Kyrgyzstan the scale of Lake Issyk-Kul. Selecting a travel date and vacation destination. July - high season

Issyk-Kul is a lake in eastern Kyrgyzstan in the northern part of the Tien Shan Mountains. It is the tenth largest lake in the world by volume (but not surface area) and the second largest among salt lakes after the Caspian Sea. Translated from Kyrgyz, Issyk-Kul means “warm lake”, despite the fact that it is surrounded on all sides by snowy peaks, the lake never freezes.

The lake is 182 km long and about 60 km wide. This is the second largest mountain lake in the world. It is located at an altitude of 1607 meters and reaches a depth of 668 meters. 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake, but not a single one flows out. There is a hypothesis that the waters of the lake have an underground outlet into the Chu River.
The salinity of the water in the lake is low - only 0.6% (for comparison, ordinary sea water has 3.5% salt). The water level decreases by 5 centimeters annually. The climate in the lake area is mild, not as hot as in other regions of Kyrgyzstan.

The best period for a beach holiday is July and August, the air temperature at this time is about 25 degrees, the water temperature is 22-23 degrees.

How to get there

The shortest way to Issyk-Kul is a flight to Bishkek airport. Minibus taxis depart from the Eastern Station and the journey takes about 4 hours. A taxi will cost about 60 dollars.

Calendar of low prices for flights to Bishkek:

Order a private transfer from the airport HERE

A longer option is a flight to Almaty (Kazakhstan). At one time I used exactly this path, because... I also wanted to visit Medeo. In addition, the flight to Almaty was cheaper. Buses from Almaty to Issyk-Kul depart late in the evening, the journey takes about 8-9 hours, i.e. the road lasts all night. It should be taken into account that a holiday in Issyk-Kul for residents of Kazakhstan is an economy class holiday, so the buses were crowded with tourists, mainly young people.

The bus was very noisy, so it was difficult to sleep. In addition, it was necessary to go out at night to cross the border.

The border is formal, a Russian passport is enough, but do not forget to take out medical insurance just in case.

Where to stay

The most populated is the northern part of the Issyk-Kul coast. The southern part, although no less picturesque, was once subject to mercury contamination and is the site of gold mining by a foreign firm. Although it is believed that the ecology of the region has already been fully restored, this part of the coast has developed more slowly, and the main tourist settlements are located on the northern part of the lake.
The main settlements are Cholpon-Ata and Bosteri, and there are also numerous villages along the lake. Another large city in Issyk-Kul is Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk), it is located on the east coast of the lake.

There is a ski resort there.

In the area of ​​Lake Issyk-Kul there are sanatoriums and boarding houses. The most famous are sanatoriums "Blue Issyk-Kul", "Cholpon-Ata" and "Kyrgyz seaside" in Bosteri.

They have a developed infrastructure and offer a wide range of services, located right on the lake. It is recommended to buy vouchers in advance.

You can book your accommodation in Issyk-Kul HERE.

While still on the bus, at the entrance to Issyk-Kul, real estate rental agents began to sit down with us and offer various accommodation options. We agreed with one of the agents that he would show us several options in Bosteri. We transferred to a passenger car and soon chose a nice room in a private mini-hotel a 5-minute walk from the lake. Accommodation prices are cheaper than in similar private hotels on the Black Sea coast.
You can rent a room in the private sector even cheaper. As a rule, the private sector is located further from the coast, but its advantage is home-cooked food from the owners and the opportunity to use the kitchen.

Search hotels in Cholpon-Ata:

Excursions around Issyk-Kul

The main reason why you should make such a long journey to Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan is, of course, excursions. There's a lot to see here.

Excursions can be purchased at boarding houses in localities.
We took excursions to Karakol, a two-day tour around Issyk-Kul in an SUV with an overnight stay in yurts, and a trip to the famous Bishkek Dordoi market.

Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk)

Karakol is the fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan. It contains attractions of interest to tourists:

Russian Orthodox Cathedral

The cathedral was originally built of stone in 1872, when Karakol was a garrison city on the border of the Tsarist Empire. It was destroyed in 1890 by an earthquake, and the current cathedral was built of wood on a brick foundation. Construction lasted 6 years and was completed in 1895. After the 1917 revolution, the building was used as an educational center, gym, theater, dance hall and even a coal warehouse. Then, in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and Kyrgyzstan declared independent, the building was again transferred to the Orthodox diocese.

