Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan Adventures

Depart from the UK on an overnight flight to Almaty, Kazakhstan.

You’ll arrive at Almaty International Airport in the early morning, where your HF Holidays Tour Manager will meet you and take you to the hotel. Enjoy breakfast and rest up until about midday.

Then we’ll set off on a city tour to get acquainted with Almaty and its history, visiting the Republic Square and Monument of Independence. We’ll walk through the old city centre to the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, which honours the fighters who defended Moscow against German invasion during WWII. We’ll also visit the Russian Orthodox Zenkov Cathedral (also known as Ascension Cathedral), Museum of Musical Instruments, Abai Theatre, and Green Market.

Distance: 2.5 miles (4 km)

Ascent/Descent: 330 feet (100m)

After breakfast, we’ll leave Almaty and travel to Basshi in Altyn-Emel National Park via Kapchagay reservoir where you can have a swim. Altyn-Emel National Park is a vast landscape known for its’ unusual natural wonders, known as the “Singing Dunes” which produce a deep humming noise, like an airplane flying overhead, which you’ll hear when you slide down from the top. This national park has plenty to please from its grassland plains and desert dunes to rare wildlife and the colourful surrounding mountains. On arrival at our guesthouse, we will enjoy a home-cooked lunch.

Distance: 2.5 miles (4 km)

Ascent/Descent: 850 feet (260m)

Today we’ll travel to Charyn Canyon, one of Kazakhstan’s most standout sights often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of Central Asia”. The canyon’s about 150km long and up to 300m deep in places, and we’ll head to one of the most jaw-dropping parts, the Valley of Castles where you’ll gaze up at imposing pillars and rock formations that almost look manmade. We’ll walk along the top of the canyon taking in the fantastic views before travelling to the village of Shatty where we’ll stay for the next two nights.

Distance: 10 miles (16 km)

Ascent/Descent: 2625 feet (800m)

The three alpine lakes in Kolsai Lakes National Park will be the setting for today’s walk. They sit at an altitude between 1,700m and 2,650m with exceptionally clear water and an idyllic location surrounded by snow-capped peaks and wooded hillsides.

We’ll walk from the first to the second lake, where we’ll stop for a picnic before making our way back amongst this dream-like landscape.

It’ll take us about an hour to two to get through the border to Kyrgyzstan and once we’re through we’ll visit San-Tash barrow (meaning counting stones) - a burial mound dating back from the time of Timur. We will stop here for a picnic lunch before travelling on to the stunning mountain village of Jyrgalan for dinner and an overnight stay. Our stay at Alakol-Jyrgalan Guesthouse will involve twin rooms shared by same-gender pairings with shared bathrooms.

Distance: 8 miles (13 km)

Ascent/Descent: 1840 feet (560m)

From our guesthouse, we’ll set off on a hike to the remote mountain lake of Turnaly-Kol, taking in the wow-worthy panorama of Jyrgalan valley where wildflower-filled fields and wooded slopes will capture your attention. Once we arrive back, we’ll transfer to Karakol for dinner with a local family. This will be our base for the next three nights.

Distance: 6 miles (10 km)

Ascent: 1970 feet (600m)

Descent: 1810 feet (550m)

We’ll travel to our starting point for today’s walk, which will begin at Svetlaya Polyana Gorge and head to Jeti Oguz via the impressive Kok-Jaiyk Pass. Once we’re back in Karakol, we’ll have dinner with a local Uigur family.

We’ll have a change of scenery today as we embark on a city tour of Karakol which begins in Przhevalskiy Museum, dedicated to the Russian explorer. We’ll also visit a Russian Orthodox Church and Dungan Mosque. Then we’ll journey to Issyk-Kul Lake, the world’s second-largest mountain lake, which sits pretty in the Tian Shan Mountains. We’ll spend the night in a yurt camp. On days 10 & 11 we’ll stay in a traditional yurt camp. Yurts will be on a shared basis, with 3 to 4 people of the same gender per yurt. Single & twin rooms are not possible here.

After breakfast at the camp, we’ll spend the morning discovering Issyk-Kul, with time to relax and swim at the beach before joining our host family for lunch. They’ll teach us how to make a typical Kyrgyz dish – feel free to join in with cooking if you like.

In the afternoon, we’ll drive to Skazka Canyon, known as the fairy tale canyon thanks to its bewitching wind-shaped rock formations and ‘sculptures’. On our way back to camp, we’ll stop to meet an eagle breeder who will introduce us to his eagles and demonstrate how he hunts with them.

We’ll start the day with an early breakfast before making our way to Bishkek. On the way, we’ll stop to visit a local family in the village of Kyzyl-Tuu where they make traditional yurts by hand. We’ll build our own yurt with them and have tea. From here we stop for lunch in Balykchy, a small town on the western tip of Issyk-Kul Lake. We’ll visit the 11th century Burana Tower with links to the Silk Road, as well as the ruins of the ancient walled city of Balasagun. Once we reach Bishkek, we’ll check in to our hotel and have dinner at a local café.

A look around Osh Market will start our day, where you’ll see a whole array of spices, fresh fruit, vegetables and more. Enjoy lunch at a restaurant, then the afternoon is yours to spend however you wish. We’ll round off our trip with a final dinner together, during which we’ll be treated to local performances.

Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.