5 Days Bishkek, Chon Kemin & Karakol Tour

Your driver will pick you up at Manas International Airport first; and then the driver will accompany you to the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, which is just a 30-minute drive from the airport. Bishkek, also known as Broken City, is the birthplace of famous poet Li Bai.

In the morning we will visit Ala Archa gorge, which is a beautiful Natural Park. As a part of the Tianshan Mountains, the magnificent scenery of the Ala Aqha Gorge, which is covered with snow all year round, is like a paradise.  It is just 45 km from Bishkek and here you can have a short hiking tour to see a panoramic view of the gorge. 

The second half of the day is dedicated to a city tour of Bishkek. It includes visiting Pobeda Square (Victory Square), Duboviy Park (Oak Park), Central Ala-Too Square, Old Square, National Philharmonic, and many other tourist attracts; the everlasting fire is burning all year round in Victory Square. In addition, the three huge granite monuments in the center of the square merge to form a yurt silhouette, which mainly commemorates the martyrs who died during World War II and represents a tenacious spirit. Traditionally, a commemorative event is held here on May 9 every year. Every weekend, many newcomers from all over the country will come to Victory Square to lay wreaths, take photos, and pray for happiness!  This overnight will be in a hotel. 

Today you will be transferred to Chon Kemin gorge; on route to the gorge you will visit an 11th century minaret Burana Tower, which is a large minaret in the Chuy Valley in northern Kyrgyzstan, near the town of Tokmak; and also visit an open air museum of Balbals (stone warriors). 

After an amazing excursion and climbing on the top of the tower, you will be transferred to Chon Kemin gorge; Much of the area around the Chon Kemin River is protected by the Chon-Kemin State Nature National Park, which protects a total of 5000 hectares. This park was created in 1997 to protect the unique species of flora and fauna in the area, including the Tolai hare, pheasant, and fir trees. The river basin is rich in habitat and biological diversity, and has been left practically untouched. Later, you will meet a nice family here and in the afternoon we will have 3 hours of horse riding. Your route will go high in the mountains and you will even ride horses through a mountain forest. Besides, on the top you will see the panorama view of the gorge. 

At night, you will be in a guesthouse. 

Today you will visit the celestial Issyk Kul Lake, which is the second largest alpine lake in the world (1608 meters above sea level). it’s length is 180 km and it is 60 km wide; and the lake is called "the pearl of Central Asia". On the way, we will take a short break to give you the free time to visit ancient stone inscriptions (dating back to 800 B.C.).  The golden sandy beach, the scenery of Issyk-Kul Lake, the turquoise water and the towering snow-capped mountains that seem to stand in the middle of the lake; it is known as the  dazzling pearl of Kyrgyzstan and its  irresistible charm bringing people from the city draws to its hinterland.Then we will drive along Semenovskoe and Grigorievskoe gorge! These two picturesque gorges are connected at the end. It means you will start driving in at one gorge and will drive out through the other one! 

Then we continue our way along the northern shore of the lake to the town of Karakol; it is located in the east of Kyrgyzstan, close to Issyk-Kul Lake, 380 kilometers from the capital and 150 kilometers from the border between China and Kyrgyzstan. It is the seat of the capital of Issyk-Kul state. The city is the fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan and an important tourist destination. Then, you will visit the Dungan Mosque. The famous Dungan Mosque is a wooden mosque built by Chinese artists for the local Dungan people, built from 1907 to 1910. There is also a regional museum here, which mainly collects and exhibits Issyk-Kul petroglyphs, Scythian bronze art works, etc. The lively weekend market is a great place to experience the traditional local way of life. Afterwards, you will have a visit to an old wooden Orthodox Church. Night is in a hotel.

Today we will drive to Jeti Oguz gorge (Seven Bull Canyon), named after a fiery red rock, shaped like seven bulls, with rural wheat fields at the foot of the mountain. You will also see the Broken Heart Mountain there. If you want you can go on a top of a mountain (20 minutes) to see a panorama view of the gorge. 

Then we continue our trip, breaking in Bokonbaeva village, where we will meet a local eagle-hunter. He hunts hares and foxes with the help of eagles; and which is a traditional way of nomadic hunting.  At night, you will be in a guesthouse in Kochkor. We will drive there along the southern shore of Issyk Kul Lake. 

In the morning,  go to airport directly from Bishkek.