All breakfasts and seven dinners are included.

On days 2 and 5, the leader will assist in purchasing food for lunches. Lunches can be arranged at Son-Kul. On other days, there are places to eat lunch during the journeys.

Common dishes include shish-kebabs and plov (rice usually with mutton, onions, carrots, spices, raisins and peas). The kebabs can be from different meats, including lamb and beef, while plov is a rice-based dish.

Please note, vegetarian food choices are limited. If you are vegetarian or have any special dietary requirements, please notify us well in advance. In this region, the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring such specialised dietary items from home.

Drinking water is included and will be provided in large containers for you to refill your bottle from – please bring a reusable bottle with you.

Hike deep into Ala-Archa National Park, following pine-scented trails beneath the spruce forests of the Tian Shan. The route climbs to the Ak-Sai valley, where you hike to Ak-Sai Waterfall and feel the spray of glacial streams tumbling from high ridgelines.

Granite peaks and moraines carve a classic alpine scene, habitat for elusive snow leopard and golden eagle. With airy views at around 2,800m, this full-day walk reveals Kyrgyzstan’s dramatic mountain character in crisp, high-altitude light.

Visit Burana Tower, a striking Karakhanid minaret rising over the Chuy Valley, and explore the site’s museum complex. Wander among weathered balbals (Turkic stone markers), petroglyphs and fragments of mausoleums that suggest the scale of the lost city.

Learn how nearby Balasagun thrived on the Silk Road and how earthquakes truncated the minaret’s height. Fine brickwork and carved stones evoke the cosmopolitan Silk Road city of Balasagun, setting Kyrgyzstan’s nomadic heartland in a wider medieval world.

Walk from village lanes into meadows and conifer slopes to walk to a panoramic ridge above the quilted fields of Chon-Kemin. The crisp air and birdsong accompany a steady ascent with far-reaching views across farms and forested hills.

Skirting the edge of Chon-Kemin National Park, the route reveals spruce-clad slopes and pastoral life below. Crest the ridge to pause for photos and reflection over a landscape that distils rural Kyrgyzstan’s serenity at around 2,000m.

Follow a dry riverbed into the heart of the Konorchek Canyons, where you walk among red-sandstone labyrinths sculpted into towers, fins and amphitheatres. The warm hues glow under Central Asian light, a striking contrast to the snowy ranges beyond.

Wind and water carved these wind-sculpted pillars over millennia, creating natural corridors perfect for photography and quiet contemplation. Occasional viewpoints open to sweeping desert-edge panoramas framed by the Boom Gorge ridges.

Explore the open-air Cholpon-Ata Petroglyphs, a vast Stone Garden where Bronze and Iron Age artists pecked ibex, hunters and solar symbols into granite boulders. The setting overlooks sapphire Issyk-Kul, ringed by the Terskey and Kungey Ala-Too ranges.

Continue to the Museum of History to view textiles and national embroidery that connect these ancient rock carvings to living Kyrgyz traditions. Curated displays illuminate belief, migration and artistry along the northern shore.

Hike through the Jergalan Valley, following rivers and spruce to hike to Turnaluu-Kol, an alpine lake cupped by meadows and larch. At around 2,600m, the trail threads wildflowers and soft turf with steady mountain views.

Peaks encircle the basin in a protective ring of snow-capped peaks, reflected in turquoise alpine waters. The calm of this lesser-visited valley highlights Issyk-Kul’s wilder eastern fringe and its frontier-town charm near Karakol.

Explore Djety-Oguz Gorge to view the famous “Seven Bulls” and “Broken Heart” cliffs glowing red against dark spruce. Short walks reveal sculpted outcrops and quiet glades along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul.

Continue into Barskoon Gorge and hike to the Bowl of Manas waterfall, named for Kyrgyz epic lore. Granite walls, cold spray and mossed stones set the tone in a valley once visited by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin after his historic flight.

Participate in a felt workshop in Kochkor, joining artisans to lay, wet and roll wool before pressing bold motifs. Hands-on steps reveal the skill behind Kyrgyz textiles as you help shape colour blocks and borders.

Discover the symbolism in shyrdak rug-making—rams’ horns, tulips and mountain forms—and how these nomadic craft traditions anchor yurt interiors. Your visit supports community cooperatives keeping centuries-old techniques alive.

Experience high-pasture life beside Son-Kul as you stay in a traditional yurt amid wide grasslands and circling peaks. Wood-smoke, star-bright nights and the clip of hooves set the rhythm of the jailoo.

Meet herder families and observe daily tasks on the high summer pastures (jailoo); you may sample seasonal foods or kymyz. This encounter with nomadic Kyrgyz hospitality offers genuine insight into living culture far from the cities.

Walk into the surrounding hills above Son-Kul for commanding panoramas over Son-Kul where mirror-like waters meet rolling grasslands. Trails crest gentle ridges with views to remote ranges on the horizon.

At roughly 3,500m, light is diamond-clear and the windswept high steppe feels wonderfully open. Horse herds trace the shore as you pause for photos and reflection in one of Central Asia’s most peaceful settings.

Enjoy a cultural evening with a folklore show following dinner, where performers demonstrate national musical instruments and traditional techniques. The bright timbre of the komuz and the bowed kyl-kyyak set a lively, intimate mood.

Savour Kyrgyz staples alongside stories and traditional melodies linked to the epic of Manas. This convivial finale pairs Kyrgyz cuisine with living heritage, bringing your journey’s landscapes and legends together in song.

Taste Kyrgyz flavours at a relaxed welcome dinner in the capital. Dishes may include Kyrgyz cuisine classics such as aromatic plov, skewered shashlik and hand-pulled laghman noodles, with fragrant teas poured throughout.

Your leader introduces dining customs and regional produce, and there may be a chance to try local specialities. This shared table sets a warm tone for the days ahead, celebrating hospitality at the heart of Central Asian travel.

Unwind in the Ak-Suu thermal complex, easing trail-tired legs in steaming mineral pools surrounded by pine-clad hills. The soothing water and mountain air offer a restorative pause between hikes.

This is an optional add-on at additional cost, bookable on tour with your leader. Towels and basic facilities are available; bring swimwear and enjoy an unhurried soak before the onward journey.

Explore the Kyrgyz capital on a guided walking tour taking in Ala-Too Square, the leafy Oak Park with its open-air art, and the ceremonial axis of Victory Square. Broad boulevards frame marble government buildings and theatres, revealing a city planned on a confident Soviet scale.

Trace the nation’s story from Silk Road caravan routes to modern independence through monuments and mosaics that celebrate Kyrgyz identity. This insightful orientation helps you pinpoint cafes, bazaars and parks to enjoy during your time in Bishkek.