13-Day Nature Tour in Kyrgyzstan with Ala Kul and Song Kul

• Meet your guide after arriving in Bishkek and transfer to the hotel.

• Spend your day on an extensive Bishkek city tour covering places such as Ploshad Pobedy (Victory Square), Duboviy Park (Oak Park), Ploshad Ala-Too (Ala-Too Square), the History Museum, the National Philharmonic, and other places on request.

• Stroll through the streets of the famous Central-Asian Bazaar. Osh or Orto-Sai bazaars are also colourful, and all kinds of goods are sold there.

• Drive to the Issyk-Kul region, Karakol.

• En route, visit an essential point on the ancient Silk Road - the Burana Tower, an architectural complex dating back to the 10th century. Monuments include a minaret, remnants of a castle, and an ancient warrior cemetery.

• Enjoy a home-cooked meal near Burana at a Kyrgyz family home and stay at a local family's home.

• Drive to Karakol Valley. On the way to The Alps camp, we will pass by steppe foothills, mountain forests, woodland, alpine meadows, and even the realm of eternal snow with bare rocks and glaciers.

Overnight stay at the accommodation.

• Have breakfast and continue to Ala Kul Lake. The lake lies in the glacier valley of the left head of the Kurgaktor River, at an altitude of 3,532 meters above sea level, with beautiful views of the snow-capped peaks.

• Have lunch on the shore of Ala-Kul Lake and head to Altyn-Arashan.

Overnight stay in a hut and enjoy the serenity of the mountains.

• Spend the morning at Altyn-Arashan and explore the surroundings.

• Trek down to the foothill and then transfer by car back to Karakol.

• Explore the town, visit the local market, and stroll around the old residential quarters, admiring the wooden architecture.

Overnight in a Karakol homestay.

• Drive to Jeti-Ögüz Gorge (Seven Bulls), named after huge flaming red rocks resembling the shape of a bull.

• Visit the Kök-Jaik area (Valley of Flowers) and have a picnic lunch on lush pasture.

• Head to the southern shore of Issyk-Kul. On the way, visit Skazka canyons and admire rock formations shaped by wind erosion.

Overnight at a yurt camp. After dinner, enjoy a folklore show.

• Witness an eagle hunting demonstration in the morning and learn how local hunters trained eagles as partners.

• Have lunch at the yurt camp and drive to Kochkor Village.

• Visit a handicraft workshop and learn how Kyrgyz carpets (ala kiiz) are made.

Overnight at a homestay in Kochkor, and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

• Transfer from Kochkor to Isakeev village (30 min) to start trekking. Have lunch on the way to Ters Tor Pasture.

• Arrive at a lake to do fishing.

Overnight stay near the lake in a yurt camp (3,000 meters).

• Start climbing to visit another lake, Kol-Tor (3,400 meters).

• Have lunch and go down to Isakeev village to get back to Kochkor.

Enjoy dinner and overnight in a guesthouse.

• Transfer to Kyzart Pass, the starting point for a 2-day horseback trip to Song Kul.

• See the area of summer pasture for nomads at Cross Kyzyl-Kiya Jailoo.

• Continue over Chaar-Archa Pass (3,061 meters) and have a picnic lunch by the river, enjoying views of the holy Baba-Ata Mountain (4,400 meters).

• Follow the trail to Kilemche Jailoo.

Dine and sleep in a yurt camp.

• Spend the morning climbing to Jalgyz Karagai Pass (3,400 meters) and enter the lake basin. The trek offers superb views of grassland and mountain ranges.

• Have lunch at Jaman Echki, follow the lake shore east to Batai Aral, and meet the host family of Kyrgyz shepherds to enjoy typical local food, such as fermented mare's milk and grilled fish from the lake.

Overnight in a yurt.

• Rest and relax by the lakeside.

• Watch or participate in the everyday life of shepherds: milking cows; making national milk products like kymyz (fermented mare's milk) or airan (a sour dense milk product); tending sheep and cattle.

• Enjoy home-cooked meals, stroll along the lakeshore, and play local sports.

Overnight stay in a yurt camp.

• Have breakfast, transfer by car to Bishkek (6 hours), and check in to the guesthouse.

• Explore the capital city of Kyrgyzstan and visit the downtown square and surrounding sites of interest.

Have dinner.