Dungan mosque

The Issyk-Kul central mosque of the city of Karakol was built according to the design of the Beijing architect Chu Seu in the traditional Chinese style. Construction of the mosque began in 1904 and ended in 1910. The mosque was built without a single nail and is a monument of wooden architecture. In the period from 1929 to 1947, the mosque building was used as a warehouse; in 1947 it was transferred to the Muslim community. Currently the mosque is open to visitors.

Przhevalsky Museum

Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky is one of the first Russian geographers who began to study the geography, flora and fauna of the countries of Central Asia. Beginning in 1870, he organized 4 major expeditions to Mongolia, China and Tibet. He discovered and described more than 200 plant species. He also collected a gigantic zoological collection. He died in 1988 from typhus and was buried on the shores of Issyk-Kul near the city of Karakol. The Przhevalsky Museum opened in 1957 not far from the scientist’s grave.

Salt lake Issyk-Kul/

Salt Lake is located at the southern tip of Issyk-Kul. It has a unique microclimate. Presumably, it was previously part of Issyk-Kul, but then separated from the main lake, and the concentration of salts increased due to evaporation.

The chemical composition of the lake is close to the composition of water in the Dead Sea.

The lake is small in size, but it is difficult to swim across it, because... Due to the high salinity, it is impossible to swim there. Here, like in the Dead Sea, you can read a newspaper while lying on the water. The shores are covered with dark mud, considered medicinal. Around the lake there are picturesque canyons where you can take pictures.

Gorge of the Seven Bulls (Jety-Oguz)/

Picturesque red rocks on the eastern coast of Issyk-Kul. If you go further, you can see the beautiful Maiden's Tears waterfall. In the gorge they offer horse riding, tea drinking in a yurt, and kumiss.

It is impossible to talk about all the sights of Issyk-Kul in one article. Follow the updates on the website. And if you are planning a trip to Kyrgyzstan, write questions in the comments, I will try to answer them.

The purpose of our small study will be (Kyrgyzstan). Holidays in these places have not yet been sufficiently explored by tourists from distant foreign countries, but they are very well developed by Russians, Kazakhs and, naturally, Kyrgyz. To begin with, let's give a few numbers: this water area is the largest alpine in the world. It is second in size only to the Caspian Sea, and in terms of water transparency - only to Baikal. Issyk-Kul rests at an altitude of 1609 meters. It is 180 kilometers long and 70 kilometers wide. The size is sufficient to be visible from space. Astronauts claim that from there the lake looks like a blue human eye. And one more feature: even in the harshest winters, the water in Issyk-Kul does not freeze. That is why the Kyrgyz name of this miracle of nature is translated as “hot lake”. The average depth of this reservoir is 300 meters, and the maximum is 668 m. The salinity of the water is 5.9 ppm.

Where is Lake Issyk-Kul located?

The lake surface of Issyk-Kul extends in a very picturesque place. Tourists claim that they did not even expect such unearthly beauty. The mirror surface among snowfields and glaciers, surrounded by mountain peaks, changes its color from soft azure to dark blue depending on the lighting. The Russian traveler Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, the first European to visit Issyk-Kul, wrote that it outshines Lake Geneva with its beauty. The same association with the Alps arose among the explorer of Central Asia, Przhevalsky. He wrote about Issyk-Kul that the local beauty is similar to Switzerland, only much better. For a long time, none of the Europeans (except for the two mentioned travelers) came to these places. The road was too long and difficult. After all, the largest lake in Central Asia is located in the very heart of the Tien Shan, between the Terskey Ala-Toi and Kungei Ala-Too ridges.

How to get to Issyk-Kul

To get to the intermountain basin, you need to overcome the famous and inaccessible Boom Gorge. The route from Bishkek is not short. If you study old reviews, you get the impression that the main adversity and problem of travelers is the road. However, the reward for the difficulties endured will be a wonderful view of Lake Issyk-Kul, photos of which are immediately taken by exhausted tourists. But now most of the problems are a thing of the past. There are two airports in the intermountain valley. If you are flying from abroad, the Tamchy international hub can accommodate you. In 2003, it was converted from a military air base to the needs of civil aviation. On the northern shore of the lake there is the resort town of Cholpon-Ata. There is also an airport nearby, but it only accepts domestic flights.

