Köl-Ükök and Song-Kul Lakes, 7 Days

Highlights

Burana Tower, a landmark of the Great Silk Road · Köl-Ükök, "the lake in a chest", on foot or on horseback · A two-day ride over the Jalgyz-Karagai Pass (3400 m) to Song-Kul · The Kilemche Jailoo, whose name means "like a carpet" · Two nights with a shepherd family at Batai-Aral · Kymyz, airan and everyday life on the jailoo

Route at a glance

1. Day 1 Bishkek → Burana Tower → Kochkor · ≈260 km by car
2. Days 2–3 Köl-Ükök 2-day trek/HBR — one of our tours, full program on its page
3. Days 4–6 Song-Kul 3 days trek — one of our tours, full program on its page
4. Day 7 Batay-Aral → Bishkek · ≈340 km by car

Drives between the tours: about 600 km. Distances are approximate, from our own route map; exact drive times come with your route.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day 1: Bishkek – Kochkor

   Leave Bishkek in the late morning for Kochkor village in the Naryn region. On the way, stop at the Burana Tower, an architectural complex from the 10th–11th century and an important point on the Great Silk Road, and break for lunch. Then continue to Kochkor, the starting point for both lakes on this trip. Dinner and overnight at a home-stay in Kochkor.

2. Day 2: Kochkor – Köl-Ükök

   Set off on foot or on horseback for the Köl-Ükök jailoo, where the lake lies between two steep slopes of the Terskei Ala-Too – hence its name, "the lake in a chest". Its cold, clear water is ringed by flowers from forget-me-nots to edelweiss, and the surrounding ridges look out over many lakes. Meals and overnight in a yurt by the lake.

   Part of the tour Köl-Ükök 2-day trek/HBR

3. Day 3: Köl-Ükök – Kochkor

   Spend the morning exploring Köl-Ükök and its neighbour, Köl-Tör, before lunch at the yurt camp. In the afternoon, head back down to Kochkor. Dinner and overnight at the home-stay in Kochkor.

   Part of the tour Köl-Ükök 2-day trek/HBR

4. Day 4: Kochkor – Kilemche Jailoo

   Drive to the Kyzart Pass and set off on a two-day horseback ride to Song-Kul (3016 m), "the final lake", whose shores are the shepherds' summer pasture. Today's stage leads to the Kilemche Jailoo, whose name means "like a carpet": grass covers whole ranges in shades as subtle as a shyrdak, the Kyrgyz felt carpet. Lunch on the way, dinner and overnight in a yurt.

   Part of the tour Song-Kul 3 days trek

5. Day 5: Kilemche – Song-Kul

   Climb to the rocky Jalgyz-Karagai Pass (3400 m), then descend into the lake basin as Song-Kul grows larger with every turn of the trail. After lunch at Jaman-Echki, a short drive along the shore brings you to Batai-Aral to meet your hosts, a Kyrgyz shepherd family. Dinner and overnight in their yurt.

   Part of the tour Song-Kul 3 days trek

6. Day 6: Free day at Song-Kul

   A well-earned rest day by the lake with the shepherd family: watch or join in as they milk the mares, make kymyz and airan and tend the cattle. After lunch at the yurt, take a walk along the shore. Dinner and a second night in the family's yurt.

   Part of the tour Song-Kul 3 days trek

7. Day 7: Song-Kul – Bishkek

   Say goodbye to your hosts in the morning and leave Song-Kul behind. The road runs back down through Kochkor to Bishkek, with a lunch stop on the way. The tour ends on arrival in Bishkek.

Places on this route

• Bishkek
• Burana Tower
• Kochkor
• Kyzart Pass
• Tuzashuu Yurt Camp (Song-Kul)
• Batay-Aral