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KYRGYZ+KAZAKH BACKPACKING

QUICK OVERVIEW

Date

TBA

Arrival Airport

Bishkek

Accommodation

3 Star Hotels and Homestays

Duration

16 Nights

Meals

17 Breakfasts

Group size

12-14

BRIEF ITINERARY :

DAY 01 : Arrive in Bishkek

DAY 02 : Bishkek - Karakol

DAY 03 : Karakol - Altyn Arashan

DAY 04 : Hike to Ala kul via pass ( camping )

DAY 05 : Altyn Arashan- Karakol

DAY 06 : Karakol - Cholpon Ata – Kochkor

DAY 07 : Kochkor - Song Kul

DAY 08 : Song Kul – Bishkek

Day 09 : Relax at cafes in Bishkek/ Party hard / Have authentic food

DAY 10 : Bishkek - Almaty : : See Kok Tobe

Day 11 : Explore Almaty city

Day 12 : Kolsai lake 1 and 2 & Sat evening at Sati.

Day 13 : Sunday : Visit Kandai lake. Head to canyon and drive to Zharkent.

Day 14 : Monday : Altyn Amyl national park

Day 15 : Drive to Almaty with a Dip in the beach

Day 16 : Head to Shymbulak by morning, cable car and shopping in the evening.

Day 17 : Fly out of Almaty

DAY 01 : ARRIVE IN BISHEKEK

Take a flight so that you arrive Bishkek by afternoon. Today we will be walking to the Osh Bazaar, see the Ala-Too square and I shall explain to you the various protests that took place at that point. Today is story day : about Kyrgyz people, about mongol domination, Russian empire and soviet era. We will also teach some basic Kyrgyz. For started: Hi is Salam.

DAY 02 : BISHKEK - KARAKOL

Today we start our epic road journey through this Ex-Ussr country.The road has stunning natural scenery of mountains, valleys, and alpine lakes. Today is the day you will get to witness Issyk-Kul ( 2nd largest saline lake in the world ) . To give you a context of its size.

  1. Singapore is 728 km² ,
  2. Mumbai is 243 km²
  3. Issyk-Kul is 6,236 km².

Our stay for tonight is in this cute and amazing hotel amidst the mountains .

DID YOU KNOW?

One of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world is from Kyrgyzstan- Rafael Fiziev.

DAY 03 : KARAKOL - ALTYN ARASHAN

This will be our first and major hike in the country . The 15 kilometre hike is not too difficult and can be covered in 6-7 hours with enough breaks. The people who don’t want to hike can opt for an additional 4X4 vehicle that will take you there in 2-3 hours.

After a long day, Plunge into the hot springs of Altyn Arashan. The stay in the valley is straight out a fairy tale: You will be staying in Yurts , the facilities will be basic but you will not have anything to complain looking at the place we are at.

DAY 04 : Hike to Ala kul via pass ( camping )

Today we hike upto Ala-kul pass and camp near the Ala-kul lake . This day we are out camping. So make sure you pack enough hiking gear to withstand the cold.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Epic of Manas is a longer poem than Homer's Odyssey. Every city you visit you will see a Manas statue indicating their love for poetry.

DAY 05 : ALTYN ARASHAN - KARAKOL

Trace our way back to hotel and get ready to resume our road trip next day. This itinerary is such designed that you get to see the natural landscapes as well as most of the cultural aspect of the place

DID YOU KNOW?

If Scrabble allowed place names Kyrgyzstan would give 30 points second to only Mozambique at 34.

DAY 06 : KARAKOL - CHOLPON ATA - KOCHKOR

Pack your beachwear today, as we will getting into the famous Issy-kul. Today we complete a circle of the lake. We will also go see the Old petroglyphs (around 1500 BC ) , imagine looking at a drawing someone drew 3520 years before (that’s 58 lifetimes ).

DID YOU KNOW?

The ancient trading route *The Silk Road* runs through Kyrgyzstan. The silk road sites comprise one of the country’s three UNESCO heritage sites.

DAY 07 : KOCHKOR - SONG KUL

Today you will witness one of the most beautiful lakes in the world : Song Kul. There will be very less hiking today , we will be using a vehicle to reach Song Kul. Song Kul is at a height of 3016 m above the sea level. We will staying in yurts here today. I recommend carrying only essentials and keep remaining in the hotel locker room.

The road is going to be very bumpy so dress appropriately. Kochkor used to be a stop for merchants going to and from Kashgar, on the other side of Torugart Pass in China.

DAY 08 : SONG KUL -BISHKEK

Today is our second last day in the country so let's hit some Russian club and trust me you will be impressed . Carry your clothes accordingly for a club. If you don't want to go clubbing, we can hit a nice restaurant.

DID YOU KNOW?

Horse Milk is Kyrgyzstan's National drink. That rhymed, an ode to manas.

Day 09 : CAFES/ AUTHENTIC FOOD

Today is a free day kept just to relax in city of Bishkek. You are free to walk around, spent some time in the cafes . We will also be taking you to a one of central asia's largest market.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bread is considered holy in Kyrgyzstan and should not be wasted. Be conscious when you place your order!

DAY 10 : BISHKEK - Almaty

Fly to Almaty with a million new memories from Bishkek.

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia
kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia
kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia
kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia

Take an afternoon flight to reach Almaty. We will Check into Hotel and head to Kok-Tobe. It gives you the best sunset of this European town.

DAY 11 : ALMATY CITY EXPLORE

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia

Today we will visit the closest lake to the city : one of the most beautiful one at that : Big Almaty lake. We walk around the lake and have some nice coffee as we head back.

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia

By afternoon we will be back at Green bazaar and see Palfinov park. We will Head to the hotel by 5pm and repack for the night drive to sati. Tonight by 9ish, after dinner , we will start our trip to Sati. Sati will be our stay from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kazakhstan is only 1 out of 4 countries to denuclearize. Imagine, taking the opposite path.

DAY 12 : KOLSAI LAKE 1 AND 2

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia

We will leave in the midnight to reach Sati by 5am.Today after a quick Nap in Sati, we will head to kolsai lake 1. Whoever wants to hike upto kolsai lake 2 can join us and remaining people can take a walk around Lake 1 and relax at the cafe there.

The hike is about 10km , both the side.

Today evening, our team will be split into different homestays. You will be staying with the locals and Kazakhstan participants. I believe this will give us a chance to talk with the locals and get to know them better.

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia

We will also have a campfire and some games with our Kazakhstan group. Our total group size is of 30 people. 12 of us and rest of the Kazakh people. Click here to see stories

DID YOU KNOW?

Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world by land size.

DAY 13 : KANDAI LAKE & CHARYN CANYON

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia

Today morning, we will head to kandai lake. After our lake visit and lunch in sati , we will head to the Charyn Canyon. We will walk down to Charyn Canyon’s river bed and relax at the chilled river for a while. Click here to see stories

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia

By 3pm, we will start heading to Zharkent , which is 2 h 30 min away (183 km) .This Is not a place in the tourist map but since we are doing a roadtrip, I want you to see the real backcountry lifestyle in a small kazak town.

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia

DID YOU KNOW?

Kazakhstan has 5 Unesco World Heritage Sites: 3 cultural and 2 Natural Sites.

DAY 14 : ALTYN AMYL PARK

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia

Check out from our hotel and head to singing Dunes. Today we will have to carry something to eat because there are no options to eat out. Click here to see stories

kazakhstan Backpacking | Indian group tours for central Asia