Chon-Kyzyl-Suu Valley
Чоң-Кызыл-Суу
A high mountain pasture valley on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan, where pine forests, red rock walls and herders' yurts alternate. Go riding, hiking or stay in a yurt.
Chon-Kyzyl-Suu Valley lies about 50 km southwest of Karakol, west of Seven Bulls Rock. Spruce forests and red sandstone line the valley sides, and the deeper reaches are summer pastures. From June to September, herders set up yurts where visitors can drink mare's milk, eat plov and stay overnight in yurt camps. Near the valley mouth is a Soviet-era Tian Shan high-altitude research station, and the valley has hiking and horse-riding routes to glaciers and high-altitude lakes. Getting there requires a hired car, and the final stretch is a dirt road. Summer temperatures swing widely between day and night, so bring warm clothing.
Opening hours
All day (summer)
Nearby sights
- Jeti-Ögüz Rocks
- Kok-Jaiyk Valley (Valley of Flowers)
- Karakol Regional Museum
- Dungan Family Dinner & Ashlyan-fu
- Karakol Russian Colonial Quarter
- Holy Trinity Cathedral, Karakol
- Karakol Dungan Mosque
- Pristan-Przhevalsk Lakeshore