Climatic characteristics

Lake Issyk-Kul rests in a deep intermountain valley, so its own microclimate has formed around it, which meteorologists call subtropical temperate-marine. This means that the winters here are mild, and the summers are not at all hot. Reviews from tourists claim that acclimatization is not required here. The coldest months of the year are January and February. The air at this time is cooled to a temperature of - 5 to + 5 degrees. Spring begins from the end of March, and summer - from mid-May. Until the end of September, mild, warm weather with minimal precipitation persists. In the hottest month - July - the mountain air warms up to 16-17°, although there are also indicators of 32-33°. Tourists do not complain about the vagaries of the weather, because, according to meteorologists, it is sunny in the valley about 300 days a year. Even in the heat, the lake is not stuffy - the altitude affects it. In summer the water warms up to +18-20°, which is quite suitable for swimming.

When to come

Thanks to such climatic characteristics, Lake Issyk-Kul, the reviews of which speak for themselves, is ready to receive guests all year round. However, the peak season still falls on two months - July and August. “The Pearl of Kyrgyzstan” (as residents of the country call their lake) also attracts winter tourists. Near the city of Karakol there is a ski resort of the same name. For winter holidays, tourist reviews advise choosing only resorts on the northern coast, since the south is aimed at beachgoers. For trekking, it is best to come in the fall - it is dry, warm and windless. However, it should be taken into account that fine days give way to very cold nights, so you need to take care of the appropriate equipment. Regarding summer holidays, you need to know that the lion's share of camp sites, sanatoriums and hotels are concentrated in the area of ​​the northern coast. And the southern tip is chosen by lovers of romance, bonfires and tents.

Where to stay

Like Crimea, Lake Issyk-Kul is covered with a network of resorts. Among them, Cholpon-Ata stands out - a kind of Yalta of the local Riviera. There are rest homes here. Reviews from tourists recommend choosing the private sector for accommodation, or even better - small mini-hotels. A lot of them have appeared recently. They have only 4-10 rooms, the atmosphere in them is the most welcoming, family-like, and sometimes you can negotiate with the owners about home-cooked meals. There are especially many such services in the village of Tamchi. Most tourists who come here for radon baths prefer to stay in private mini-hotels.

Active tourism on Lake Issyk-Kul

Statistics say that approximately a million people vacation in these areas every year. The tourists themselves say that the lion's share of these people are Kyrgyz, Kazakhs and citizens of the Russian Federation. There are only 35 thousand vacationers from foreign countries, but their number is growing from year to year, thanks to the developing infrastructure and services. Yes, it still leaves much to be desired, and comparison with Switzerland concerns only the beauty of nature, but not the service. However, here you can have a good rest, and most importantly, improve your health. Moreover, prices here are significantly lower than in Switzerland. Trekking enthusiasts will find marked routes along Kungei Ala-Tau and Teskey Ala-Too. Tourists leave positive memories of hikes in the Semenovka and Grigorievka valleys to the north, as well as Barskoon to the south. And how beautiful are the mountains ringing the place where Lake Issyk-Kul spreads its expanses! Reviews also strongly recommend visiting the city of Karakol. In addition to the picturesque valley, there is a museum and Przhevalsky’s grave.

Lake Issyk-Kul: relaxing on the beach

The most popular resorts - Tamchi, Chon-Sary-Oy, Sary-Oy, Bosteri, Cholpon-Ata - are located on the northern coast. Young people like to relax there and find a lot of entertainment here, including water ones. Lovers of “intimate relaxation” prefer resorts in the south - Tamga and Kadzhi-Sai. More than half of the six-hundred-kilometer beach area is made up of leveled or embanked shores with small or medium pebbles. Boulders, rocks and stones are very rare. But there are also 120 kilometers of natural sand beaches. Reviews mention paid services. An umbrella and a sunbed cost one hundred soms per day. And entrance to the beach, if you are vacationing as a “savage,” may not be free. Comments from tourists reveal a little trick: in Cholpon-Ata (next to the Rukh-Ordo city park) there is a free sandy beach, and even with healing mud.

Recovery in Issyk-Kul

The drainless lake has not only a valuable sulfate-chloride-sodium composition of water, but also deposits of medicinal mud. Just 200 meters from Issyk-Kul there is an analogue of the Israeli super-salty “sea”. Local resorts effectively treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems, skin and endocrine ailments, and lesions of the musculoskeletal system. Since the times of the Soviet Union, many health resorts have glorified Lake Issyk-Kul. Sanatoriums that practice mud, galvanic and radon baths are mainly located on the northern shore. These are “Dordoi Ak-Zhol” in Koshkol, “Solnyshko” and “Vityaz” in Chok-Tal, and the “Altyn-Kum” boarding house in Chon-Sary-Oy. There are children's health resorts and camps in the village of Sary-Oy.

