Itinerary
A Loop Through the Mountains: How a Kyrgyz Trip Is Built
Kyrgyzstan's sights lie in a ring of mountain valleys around Issyk-Kul and the high pastures of the centre, and the roads between them make a natural loop out of Bishkek. Two weeks cover it at a traveller's pace, with nights in guesthouses, yurt camps and the homes of herding families, and the south, around Osh, is a journey of its own, joined by a flight. The short summer of the high country decides when.
Updated 2026-10-08
Days 1 and 2: Bishkek and Ala-Archa
Two nights in Bishkek give a day for the city's squares, parks and Osh Bazaar and a day in the mountains of Ala-Archa National Park, less than an hour south. The Burana Tower makes a stop on the road east on the third morning.
Days 3 to 7: Issyk-Kul and Karakol
The road east follows the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, by way of the petroglyphs of Cholpon-Ata, to Karakol at the eastern end of the lake. Karakol is the base for three or four days in the mountains: the hot springs of Altyn-Arashan, the Karakol valley or the trek over the pass to the lake of Ala-Kul, with the Sunday animal market in town.
Days 8 and 9: the southern shore to Kochkor
The return west follows the quieter southern shore, past the red cliffs of Jeti-Oguz and the eroded ridges of the Skazka canyon, with a night on the way at a guesthouse or a yurt camp by the water. Kochkor, a small town in a valley west of the lake, is the place to arrange the ride to Song-Kul.
Days 10 to 12: Song-Kul
From the Kochkor valley, a ride of one or two days crosses a pass to Song-Kul, where one or two nights in a herding family's yurt give time for rides along the shore, the evening return of the herds and the stars. A driver can bring travellers up by road instead, and take them on south.
Days 13 and 14: Naryn, Tash-Rabat and back
South of the lake, the road leads to Naryn and on through the At-Bashy valley to the caravanserai of Tash-Rabat, with a night in a yurt camp in its valley. The drive back to Bishkek takes a long day, by way of Naryn and the gorges of the Naryn river.
Adding the south
The south is reached by a flight from Bishkek to Osh, or by a long day's drive over the passes. Four or five days give time for Osh and its sacred mountain, the walnut forest and waterfalls of Arslanbob and, for a longer trip, the lake of Sary-Chelek or the Alay valley under Lenin Peak.
When to go
The high country belongs to summer: the yurts of Song-Kul and the camps of Tash-Rabat stand from about late June to early September, and the passes of the treks are clear in the same weeks. May, June and September suit the lake, Bishkek and Osh, with warm days and cool nights. From October to April the mountains are under snow, the yurts are gone, and the slopes near Karakol draw skiers.