Tours on lake Issyk Kul.

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving” 

Terry Pratchett. “A Hat Full of Sky”.

Short description of a route of tour through gorge Boom around of lake Issyk Kul:

Bishkek - natural park Ala-Archa - an architectural complex the Tower Burana - settlement Kalmak-Ashuu - gorge Chong-Kemin - lake Issyk Kul - town Cholpon-Ata - petroglyphs "Cholpon-Ata" - Grigoryevskoe and gorges Semenovskoe - town of Karakol - gorge Altyn-Arashan (Gold Source) - gorge Dzhety-Oguz - gorge Barskoon - gorge "Fairy tale" - town of Bishkek.

Distance of route: 1144 km.
Season: from May, 1st till October, 1st.
Best time for travel: July - September.
Duration if tour: 5 days, 4 nights.

Detailed description of tour on gorge Chong-Kemin and vicinities of lake Issyk Kul:

Familiarization tour in Kyrgyzstan.

Day 1. Bishkek - architectural complex the Tower Burana - settlement Kalmak-Ashuu (148 km). 
Arrival in Bishkek, meeting at airport "Manas", transfer to hotel (30 km), arrival in Bishkek, transfer to hotel, accommodation, overnight. Transfer: Bishkek - an architectural complex «Burana Tower» (72 km, 1 hour). Arrival on an architecturally-archeological museum «Burana» ruins of ancient site of ancient settlement Burana.
Visiting of museum open-air - Stone statue monuments with image Turkomans VI - X centuries, here is collected more than 80 various Stone statue. Visiting of collections the mill millstones found at excavation in territory Burana of site of ancient settlement (X - XII c.c., millstones from mills of our time and millstones XVIII - beginnings XX с.с.
Visiting of museum Burana Tower, the pottery of different forms and the sizes, utensils from glass, ceramic and bronze fixtures, manual grain bruiser, Kairaks with Arabian and Nestorianism writing, potter's water pipes, subjects of arts and crafts, bronze coins here is presented. 
Visiting of monuments Epigraphy which are presented gravestone stela with inscriptions in the Arabian language, on stela sayings from the Koran, name, year of death of the late are include. Visiting of tower Burana Tower. Burana Tower - minaret of XI century. Initial height Burana of minaret was 45 meters now height of tower makes 24,6 meters.
Visiting of the central ruins where there is hill in the sizes 100 х 100 meters and height of 10 meters which where there are rests of palace complex or temple existed here up to X centuries. The excavation lead on hill, on the top surface here have opened inhabited constructions X - XII c.c. And burial places XIII - XIV c.c. The end of excursion.
The further transfer: an architectural complex «The Tower Burana» - settlement Kemin - gorge Chong-Kemin - settlement the Tort-Kul - settlement Shabdan - settlement Kalmak-Ashuu (69 km). Arrival in settlement Kalmak-Ashu, transfer to the guest house, accommodation. A lunch in the guest house. After a lunch walk on horses on the river Kalmak-Ashuu.
Horses riding: settlement Kalmak-Ashuu - gorge Kalmak-Ashuu (7 km). The small river Kalmak-Ashuu originates on northern slope of ridge Kungei Ala-Too and is the left inflow of the river Chong-Kemin. We rise upwards on the river behind our back opens grandiose panoramas of gorge Chong-Kemin which was stretched from the east on the West.
The river Chong-Kemin originates from high-mountainous lake Zhasylkol which is located in east part of gorge Chong-Kemin in Chiliko-Kemin to the crosspiece. Walk in vicinities. Returning in settlement Kalmak-Ashu, dinner and overnight.
Day 2. Settlement Kalmak-Ashuu - settlement Balykchi - lake Issyk Kul - town Cholpon-Ata – cave painting «Cholpon-Ata» - settlement Bulan-Sogotu (177 km).
Breakfast. Transfer: Kalmak-Ashuu - cave painting «Cholpon-Ata» (154 km). On a way we pass grandiose gorge Boom on which the river Chu flows. The Chinese path-breakers of lake Issyk Kul approved that the river Chu follows from lake Issyk Kul.