Fishing

About 80 rivers and streams flow into Lake Issyk-Kul, but none of them carries water from this drainless water area. As a result, all minerals and salts accumulate in depth. The water is unsuitable for drinking by humans and animals, but it is surprisingly clean and transparent. On clear days, a keen eye can see from the side of the boat the ruins of an ancient civilization resting at the bottom. According to research by an archaeological expedition that worked here in 2006, it existed two and a half thousand years ago. The purity of the water and its mineralization created excellent conditions for certain types of fish. There are a dozen endemic varieties found here: chebak, marinka, osman and others. In the past, you could enjoy very tasty chebach fish. But recently, such voracious predators as rainbow, Sevan and Amudarya trout have acclimatized in the lake. Therefore, the chebak is a rather rare catch now.

Lake Issyk Kul is the second most popular large lake in the territory of the former USSR. Recreation in the region of the reservoir is currently developed mainly by the Kyrgyz and residents of neighboring countries. Many tourists from distant foreign countries have not even heard of Issyk Kul. But every year, its popularity increases. Kyrgyz, as it is often called, is a good place for a summer holiday.

Lake Issyk Kul: description, photo, video

The water area of ​​Lake Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan is the most impressive among all high-mountain saltwater lakes. It is slightly smaller in size, but in terms of water transparency it can be compared with. The reservoir is located at a height of one and a half kilometers. The length of the lake is 180 kilometers, and its maximum width reaches 70. These dimensions are enough for it to be visible from space.

Lake Issyk Kul

According to the astronauts, the pond looks like a large blue human eye. The peculiarity of the lake is the fact that even in winter it does not freeze. Actually, this nuance contributed to the appearance of the name Issyk Kul. Translated from Kyrgyz, it means “hot lake”. The maximum depth of the lake is 668 meters, and the average is 300. The amount of salt is about 6 ppm.

The reservoir is located in a picturesque area with unearthly beauty. It is hidden among mirror-like glacial surfaces and surrounded by majestic mountain peaks. Depending on how the light falls, the lake can shimmer in dark blue and soft azure shades. The first European traveler to visit these places was Semenov-Tyan-Shansky. He compared Issyk-Kul to Lake Geneva. Przhevalsky also liked it here. If you look at Lake Issyk-Kul at least in a photo, then all questions about its impeccable beauty will immediately disappear.

Panorama of Lake Issyk Kul

Today, there are about a dozen resort settlements located on the southern and northern coasts of the reservoir. The city of Balykchy is very popular. People call it the gateway to the lake. The city has good transport accessibility and a significant number of family boarding houses and hotels. The most popular resort is Cholpon-Ata.

Where is Lake Issyk Kul located?

Lake Issyk Kul is located entirely on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, which borders Uzbekistan, China, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

It stretches between two mountain ranges:

• Kungey Ala-Too;
• Terskey Ala-Too.

Both are part of the Northern Tien Shan. Many travelers, including some Russians, consider this lake to be Russian. This incident is connected with the USSR, which included both Russia and Kyrgyzstan. Therefore, even after a breakup, such associations arise. The lake is part of the biosphere reserve of the same name. It was founded in 1948, and in 1991 it was included in the UNESCO Foundation. The reserve covers a 2-kilometer coastline and the entire water area of ​​the reservoir.

Coordinates of Lake Issyk Kul on the map:

• Latitude – 42°44′44′′
• Longitude – 77°28′33′′

How to get to Lake Issyk Kul

The most convenient way to get to the lake is from Bishkek. There is a railway station in the Kyrgyz capital, and Manas Airport is located 20 kilometers from the city. It receives flights from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Novosibirsk and other cities. More than 10 planes from various companies fly here every day. Direct flights from the Russian capital take about 4.5 hours.

Muscovites also have the opportunity to get to Bishkek by direct train. He travels several times a week. The train departs from the Kazansky railway station. Travel time is about 3 days. You can only get there by bus with transfers, but this is irrational and very long.

