Overland adventure along the country

Osh city - Tuya-Muyun Plateau and Dangi Canyon (50 km / 1h). This day you will arrive to Manas airport in Bishkek to fly out to the city of Osh - the southern capital of Kyrgyzstan. Osh is known for its ancient mosque and Mount Suleiman-Too (the throne of Solomon), which was a place of pilgrimage for Central Asian Muslims.

From here the car will get you to the Tuya-Muyun Plateau. After not long traverse along the plateau, visit to the Azhyadar-Unkur Cave (Dragon's Mouth). The length is about 80 m. The cave is known for bat colonies. Archaeological excavations of the ancient man’s site were also conducted here. The cave is surrounded by legends and has its own history. One of the legends tells about Ajyadar dragon, who lives here and guards the hidden jewels.

The visit to the famous Great Barite Cave (120 m long), located next to the previous cave. It was discovered by E. Fersman, academician. The cave got the fame because of the large barite deposit discovered inside, crystals of which almost completely covered its walls. After lunch, we will have an excursion along the picturesque Dangi Canyon (narrow gorge).

Dinner and overnight in the camp. (tents) Bonfire. Overnight.

Uluu-Too Cave – Arslanbob (250 km / 4h). Transfer and visit to the cult Uluu-Too Cave. Once the cave was a unique geological sculpture gallery of cave formations, which was barbarously plundered in the 90s. But even now the cave is of interest to photographers and researchers of bats. There are various forms of calcite formations in the cave. Also a variety of different stone forms and formations of aragonites, stalactites, stalagmites and stalagnates can be found there. Walls and ceiling are in red-gray stains, concentric patterns and lines of onyx flows. The length of the cave is 145 m. After the cave the transfer to Arslanbob village is waiting for us. Here we will have a little hike to the first waterfall which is about 25 m and the hike will take us about half an hour.

After that we will walk to a panorama place from where you will be able to see the whole gorge. It is a great view and here we will have a little free time to enjoy the nature and make some pictures. After we go back and watch a folklore show of Kyrgyz music using national Kyrgyz instruments. Dinner and night at the house of local residents.

Arslanbob - Sary-Chelek (220 km / 4h). After breakfast, we will continue our journey to the Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve and its pearl - Sary-Chelek Lake. Arrival in the village of Arkyt, from which it is almost a stone's throw to the lake itself. Accommodation in a guest house. Dinner, rest.

Sary-Chelek. This day will be a day of rest. You can wander along the shores of the lake, organize a picnic and enjoy the natural beauty of the national park.

Sary Chelek Lake is one of the most beautiful and interesting places to visit in the western Tien Shan. Translated from Kyrgyz - "Yellow Cup". Sary-Chelek stretches for 7.5 km at an altitude of 1940 m. Lake Sary-Chelek arose as a result of the collapse of two ridges. They blocked the river forming a high natural dam supporting the lake. The lake itself is surrounded by a necklace of mountain peaks sparkling with snowy white.

The banks of Sary-Chelek are unusually picturesque. Steep and almost sheer, they go into the depths of the lake reaching 234 meters. And in these rocky shores there are caves full of bats. Since 1959 the territory of the lake acquired the status of a national park.

Sary-Chelek - Suusamyr (380 km / 6 h). We continue our interesting journey along the Bishkek - Osh highway. This road can rightfully claim the title of the most beautiful road. To begin with we will reach the Toktogul reservoir, created in order to collect the water of the Naryn River and supply life-giving moisture to the entire Ferghana Valley. On the Naryn River several hydroelectric power stations are located in this direction which in turn makes the river even more picturesque. Since the river, for several tens of kilometers, due to the dams located along its path creates the illusion of an elongated lake spread out in a deep gorge along which a highway lies.

Having passed through a narrow gorge called Chychkan, we will soon find ourselves in a wide green valley (steppe). The mountains, having retreated, gave it so much space that you can forget that you are in a harsh mountainous country. There are many nomads who have located their yurts for the summer period, they are like white minarets flaunting throughout the valley. Accommodation in the Bai-Tour recreation center.

