Your driver picks you up early at your hotel in Bishkek. The four-to-five hour drive goes south into the mountains of Naryn Region. Along the way you will pass the Orto Tokoy reservoir — a wide blue lake surrounded by mountain ridges that marks the start of real mountain country.

Arriving in Kyzart village around midday, you sit down to lunch at a local guesthouse — your first taste of Kyrgyz home cooking before a long afternoon in the saddle. After lunch, you meet your horses and guides for the first time. Your English-speaking guide gives you a short lesson — how to sit, how to steer, how to stop — and then you are off.

The trail climbs gently through open green valleys and grassland. Three to four hours of riding brings you to Kilemche — a beautiful mountain meadow at 2,500 metres where you spend the night in a shepherd's house. Dinner is served here, warm and filling. Sleep comes easily at this altitude.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Shepherd's House in Kilemche Valley

After a warm breakfast at the shepherd's house, you get back in the saddle for the most exciting day of the trek. Today you climb to the Jalgyz Karagai Pass at 3,400 metres. Your guide rides with you the whole way, keeping an eye on every rider, setting a comfortable pace, and making sure everyone is safe and enjoying the ride.

As you climb higher, the valleys below fill with thousands of horses, sheep, and cattle grazing freely on the open grass — a sight that most people never forget. At the top of the pass, Song Kul Lake appears below for the first time — a huge, calm lake with no towns on its shore and nothing blocking the view in any direction.

You ride down to the lakeside yurt camp and arrive in the early afternoon, with time to walk beside the water and rest. Dinner is served inside the yurt. When darkness falls, the Milky Way fills the sky from one side to the other — completely clear, with no city lights anywhere.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional yurt camp

Wake up early and step outside. The lake in the morning — with mist on the water and horses grazing nearby as the last stars fade — is something you will remember for a long time. Take your time before breakfast inside the yurt.

After breakfast, you ride for the last time — crossing the Kara Kiya Pass, a different route from the way in with new views and new scenery. From the top of the pass you can see Song Kul behind you and the wide valley ahead. The ride down to Kyzart takes two to three hours through open mountain terrain.

A farewell lunch at a local guesthouse marks the end of your horse trek. Here, you meet your driver and guide for the next part of the journey, and continue by vehicle toward Issyk-Kul — about two hours by car, gradually descending from the mountains to the warm southern shore of the lake.

You arrive in Bokonbaevo by early evening. Before checking in, you are treated to a live eagle hunting show with a local berkutchi — watching a trained golden eagle hunt on command is unlike anything else in Central Asia. You can hold the eagle and take photos with the hunter and his bird.
After the show, you check in to your yurt camp for the night. Dinner is served in the main dining yurt — warm, filling, and traditionally Kyrgyz. For those who want more comfort, a luxury yurt with private toilet and shower can be arranged.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional Yurt Camp in Bokonbaevo

A full day exploring the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, with three of its most beautiful natural landmarks.

The first stop is Skazka Canyon — also known as Fairy Tale Canyons. The red and orange rock walls have been shaped by wind and rain over thousands of years into amazing formations. A short walk takes you inside the canyon, with great views over Issyk-Kul along the way.

Next you visit Barskoon Gorge for a hike to the waterfall — a beautiful spot in a narrow rocky valley surrounded by forest. This peaceful place was once a favourite destination of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.

In the afternoon, the road continues east to Jeti Oguz — which means "Seven Bulls" in Kyrgyz, named after the dramatic red rock formations that rise above a wide green valley. A short walk through the valley shows you why this is one of the most photographed places in Kyrgyzstan.

The day ends in Karakol — the largest town in eastern Kyrgyzstan, sitting at the foot of the Tian Shan mountains. Check in to your hotel and explore the town on foot in the evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Karakol

Your final day starts with a morning tour of Karakol. Your guide takes you to the Dungan Mosque — a beautiful wooden building built in 1910 without a single nail — and the Russian Orthodox Church with its distinctive green roof. You will also visit the central bazaar, where local life moves at its own pace and you can pick up souvenirs to take home.

After the Karakol city tour, the road heads into the mountains above Karakol for a walk through Semenov and Grigoriev Gorges — two scenic valleys with glacial rivers, pine forests, and wide mountain views all around.

From Karakol, your driver heads west along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul to Cholpon-Ata. Here you visit the Ruh Ordo cultural complex on the lakeshore, take a boat ride out onto the water, and finish with a relaxing soak in the natural hot springs.

After the hot springs, your driver takes you on the final stretch back to Bishkek — approximately four to five hours. You will arrive at your hotel by early evening, around 7-8 PM.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: not included