8-day, 6-night tour of Kyrgyzstan, the "Switzerland of Central Asia": Burana Tower, Issyk-Kul, Altyn-Arashan, an eagle hunting show and Kok-Boru.
Trip highlights
- Kyrgyzstan: The Nomad of Divine Peaks
- Visit Kyrgyzstan, the "Switzerland of Central Asia", and experience the life of horse-riding nomads in a land of mountains and lakes
- Watch the thrilling and rarely seen Kok-Boru, the horseback goat-carcass game
- Experience hunting with eagles
- Ride horses with the locals
- Admire the Jety-Oguz "Seven Bulls" rock formations
- Visit the Burana Tower, an ancient city site
- Stay in a boutique resort on the shores of "the pearl of the Tian Shan"
Highlight places
Led by historiansEvery trip travels with an expert history lecturer who brings each site to life in plain language.
Off the beaten pathCentral Asia, the Middle East, the Himalayas — places most tour companies never go.
Private groups, no rushingRight-sized groups and unhurried time at the places that matter most.
Beyond ordinary travelEvery tour is designed by writers and professional travellers to create experiences that reflect who you are — for travellers who want more than an ordinary holiday.
About this tour
"Kyrgyzstan: The Nomad of Divine Peaks" is an 8-day, 6-night tour from 7 to 14 October 2025 through the "Switzerland of Central Asia", a land of mountains, lakes and horse-riding nomads. It is led by Pub Phongsorn Phumiwat, owner of The Wild Chronicles page.
The route runs from Bishkek (State History Museum) to the Burana Tower, along Lake Issyk-Kul to Cholpon-Ata and Karakol, with the open-air petroglyph museum, the Altyn-Arashan gorge, the Jety-Oguz gorge, an eagle hunting show in Bokonbayevo and a Kok-Boru match at Chong-Kemin.
Flights are on Uzbekistan Airways via Tashkent. Hotels are 3–4 star except the guesthouse at Chong-Kemin, and the tour departs with 10 or more travellers.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1Bangkok – Tashkent – Bishkek
Meet at 05:00 at Suvarnabhumi (BKK), 4th floor, Uzbekistan Airways counters.
- 08:10 fly HY532 to Tashkent (TAS), arriving 13:10, with a layover of about 2 hours 10 minutes.
- 15:20 fly HY777 to Bishkek, arriving at Manas Airport (FRU) at 17:30, then check in at the hotel.
Day 2Bishkek – Burana Tower – Lake Issyk-Kul – Cholpon-Ata
- Bishkek: the State History Museum, founded in 1925, with over 90,000 objects, a carpet hall and the large Lenin statue behind it.
- Burana Tower in Tokmok, part of the ancient city of Balasagun, capital of the Karakhanid Khanate (9th–11th centuries), with a display of balbal stone figures.
- Drive along the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, ringed by the Tian Shan mountains.
Overnight in Cholpon-Ata with views of the lake from the hotel.
Day 3Petroglyphs – Karakol
- Open Air Museum of Petroglyphs, with carvings of animals, people and religious symbols dating back about 4,000 years to the Bronze Age.
- Drive about 3 hours 30 minutes to Karakol.
- The grave of explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky, who identified Przewalski's horse, on a hill overlooking the lake.
Day 4Przhevalsky Memorial – Altyn-Arashan Gorge
- Przhevalsky Memorial, with a small museum of documents, maps and expedition gear.
- Altyn-Arashan Gorge, the "land of golden hot springs", about 3 hours away at around 3,030 m, surrounded by pine forest, snowy peaks and traditional yurts.
- In the evening, hear the Epic of Manas told by a manaschi, a UNESCO intangible heritage tradition (2011).
Day 5Jety-Oguz (Seven Bulls) – Dungan Mosque – Trinity Cathedral
- Jety-Oguz Gorge, the "Seven Bulls", red rock cliffs shaped like seven bulls in a row.
- Dungan Mosque, built in 1907 and blending Chinese and Islamic architecture.
- Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral in Karakol, built entirely of wood in the late 19th century.
Day 6Bokonbayevo (Eagle Hunting Show) – Chong-Kemin (Kok-Boru)
- Drive about 2 hours 30 minutes to Bokonbayevo for an Eagle Hunting Show and a look at Kyrgyz herding life.
- Drive about 3 hours to Chong-Kemin to watch Kok-Boru, the traditional horseback game played with a carcass.
- Optional: horse ride through the valley in the evening (20 USD per person, not included).
Day 7Chong-Kemin – Bishkek – Tashkent
- Drive back to Bishkek, about 3 hours.
- Victory Square, built in 1984, with its eternal flame and the Grieving Mother statue.
- Turkish Central Mosque, built 2000–2004.
- Shopping at a local market in Bishkek.
- 18:50 fly HY778 to Tashkent, arriving 19:10, with a layover of about 3 hours 20 minutes; 22:30 fly HY531 to Bangkok.
Day 8Arrive in Bangkok
Arrive at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) at 06:40.
Included
- Round-trip international economy flights with baggage allowance per airline standard (checked and carry-on)
- Transport and sightseeing with an experienced driver
- Accommodation as listed, twin-share (tell us in advance if you need a triple; some hotels have no 3-bed rooms)
- Entrance fees and meals as stated in the program
- Experienced local guide, plus a Thai lecturer and tour leader
- Travel accident insurance of 1,000,000 baht per person (subject to the policy terms)
Not included
- Business Class upgrade on international flights
- Single-room supplement (if staying alone)
- Personal expenses such as passport fees, phone, internet, laundry, minibar, food and drinks outside the program, excess baggage, seat reservations, medical costs for pre-existing conditions, portable oxygen cans
- Tips for the tour leader, local guide and driver (recommended 70 USD per person)
- 7% VAT, 3% withholding tax and other taxes required by law
- Horse riding, 20 USD per person
- Fuel surcharges and airport taxes if the airline raises them
About this tour
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Kyrgyzstan: The Nomad of Divine Peaks
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