Riders of the Wild: A Kyrgyz Journey

In the early morning, we will head to Ak Bulak, a quaint beekeeping village located within Ala Tai Natural Park. Beyond this village, the trail becomes more challenging, making it ideal to mount our horses and go on our equestrian journey. We will spend approximately two hours navigating the rocky path in a desolate landscape before crossing the river and ascending to Lake Kol, which translates to "a lake."

The final stretch of the ascent is quite steep, and in some areas, it's advisable to continue on foot. We will set up camp in the eastern part of the lake, where we can enjoy stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

In the evening, we'll have dinner by the fire and spend the night in a tent.

In the morning, as the horseman heads out to gather the tied horses, the guide gets breakfast ready. You can take down the tents and get ready for the second day of horseback riding.

Today, we will ride the Tik Ashou Pass, which translates to “the steep pass” in Kyrgyz. Once we cross the pass, we will enter a different region. We will descend to the camps of local Aksy shepherds for a lunch break.

After that, we will continue our journey to the Chon Tash jailoo via the Achik Alma Pass.

We will spend the night in tents.

Following breakfast, we make our way down to the Ak Kia mountain pasture.

The scenery transforms dramatically, making it feel like we've entered a different land. The cool mountain pastures and the nomadic lifestyle are left behind as we start riding through a forest filled with wild walnut, plum, and apple trees. The air is quite hot and arid.

We will camp in a tent for the night.

Today's itinerary features an exploration of Lake Sary Chelek. We'll ride the final small pass before reaching the nature reserve.

Afterward, we'll enjoy a picnic with stunning views of Lake Sary Chelek.

In the afternoon, we'll visit the other small lakes within the reserve.

Our camping will take place along the shores of Lake Iri Kol.

Free day in Sary Chelek. A rest day for the horses before heading back to Toktogul.

We can visit the village of Arkyt to shower and do some shopping.

We'll spend the night in a tent.

Riding horses back to Toktogul, we travel the Kotormo Pass before descending to Lake Kara Kamysh.

After enjoying a picnic, we resume our ride towards the Kugandy Pass.

We'll camp in a tent for the night.

Today, we will ride three passes under 3000 meters: Kougandy, Okun, and Aiyr Bel, to arrive at the Iralgy Valley, situated within the Ala Tai National Park, famous for its honey. Honey enthusiasts will discover plenty to satisfy their cravings here.

We'll be camping overnight.

On our final day of horseback riding, we trace the Kara Kouldja River to Ak Bulak, where our riding adventure began.

Afterward, we head back to our vehicle to make our way down to Toktogul.

We'll be staying with local residents.

5-hour drive back to Bishkek.

Overnight at our guesthouse.

Free day to explore the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Visit the History Museum and the Osh Bazaar.

Overnight at our guesthouse.

Transfer to the airport.