Arrival on Cave painting "Cholpon-Ata", walk and photographing Cave painting. Cave painting «Cholpon-Ata» monument various epoch and cultures. Cave painting are presented by greater natural boundary from thousand stones which I borrow 42 hectares of the ground located near to town Cholpon-Ata. Figures represent animals, stages of hunting, war and holidays. Dates of figures - from the begnning of 2000 up to B.C. Till VII century.
Transfer: Cave painting "Cholpon-Ata", - town Cholpon-Ata (3 km). Visiting in town Cholpon-Ata of ethno-religious complex Rukh-Ordo on northern I protect lakes Issyk Kuls. The complex is named in honour of Kirghiz writer Chingiza Ajtmatova.
Rukh Orda is the cultural center propagandizing unity of the god in its all displays and equality all alive before founder. In territory of a complex are constructed five chapel in honour of four basicic religious faiths: the christianity, Moslem, the Buddhism, judaism, thus christianity is presented by two chapels. In territory of a complex memorial house Chingiz Aitmatov and the sculptures, devoted to its products, two exhibition halls with ethnic symbols of nomadic people, a photo gallery, a portrait hall and a concert hall which stage comes to an end with the open kind to Issyk Kul is located.
The end of walk. Transfer: town Cholpon-Ata - settlement Bozteri - settlement Bulan-Sogotu - health resort "Aurora" (20 km). Arrival in health resort the Aurora, accommodation in hotel. Walk on vicinities of sanatorium, at lake Issyk-Kul. Overnight in hotel.
Day 3. Grigoryevskoe and gorges Semenovskoe - town of Karakol (179 km). 
Breakfast. Trip to mountains Kungei Ala-Too. Transfer: Cholpon-Ata - settlement Grigoreyvka - gorge Grigoreyvka - First lake (56 km). On way to the First lake located in gorge Chon-Aksu stop on coast of river Chon-Aksu at local shepherds who have put here the yurts for the summer, acquaintance to life of the Kyrgyzh shepherds, tasting of national dairy drinks Kyrgyzh - koumiss and airan (keefir).
Arrival on lake, walk in vicinities of lake, photographing of lake landscapes with Tien-Shan fur-trees. In gorge magnificent kinds of fir forest which grows on slopes of mountain ridges and infinite Alpine meadows and glades on which cost yurts the Kyrgyzh shepherds and are grazed flocks of sheeps and herds of horses.
Transfer: First lake - gorge Grigoryevka - pass Kek-Bel of 2376 meters above sea level - Semenovka gorge (11 km). On way the stop on pass Kek-Bel, from here opens fine panorama on gorge Grigoreyvka and the top part of gorge Semenovka. Walks in gorge Semenovka, photographing of vicinities.
The further transfer: Semenovka gorge - settlement Semenovka - Cholpon-Ata - yachts club on lake Issyk Kul (52 km). Walk on boat on lake Issyk Kul (1 hour).
The further transfer: gorge Semenovskoe - settlement Semenovka - settlement Tyup - museum Przhevalskii (100 km). Arrival in museum Przhevalskii, visiting of museum. The museum is in 12 kilometers on the north from the town of Karakol, visit of a tomb, a monument and a museum of the great traveller of XIX century to Nikolay Przhevalskiy.
The further transfer: museum Przhevalskiy - town of Karakol (12 km). Arrival in Karakol, transfer to hotel, accommodation, overnight.
4 Day. Karakol - settlement Ak-Suu - gorge Altyn-Arashan (Gold Springs) - river Arasan - pass Ortok of 2300 meters above sea level - a resort Altyn-Arashan (35 km).
Breakfast. From this settlement (old name Teploklychenka) in the autumn 1869 were the military garrison of the Russian armies is moved to Karakol. During that far time the military garrison referred to Aksuuskim as strengthening which was control centre Issyk-Kul of district. The asphalt road will be stretched a little more behind settlement Ak-Suu and will soon end in gorge Ak-Suu. It is one of extreme roads to tourist sights of vicinities of lake Issyk Kul.
