Characteristics of Individual Popular Tourist Routes in Kyrgyzstan

Route No. 1

Route thread: Bishkek — Chunkurchak Gorge — Baichchekek Glacier — Upper Chunkurchak — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: hiking, bus.

Length: 12 km on foot, 25 km by bus.

Duration: one day.

Brief description with points of interest: the route is radial from the beginning of the gorge to the glacier and back on foot. The path runs along the bed of the Chunkurchak River, which is called Baichchekek in the upper reaches. The excursion objects include the glacial zone, alpine vegetation, and glaciers of various forms. A stop is made at the glacier, after which tourists return back to the bus.

Route No. 2

Route thread: Bishkek — Chunkurchak Gorge — Tattuu-Bai Pass — Ber-Bulak Gorge (Malinovoe) — Vorontsovka Village — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: hiking (on skis), bus.

Length: 49 km, of which 15 km on foot, 34 km by bus.

Duration: one day.

Seasonality: year-round.

Brief description of the attraction: from the gorge, tourists walk to Ber-Bulak Gorge, explore it, and rest. They then continue towards Vorontsovka Village, where a bus will be waiting to take them back to Bishkek.

Route No. 3

Route thread: Bishkek — Chunkurchak Gorge — Kyzyl-Djal Pass — hot springs — Koy-Tash Village — Strenikova State Farm — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: hiking (skiing), bus.

Length: 60 km, of which 12–20 km on foot, 40 km by bus.

Duration: one day.

Seasonality: year-round.

Brief description, attractions: from the gorge to the hot springs, tourists walk over the pass. There, they swim, sunbathe, and have lunch. They return to the city by bus.

Route No. 4

Route thread: Bishkek — Koy-Tash Village — Alamidin Gorge — At-Dzhailoo Gorge — waterfall — hot springs — Koy-Tash Village — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: bus, hiking.

Length: 92 km, of which 12 km on foot, 80 km by bus.

Duration: one day.

Seasonality: year-round.

Brief description: tourists are taken to Alamidin Gorge by bus along the road through Koy-Tash Village (40 km). Along Alamidin Gorge, tourists walk to the birch grove, explore the waterfall, and descend to the hot springs. From there, they return to the city by bus.

Route No. 5

Route thread: Bishkek — Chunkurchak Gorge — Uchitel Pass — Ratsek Camp — Kashka-Suu Gorge — Vorontsovka Village — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: bus, hiking.

Length: 53 km, of which 30 km by bus, 23 km on foot.

Duration: 3 days.

Seasonality: May — September.

Brief description: on the first day, tourists will walk from Chunkurchak to the Baichchekek Glacier (12 km), overnight stay; on the second day, they will pass by Baichchekek Glacier and Ak-Sai through Uchitel Pass (4050 m above sea level) to Ratsek Camp (7 km); on the third day, from Ratsek Camp to the Alpine Camp through the Ala-Archa National Park, then by bus through Ala-Archa Gorge back to the city.

Route No. 6

Route thread: Bishkek — Alamidin Gorge — Achik-Tash Gorge — Boyrok Pass — Salyk Gorge — Alamidin Gorge — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: bus, hiking.

Length: 102 km, of which 80 km by bus, 22 km on foot.

Duration: 3 days.

Brief description: tourists are taken to the hot springs in Alamidin Gorge by bus. Then they walk through the gorge, then along the Achik-Tash River bed to the pass, where they will stay overnight; on the second day, they will cross the pass and descend through Salyk Gorge to Alamidin Gorge, where they will stay overnight; on the third day, they will reach the hot springs in Alamidin Gorge, from where they will return to the city by bus.

Route No. 7

Route thread: Bishkek — Chunkurchak Gorge — Chichar Pass — Alamidin Gorge — Tuyuk-Tor Gorge — Alamidin Pass — Issyk-Ata Pass — Issyk-Ata Gorge — Issyk-Ata Resort — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: bus, hiking.

Length: 110 km.

Duration: 6 days.

Seasonality: May — September.

Brief description: on the first day, tourists will walk from Chunkurchak through Chichar-At-Dzhailoo Pass to Alamidin Gorge, to the fork (20 km); on the second day, they will pass under Alamidin Pass (12 km); on the third day, they will make a radial exit to Tuyuk-Tor Gorge (15 km); on the fourth day, they will cross Alamidin Pass and Issyk-Ata Pass, staying overnight in Minzelki Gorge (20 km); on the fifth day, they will explore Issyk-Ata Gorge and Issyk-Ata Resort; on the sixth day, after swimming in the resort baths, tourists will return to the city by bus.

Route No. 8

Route thread: Bishkek — Aala-Archa Barrier — Alpine Camp — upper reaches of Aala-Archa Gorge — Alpine Camp — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: horseback, bus. Horses are in the Chebyk-Tybek gorge.

Length: 40 km on horseback, 50 km by bus.

Duration: one day.

Seasonality: May — September.

Brief description: from the city to the beginning of the gorge by bus, then they head along the Aala-Archa Gorge by road to the Alpine Camp, where they take a short break. Then they ascend along the dirt road to the upper reaches of Aala-Archa to the moraines, where they take a break, rest, and return to the city the same way. During the hike, tourists become acquainted with the flora and fauna of various landscape zones, as well as the most significant peaks of this area: Korona, Adygen, Ak-Sai, Semenova-Tyan-Shansky.

Route No. 9

Route thread: Bishkek — Chebyk-Tybek Gorge — Alpine Camp — Ak-Sai Gorge — Sharkyratma Gorge — Alpine Camp — Chebyk-Tybek — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: horseback, bus.

Length: 36 km on horseback, 60 km by bus.

Duration: one day.

Seasonality: May — September.

Brief description: tourists from Chebyk-Tybek on horseback head along the Aala-Archa Gorge on the asphalt road and pedestrian paths, turning into Ak-Sai Gorge. They ascend to the upper reaches, where they explore two Ak-Sai waterfalls. Then they cross over to Sharkyratma Gorge, where there is a cascade of waterfalls. Here they take a break for lunch and rest. They return to the Alpine Camp and then to Chebyk-Tybek to the bus.

Route No. 10

Route thread: Bishkek — recreation center — Kashka-Suu Gorge — pass — gorge, Kara-Bulak — Lower Tatyr Village — Vorontsovka Village — Bishkek.

Mode of travel: bus, hiking.

Length: 50 km, of which 38 km by bus, 12 km on foot.

Duration: one day.

Seasonality: year-round.

Brief description: from the city, tourists travel by bus to the recreation center. Then they hike along Kashka-Suu Gorge to the waterfall in its middle course. Next, they cross over the pass into Kara-Bulak Gorge, where there is a waterfall called “Dove Waterfall.” They descend along the river to Lower Tatyr Village, where a bus is waiting to take them back to the city through Vorontsovka Village.