Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan

Once you arrive at Almaty International Airport, meet with our English-speaking guide who will welcome you with a Luxtripper-branded placard. You will be accompanied by our representative to the hotel. Since the room is reserved from the previous day, early check-in is available, giving time to refresh before an optional lunch at a local restaurant. The Almaty city tour begins at the Green Bazaar, where you can experience the multicultural atmosphere and sample traditional products, including horse milk from the Almaty region and camel milk delivered from a family farm in Turkestan. (Closed on Mondays.)

The tour continues to the Museum of National Musical Instruments, the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, and the Ascension Cathedral. (Museum closed on Mondays.) Return to the hotel, with an optional dinner afterwards.

Hotel Kazzhol Almaty

As soon as you have finished your scrumptious breakfast, our representative will transfer you to the Nomad Ethno Centre, where you will arrive and begin exploring the history of the Scythian-Saka kurgans. Here, you get to learn how these sacred mounds once made the Almaty region a spiritual hub for nomadic leaders from across the Great Steppe. You will then receive an introduction to the warfare of nomads, viewing their weapons, armour, and horseback tactics, including traditional mounted archery.

You also discover the structure and purpose of the yurt and observe the art of hunting with a Berkutchi, followed by a hands-on archery class, with optional horseback riding. A national lunch is served in a yurt. After returning to Almaty, you stroll along Arbat and Panfilov Streets before transferring to your hotel. If you wish, you can have an optional dinner before calling it a day.

Today, you will be heading to the next destination, which is the Saty Village. Quickly after having your meal, you begin with a drive toward Charyn National Park, pausing in Koram Village to visit a local family who introduces you to Uyghur-Kazakh traditions. You watch the making of homemade noodles for lagman, taste the fresh dish, and enjoy a short cultural performance by villagers.

Continuing 217 km to the park, you reach the Valley of the Castles and descend the stairs for a gentle walk to the Charyn River, where you explore striking natural formations. After viewing the canyon from a scenic lookout, you continue to Saty Village, settle into your guesthouse, enjoy a homemade dinner, and overnight stay at the Local Guest House in the area.

An exciting day awaits you as you are going to travel to Kaindy Mountain Lake’s lower parking area and take a 1.5-hour trek reaching 1,700 meters, followed by an hour to unwind by the lake with views of the Kungey Alatau Gorge. Horseback access is available. Afterwards, you continue to the first Kolsay Lake, the largest of the three lakes, set at elevations of 1,800-2,700 meters. You may have lunch, enjoy free time by the lake, then proceed to a guesthouse for a shared dinner and an overnight stay.

You begin the day with breakfast at the guesthouse before checking out and proceeding to the Kegen Kazakh-Kyrgyz border. Upon arrival, you will complete Immigration and Customs formalities, carrying all of your luggage through the border zone, as vehicles and drivers will be changed. After clearing the Kyrgyzstan border, an English-speaking guide will greet you and accompany you on the drive to Karakol (140 km).

In Karakol, you explore major landmarks, including the Dungan Mosque, designed in the style of a Chinese pagoda and still serving the local Muslim community; the wooden Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Church, reflecting historical Russian influence; and the Karakol Historical Museum, which presents archaeological, cultural, and regional heritage. Afterwards, you transfer to the hotel, check in, and may opt for dinner at a nearby restaurant before overnight rest.

You begin with a scenic transfer to Jeti Oguz Gorge, a lush valley nestled at the base of the Terskey Ala-Too Mountains, where vivid red sandstone cliffs frame the iconic Seven Bulls formation. Here you can take easy walks or opt for a horseback ride to explore the dramatic setting. The journey continues to the tranquil Barskoon Gorge, known for spruce forests, alpine meadows, and waterfalls such as the evocatively named Tears of the Snow Leopard.

You then meet a welcoming local family to learn traditional felt-carpet craftsmanship, understand the symbolism of patterns, and enjoy a homemade lunch with shared salads, a main course, and drinks. The day ends with a transfer to Ton Village, hotel check-in beside Issyk-Kul Lake, free time, an optional dinner, and relaxation at night.

You will head to Bokonbaevo Village today, where you will be welcomed with an authentic eagle-hunting demonstration. After the show, you’ll continue to the town of Balykchy, located at the western edge of Lake Issyk-Kul. Once a significant Silk Road hub, the town now serves as a lakeside gateway where you can stroll along the beach and take in the surrounding mountain scenery. An optional lunch at a local café can be arranged before you head toward the Chon Kemin Valley, one of Kyrgyzstan’s most picturesque natural regions.

Situated 150 km east of Bishkek, this national park valley offers sweeping meadows, spruce forests, glaciers, and the 116-km Chon-Kemin River, all framed by mountain ranges rich in wildlife. Upon arrival, you’ll settle into a yurt camp and enjoy free time before a homemade dinner featuring shared salads, a shared main course, dessert, and tea, instant coffee, or water. Overnight stay will be included.

After breakfast at the yurt camp, you begin your journey to Burana Tower, the last remaining landmark of ancient Balasagun, once the capital of the Karakhanid Empire in the 9th century. Here, you explore the tower, nearby archaeological sites, and a small museum showcasing Silk Road artefacts. A local family then welcomes you for a yurt-building demonstration and a traditional lunch featuring two shared salads, a shared main dish, and tea, coffee, or water.

You then continue to Bishkek for a city tour of Ala-Too Square, Victory Square, and Oak Park with Erkindik Boulevard before checking in to your hotel, with an optional dinner available.

You begin your day with breakfast at the hotel before using your remaining free time to relax or prepare for departure. Afterwards, you complete your checkout formalities and proceed on your scheduled transfer to Bishkek International Airport, where you handle flight check-in procedures and continue onward to your next destination smoothly.