Lake Issyk Kul – how to get from the airport:

• Bus number 153 runs from the airport to Bishkek, as well as minibuses;
• Minibuses and buses travel from the Western Bus Station to resort towns on the coast;
• traffic starts at 7 am, the average ticket price is 300 rubles, the journey takes approximately 4 hours.

When is the best time to visit Lake Issyk Kul?

The reservoir is located in a mountain valley, so there is a favorable microclimate around it. Meteorologists classify it as subtropical temperate marine. Winters in the region are mild and summers are not too hot. So, according to travelers’ reviews, acclimatization is not needed on Lake Issyk Kul. The coolest months are January and February. The air temperature at this time ranges from minus 5 to plus 5. Spring comes into its own almost in April, and summer begins at the end of May.

Lake Issyk Kul vacation Kyrgyzstan

Warm weather in the region lasts until early October. The hottest month is July. At this time, the average air temperature is within 17 degrees, and the maximum can reach 33 degrees. On Lake Issyk Kul, sunny weather persists for almost 300 days a year. Actually, that’s why local resorts are ready to welcome tourists all year round. The peak season is between July and August. In winter, it is best to go to Karakol with a ski resort.

Peculiarities

On Lake Issyk Kul, tourist accommodation is scattered along the entire coastline. However, the largest number of hotels and other accommodation options are concentrated on the north side. Health tourism is very popular in the region. Sanatoriums offer their guests medical treatments, food and accommodation. The price range is quite large. A double room will cost from 3 to 10 thousand rubles per day.

Tourists who come for a regular holiday are offered apartments of various categories. So, a room in a small hotel in Cholpon-Aty will cost 1-2 thousand rubles. The price usually includes breakfast. Rooms in 2 and 3 star hotels are estimated at 4-5 thousand rubles. You can also rent a house for a whole group. The price of the issue is from 6 to 40 thousand rubles.

The reservoir is great for diving. Diving for beginners will cost 2-3 thousand rubles. The price includes filming, equipment rental and guide services. It is much more profitable to purchase things and souvenirs at the Dordoi market in the capital, and not on the lake itself. When walking in forest areas, it is not recommended to pick mushrooms; eat unknown plants and berries. It is also advisable not to buy alcohol in small shops and markets. There is a possibility of purchasing counterfeit goods.

What to see in the area

Not far from Lake Issyk Kul there is the famous Stone Garden. Good views of the pond and mountains are seen from the Ferris wheel. It is located in Cholpon-Ata. The height of the wheel is 70 meters. There is also a water park and other attractions. Extreme lovers can go surfing, go cave hiking or parachute.

The Great Silk Road ran through this area. The ruins of buildings from those times have survived to this day. Around the lake there are alpine meadows with ancient glaciers and chapels reminiscent of and belonging to different religions. Nature lovers can head to the hippodrome. Here anyone can ride horses raised at a local stud farm.

The remains of ancient sites and cities are scattered at the bottom of the reservoir. In the south of the lake there is a wild coastline, next to which there are beautiful waterfalls, no less beautiful than. Yuri Gagarin loved these places. One gorge is even named in his honor. In Tang-Tash you can see Tibetan shrines, which, according to legend, bring strength and good luck to their visitors. Horseback riding tours with catering and accommodation in tent camps are offered in the surrounding area.

Lake Issyk Kul– this is not yet a well-trodden tourist route. However, in terms of the number of attractions, it is ready to give odds to many famous resorts. There is everything you need for a holiday. Clean mountain air, warm lake waters, historical and natural monuments.

Mountain lake Issyk-Kul is the largest in Kyrgyzstan. And there are not so many comparable water bodies in the world. The area of ​​its mirror is 6236 square kilometers, and the length of the coastline is 688 kilometers. So even from space it is clearly visible.

However, it is not just a large body of water, it is large in three dimensions. Average - 278 meters. And the greatest distance from the surface to the bottom is 702 meters. And this despite the fact that over the past two centuries the water level in it has regularly decreased.

Due to the great depths, the water here cannot cool down properly, so it never freezes. This has been noticed for a long time. If you translate the name of the reservoir from Kyrgyz, you get “Hot Lake”.

Despite the fact that statistical data on depths look very convincing, in reality, the entrance to the water from the shore along the entire perimeter remains level and smooth for quite a long time. For great depth you need to go to the center. And there you can already feel all this thickness of water on yourself.