This road can be overcome by jeeps with high clearance, it is necessary for that to overcome huge stones, gullies. Near to resort Arashan there is a rise from chernozem which too is necessary for overcoming, even during a rain. Before the resort small pass Ortok 2300 underground внад a sea level. Stops in ways, photographing of vicinities, the rivers Arasan which flows in deep gorge. Arrival on resort Arasan. This one of the most beautiful gorges in Kyrgyzstan being on northern slopes of ridge Terskey Ala-Too.
On resort Arasan it is possible to be expiated in natural hot radonic springs, and then to pass in cool waters of the river Arashan which flows nearby. Picnic at the river. Walks in vicinities of a resort. Thermal sources "Altyn-Arashan' are located in a picturesque valley, in a zone of the Alpine meadows.
Near to the river there are thermal springs with different structure of water and temperature. In a source there is a hydrogen sulphide, the temperature of water reaches + 41 degree, in radonic +32 degrees. Here it is possible to take baths the year round, local curative water treats illnesses of joints, bodies of digestion, a liver, kidneys, hearts.
From a resort on the south and further on a southwest the track to lake is laid Is Ala-Kel from which it is possible to go down in gorge of the river Karakol. In vicinities of curative springs there are some wooden small houses on a picturesque glade on the right and at the left on coast of the river Arashan.
On the south the kind on unapproachable 5000 - Aksu a wall opens. This snow-ice top is similar to huge white tent dominating above the next peaks Terskey Ala-Too. In second half of day returning to Karakol. Arrival in Karakol, overnight.
Day 5. Karakol - gorge Dzhety-Oguz - valley Kok-Zhaiyk - gorge Barskoon - Bishkek (570 km).
Breakfast. Transfer: Karakol - gorge Kok-Zhaiyk (Dzhety-Oguz) (39 km). Walks and excursions on sights of gorge Dzhety-Oguz. Beautiful gorge with well-known red, combined from sandstone, rocks «Seven bulls» and «The Broken heart». Walk on gorge up to «The Valley of flowers».
The further transfer: gorge Dzhety-Oguz - a falls of "Tear of a leopard» (106 km). Our way on the West from gorge Dzhety-Oguz lays on southern coast of lake Issyk-Kul. In some places the road will come nearer to coast to lake, in beautiful places we shall stop and photograph lake with blue, turquoise water. Arrival on a falls of "Tears of a leopard».
Walk in vicinities of a falls. The gorge Barskoon is well-known for the falls. In an average part of gorge the monument to the first cosmonaut Jury Gagarin is established. Visiting of a monument to Jury Gagarin. Through gorge Barskoon there passes a highway on mine Kumtor where extract gold the Canadian company, the mine is located on height more than 4000 meters above sea level.
Transfer: gorge Barskoon - gorge "Story" (24 km). After gorge Barskoon and a water dust of a falls we shall enjoy absolutely unusual forms of relief Issyk-Kul of a depression, these are sedimentary breeds of fantastic towns and forms. Here there is a canyon under the name «The Chinese wall» in the extent of 5 kilometers. Walk in vicinities of a canyon "Fairy tale".
After a canyon "Fairy tale" visiting of lake Kosh-Kara-Kel (5 km) which is in 180 meters from southern coast of lake Issyk Kul. Walk on coast of lake.
Transfer: lake Kosh-Kara-Kel - Bishkek (301 km). Arrival in Bishkek, end tour.

Note:
Author program is Alexander Petrov. Copying and introduction -  from sanction of author.

Photos by
Vasiliy, equestrian club, Tamga village.