Issyk-Kul Region

The region surrounding the alpine Lake Issyk-Kul, suited to summer beach holidays, snowy-mountain hiking and hot-spring canyons. It is the core of Kyrgyz tourism.

Issyk-Kul Region lies in northeastern Kyrgyzstan, where the Tian Shan ring Issyk-Kul, one of the world's largest alpine lakes. The area around Cholpon-Ata on the north shore is a lakeside resort zone with an ancient petroglyph site. At the eastern end, the regional capital Karakol is the base for hiking to the Altyn-Arashan hot-spring valley and Ala-Kul Lake. On the south shore you will find the red-rock gorge of Jeti-Ögüz. July–August is best for swimming in the lake and mountain climbing, and in winter you can ski at Karakol. The region is reached by road from Bishkek, and in summer there are also flights to an airport near Cholpon-Ata.

Destinations

• Issyk-Kul Lakeshore
• Karakol

Itineraries

• Classic Issyk-Kul Lake Loop – Loop Issyk-Kul Lake from the north shore to the south shore, taking in petroglyphs, wooden mosques, canyons, and eagle…
• Song-Kul Yurts & Ala-Kul Trek – Experience highland yurts, south shore canyons, and a three-day trek over the Ala-Kul Pass, covering the highlights of…
• Almaty to Bishkek Tian Shan Border Crossing – Explore Charyn Canyon and Kolsai Lakes, cross the border via the Karkara checkpoint, and continue to Issyk-Kul and Song…
• Kyrgyzstan North-South Traverse – Travel from Issyk-Kul and Song-Kul over mountain passes to Arslanbob, Osh, and Lenin Peak, covering seven major regions.