Scuba diving to the depths

Despite the misconception of many people that diving cannot be done in Kyrgyzstan, it turns out that Issyk-Kul is quite suitable for scuba diving. Of course, you won’t find the bright colors of the Red or Caribbean Seas here. There are no corals or colorful fish in the lake. And in general there is little vegetation on the sandy bottom with frequent inclusions of rocks. Visibility, depending on weather conditions and the square of the dive, varies between 8-12 meters. At a depth of 20 meters, visibility deteriorates sharply and the water temperature drops. This is due to the muddy bottom with a huge number of springs.

But even at a not very great depth from the surface of the water, you can find interesting objects for study. For example, a sunken trout farm. This metal structure is very reminiscent of a ship with its contours. The maximum depth will be 15 meters. At the same time, you can easily encounter rocks with carrion and not very large algae. Schools of fish may also catch your eye.

When diving in Issyk-Kul, it is important to decide in advance on the place and format. Otherwise, there are many places here that even technodivers prefer to avoid. Three hundred meters of depth is not a joke. But there are also seven hundred. Because of this, it is better to choose a safer area in the north.

Treasure hunting klondike

Yes, Issyk-Kul cannot compete with the Caribbean Sea in terms of the brightness of underwater life, but it may well do so in terms of the number of sunken treasures. Locals talk about a merchant’s train from the Great Silk Road that accidentally tipped into a pond, about White Guard capital specially hidden at the bottom, and even about the fact that the ruins of an ancient city are hidden under the water. Legends do not grow in a vacuum.

So, from time to time, lucky divers pull out all sorts of interesting things from the depths. So it can be seen that there are certainly reasons to survey the lake bottom.

There are several explored places where settlements were founded. They were on the shore of the lake. But when it overflowed its banks, all the houses were under water. And now ceramic fragments, primitive grain grinders, human and livestock bones are found at the bottom. Occasionally you come across jewelry made of bronze, silver and gold. Quite a tempting prospect. These places have not yet been studied enough. Despite the fact that underwater archaeological expeditions are held there every year. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will be able to take the find with you. They are submitted for study.

Balykchy- the closest city to Bishkek on Lake Issyk-Kul (186 km). If you just want to look at the lake one day and return to the capital, you will have time to visit Balykchy. For a beach holiday, it is better to go further to Cholpon Ata or to the southern coast.

Cholpon Ata = civil beach holiday. Cholpon Ata is the main resort town in northern bank of Issyk-Kul. Go in the summer to swim in the lake and relax by the water.

Tourist infrastructure: hotels, guest houses, cafes are located in Cholpon Ata and neighboring villages from the village Tamchi to Korumdu.

There is sand and stones at the bottom, the water is clean. To the east of the village of Korumdu, the “black” side of the lake begins: there is clay at the bottom, the water is not clear.

From Cholpon Ata it is convenient to visit the Grigorievskoye and Semenovskoye gorges, thermal springs, petroglyphs, and the Rukh Ordo cultural center.

South coast = wild beach holiday. The south of Lake Issyk-Kul is considered more picturesque, but less developed in terms of tourism. The choice of comfortable accommodation and cafes is still modest.

Come in summer with tents or live in yurts. Yurt campsites are located next to the Skazka canyon near the towns of Bokonbaevo, Kadzhi-Sai, and Tosor.

Karakol = mountains. No beaches, but from December to March there is a ski resort 10 km from the city. Many people celebrate New Year in Karakol.

From May to October, people go on one-day treks and multi-day mountain hikes from Karakol.

By car, visit the Karakol and Jeti Oguz gorges (Rocks of the Seven Bulls), waterfalls, Altyn-Arashan gorge, Broken Heart, Skazka canyon.

Do I need to book in advance?

In the spring, in order not to complicate my life, I rented housing online based on reviews.

Around the lake there are hotels, sanatoriums, cottages and the private sector. In the summer, rooms are rented out in each house; you can choose on the spot if you have time.

Prices from 400-700 soms ( 6-10$ ) for a bed in a yurt/hostel up to 50-100$+ per day in hotels and cottages. Bed and breakfast rooms in guest houses 20-30$ .

Weather and season in Issyk Kul

The season in the mountains is from May to October, for climbing the peaks July-August, when all trails are accessible.

Swim in the lake: mid-June to August. During the day, air +21+28, water +20+22. In other months the water is icy and there is frequent rain.

In mid-April, only a dumb man did not tell me that the time was bad. +10+13, wet. We need it in the summer. I still believe that the time is always good if you fill your days with joy and don’t focus on the weather.

