Almaty
Bishkek
TOUR OVERVIEW
Beginning in Kazakhstan's cosmopolitan largest city of Almaty, and ending in Kyrgyzstan's rapidly changing capital of Bishkek, this tour is designed to show you all the best that these two countries have to offer. Although there's only 230km between them, we reckon it's a lot more fun to take the scenic route! And we've got a lot to show you on the way.
There are loads of beautiful lakes and mountains, canyons, yurts and horses. There will be eagle hunting and kok boru, hiking, swimming and plenty of bonfires under starlight. But of course as always, there's a SAIGA spin on things! We'll also visit things like an abandoned Soviet campground, an old heavy water factory, a uranium mine, some old Soviet radio towers, and an extremely remote meteorology station.
If you'd like to see some more of Central Asia while you're here, check out our Central Asia Mega Tour which covers Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and more of Kazakhstan.
If you like the look of this tour but the dates don't work for you, or you'd like to do part of the tour, please get in touch and let us know. All our tours are able to be split into smaller sections, we're always scheduling new tours and your dates might work for one of them, or we can always organise an independent tour.
INCLUSIONS:
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Accommodation in twin share at roughly 3 star hotels/guesthouses, breakfast included |
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Where itinerary mentions yurt or homestay accomodation, single supplement and twin share may be affected |
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Transport as per itinerary |
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Entrance fees to most sites (as per itinerary) |
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SAIGA guide and local guides |
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $450
EXCLUSIONS:
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Visa fees if necessary |
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Visa support if necessary |
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Some activities, eg. treatments at sanatorium (as per itinerary) |
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Meals other than breakfast |
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Transport to and from the start and end of tour |
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Personal expenses such as souvenirs or any optional activities |
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PCR Tests and any other COVID related expenses |
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TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Explore abandoned Soviet Buildings surrounding Issyk Kol
Be amazed at the tree lined streets of cosmopolitan Bishkek
Participate in a local match of 'Dead goat Polo' or just sit back and watch
Go horseback riding along the shores of Song Kol
Itinerary
Day 1Mon Aug 21
Almaty
- Today weāll drive to a few of the destinations not within walking distance.
- We'll pass Old Square and Republic Square, the two places where the Kazakh Parliament used to take place before moving to Astana in 1997. These are also where we recently saw fatal riots in January 2022, along with the images of the destroyed city hall and presidential residence.
- Weāll show you Medeo, the highest ice-skating rink in the world.
- Driving out to the suburbs of Almaty, we'll make a stop that isn't on other tour itineraries, and in fact most people in Almaty aren't even aware of this gem of Soviet history. Hidden in amongst medium density housing, there's a park which is now home to all the unwanted Soviet statues that were moved from their original places throughout the city and dumped unceremoniously here. Our favourite is the giant Lenin which used to be in Old Square, removed from his plinth and just standing flat on the ground with no sign or plaque to be seen.
- Back in the city centre, weāll take a ride on the Almaty metro. One of only two metros in Central Asia (the other being in Tashkent), it has just nine stations, so is largely useless to most people. However, like many metros in the former Soviet world, the stations themselves are ornately decorated, sparkling clean, and well worth a look at.
Day 2Tue Aug 22
Almaty, Charyn Canyon, Saty
- Bidding farewell to the amazingly chic and cosmopolitan city of Almaty, weāll make our first stop at one of the Soviet Union's main radio posts. Radio Centre Number 7 is located near the village of Shelek and was only decommissioned in the 90s. These huge radio towers were designed to block incoming radio signals from China and south from India and Afghanistan, while also sending Soviet radio across the globe.
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After lunch, weāll head to Charyn Canyon. Created by the Charyn River, this impressive natural monument
has gained colorful formations of
varying shapes and sizes. The Valley of Castles is probably the most famous sight in Charyn Canyon, with rock deposits resembling towers thought to be created by giants. The Valley of Castles is over 2 km in length, and its width reaches from 20 to 80 m in some places.
- After a long day of sightseeing weāll head to Saty Village, where weāll stay at a local homestay. Saty is the main town in the area that accommodates local tourists who come here to enjoy the region's pristine nature and awesome adventure tourism options.
