Day 1 | Airport – Bishkek
Arrival from Delhi to Manas Airport in Bishkek at 11:45. Our team welcome you in the airport. The check in at the hotel is followed by Lunch and then we proceed for City tour in Bishek. All sightseeing & transfers will be done in common vehicle for the group and we will get our self drive vehicles next day.
For dinner we go to one of the best restaurants in Bishkek where you can taste Indian food.
Day 2 | Bishkek – Burana – Chon Kemin
At 09:00 our vehicles will pick you up from the hotel and drive to the Self drive cars parking lot from where after pick-up cars from hotel to the highway where we will pick up cars and start journey. Lunch will be with a local family at Aizada.
Our journey begins with a visit of the Burana Tower. The Burana Tower is an ancient minaret in the Chuy Valley in the north part of Kyrgyzstan. The tower with funerary monuments, earthworks, remains of the castle and three mausoleums – that’s all what last out of the ancient Balasagyn town that was founded by Karakhanids at the end of the ninth century. Then we are going to Chon Kemin it is the biggest valley in Kyrgyzstan. We will drive through the mountain gorge.
Day 3 | Chon-Kemin – Cholpon-Ata
Аfter a hearty breakfast at the guest house, we start at 9.00, pre-warming up our “iron horses”. We pass the Boom gorge and enter the Issuk-Kul region, the homeland of the biggest lake of Kyrgyzstan.
Lake Issyk-Kul was a stopover on the Great Silk Road, the land route of travelers from the Far East to Europe. Also for us, it will become a place of respite on our “Great Winter Path”. Lunch at the guest house of local residents at Tamchi village, in the traditional atmosphere of a Kyrgyz family.
Then we continue along the northern shore of the lake to Cholpon Ata. On the way, we turn to a panoramic point near the village of Ornok, which reveals fascinating view of the lake similar more to the sea with the gorgeous mountains behind. On the panorama we pause where we can enjoy hot tea and coffee looking at this beauty.
We will stay in Issyk-Kul near to the shore of the lake.
Day 4 | Cholpon Ata – Semenov Gorge – Karakol
Start the day at leisure around 10 a.m. Today we are going to visit in the Semenov gorge. It is located on the northern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake, 60 kilometers from Cholpon-Ata. This place is considered as the most famous attractions in Issyk-Kul. Pine trees and green hillsides cover the mountains. You can hear the noise of the mountain river with glacial clear water, which flow down to the valley. The middle part of the valley is crowned with two snowy peaks: the peak of Kum-Bel (4200 m) and Eshenbulak peak (4647m).
We will stay in Issyk-Kul Resort Hotel situated in the shore of the lake, so you get the fascinating view of the lake similar more to the sea with the gorgeous mountains behind.
Day 5 | Karakol – Enilchek – Karakol
We are going to the remote area Enilchek ghost town through the high mountain passes. During Soviet Union times all the youth from soviet countries used to arrive there and were planning to settle down and to get employed there. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, life in the city began to fade away due to the unemployment. Nowadays population consists of 30 families. You can see many abandoned blocks of flats, houses, school, hospital, playgrounds and many other buildings, even a runway and airfield here.
On the way we will drive through unpaved roads covered with snow.
Day 6 | Karakol – Djety-Oguz – Barskoon – Skazka – Kochkor
A long day ahead with several visits along the way such as Jeti Oguz (from Kyrgyz it is translated – “Seven Bulls”). Dense vegetation covers red rocks of the gorge. The name “Seven Bulls” follows from Red Rocks, being on against sanatorium, which known for the medical hot springs.
Next place is Barskoon gorge is known by beautiful and powerful waterfalls. The most famous are the Bowl of Manas, the Leopard Tears, located at an altitude of 2,500 m above sea level, at a distance of 12 km from Barskoon village. After we visit Skazka canyons, which signify Fairytale. Here you can find objects of surprising shapes and sizes. A real skyscraper or an animal may appear in front of you while you walk and explore this place.
Overnight and dinner in Nomad Lodge Hotel
Day 7 | Kochkor – Orto Tokoi – Bishkek
The morning starts with a traditional felt show presenting all the secrets of making Shyrdaks, the Kyrgyz felt carpets listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Making felt products is an ancient craft of the nomadic people. Then we are going back to Bishkek. The road to Bishkek passes through the Boom gorge. In Bishkek we will have time to buy souvenirs.
Farewell dinner in Evening .
Day 8 | Bishkek – Airport – Departure
On time transfer to airport to departure flight.