Active New Year Tour

(30 December). Bishkek. Arrival and meeting at the Manas airport. Transfer to Bishkek. On this day, after lunch, you will have a city tour with visiting the Alley of Youth, the Philharmonic Hall with the Manas complex, the old and new squares with a Christmas tree decorated for the New Year, the small Rarity Museum, the Al-Hayat art gallery with an exhibition of New Year's toys, the Osh market and an oak park. In the evening we will take a ride on the Ferris wheel and look at the lights of the night city. Dinner and overnight at the hotel

(31 December). Ala-Archa park. Today we will drive to the Ala-Archa Natural Park. The Ala-Archa river valley is one of the main attractions of Bishkek's suburbs. Here in a narrow valley there are so many amazingly beautiful landscapes, waterfalls and unusual rock forms such rich flora and fauna that many consider this area to be a real symbol of the Kyrgyz ridge (Ala-Too).

The Ala-Archa gorge is located in the central part of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too ridge, 30 km to the south of Bishkek. This is the largest of all the gorges of the Kyrgyz ridge.

The Kyrgyz State Park "Ala-Archa" organized here in 1976 is situated on its territory. This place is attractive for its accessibility. There is a good asphalt road to the park which allows you to get out of the noisy city in 40 minutes. In summer admiring the snowy peaks you can hide here from the exhausting city stuffiness and bustle in the shade of the gigantic Tien Shan firs.

"Ala-Archa" translated from Kyrgyz means "variegated archa". Archa is the local name for juniper. The gorge got this name because of the abundant juniper thickets that cover its slopes. Due to the many varieties of juniper growing in the gorge being different in color the gorge seems to be multi-colored.

We will have a hike to the waterfall and return to the hotel in the afternoon for some rest before the gala dinner. This evening, a banquet will be prepared in the hotel and lively dance music will be played.

1 January). Kegety gorge and Burana tower. In the morning, those who had a wonderful New Year celebration and do not want to go anywhere can stay at the hotel. For those who like active rest we suggest to drive to the Kegety gorge that after breakfast and hike to the mountain lake (the hike takes about 5 hours). Freshness, clean air and amazing mountain landscapes will charge you with energy and give you a lot of positive emotions. After that we will visit the historical and archaeological complex of Burana Tower.

Burana Tower (minaret) is located on the site of an ancient settlement, 90 km from the capital, Bishkek. Historians and archaeologists have proved that the settlement was the capital of the Karakhanid Khanate and was called Balasagun. The city of Balasagun was founded in the middle of the 10th century and the Burana Tower now is being the central monument of this complex. Return to the hotel. Time for rest.

(2 January). Bishkek – Reia-Kench farm (450 km / 7-8 h). In the morning we will drive to the northern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake. On the way, we will have the opportunity to walk along the Konorchek gorge famous for its canyons (the walk takes about 4 hours). After that we will continue our way to the lake. Issyk-Kul is the second largest mountain lake after Lake Titicaca in South America; it is one of the 25 largest lakes in the world and is in seventh place in the list of the deepest lakes on our planet.

The length of the lake from west to east is 178 km, from south to north - 64 km, maximum depth is 668 m. Lake Issyk-Kul also ranks second in terms of water transparency after Lake Baikal. The climate near the lake is very mild, in summer the average temperature is + 17C, it would seem that with such a low summer temperature, the winter should be very cold, but on the contrary winters are quite warm here, in January the average temperature is -3C.

The local population calls the Issyk-Kul lake "The Pearl of Kyrgyzstan". It looks like a small bead strung on a chain of mountain ranges reflecting its name. The "Pearl of Kyrgyzstan" is located at an altitude of 1606 m above sea level and is surrounded on both sides by ridges with the poetic names Terskey Ala-Too (hiding from the sun) and Kungey Ala-Too (facing the sun).

In the city of Cholpon-Ata, we will have lunch in a cafe and visit the hot springs. In the late afternoon we will reach the city of Karakol from where we will drive a little more to the east and we are on the spot - at the Reina-Kench farm. Dinner and overnight on the farm.

(3 January). Karakol ski base or a day on the farm. Option 1: After breakfast we will depart to the ski base in the Karakol gorge. All day skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice-skating, snowballing, winter fun and a frost-red nose. Lunch at the cafe at the ski base. Closer to the evening we will return to the guest house.

Option 2: You may spend all day at the farm. You will have time to ride horses, try archery, ride a chaise like in the old days and take a walk around the farm. Most importantly you will see the racehorses that are bred here. Meals and accommodation in the guest house.

(4 January). Karakol – Bishkek. Today in the morning we will visit the monuments of the 19th century - the "Church of the Holy Trinity" and the Dungan Mosque, as well as the monument of Przhevalsky.

Then we will continue our way to the Jeti-Oguz gorge. It is located 60 km west of the city of Karakol on the northern slopes of the Terskey Ala-Too ridge in the gorge of the same name. Jeti-Oguz gorge is one of the most beautiful places in Kyrgyzstan. For almost 25 km the Tien Shan spruce grows on both sides of the gorge first piled in picturesque groups and then spreading into a continuous forest. If you wish, you can walk to the waterfall called "Girl’s Braids" (the walk takes about 2.5 hours).

After the walk, we will have lunch with a family of local residents and continue our way to the Skazka gorge, which almost immediately opens in its entire splendor and from all sides the visitor who entered the Skazka is surrounded by scenery created by nature - multi-colored rocks frozen in bizarre forms as if after an eruption.

Plates of solid limestone and sandstone similar to the ruins of ancient castles protrude in clusters from the colored soils. The most amazing thing is that the architect and sculptor of this place is nature that used water, sun and wind as tools. In the evening we will return to the capital. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

(5 January). Departure. Today the car will take you to the airport for your flight home. End of the program. We will be happy to see you again in summer time.