Day 3Wed Aug 23
Saty, Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes, Karakol
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The Kolsai Lake National Park is famous for its immense beauty
and of course its lakes. The main sight is Kaindy Lake. Kaindy Lake, despite looking prehistoric, was only created by an earthquake in 1911, thus why there are still hundreds of tree trunks sticking out of the water, where it once was a forest.
- We'll cross the border into Kyrgyzstan at the Karakara border, which is only open from May until October due to it being located on a mountain pass. Unlike the main crossings this is a little more off the beaten track.
- After dealing with border formalities, weāll make out way to Karakol where weāll check in to our accommodation and try some local Dungan food for dinner.
Day 4Thu Aug 24
Karakol, Jeti ĆgĆ¼z Health Spa
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This morning we'll explore Karakol,
at the very eastern point of Issyk Kol
. A small town with a big reputation, Karakol has a couple of pretty cool things to see, includ
ing the Dungan Mosque, unexpectedly shaped like a Chinese pagoda, and the Russian Orthodox
Church. Continuing around the lake, today weāll visit Karakol.
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We'll visit the museum of N.M.Prjevalskii, a renowned Russian explorer of the 1800s.
- Weāll stop for lunch and have traditional Dungan food before heading on to a SAIGA favourite ā the Jeti ĆgĆ¼z Health Spa, a Soviet sanitorium which is very tired and dated (as youād expect a Soviet health spa to be!) but still functioning. Youāll have a chance to explore the grounds and buildings, get a massage, see all the weird treatments available and generally take a step back in time. Depending on who we find, we might be able to get radon baths, electric shock therapy, pulsating circulation treatment as well as mud baths, acupuncture and who knows what else!
- For anyone who loves the weird and wonderful, this creepy little adventure will be right up your alley!
- We'll then head into the town of JetiĀ ĆgĆ¼z to spend the night.
Day 5Fri Aug 25
Valley of the Flowers, Jetty ĆgĆ¼z Gorge, Kyzyl Suu Meteorology Station
- After breakfast, we say goodbye to the sanitorium and the babushkas weāve no doubt made friends with and head along the south shore of Issyk Kol. Youāll have already realised how huge the lake is, but now youāll start appreciating how different the two sides of it are. To the north the land is much flatter and more like farmland, the mountains very close to the shore. In the south though, it's all canyons, gorges and waterfalls. It's much more rugged, yet the mountains are much further away.
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Today youāll get to see some of Kyrgyzstanās natural beauty, with stops at Kƶk-Zhaik, which means āValley of Flowersā, and Jeti ĆgĆ¼z, which translates directly into English as āSeven Bullsā Gorge.
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After lunch weāll switch vehicles from our minibus into a huge Soviet 4x4 bus to take us up the river to our overnight destination ā a mountain hut at Kyzyl Suu. The drive in this vehicle is another SAIGA favourite, bouncing around in the huge all-terrain vehicle, winding our way up a rocky dried riverbed, and the hair-raising moment when we cross a fast-flowing river. Then weāll arrive at our home for the night, which has literally made people cry because of the untouched beauty.
- We'll be staying in the mountain hut of the family who lives here and looks after the nearby Soviet Meteorology Station and the Institute of Glaciers Foundation. Once weāve settled in theyāll take us for a little tour around the two setups. Itās fascinating seeing the old Soviet ways of measuring everything, compared to the high-tech modern ways of measuring the same things.
- After dinner weāll no doubt have a bonfire and just relax, taking it all in.
Day 6Sat Aug 26
Kyzyl Suu, Barskoon, Issyk Kol Yurt Camp
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Beginning our descent back down the mountains, stop and have a dip at a small natural hot spring, right on the edge of the glacial river, before leaving the mountains and getting back to to Issyk Kol.
- Stop at the town of Barskoon to see the monument to Yuri Gagarin, carved into a huge rock.
- Next weāll visit Aalam Ordo. Building was started in 2009, and it was supposed to be a large centre of knowledge, culture and spirituality, but was never completed. Now it lies abandoned and half finished, but the ornate high wall catches everybodyās eye as they drive past.
