Programme and details
Kyrgyzstan · 4 Days / 3 Nights · Private Tour
Kyrgyzstan: Yurts in Chunkurchak and Bishkek
Tashkent – Bishkek – Chunkurchak – Ala-Archa reservoir – Bishkek
From Tashkent, Bishkek is a little over an hour by air, and the clocks there run one hour ahead. Another hour or so by road takes you up the Chunkurchak gorge, about 40 km south of the city, to a yurt at around 2,200 m with its own bathroom. In four days you get two nights in the mountains, a day when each of you chooses what to do, a canoe trip among trees standing in a reservoir, and a morning in Bishkek. An easy extension to a tour of Uzbekistan, for families and for couples.
| Duration | 4 days / 3 nights |
| Price | on request |
| Format | Private, or a small group on your dates |
| Where | The Chunkurchak gorge, the Ala-Archa reservoir and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan |
| Getting there | Flight Tashkent – Bishkek, a little over an hour, then by car with driver |
| Guide | A guide who speaks your language |
| Season | Usually May to September, while the mountain yurts are open; we confirm it for your dates |
Ideal for families and couples who want a short trip to the mountains after the cities of Uzbekistan.
A day of your own — a horse ride, a walk with a naturalist or a full day in the mountains.
The flooded forest — a canoe trip among trees standing in the water of a reservoir near Bishkek.
Itinerary
Day by Day
Day 1 · Tashkent – Bishkek – Chunkurchak — Up into the gorge
The flight from Tashkent to Bishkek takes a little over an hour; Kyrgyzstan is on UTC+6, one hour ahead of Tashkent. At the airport your guide and driver meet you, and you drive straight on to the Chunkurchak gorge, about an hour to an hour and a half. On the way you can stop for a light lunch.
You settle into your yurt, and the rest of the afternoon is free for a walk along the gorge. Then archery, an old pastime of the nomads: an instructor shows you how to hold the bow, and the whole family can have a go.
In the evening, dinner in the yurt restaurant of the complex.
Good to know: At around 2,200 m the nights are cool even in summer: bring a warm layer.
Overnight in a yurt with its own bathroom, Chunkurchak gorge
Day 2 · Chunkurchak — A day when everyone chooses their own
After breakfast the group can split up, and each of you spends the day on what you like most:
On horseback. A ride along the gorge and up to the summer pastures with an instructor who picks a horse to suit you.
With a naturalist. A half-day walk with a guide who knows the plants and animals of the gorge; Chunkurchak is a botanical reserve.
Into the mountains. A full day on a mountain route with a guide, who sets the route on the day by the weather and the snow.
Everyone takes a packed lunch from the camp. In the evening you meet again and tell each other about your day over dinner.
Good to know: Tell us in advance who chooses what: we book the horses, the instructor and the guides for you, and add them to your quote.
Overnight in the Chunkurchak gorge
Day 3 · Chunkurchak – Ala-Archa reservoir – Bishkek — Through the flooded forest
After breakfast you drive down towards Bishkek. On the way, the Lower Ala-Archa reservoir: when it was filled in 1965, part of a forest went under water, and in spring the trees stand in the water up to their branches. You glide between them in a canoe.
Lunch by a fish pond, then on to Bishkek. You check in at your hotel, and the evening is free.
Good to know: The canoe trip depends on the weather and the water level on the day; the trees stand deepest in the water in spring and early summer.
Overnight in Bishkek
Day 4 · Bishkek — A walk in the centre and departure
After breakfast, a walk in the centre with your guide. Ala-Too Square is the main square of the city, with the State Historical Museum and an equestrian statue of Manas, the hero of the Kyrgyz epic. A short walk away, another monument to Manas stands in front of the Philharmonic.
Then the Osh Bazaar, one of the largest markets in Bishkek: fruit and spices, and in its crafts rows felt, carved wooden chests and traditional clothes.
On request, a shyrdak workshop: a felt carpet cut and stitched by hand. In 2012 UNESCO added the Kyrgyz art of felt carpets, ala-kiyiz and shyrdak, to its list of intangible heritage.
At the agreed time, the transfer to the airport for your flight back to Tashkent or home.
Accommodation
Where you stay
| Place | Stay |
|---|---|
| Chunkurchak gorge | A yurt complex in the Chunkurchak gorge: a yurt with its own bathroom, 2 nights |
| Bishkek | A comfortable hotel, 1 night |
We confirm the yurts and the hotel for your dates before booking.
Price
Price
The price is given on request: it depends on the dates, the size of your group, the activities you choose for day 2 and the flights.
Good to know
Conditions
- The season in the mountains is usually May to September, sometimes into October, while the yurts are open. We confirm it for your dates.
- Kyrgyzstan lets citizens of many countries in without a .Entry rules depend on your passport. Once you are here, each stay must be registered within three days, and hotels do it for you; customs and registration rules are in our guide. Read more → We check the rules for your passport before booking.
- We book the flights Tashkent – Bishkek – Tashkent for you on request and set days 1 and 4 around the actual flight times. You can also travel by road, but it takes much longer.
- The canoe trip depends on the weather and the water level; the trees stand in the water mostly in spring and early summer.
- Drink only bottled water.
- At around 2,200 m it is cooler than in the city: bring a warm layer, a rain jacket and comfortable shoes.
- Children are welcome: tell us their ages, and we choose the day 2 activities to suit them.
- Your guide speaks your language. Tell us the language you need when you book, ideally well in advance.
- More of Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan in summer from Tashkent, with Song-Kul and Issyk-Kul, and the 23-day A network of caravan routes between China and the Mediterranean. Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva grew rich as stops along it. tour of five countries. On combining the countries, read Central Asia tours: Uzbekistan and its neighbours and a Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan loop from Tashkent.
