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Magic lakes of Sary Chelek

Discovering the lakes of Sary Chelek on horse

Sary Chelek is a UNESCO bioshpere reserve, 600km from Bishkek and 340km from Osh. The name "Yellow Jar" in Kyrgyz come from the main lake of the region, and the second deepest of the country after the Issyk Kul lake. It's surrounded by other small lakes in the middle of one of the three most important walnut forest of Kyrgyzstan. The rich variety of flora and fauna is another important facet of this area. The program start from the Arkyt village at 1300m., east-side of the main Sary Chelek lake, and will finish into the Sary Chelek valley till the Arkyt village and main entrance of the park. The level of difficulty is moderate and open for amateur or beginner, and can be adapted for horseback riding lovers. The highest point is the Makmal pass at 2655m.

This horse-trek satisfy all the desires of enthusiasts jumper between epic traditions, history of the Silk Road and fascinating landscapes.

6 DaysAdventure toursKyrgyzstan

  • 1 people: $779

  • 2 people: $545

  • 3 people: $467

  • 4 people: $415

  • 5 people: $384

  • 6 people: $372

  • Starting from

    $372
    USD

    Download the program PDF

    Program

    
            Osh - Arkyt village
    Osh - village Arkyt
    Osh - Arkyt village

    Early afternoon, meeting with our guide in Osh city, then transfer by shared taxi to Arkyt  village (300km). Preparation of local meal "Dimdama". After dinner we have a small musical arrangement. Overnight in homestay.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    330 km
    06:00
    
            Arkyt village - Kara-Suu lake
    Horseback riding from Arkyt village to the lake Kara-Suu
    Arkyt village - Kara-Suu lake

    After breakfast, we ride up and down the forest's nuts on east side of Arkyt village. In the afternoon, we ride up along the banks of the Kara-Suu River, in the middle of walnut and fir forest. The valley becomes rather narrow and the slopes are covered with a beautiful silver fir forest. Further on the track passes below a waterfall and then we climb to Kara-Suu Lake (1802m). Installation of the camp. Overnight in tent.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    19 km
    05:00
    1400 m
    800 m
    
            Kara-Suu lake - Sary-Chelek lake
    Day of riding from Kara Suu lake to Sary Chelek lake
    Kara-Suu lake - Sary-Chelek lake

    Breakfast, then continue the trek along the Kara-Suu river where the slopes of the mountains are covered with silver fir forests. The stony road winds through inhabited jailoos (mountain pastures). After lunch we cross the Makmal Pass (2550m), and descend into the Kula Taï canyon till the Sary Chelek river. After 2 km into a canyon, the landscape open on the main Sary Chelek lake. Tonight our guide will explain legends of the Sary Chelek lake. Overnight in tent. (1875 m, 17 km, 4-5 h).

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    17 km
    
            Sary-Chelek lake - Bakaly lake
    Day of riding from Sary Chelek lake to Bakaly lake
    Sary-Chelek lake - Bakaly lake

    After breakfast, we leave the bank of Sary Chelek lake and we cross the Ashuu Pass (2560 m) where we ride through fir forests and have a panoramic view of the infinite ridges of the Tien-Shan mountains stretching to the far horizon and beyond. During the descent from the pass we will have lunch and then continue down through the Keshkil gorge to the bottom part of Sary-Chelek lake where we will have dinner and camp overnight in tents (25 km, 6 h).

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    25 km
    06:00
    
            Bakaly lake - Arkyt village
    Day of riding from Bakaly lake to Arkit village
    Bakaly lake - Arkyt village

    In the morning excursion to the 5 small lakes of Sary-Chelek (10 km, 2:30 h) till noon. After this we will continue on through the fir and walnut forests enjoying the panoramic views on the way to Arkyt village for dinner and overnight in a homestay (20 km, 4 h).

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    20 km
    05:00
    
            Arkyt village - Osh
    Drive from Arkyt to Osh city
    Arkyt village - Osh

    In the morning after breakfast, visit of the local zoological and geological museum, then transfer with our guide to Osh by shared taxi. Arriving at midday in Osh. (end of the program, lunch not included). 

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    330 km
    04:00
    400 m
    600 m

    Excellent agency, run by professionals and great enthusiasts of Central Asia. I needed a guide and a tailor-made trip for my photography activity. Thanks to Nomad's Land, I was able to discover everything I wanted and benefit from the advice and recommendations of enthusiastic people.

    Antoine Beguier

    We left with Nomad’s Land this summer for a week of exploring the surroundings of Kel Suu and we can only applaud the seriousness and professionalism of the agency. Getting in touch was easy, the team was always available and attentive to our needs. In addition to being able to discover a place that is difficult to access for independent hikers - and absolutely superb - we also took a real pleasure in getting more deeply into the Kyrgyz culture by sharing for a few days the life of a local family. A big thank you to our guide for his dynamism, his good humor and for providing us with the keys to understanding the country better. We hope to come back soon and be able to experience another trek with Nomad’s Land!

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    On your way

    Info

    What is included

    • All transportation in a private vehicle

    • All airport transfers

    • Accommodation as described in the program

    • Meals (3 per day)

    • Bottled water (when possible) & tea

    • English-speaking trekking guide

    • Horses with local saddles

    • Pack horses with saddle bags & horsemen

    • Camping & cooking equipment (tents, mats, gas, stove, etc)

    • All the activities listed in the program

    • Entry fees at national parks and/or border zones listed in the program

    • Entry fees at museums and historical sites listed in the program

    • Domestic flights mentioned in the program

    • A contribution to our sustainable development projects

    • Organisation of the trip & local taxes

    What is not included

    • International flights

    • International banking fees (PayPal, ...)

    • Travel & repatriation insurance

    • Visas / LOI (if applicable)

    • Alcoholic and soft drinks

    • Personal expenses

    • Personal equipment (sleeping bag, headlight, personal medication, etc)

    • Additional costs due to unexpected personal events (health, loss of luggage, ...)

    • Tips for guide & driver (always optional, always appreciated)

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    Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

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