Osh to Song Kol & Issyk Kul 7-day Mountain Yurt Tour

Seven days crossing three mountain passes to two alpine lakes and a gorge

This 7-day tour from Osh travels through Kyrgyzstan's Tian Shan mountains, crossing three high passes and staying in yurt camps and guesthouses. You drive 1,425 kilometers over unpaved mountain roads, walk to waterfalls and lake viewpoints, and overnight among shepherds' yurts on Song Kol and Issyk Kul lakes. A private 4×4 with an English-speaking driver carries up to four passengers. Groups of five or more travel by bus.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Arslanbob Village

• Drive 185 km to Arslanbob village
• Lunch at guesthouse
• Walk around village to see culture
• Hike waterfall and panorama hill
• Enjoy home-cooked dinner

Day 2: Drive to Kazarman Village

• Drive 240 km over Kaldama Pass
• Lunch at guesthouse
• Walk around Kazarman village
• Dinner at guesthouse

Day 3: Travel to Song Kol Lake

• Drive 220 km to Song Kol Lake
• Drive over Moldo Ashuu Pass
• Drive along southern shore of lake
• Dinner and overnight in yurt

Day 4: Song Kol to Issyk Kul Lake

• Breakfast at yurt camp
• Walk or horse ride around lake
• Lunch in yurt
• Drive to Kochkor city over Kalmak Ashuu Pass
• Visit souvenir shops in Kochkor
• Drive to Bel Tam yurt camp
• Walk to lake shore and swim
• Dinner in yurt camp

Day 5: Visit Jeti Oguz Gorge

• Drive 150 km to Kok Jaiyk summer camp
• Visit Fairy Tale Canyon
• Visit Barskon Waterfalls and hike
• Arrive and stay in yurt camp
• Dinner at yurt camp

Day 6: Hike Oguz Bashy Peak Viewpoint

• Breakfast at yurt camp
• Hike 15 km to Oguz Bashy viewpoint
• Lunch at viewpoint
• Hike back to camp
• Drive 1 hr to Karakol City
• Dinner at local restaurant
• Overnight in hotel

Day 7: Drive to Bishkek City

• Drive 405 km to Bishkek
• Visit Cholpon Ata petroglyphs
• Visit Burana Tower complex
• Arrive and drop off at hotel

The experience

The route starts in Arslanbob village, famous for Central Asia's largest walnut forest, where you hike to a waterfall and panorama hill after settling into a guesthouse. From there the tour climbs over Kaldama Pass at 3,000 meters to reach Kazarman village on the Naryn River, Kyrgyzstan's largest. The second half of the journey pushes higher: Moldo Ashuu Pass at 3,220 meters opens onto Song Kol, an alpine lake ringed by craggy mountains and dotted with shepherds' yurts where you spend two nights.

From Song Kol you walk or ride horses around the lake's shore in the early morning, then descend through Kalmak Ashuu Pass toward Issyk Kul, the world's second-largest alpine lake. On the way you stop in Kochkor to see handmade rugs and carpets, then settle into a yurt camp on Issyk Kul's southern shore. The next day takes you east along the lake to Jeti Oguz Valley, where you visit Fairy Tale Canyon (rock formations in shades of red and gold), and hike around three waterfalls at Barskon before reaching Kok Jaiyk summer camp.

Day six is a 15-kilometer hike from the yurt camp to a viewpoint overlooking Oguz Bashy peak in the Tian Shan range, then a transfer to Karakol City for dinner in a restaurant and an overnight in a hotel. The final drive to Bishkek covers 405 kilometers and includes stops at Cholpon Ata's open-air petroglyphs and Burana Tower, a 10th-century site on the Great Silk Road, before you're dropped at your hotel.

What’s included

• Your accommodation in yurt camps and guesthouses for six nights.
• private 4×4 off-road transport with an English-speaking driver (or bus for groups of five or more).
• all meals at the camps and guesthouses.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 15 Jun 2027

AgesAdult (12 to 65 years) · Under 12: can't be booked

GroupUp to 9

Live guideEnglish and Russian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Visit Alay - Travel Company

Is this one for you?This tour involves early starts, full days of driving on unpaved mountain roads, and a 15-kilometer hike on day six. The high passes and yurt stays are what make the remote alpine lakes and gorge accessible in a single week.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Russian.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the highest pass on this tour and how high does it go?

Moldo Ashuu Pass reaches 3,220 meters and opens onto Song Kol lake with views of craggy mountains surrounding the water. Kaldama Pass stands at 3,000 meters and Kalmak Ashuu Pass is also crossed on the route down toward Issyk Kul.

Do I walk every day or can I choose how active I want to be?

Walking is optional on most days. On day four at Song Kol you can take a 2–3 hour walk or opt for horse riding around the lake instead. Day six includes a 15-kilometer hike to Oguz Bashy peak viewpoint, which is the main trekking day. Other days involve short walks around villages and waterfalls, but no full-day hikes are required.

Where do I sleep and what are the yurt camps like?

You stay six nights: two in guesthouses (Arslanbob and Kazarman villages) and four in yurt camps (Song Kol, Issyk Kul, Jeti Oguz Valley, and one night in a hotel in Karakol City). Yurt camps are set up for tourists with basic beds and shared facilities. Meals are cooked in the camps or in village guesthouses.

What's included in the tour price and what do I need to pay for separately?

Accommodation for six nights, all transport in a private 4×4 or bus with an English-speaking driver, and meals at the guesthouses and yurt camps are included. You pay separately for accommodation and meals in Osh and Bishkek cities, lunches during driving days, bottled water and drinks, and entrance fees to sites like Burana Tower and Cholpon Ata petroglyphs.

How much driving is there and what are the roads like?

You cover roughly 1,425 kilometers over seven days, with daily driving distances ranging from 150 to 405 kilometers. Most roads are unpaved mountain routes. The itinerary notes a "nice drive on an unpaved road" over Kaldama Pass and "a gorgeous road with evergreen trees" over Moldo Ashuu Pass. A private 4×4 is used for groups up to four people to handle these conditions.

What's the best time of year to do this tour?

The tour operates during the season when high mountain passes are open and yurt camps are staffed, typically from June through September. Song Kol and Issyk Kul are accessible in summer. Winter conditions close the high passes.