- Reservations are confirmed with passport copies only.
Cancellation policy
| Cancellation timing | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 21 days before the service | 20% |
| 20–7 days | 50% |
| 6–0 days | 100% |
🌿 Responsible tourism: we allocate part of our profits to good causes and are preparing for GSTC certification.
Expert opinion
Pluses
- A yurt with its own bathroom: two nights at around 2,200 m in the Chunkurchak gorge.
- Everyone chooses: a horse ride, a walk with a naturalist or a full day in the mountains.
- Easy from Tashkent: a little over an hour by air to Bishkek.
Minuses
- Two nights in a yurt: comfortable, but not a hotel.
- The canoe trip: depends on the weather and the water level on the day.
- Flights not included: Tashkent – Bishkek – Tashkent, booked on request.
AroundCA numbers
How we counted
By the AroundCA programme: we count only what is written in the day-by-day programme of this tour. If the programme gives no figure, we show nothing.
- Hotel changes
- 1
- Walking
- Medium
Walking: Medium: walks in the gorge and in Bishkek; on day 2 you choose between a horse ride, a half-day walk and a full mountain day.
Best time
May–Sep
May to September, while the mountain yurts are open; the flooded forest is at its best in spring and early summer.
A typical day
On day 2 the group can split up: one goes riding along the gorge with an instructor, another walks with a naturalist who knows the plants and animals of the reserve, and the keenest spend the whole day on a mountain route chosen by the weather. Everyone takes a packed lunch, and in the evening you meet again over dinner.
What the price includes
What is included
- Meeting at Bishkek airport and all transfers on the programme
- Accommodation: 3 nights with breakfast, 2 in a yurt with its own bathroom in the Chunkurchak gorge and 1 in a comfortable hotel in Bishkek
- Dinner on day 1, a packed lunch on day 2 and lunch on day 3
- A car with driver for the whole programme
- A guide who speaks your language
- Archery on day 1 and the canoe trip on day 3, if the weather and the water allow
- Entrance and ecological fees on the programme
- Bottled drinking water every day
Not included
- Flights Tashkent – Bishkek – Tashkent: we book them for you on request
- International flights
- The activities of day 2: the horse ride with an instructor, the walk with a naturalist and the mountain route are booked on request and added to your quote
- The shyrdak workshop on day 4: on request
- Other meals and drinks
- Visa fees, if your passport needs a visa
- Travel insurance
- Tips and personal expenses
Extra cost on site
- Other meals and drinks
- Tips and personal expenses
Good for
- Families and couples who want a short trip to the mountains after the cities of Uzbekistan
- Groups where everyone likes something different: horses, plants and birds, or a proper mountain day
- Travellers who want to sleep in a yurt without giving up their own bathroom
Maybe not for you if
- Travellers who want to see Song-Kul and Issyk-Kul: for that, choose our 9-day summer tour of Kyrgyzstan
- Anyone who wants a hotel every night: two of the three nights are in a yurt
- Trips in winter, when the mountain yurts are usually closed
Questions about this tour
How much does the tour cost?
The price is given on request: it depends on the dates, the size of your group, the activities you choose for day 2 and the flights. The flights Tashkent – Bishkek – Tashkent are booked separately, on request.
Do we need a visa for Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyzstan lets citizens of many countries in without a visa. Send us your citizenship, and we check the rules for your passport before booking. If you return to Uzbekistan on an Uzbek e-visa, it must allow more than one entry.
How do we combine this tour with Uzbekistan?
Bishkek is a little over an hour from Tashkent by air, so the tour fits at the end of any trip. Most travellers do Uzbekistan first with our <a href="/tours/8-day-classic-uzbekistan-tour/">8-day classic tour</a>, the <a href="/tours/11-day-classic-uzbekistan-tour/">11-day classic tour</a> or <a href="/tours/classic-uzbekistan-gentle-pace-tour/">the classic route at a gentle pace</a>, then fly to Bishkek. On day 4 we book the flight back to Tashkent or home.
Can we get there by road?
Yes, you can also travel by road, but it takes much longer than the flight. If you prefer it, we plan the road trip on request.
Is the tour good for children?
Yes: archery, the horse ride with an instructor and the walk with a naturalist suit families. Tell us the ages of your children, and we choose the day 2 activities to suit them. The guide speaks your language.
Can we see more of Kyrgyzstan?
Yes. Add a day in Ala-Archa National Park, about 35 km south of Bishkek: a gorge of juniper and spruce under peaks up to 4,895 m. For Song-Kul and Issyk-Kul, choose <a href="/tours/kyrgyzstan-summer-tour-from-tashkent/">Kyrgyzstan in summer from Tashkent</a>; for Kazakhstan next door, <a href="/tours/almaty-astana-kazakhstan-tour/">Almaty and Astana</a>.
Didn’t find your answer? Ask about this tour →
Make it your trip
Tick what you’d like to add — it goes into your request, and the manager confirms the final price.
Arrival, departure, transfers
© Photos
The Chunkurchak gorge with yurts along the river, Chuy region, Kyrgyzstan — Arzybek Mallabaev / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0; A yurt in the Chunkurchak gorge, Chuy region, Kyrgyzstan — KaparovaI00573 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0; The Chunkurchak gorge and botanical reserve under snowy peaks, Chuy region, Kyrgyzstan — Askarjumagulov / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0; The Kyrgyz National Philharmonic and the Manas monument, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan — Элдин беги / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0; Shyrdak felt carpets in a Kyrgyz yurt — pbarry (Flickr) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
