Bishkek Camp
Camping
Days 1, 7
Ala Kul — 6 days (Bishkek, Karakol, Sirota, Altyn Arashan & Jeti Oguz)
Eight days, one eleven-hour pass day, and a hot spring after it. Six days doing the trek in the reverse direction from Arashan, which splits the pass day in two.
Meridian Overland
Runs this trip
Trekking
Eight days, one eleven-hour pass day, and a hot spring after it
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Ala-Too SquareEight days to a lake at 3,560 m and back down to a hot spring — the Tien Shan side of Kyrgyzstan that the Song Kul trip does not reach. Issyk-KulIssyk-Kul is saline and never freezes despite sitting at 1,600 m, which is where the name comes from — hot lake. Karakol valleyTien Shan spruce grows tall and very narrow, and the valley is full of it up to about 2,800 m.
Itinerary
Eight days to a lake at 3,560 m and back down to a hot spring — the Tien Shan side of Kyrgyzstan that the Song Kul trip does not reach.
BishkekHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer into the city
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationBishkek Camp
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Hotel night
LANDMARKS Ala-Too Square Osh Bazaar Bishkek Start point Bishkek, Manas International Airport (FRU), Bishkek 00:00 - 23:59Issyk-Kul is saline and never freezes despite sitting at 1,600 m, which is where the name comes from — hot lake.
Bishkek, KarakolHow the day runs
- 7 hrs8:00 AM — the north shore road east
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationKarakol Camp
Included Activities
- Transport
- Guesthouse at Karakol
LANDMARKS Issyk-Kul Karakol Dungan mosque Wooden cathedral Tien Shan spruce grows tall and very narrow, and the valley is full of it up to about 2,800 m.
Karakol, SirotaHow the day runs
- 1 hrs8:00 AM — to the trailhead
- 5 hrs9:30 AM — up the valley through Tien Shan spruce
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- AccommodationSirota Camp
Included Activities
- Camp with all meals
- Guide and porters
LANDMARKS Karakol valley Tien Shan spruce Sirota camp Eleven hours, two thousand metres of ascent and descent combined, and both sides of the pass are loose scree. The lake is an impossible turquoise and nobody stays long because of the wind.
Sirota, Ala Kul, Altyn ArashanHow the day runs
- 5 hrs5:30 AM — the climb to the lake and the pass
- 5 hrs11:30 AM — the long descent to the hot springs
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- AccommodationAltyn Arashan Camp
Included Activities
- Guesthouse at Altyn Arashan
- Guide
LANDMARKS Ala Kul lake Ala Kul pass Altyn Arashan valley The springs are in concrete huts built in the Soviet period and they are exactly what you want the day after the pass.
Altyn ArashanHow the day runs
- The springs, and nothing else. Legs.
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- AccommodationAltyn Arashan Camp
Included Activities
- Guesthouse with all meals
Optional Activities
- A short walk up the valley towards the glacier
LANDMARKS Altyn Arashan Hot springs Palatka peak The track down is a riverbed and the vehicles that do it are old UAZ trucks. Walking is more comfortable and takes longer.
Altyn Arashan, KarakolHow the day runs
- 5 hrs8:00 AM — the walk out, or the 4x4 down the riverbed track
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationKarakol Camp
Included Activities
- Guesthouse at Karakol
Optional Activities
- The 4x4 out, which most groups take
LANDMARKS Arashan valley Ak-Suu Karakol The south shore is drier and emptier than the north and the road is better than it was.
Karakol, Jeti Oguz, BishkekHow the day runs
- 1 hrs7:30 AM — the Seven Bulls and the Broken Heart
- 6 hrs10:30 AM — the south shore road west
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationBishkek Camp
Included Activities
- Transport
- Hotel in Bishkek
LANDMARKS Jeti Oguz Seven Bulls Issyk-Kul south shore Manas flies through Istanbul, Dubai and Moscow, mostly at night.
BishkekHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer to Manas
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 2Transport
- Day 2Guesthouse at Karakol
- Day 3Camp with all meals
- Day 3Guide and porters
- Day 4Guesthouse at Altyn Arashan
- Day 4Guide
- Day 5Guesthouse with all meals
- Day 5A short walk up the valley towards the glacierCosts extra
- Day 6The 4x4 out, which most groups takeCosts extra
- Day 7Hotel in Bishkek
- Day 1 · 1 nightBishkek Camp
- Day 2 · 1 nightKarakol Camp
- Day 3 · 1 nightSirota Camp
- Day 4 · 2 nightsAltyn Arashan Camp
- Day 6 · 1 nightKarakol Camp
- Day 7 · 1 nightBishkek Camp
- Day 1Bishkek to BishkekTransfer into the city
- Day 2Bishkek to Karakol8:00 AM — the north shore road east
- Day 3Karakol to Karakol8:00 AM — to the trailhead
- Day 7Karakol to Jeti Oguz7:30 AM — the Seven Bulls and the Broken Heart
- Day 7Jeti Oguz to Bishkek10:30 AM — the south shore road west
- Day 8Bishkek to BishkekTransfer to Manas
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Karakol Camp
Camping
Days 2, 6
Sirota Camp
Camping
Day 3
Altyn Arashan Camp
Camping
Days 4, 5
What you'll eat
7 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 6 dinners across 8 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 8.
- DinnerServed on days 1–6
- BreakfastServed on days 2–8
- LunchServed on days 3–5
16 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.3/5
Based on 11 reviews
Review summary
Food3.9/5
Guide4.4/5
Itinerary4.1/5
Transport4.1/5
Accommodation4.1/5
Tour operator3.9/5
Sort by:Recommended
4
A
Aditi Rao – Hyderabad2025-11-28 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Recommended.
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2
A
Aditi Rao – Chennai2025-11-28 · Verified booking
Long transfer at both ends that isn't obvious from the listing. Budget a day either side.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
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3
D
Dev Chatterjee – Lucknow2025-11-28 · Verified booking
The trek itself is good but the group was too large for the trail on the summit day. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
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5
P
Priya Nair – Chandigarh2025-11-28 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be.
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5
P
Priya Nair – Delhi2025-11-28 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Tents were warmer than expected and the camp was set up before we arrived. Food was plentiful and hot, which counts for a lot at altitude. Solid operator.
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5
I
Ishita Ghosh – Pune2025-02-25 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Camp was pitched and the kitchen going by the time we walked in each evening. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones.
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4
M
Marc Dubois – Singapore2025-02-25 · Verified booking
The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb.
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5
T
Tom Bergman – London2025-02-25 · Verified booking
Did this over 8 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. Camp was pitched and the kitchen going by the time we walked in each evening. Meals were good throughout and the vegetarian options weren't an afterthought. Good value for what's included.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
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Questions people ask
One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →