village life. It’s as authentic a Kyrgyz experience as it gets.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(24 Ratings)
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Paradise06889764527
Mar 26, 2024
Recommendable - Huge recommendation from here! Maksat as a guide is fantastic, present and skilled. Worth all the money and something I would recommend to anyone coming to Kyrgyzstan as the trip includes everything in one trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stuartl298
Feb 27, 2024
Excellent Kyrgyzstan trip - Excellent way to see the best of Kyrgyzstan, with a wonderful guide and very memorable local experiences, good accommodation and meals, English-speaking, safe and organized.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Connector17547156355
Feb 22, 2024
Amazing Trip around Issyk-Kul Lake 😍 - I've been a frequent traveller to Europe and I can safely say that my mind has been blown away by what Krygyzstan could offer just by taking me around the lake. You name it - Mountains, clean rivers, lake (duh), forests, good food and definitely great people. The best person definitely being Mr Mars. Krygyzstan has it ALL. I have seen the winter wonders and now I'm excited to visit again back in Summer
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linnahs
Feb 14, 2024
Amazing Kyrgyzstan Adventure! - I would definitely recommend going on this trip with Mars! We saw so many diverse landscapes with him – from the beautiful lake to magical mountains and colorful, rocky canyons. He shared so much about Kyrgyzstan tradition and culture and we really learned so much from him. Seeing the Eagle breeder was one of the highlights, but honestly, each activity with him was so memorable and the days passed way too quickly. We also love staying in the yurt overnight. You will not regret taking a trip with him - he also has great energy and is super easy to get along with!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helene
Feb 14, 2024
Awesome tour and tour guide! - We had a great time on our 3 day tour to Issy-Kul Lake with Mars. He was so knowledgeable and hospitable, and we learned so much from him. We got to try all different types of diverse regional cuisine (all of the restaurants he brought us to were delicious!) and he also bought us some local ice cream to top it off! Mars was so thoughtful and always proactively helped us take photos of ourselves at different beautiful sites. The landscapes he showed us were incredibly beautiful and many of our friends now want to come to Kyrgyzstan after seeing our photos. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stutisusanj
Oct 22, 2023
A trip worth remembering! - We had a lovely time travelling around Issyk Kul lake. Shoutout to Mars for being the best guide. Everything from travel to food to accommodation was prepared and all we had to do was relax and enjoy. Can’t say enough about Mars and would highly recommend him. Extremely knowledgeable, funny, accommodative and a good singer too lol. On the whole it it was an amazing experience and something you should definitely consider. We had soo much fun. A trip to remember for sure :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
655himanshil
Oct 22, 2023
Amazing Trip with our Guide Mars! - Mars is a very sweet, caring, and funny person. He made sure to do everything to make our experience memorable. We visited many pretty locations, tried local cuisine, and overall enjoyed our trip to the fullest. Thank you, Mars!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_g
Oct 8, 2023
Excellent Tour of Issyk Kul - This was a great trip to see the highlights of Issyk Kul lake. This tour covers a lot of ground in three days, but you will have plenty of time to see the sights listed in the tour description. Ulan was an excellent guide, ensuring things went smoothly, very understanding and responding to requests, very personable and accommodating.
Review provided by Viator
Judy_l
Sep 20, 2023
Spectacular and Memorable. GREAT GUIDE! - Meeting the eagle hunter. Riding horseback and herding sheep. Climbing the mountain to the waterfalls. Having tea by the glacial river. Listening to the sound of lake waves at Issuy Kul. Sleeping in a yurt.
Review provided by Viator
H4678lsguillaumes
Sep 13, 2023
Amazing tour around Lake Issyk-Kul - I spent three wonderful days around Lake Issyk-Kul. Mars is an excellent guide who explains things well, passes on Kyrgyz culture and is very friendly. I was delighted to see such beautiful scenery and am already looking forward to returning to Kyrgyzstan using his services.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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