Issyk Kul

In 1932, Ella Maillart, a Swiss adventurer, describes the market of Kyzyl Suu, formerly Pakrovka, in her book "From the Celestial Mountains to the Red Sands". She makes a last supply before leaving to search for the basmatchis who were hiding in the Tien Shan mountains. The market is in the centre of the village on the main road south of Lake Issyk Kul.

You can find everything here, but the main reason for coming is fresh bread, meat, fruit, vegetables and dairy products.

Located just 2.5 km northeast of Karakol and conveniently situated along Toktogul Street—one of the city's main arteries—Karakol International Airport (IKG) welcomes you to the stunning landscapes of eastern Kyrgyzstan. Whether you're arriving for alpine adventures, cultural discovery, or lakeside relaxation, your journey begins here.

National Park Karakol is created 15th April at 1997 in Yssyk Kul region , district Ak-Suu as a reserve. It occupies 38256 h, and unique natural complexes of the gorge Karakol are stored in him.

The fauna is represented by a roe, a capricorn, a wolf, a fox, a marten, an ermine, from birds - an ular, a stone partridge. From the Red List: a leopard, a golden eagle,a kumai,a saker, a lamb live here.

The largest bay of the Issyk Kul lake. There are also few hot springs and wild sandy beaches.

Ak-Tash (which means "white stone" in Kyrgyz) lies at the foot of the great forests of Chong Kyzyl Suu Valley. 

The red rock hills form an incredible contrast between the blue Issyk Kul lake and the large meadows covered with edelweiss. In summer, the Ak-Tash yurt camp provides a stopover for overnight stays if you come on horseback or by foot from the Jukku Valley or Jeti Oguz. 

Discover Tuz-Kol: Kyrgyzstan’s Natural “Dead Sea”

Nestled on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, the second-largest mountain lake in the world, lies Tuz-Kol, a small hypersaline lake known as the Dead Lake. Situated at an altitude of about 1,600 meters, Tuz-Kol is framed by rolling steppe, dramatic cliffs, and distant snow-capped peaks of the Tien Shan. Its unique location offers a stunning contrast between the shimmering turquoise waters of Issyk-Kul nearby and the dark, mineral-rich waters of Tuz-Kol itself.

A Natural Wellness Retreat

There are two lakes, 1,2 km long and a lower lake 340 meters long. They are part of the Terskey Alatoo and the Issyk Kul oblast, even if the river flow into the Naryn bassin. It's situated near a popular local place names Jilu Suu (Jeli Suu) and its hot sources. From hot spring, you may count one day to hike there and back. It's also part of a trek between the valley of Karagoman till Jilu Suu through these lakes. Long time ago, these lakes were created after the retreat of the glacier Kelter (Köl Toer) which culminates at 4478 meters altitude.

 Nikolay Mikhailovich Przhewalsky was one of the first Russian Geographer who started studying in detail the geography, flora and fauna of the Central Asia. Beginning from 1870, he arranged 4 large expeditions to Mongolia, China, and Tibet.

During his expeditions, he revealed the exact directions of the mountain ranges and borders of the Tibetan Mountains. Przhewalsky collected an enormous zoological collection, which comprised several thousand of species of plant, animals, birds, fishes and insects.

The canyon was named because of its bizarre rocky landscape, which for many years has been transformed by erosion into amazing sculptures and formations. Some formations look like The Great Wall of China and you can also find other formations that look like snakes, dragons, sleeping giants and even whole castles. From the canyon you can see a majestic panorama of Lake Issyk-Kul and snow caped mountains. It’s an excellent destination for children and adults because it’s an easy hike close to Lake Issyk-Kul.