Alpine Trekking in the Tian Shan
14 days of high-mountain trekking — glacial passes, Ala-Kol Lake, Altyn-Arashan hot springs and a remote yurt camp at 3,500 m.
Who it's for
Hikers in good physical condition; experience with multi-day trekking required. Daily 5–7 hours walking with elevation gains over 1,000 m.
Guides
French-speaking lead guide plus a certified mountain guide for the technical trek days; cook and pack-horse drivers.
Accommodation
Tents on the trek; family guesthouses or yurt camps before/after.
Luggage
Soft duffel + day pack. Pack horses carry most luggage on trek days; you only need essentials in your daypack.
Alpine Trekking in the Tian Shan
14 days of high-mountain trekking — glacial passes, Ala-Kol Lake, Altyn-Arashan hot springs and a remote yurt camp at 3,500 m.
Alpine Trekking in the Tian Shan — 14 days
The classic Tian Shan trek — Karakol to Ala-Kol Lake (3,560 m) over the Ala-Kol Pass (3,860 m), then descent through Altyn-Arashan to its hot springs. Combined with culturally rich days at Issyk-Kul Lake and Bishkek.
17 days, 17 camps
Bishkek to Cholpon-Ata
Drive east along Boom Gorge. Visit Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs.
Cholpon-Ata to Karakol
Drive along the southern lake shore via Skazka Canyon. Late arrival Karakol.
Karakol — acclimatisation day
City tour: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Dungan Mosque, animal market (if Sunday). Light afternoon walk in the Jeti-Oguz valley to start acclimatising.
Karakol to Karakol Valley trailhead
Transfer to the trailhead. Start of the trek — first day light, ascending through spruce forest along the Karakol River. Camp at 2,400 m.
Karakol Valley to Sirota Camp
Climb steadily up the valley to the Sirota base camp at 2,950 m. ~5h walking, 550 m gain.
Crossing Ala-Kol Pass to Lake Ala-Kol
The big day. Climb to Ala-Kol Pass (3,860 m), descend to the turquoise Ala-Kol Lake at 3,560 m. ~7h, 900 m gain + 300 m descent.
Ala-Kol to Altyn-Arashan
Steep descent into the Altyn-Arashan valley to the hot springs at 2,600 m. ~6h, 1,000 m descent.
Altyn-Arashan rest day
Soak in the hot springs, short side walks, herder camp visit.
Altyn-Arashan to Karakol (descent
Final 5h walking descent to the trailhead village; pickup and transfer to Karakol for hot showers and a city night.
Karakol to Bishkek (long drive
Long return drive along the northern Issyk-Kul shore back to Bishkek (≈7h with stops).
Bishkek to Ala-Archa
Half-day in Ala-Archa National Park. Afternoon Bishkek city tour. Farewell dinner.
Departure
Transfer to Manas Airport, return flight.
International return flight
Arrival home.
Notes
- Trek may be modified by weather; storms in the high cirque can postpone the pass crossing.
- Pack horses carry most gear; you carry only daypack on trek days.
Bichkek > Aeroport Manas
Departure for to l’airport Manas de Bishkek (40 km) et international flight de retour
international flight airport Manas to Bishkek —>
(Compagnie TURKISH AIRLINES)
En raison de conditions climatiques ou d’évènements imprévus
- En raison de conditions climatiques ou d’évènements imprévus, l’itinéraire pourra être modifié.
- Les altitudes indiquées restent approximatives, à quelques dizaines de mètres près.
Included
- National-park permits and entry fees
- Accommodation throughout the trip
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Local guide on each day
- All ground transport during the trip
Not included
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for guides and drivers
- La location de horses pour les journées de balade on horseback (à titre indicatif prévoir un coût de 25 euros pour 2 hours de balade, payable sur place en euros)
Where you sleep
Hotel in Bishkek; guesthouses in Cholpon-Ata and Karakol; 4 nights in tents (high camps with cook tent and dining tent); 2 nights in yurts at Altyn-Arashan.
Nuraly Turganbaev
Nuraly is a French language professor at the National University and also the director of our tourism company. His love for nature and the environment has inspired him since 1996 to travel across Kyrgyzstan with foreign travelers as a guide and interpreter (Kyrgyz – Russian – French). Over the years, he has worked with several tourism agencies and gained extensive experience in tourism, guiding, and interpretation. Thanks to his deep knowledge of the country, nomadic culture, and local traditions, Nuraly is today the main tour leader and one of the key figures of our company.
See all tours led by this guide →