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Arriving at our yurt camp right on the shores of Lake Issyk Kol, weāll get our yurts and make ourselves at home, taking in our surrounds at the edge of Issyk Kol, the second largest saline lake in the world (based on volume, actually itās only fifth biggest based on surface area!).
- Heard of glamping? Well this is glurting, with each yurt decked out like a hotel room, with power outlets, lights, and real mattresses.
- Take a walk to the nearby abandoned Soviet campground. Weāve made friends with the local security guard, so weāll be able to explore the dorms, industrial kitchens, shower block, theatre, and whatever else you can find. A keen urban explorer can easily spend hours here.
- Weāll have a home-cooked meal inside a huge yurt, and spend the rest of the evening relaxing.
Day 7Sun Aug 27
Issyk Kol, Kochkor, Song Kol
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Just 100m from our yurt camp, we'll have the opportunity to visit a fascinating old Soviet heavy water factory. Opened in 1955, needless to say, the experiment was a disaster from the beginning. Enduring almost 30 years of issues and failures though, Manufacturing Workshop Number 7 wasn't closed until 1982. Now it lies abandoned as a relic of one of the USSR's many failed projects.
- Begin the four-hour drive to Song Kol, stopping in the town of Kochkor where we'll visit the market, take a short walk through the streets, and have lunch in a local familyās home.
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After the epic drive, weāll arrive at Song Kol. Set high in the mountains, the lake itself is in the middle of a fertile plateau, dotted with horses, sheep and yurts. Tonight's yurt is a bit more authentic than at Beltam, but still very
comfortable. Even though itās summer and weāll have been hot down in Bishkek and Issyk Kol, weāll now be very glad to have stoves on in each yurt for warmth.
- Depending on how early we arrive, you'll have the opportunity to go horse riding, or just take a walk around the area or if youāre really brave, a dip in the lake. Either way itāll be a relaxing and peaceful evening under the stars.
- Dinner will be in the main yurt at our camp, cooked by the family weāre staying with.
Day 8Mon Aug 28
Song Kol, Burana Tower, Bishkek
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Leaving Song Kol, our first stop will be at Burana Tower, which was once
the minaret of a mosque in Balassagyn city, and you can climb to the top of it for some great views over the nearby landscape.
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Next up is a real local treat ā a game of Kok Boru, which is played on horseback, and the aim is to get a newly decapitated goat into the other team's goal. They'll also demonstrate other horseback sports such as shirtless wrestling.
- If you're game you can even have a go yourself, whether it's just seeing if you can pick up the dead goat (not as easy as they make it look!), or getting on a horse and actually trying to play.
- After lunch we'll stop in the town of Tokmok, a stereotypical Soviet town and home of the former air force training base. To honour the townās past, thereās a MiG-23 mounted as a memorial.
- Arriving in Bishkek in the evening, you'll probably be pretty happy to have some non-Central Asian food, and make the most of the night-life. We could have Japanese, Korean, burgers, pub food, Chinese, pizza, whatever we like.
Day 9Tue Aug 29
Bishkek
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We'll spend our last day doing a walking tour of Bishkek, a quintessential
Soviet city with an amazing mix of Stalinist and Brezhnev era architecture. The wide boulevards and Brutalist apartment blocks, in stark contrast to the snow-capped mountain backdrop.
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Weāll start with the Frunze Museum, dedicated to Mikhail Frunze, whom the city of Bishkek used to be named after (and why the airport code is still FRU!).
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Making our way past Victory Square, the circus and Tsum, we'll visit the Lenin Statue and Ala Too Square, home to the National Museum of Kyrgyzstan and a large Kyrgyz flag. Although this flag isn't quite as famous as their world-record holding neighbours, Tajikistan and Turkmenista
n, it is still impressive and every hour, on the hour, there's a changing of the guards.
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We'll continue on to Osh Bazaar, passing the White House on the way, and weāll finish off the day learning about some of the weird and wonderful produce and delicacies youāll find in the market.
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For our last night together in Central Asia, weāll get back to some local Kyrgyz food for dinner, and afterwards can go out and experience some of Bishkek's rapidly gentrifying nightlife, maybe at Save the Ales or some of the many other cool ever-emerging options.