Suusamyr – Son-Kul lake (250 km / 5 h). Today a long journey awaits us, but it will also be saturated with the colors of nature. And one of such places of our visit will be one of the most beautiful rivers in Kyrgyzstan – Kekemeren.

Kekemeren means the “Blue flow”. It flows through the canyon with steep walls of the 500 meters height then goes into the valley and further into the canyon again… It comes to Naryn river going first through Kavak ridge being a big turbulent and high-water river deep curved into the bottom of the valley. It gives its cold waters to Naryn cooling the river for over a degree.

Having passed the village of Kyzyl-Oi, we will turn off the road towards the village of Min-Kush to get to the small mirror mountain lake Ak-Kul. The road leads almost directly to the lake, where 7-8 Kyrgyz families live, grazing their stock in the summer.

On the shore of the lake we organize a picnic and enjoying the beauty of the lake we continue the way. We will drive over the Kara-Keche pass and find ourselves on the shores of the alpine lake Son-Kul (3016m). Overnight in yurts.

Son-Kul lake. Son-Kul Lake is located on the height of 3016 m above the sea level. This is the best place for shepherds-nomads. If you have ever heard a beautiful legend about the most beautiful lake in the center of Tian-Shan mountains most possible this was the lake Son-Kul. By some sources its name is translated as “the last lake” and it’s not without reason as this is the second biggest lake on the territory of Kyrgyzstan after Issyk-Kul lake. And the name can be treated as an “alpine lake”.

Son-Kul is located in a large basin between two ridges Son-Kultau and Moldotau on the height of 3016 m above the sea level in the northern part of Naryn valley. Son-Kul is 29 km long and 18 km wide with the depth about 22 m. Besides it is the second biggest lake it is also the biggest natural reservoir of fresh water in Kyrgyzstan. Its area is 278 sq.km and has a tectonic origin. The only river leaving Son-Kul lake is the Son-Kul river.

As the lake is located on an alpine meadow and surrounded by mountain ridges it has its own microclimate. All the valley is covered with green alpine fields (Kyrgyz people name them “jailoo”). That’s why this place was very popular among the shepherds and nomads in all times which is proven by the stone inscriptions and ancient shrines found on the shores of the lake. Shepherds-nomads bring their cattle to the lake in the summer and live here in yurts with their families.

This day we will spend on the lake. If you wish you may get acquainted with local shepherds and find out unique stories of the families, ask how they live and get more information about their traditions. You may walk in the suburbs and see petroglyphs (ancient stone inscriptions). You may ride on horseback and see how the local food is cooked. Lunch, dinner and overnight in the yurt.

Son-Kul – Chon-Kemin (250 km / 4,5 h). Today we will go to the beautiful national natural park Chon-Kemin. On the way, we will stop in the village of Kochkorka and visit a small factory for the manufacture of felt products.

Chon-Kemin is a unique natural complex located relatively close to large settlements and at the same time preserving intact natural landscapes from semi-deserts to snowfields and glaciers. You can enjoy the pristine nature of this wonderful place. Accommodation in a guest house.

Chon-Kemin – Bishkek (150 km / 2h). We will spend the first half of the day in Chon-Kemin. The valley is fabulously rich in forests: coniferous, formed by the relict spruce of the Tien Shan; mixed, where aspen, willow, birch are adjacent to the spruce; floodplain (or riverbed), where shrubs and deciduous trees dominate. Here you can take a short walk or horseback ride and just relax.

After lunch, we will leave for the capital of Kyrgyzstan - the city of Bishkek.

On the way, we will visit the historical and architectural complex “Burana Tower” (XI century) and stop by the Hawaii suburban leisure center. Here is a small zoo, lakes full of fish that you can feed, and here you can ride a catamaran and watch the peacefully swimming white swans. Return to Bishkek in the evening. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Departure. This morning the car will take you to the airport for your flight home. End of the program