Kyrgyzstan Winter: between frozen lakes and nomadic culture

Route: Bishkek→Chon-Kemin→Naryn→Bokonbaevo→Station→Bishkek

1. 1Day 1Welcome to Bishkek, capital of KyrgyzstanOvernight: Bishkek

   • Osh Bazaar and the old town

     Flights to and from the destination are not included in the package, so you can decide from where and when you want to leave! This gives you complete freedom of choice to adjust your travel itinerary to your needs.

     We land in Bishkek and head straight out into the city — no slow start on this trip. The capital sets the pace for everything that follows.

     • A guided tour of the old town gets us oriented, then Osh Bazaar, the largest and most vibrant market in Bishkek: colours, aromas, bustle.
     • Later we rest and settle in, then gather for a welcome dinner: our first taste of Kyrgyz cuisine and of the group.
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2. 2Day 2From Bishkek to the Chon-Kemin ValleyOvernight: Chon-Kemin

   • Burana Tower and a silk workshop

     The journey proper starts today: we meet the guide and driver who'll stay with us the whole way, and head east out of the capital.

     • About 80 km on, the Burana Tower rises among mausoleums, stone carvings and old fortifications — all that is left of the Silk Road city of Balasagyn.
     • Lunch is with a local Kyrgyz family, who show us the centuries-old art of silk craftsmanship, before we push on to our Chon-Kemin Valley guesthouse.
     • Before dinner, a first horseback ride, or a traditional horse-drawn sleigh ride: nomadic life as locals have lived it for generations.
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3. 3Day 3Kok-Moinok canyon and the frozen Ara-KolOvernight: Naryn

   • Salt caves and a night in Naryn

     First full day out in the wild. The towns fall away, the landscape takes over, and the mountain air does half the work.

     • We hike the Kok-Moinok Canyon in the morning, among deep gorges and rock formations shaped by nature, in complete quiet.
     • Lunch in the village of Kochkor, then the salt caves and Ara-Kol Lake, partly frozen even in summer, still against a wall of mountains.
     • By evening we reach Naryn, a city deep in the valleys of the mountainous interior, for a hot dinner and a proper rest.
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4. 4Day 4The frozen alpine lake of Köl-SuuOvernight: Naryn

   • Ibex, steppes and a long drive

     Five hours on the road today, and not one dull kilometre — this is the day the whole group has been waiting for.

     • We cross isolated valleys, snow-capped mountains and endless steppes, watching for agile ibex and the majestic Marco Polo sheep.
     • Köl-Suu sits completely frozen at 3,500 metres in the Tian Shan, on the border with China: surreal, silent, and the air crystal-clear at that altitude.
     • Then back to the guesthouse, where a hot meal and the day's stories get shared in good company.
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5. 5Day 5Ak-Sai Canyon, eagle hunting and a yurtOvernight: Bokonbaevo

   • Night with a nomadic family

     More wonders even after the lake — today Kyrgyzstan swaps ice for white cliffs and one of its oldest living traditions.

     • On the way to Bokonbaevo we stop at Ak-Sai Canyon, white cliffs stretching out endlessly with snowy peaks rising behind them.
     • In the afternoon an eagle hunter introduces his bird of prey: caught young, trained to hunt foxes and hares, released back into the wild after 20 years.
     • We sleep in a yurt, the felt dwelling so central to Kyrgyz culture that it appears on the national flag, hosted with real Kyrgyz hospitality.
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6. 6Day 6Skazka and Jety Oguz, then KarakolOvernight: Station

   • Hot springs of Ak-Suu

     A day given over entirely to what wind and water have sculpted, driving along the southern shore of the vast Lake Issyk-Kul.

     • Skazka Canyon means "fairy tale" in Russian and earns it: wind-carved rock in surreal shapes, with passages to wander and odd formations to find.
     • Then the Jety Oguz Gorge, "Seven Bulls" — seven red cliffs side by side, shaped like a herd of bulls mid-charge.
     • By evening we reach Karakol, our base for two nights, and sink into the Ak-Suu hot springs to thaw out after days of snow and ice.
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7. 7Day 7A day in Karakol, gateway to AsiaOvernight: Station

   • Baking bread in Ichke-Jergez

     Today we stay put and dig into the city itself: a historic crossroads on the way to China, once a caravan stop on the ancient Silk Road.

     • Karakol's landmarks tell that story: a Russian Orthodox Church built entirely of wood without a single nail, the pagoda-style Dungane Mosque, and bustling markets full of souvenirs.
     • We climb to a panoramic viewpoint above 3,000 metres, over mountains and valleys: the land of nomads and peaks.
     • In the evening, a local home in the village of Ichke-Jergez teaches us to bake bread in a traditional tandoor oven, a cornerstone of Kyrgyz cuisine.
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8. 8Day 8Along Lake Ysykköl back to BishkekOvernight: Bishkek

   • Cholpon Ata and Rukh Ordu Park

     Nearly done, so we head for the capital — but in style, along the northern shore of the second-largest alpine lake in the world.

     • Lake Ysykköl runs beside us under the snowy Tien Shan peaks, and there will be photo stops: you'll want every one of them.
     • Lunch in Cholpon Ata, and if we're up for it, Rukh Ordu Park, an open-air museum of Kyrgyz traditions and religions.
     • Back in Bishkek: time to chill, squeeze in some last-minute shopping, then a final dinner together and one last toast.
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9. 9Day 9Our last morning in KyrgyzstanOvernight: Bishkek

   • Check-out and goodbyes

     Last morning, and the hardest part of any WeRoad trip: the goodbyes. Nine days of frozen lakes, canyons and yurts, done.

     • Check-out, and see you on the next WeRoad adventure.
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