Journey around the Pearl of Central Asia

Name of tour: Journey around the Pearl of Central Asia

Duration: 6 days & 5 nights

Day 1: Bishkek – Chunkurchak – Bishkek 
As you land at Manas International airport your guide will take you to the capital city of Bishkek which is in 30-minutes from the airport. Guided tour through Bishkek will take up the first half of the day. You will get to visit Duboviy Park (Oak Park), Pobeda Square (Victory Square), Central Ala-Too Square, Old Square, National Philharmonic, and many other places in the city. In the afternoon you will go to Chunkurchak gorge which is a beautiful gorge located 45 km to the south of the city. The name of the gorge in Kyrgyz language has a meaning of a hollow (“chunkurchak” - hollow). Gorge is claimed to be a National Biological Reserve, which was set up to preserve rare tulip species. In spring the gorge blooms revealing its bright-scarlet glades. During wintertime, a ski resort operates in the gorge and offers individual and family amusement. Chunkurchak gorge is followed by a larger gorge of Takhr, in which a 200 m (656 f) rock can be found overlooking the river of Alamedin. Finally, after visiting the gorge we go back to Bishkek for an overnight in a hotel.
 
Day 2: Bishkek – Burana – Chon Kemin
This day you will travel to the gorge of Chon Kemin, one of the popular places in Kyrgyzstan. On the way to Chon Kemin, you will get to see Burana Tower, a minaret which dates back to the 11th century. At the same place, there is an open-air museum that features Balbals (stone warriors). An interesting excursion with hands-on experience of climbing to the top of the tower is followed by transfer to Chon Kemin. 3-hour horse riding takes place in the afternoon. You will ride the horses in the mountains of the gorge crossing its beautiful mountain forests. On the top, the fascinating panorama view will be revealed to you. The overnight will be carried out in a homestay.
 
Day 3: Chon Kemin – Issyk Kul lake northern shore
On the third day, we will be heading to the second largest mountainous lake in the world, the lake of Issyk Kul during your tour. It is situated at the elevation of 1608 m above the sea level. It is 180 km long and 60 km wide. The lake has been referred to as “the pearl of Central Asia” for centuries. The name of the lake can be translated as “warm” or “hot” lake. The reason for that is that the lake does not freeze even in coldest winters. The salinity of the lake allows for that. The lake is surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges of Ala-Too. Today as well as in the Soviet era, the lake is a favorite place for many people to come to and have a rest. The hotel is your stay overnight.
 
Day 4: Issyk Kul lake – Karakol
You have your breakfast at 8 a.m. Next, we will be going to the city of Karakol to continue your tour in Kyrgyzstan. Along the way, we will have a stop for you to see stones covered by ancient drawings. Shamans that lived more than 2000 years ago were the artist that created those drawings. The location of the stones has not been changed throughout the existence of the stone carvings. On the same spot as the open-air museum, you can get a beautiful panorama view over the magnificent lake of Issyk- Kul. The next stop is the town of Karakol. In the town, there is a Dungan Mosque which is a nailless construction that is completed in Chinese style. Also, there is another spiritual place to visit, the old wooden Orthodox Church of Holy Trinity. Overnight is in a hotel.
   
Day 5: Karakol – Jeti Oguz – Issyk Kul southern shore – Bishkek
On the fifth day, on our way to the capital city, we will travel the gorge of Jeti-Oguz (Seven Bulls), which is named after the red sandstone formation that resembles seven bulls. One can also get to see the Broken Heart Mountain in the same gorge. For those who want there is a 20 minutes walk to the top of a mountain which reveals a beautiful view over the gorge. The next stop is in the village of Bokonbaevo. You will get to meet a local eagle-hunter, possessor of an ancient craft. With the help of an eagle, he hunts on many different animals, sometimes on those that are even larger than the eagle itself. That is an ancient craft that has been going through the generations. And there is so much more to know about this interesting way of hunting. Our final destination of the day is the capital city of Bishkek. Overnight is in a hotel.
 
Day 6: Bishkek – Airport
transfer to the airport is in the morning.