How to get to Issyk-Kul from Bishkek

Find transport from Bishkek to Lake Issyk-Kul at the Western Bus Station. You can get there by minibus or shared taxi.

Address: Bishkek, st. Chimkentskaya, 1
General taxi parking coordinates: 42.885137, 74.568090

Minibus

From Bishkek to Cholpon Ata 300 som(300 rub/4$), to Karakol 350 som (5$)

They depart when all seats are occupied. I waited for half an hour, returning from Karakol to Bishkek.

Just come to the station, go and see where the most passengers are gathered. Minibuses run from morning to evening.

Taxi

There are passenger cars (shared taxis) in front of the station; they leave when they are full. There are a lot of cars.

500-600 soms(500-600 RUR/9$) per person or 2000-2500 som($30-36) for the whole car.

On the way to Cholpon Ata 260 km, 4-4.5 hours, 405 km to Karakol, 5.5-6 hours. On the way, stop for lunch.

The Yandex taxi driver dropped me off at the shared taxi rank at 10.30 in the morning, and I immediately took the front seat in the Merc. 10 minutes later a family with a child arrived and we left.

Issyk-Kul in 4 days, route by car

Rent a car in Bishkek and go around the perimeter of the lake. Without a car it’s possible, you’ll just have to take a taxi or day trips to the mountains. Details below, but for now let’s imagine that you have a car.

Plan a trip around Lake Issyk-Kul for 4-5 days. It’s also possible in 2-3 days, it’s just tiring and you won’t have time to do much: the one-way trip from Bishkek takes half a day.

🐎 Logical route around Issyk-Kul on the map

The map can be enlarged and reduced. When you click on the icons, see photos of Issyk-Kul attractions.

Day 1. Bishkek-Cholpon Ata

▫ Departure from the center of Bishkek or from Manas airport at 8-9.00 am.

▫ Burana Tower- the oldest building in Central Asia (10-11th centuries). An important architectural monument with a sad legend. You can climb the minaret. Views of the steppe and mountains, an open-air museum. Located 80 km from Bishkek near the city of Tokmok.
9.00-17.00 seven days a week
GPS: 42.746634, 75.250376

▫ Dinner in a roadside cafe. Just look where there are a lot of cars. The food in the canteens along the highway is normal, the prices are low (200 rubles for the first, second, compote).

▫ Arrival at Cholpon-Ata or one of the villages, check-in to a hotel/guest house.

▫ Excursion to the cultural center " Rukh Ordo» named after Ch. Aitmatov.
9.00-17.00 seven days a week
Entrance 400 som (400 rub/6$)
GPS: 42.648172, 77.095115

Rukh Ordo is the spiritual center of Issyk-Kul. Sculptures of historical figures, paintings, photos and five chapels in honor of the main religions: Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, Orthodoxy.

There is also a memorial house of Chingiz Aitmatov and a wonderful view of Issyk-Kul. I was lucky to be completely alone in the complex. It’s rare to have such a sincere and romantic time alone with yourself.

▫ Visit Petroglyph Museum- rock paintings and inscriptions from the Neolithic era found around Lake Issyk-Kul and in the Chui Valley.
GPS: 42.661540, 77.057120

▫ Dinner at the restaurant " Lamb» or any other in Cholpon Ata.

▫ Swimming in hot springs Ak-Bermet open air
8.00-22.00 seven days a week
GPS: 42.627311, 77.044881

From Bishkek to Cholpon Ata 260 km, 4-4.5 hours. Plus 1 hour for a circle to the Burana tower. General mileage per day if you visit all the places described above: 290 km, 6+ hours driving and 3-4 hours stopping for photos and visiting museums.

Day 2. Cholpon Ata - gorge - Karakol

▫ Moving from Cholpon Ata to Karakol, 150 km, 3 hours

▫ Visit along the way Grigorievsky And Semenovsky Gorge, additionally 3-4 hours for a trip through both gorges.

The main advantage: these mountains are located only 40 km from Cholpon Ata behind the village of Grigoryevka. You can climb up the Grigorievsky Gorge and go down to the highway through Semenovskoye.

The road in the mountains is unpaved; from autumn to spring problems due to avalanches are possible. In the muddy rain, the car “drives”. Safer in an SUV.

Route through the gorges on the map:

▫ Check-in to a hotel/guest house/yurt in Karakol.

