Six days on the roof of the world.
No roads, no signal, no plan B. A 4x4, a guide who knows every pass, a night in a nomad yurt on an alpine lake, a hidden turquoise lake behind a border post, and the last eagle hunters of the Tian Shan.
Six days, further from everything.
One pass at a time. Day by day, the road climbs, the lakes turn turquoise, and the nomads take over the story.
Day 1
Bishkek to Song-Kul, the lake in the sky
Morning in Bishkek, then the road rolls into the Chuy Valley to the Burana Tower, an 11th century minaret that once watched over the Silk Road. Climb to the top, meet the stone balbals, lunch in Kochkor on real Kyrgyz cooking. Then the climb begins: the Kalmak-Ashuu pass at 3,446 m, and down the other side to Song-Kul, a huge alpine lake ringed by horses and felt yurts. Dinner is home cooked, the night is a yurt, and the stars do not need a signal.
Day 2
Song-Kul to Kok-Kiya, through the 33 parrots
Leave the lake over the Terskey pass, 33 hairpin turns the locals call the 33 Parrots. Fuel in Naryn, then south into the At-Bashy region, where the earth turns lunar and the cliffs go jagged. Tonight is a guesthouse in the Kok-Kiya valley, close enough to the border that passports come out at the checkpoints. Bring a book; the wifi does not live here.
Day 3
Kel-Suu, the hidden lake
The hidden lake sits at 3,514 m inside a limestone canyon, turquoise water against walls 500 m high. The valley floor is marshy, so the last leg goes on horseback or on foot with local horsemen. Ride in, walk the shore, stand under the cliffs, and listen. Then the long drive back to Naryn: hot shower, stable wifi, civilisation.
Day 4
Issyk-Kul and the eagle hunter
Out of the high mountains toward the deep blue of Issyk-Kul, the second largest alpine lake in the world. First a stop at Ak-Say canyon, a desert of gold and red clay with a view that drops straight into the lake. Then Bokonbaevo, where a berkutchi and his golden eagle show the ancient bond between hunter and bird. Home cooked dinner, proper beds.
Day 5
Fairytale canyon to Karakol
A day of red rock and waterfalls. Skazka, the fairytale canyon, sandstone carved by wind into spires and ridges. Barskoon gorge, where the Tears of a Leopard waterfall drops through ancient spruce, and a monument marks the spot Yuri Gagarin loved. Then the Seven Bulls of Jeti-Oguz, red cliffs that have watched this valley for longer than anyone remembers. Night in Karakol, the old tsarist outpost with a wooden cathedral and a mosque built without a single nail.
Day 6
Back through the Boom gorge
The last drive follows the Chu river through the Boom gorge, mountains leaning over the road, and rolls into Bishkek by evening. Drop-off at your hotel or the airport. The roof of the world is behind you, and the photos are already backed up.
The whole road, for two.
Flights are not included. The price covers the expedition: the 4x4, the guide, every night, every meal, the permits and the horses. You fly to Bishkek from your own airport, and we help you find the good connections.
The route runs from June to September, when the passes open and the yurts are up. Tell us your dates and we come back within 24 hours.
What is included, and what is not.
In, per person
- 4x4 off-road vehicle for all 6 days, with an English speaking guide
- 5 nights: a yurt camp on Song-Kul, three guesthouses, one hotel in Karakol
- Full board: every meal listed in the itinerary
- Eagle hunting demonstration and archery in Bokonbaevo
- Border zone permits for Kel-Suu, arranged in advance
- Horses and local horsemen for the ride to Kel-Suu
Not in, on purpose
- International flights (we help you find the good ones to Bishkek)
- Hotel in Bishkek on the last night
- Personal travel and medical insurance (required)
- Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks
- Optional activities outside the program and airport transfers
Photo credits
Song-Kul yurt camp: Ninara, CC BY 2.0 · Burana Tower and Jeti-Oguz: Bgag, CC0 · Terskey Alatau: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 · Kel-Suu: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 · Issyk-Kul sunset: Ninara, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Boom Gorge: Vilya Shoni, CC BY 4.0.
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The roof of the world is waiting.
Tell us your dates and your airport. We come back within 24 hours with availability, your price, and a hand with the flights if you want one.
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