▫ Excursion around Karakol. The city was founded by Russian settlers in 1869. Here you can see the wooden Dungan mosque (built without a single nail), the Holy Trinity Cathedral, parks, and a market.

▫ Hot springs in the evening Ak-Suu 15 km from Karakol, GPS: 42.462262, 78.539709

▫ Ashlamfu in Karakol- signature dish, don't miss it. Contains noodles, starch, sauce.

Day 3. MOUNTAINS

▫ Trip to the ski resort and Karakol gorge
GPS: 42.303137, 78.485352

▫ Trip to the gorge Altyn-Arashan(“Golden Spring”), swimming in hot springs, overnight in a yurt Eco Yurt Camp Arashan.
GPS: 42.375820, 78.611852

You can go to the mountains on your own or contact Neofit (they organize excursions around the outskirts of Karakol).

Day 4. Karakol-Bishkek

▫ Return from Karakol to Bishkek along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, 410 km, 6h 30min.

▫ Along the way there is a gorge " Jeti-Oguz"("Seven Bulls"). You can stay overnight and hike to the waterfalls along the “Valley of Flowers”. Overnight at the Golden Yurt yurt camp at an altitude of 2200m. The camp runs from May 5 to October 15.
GPS: 42.33777, 78.2315

▫ Trek to the waterfall Barskoon,GPS: 42.011728, 77.607603

▫ Visit to a picturesque Canyon "Fairy Tale", GPS: 42.156936, 77.358927

▫ Cultural Center « Aalam Ordo» exactly opposite Rukh Ordo, only on the southern bank, GPS: 42.198147, 77.223847

This is the maximum program. The road along the south of the lake is worse than the north, but more picturesque. Minibuses going to Bishkek don’t like to travel on it.

If you don’t have a car, you need to negotiate with a shared taxi driver or hire a separate car to see the south.

Issyk-Kul on your own without a car

My route:

Day 1. Bishkek→Cholpon Ata

▫ 10.30 departure from the Western bus station of Bishkek by shared taxi, 600 som/person

▫ 15.00 arrived in Cholpon Ata, checked into a family room Issyk-Kul Svetlana (rating 9.7 ).

Lovely family, clean, delicious homemade breakfasts. From the window there is a view of the lake, there is a passage to the beach.

The center is 2 km away, the owner Victor took us to the bank and the Narodny supermarket and told us everything.

He himself organizes excursions and takes tourists around the surrounding area in a jeep (gorges, hot springs, petroglyphs). Alas, he was busy, but he found me a car for tomorrow for a trip to the Grigorievskoye Gorge.

▫ 15.30 Spent an hour in the Rukh Ordo complex (400 som)

▫ To the hot springs Ak-Bermet I didn’t go, although the owner offered to take me for 100 soms.

▫ 17.30 I was just asking passers-by where to eat in Cholpon-Ata. We recommended the restaurant "Lamb".

What will you eat? (they like the word “eat” here)
-Something simple without fat and meat.
-Take our signature salad.

OK. They bring 3 kg of warm veal, stewed with mushrooms and peppers. Such a light salad. I honestly have never seen so much meat anywhere. I also foolishly ordered trout fillet (350 g) and a liter of tea.

Gave 1000 soms (1000 rubles /15$ ) and stood up a little, although she didn’t even eat half of it. A shocking amount for dinner in Kyrgyzstan, but tasty and unusual.

Day 2. Grigorievskoe Gorge→Karakol

▫ 10.20. Departure from Cholpon Ata to the Grigorievskoye Gorge by taxi ( 1500 som/ 22$ per car). In summer they sell group excursions for 500 som.

Again in the summer, yurts are set up in the Grigorievsky Gorge and horses are brought. You can ride, sleep/eat/drink, take pictures with birds.

The whole excursion took 1h30min from the threshold of the guest house to the highway. During this time, they showed me a small stream of water - like a waterfall, and we simply drove along a dirt road in the mountains along the river.

But I met some yaks. They used to live high in the mountains (yak loves 3000m+), people hunted them. If I needed meat, I went and shot it. Now little yaks are walking with horsemen and their cows. Animals began to be tamed about 7 years ago. Domesticated and bred.

▫ 11.50 returned with the driver to the highway to Grigoryevka, waited for a passing minibus

▫ 12.30 minibus Grigoryevka-Karakol, 110 km, 2 hours, 120 soms

Clean and warm lakes for us!

Mila Demenkova