GuardTrailsKyrgyzstan · July
Off the beaten track
The Nomadic Clay & Silk Road Trails
Less-visited places, with one or two classics all the same.
Discover the hidden valleys, red clay canyons, and remote Silk Road outposts surrounding Song-Köl, far from the standard tourist highway.
- days26
- bases20
- stages23
- nights25
- transfer days18
- walking days1
- stage to stage≈ 2,242 km
- at the wheel, day by day≈ 48 h 11
includes legs from an approximate position
Who this itinerary is for
This itinerary suits a traveller looking for: a trip in July, days of walking, a day hike and a village stroll.
The area
the scenic valleys of Chong-Kemin and Shamsy, the high-altitude steppes of Song-Köl, the red clay canyons of Kyzyl-Oi, and the remote Silk Road outposts of Tash Rabat and At-Bashy
The map
Loading the map…
The days at a glance
One line per day: where you sleep, what the day is, the road, and how its time is split.
| Day | Evening base | The day | Road | Time of the day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day1 | Evening base : Bishkek | ArrivalBishkek, arrival | Road 38 min | 5.0 h usable |
| Day2 | Evening base : Tokmok | TransferShamsy Gorge | Road 1 h 56 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day3 | Evening base : Chong-Kemin | TransferChong-Kemin Valley & Alpine Meadows | Road 1 h 18 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day4 | Evening base : Balykchy | TransferOrto-Tokoy Reservoir & Desert Hills | Road 2 h 06 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day5 | Evening base : Balykchy | Day excursionKochkor Crafts & Ukok Valley | Road 1 h 37 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day6 | Evening base : Kyart | TransferKyart Village & Kilemche Jailoo | Road ≈ 2 h 08 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day7 | Evening base : Sary-Bulak | TransferSary-Bulak Meadows & Trout Streams | Road ≈ 1 h 40 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day8 | Evening base : Sary-Bulak | Day on siteSary-Bulak Meadows & Trout Streams | — | 12.0 h usable |
| Day9 | Evening base : Song-Köl | TransferSong-Köl Northern Shore & Petroglyphs | Road 1 h 31 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day10 | Evening base : Ak-Tal | TransferAk-Tal | Road ≈ 2 h 25 | 5.0 h usable |
| Day11 | Evening base : Kel-Suu | TransferKel-Suu Lake & Kok-Kiya Canyons | Road ≈ 3 h 12 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day12 | Evening base : Chatyr-Kul | TransferChatyr-Kul Lake & Torugart Borderlands | Road 2 h 12 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day13 | Evening base : Tash Rabat | Walking dayTash Rabat Caravanserai | — | 12.0 h usable |
| Day14 | Evening base : At-Bashy | TransferKoshoy Korgon Ruins | Road 1 h 01 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day15 | Evening base : Naryn | TransferEki-Naryn Pine Canyons | Road 1 h 42 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day16 | Evening base : Baetov | TransferBaetov Clay Canyons & Moldo-Ashu | Road 2 h 59 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day17 | Evening base : Kazarman | TransferKazarman Gold Town | Road 3 h 34 | 5.0 h usable |
| Day18 | Evening base : Arslanbob | TransferArslanbob Walnut Forests & Waterfalls | Road 2 h 59 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day19 | Evening base : Arslanbob | Day on siteArslanbob Walnut Forests & Waterfalls | — | 8.0 h usable |
| Day20 | Evening base : Uzgen | TransferUzgen Silk Road Heritage & Terracotta | Road 2 h 05 | 5.0 h usable |
| Day21 | Evening base : Chaek | TransferChaek Town & Jumgal River Cliffs | Road 3 h 52 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day22 | Evening base : Chaek | Day excursionKyzyl-Oi Ochre Village & Kokomeren | Road ≈ 1 h 24 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day23 | Evening base : Suusamyr | TransferSuusamyr Valley Steppes | Road ≈ 1 h 21 | 12.0 h usable |
| Day24 | Evening base : Chychkan | TransferChychkan Gorge & Toktogul Cliffs | Road ≈ 1 h 54 | 8.0 h usable |
| Day25 | Evening base : Chychkan | Day on siteChychkan Gorge & Toktogul Cliffs | — | 8.0 h usable |
| Day26 | — | DepartureBishkek, departure | Road ≈ 4 h 37 | 5.0 h usable |
- programme
- road
- free time
Good to know
What it leaves aside
This itinerary focuses deeply on the rugged, less-visited interior valleys and high-altitude steppes of the Naryn and Chuy regions.
Getting there
Fly to Manas International Airport (BSZ), 38 min by road from the start.
Where you sleep
Accommodation around Song-Köl primarily consists of traditional yurt camps operated by local families, and it is highly recommended to book in advance during the peak summer season.
Safety
Kyrgyzstan: no warning from the UK authorities (FCDO). Advice of 2026-09-14 · Official advice
Check before booking and before taking out insurance: the advice may have changed since.
Why this version, the cost in detail and the sources are on the method page. Read the method →
When, and for how long
How long?
- You ask for
- 28days
- The area needs, at least
- 27days
- Days kept
- 26days
Travelling in July.
The climate — July
- Daily high, 1 day in 4 is hotter
- 27 °C
- Daily high, 1 day in 20 is hotter
- 30 °C
- Unfavourable day
- 1%
- Windy day
- 8%
Rain, wind and temperature are measured over the 8 h in the middle of the day, on a historical baseline of 145 observations (Open-Meteo). It is a measuring window, not the length of your day: each day of the programme counts 12 h of usable time.
The itinerary, day by day
23 stages over 26 days, in the order of the days. A stage appears on the day you first reach it: you sleep several nights at some, and a day trip leaves from your base and brings you back to it. Each day has its own page.
The usable window changes from one day to the next: each day gives its own. Room to breathe — we have not padded these days to fill them: the free time left is part of the trip.
- Day 1ARRIVALBishkek, arrival · night in Bishkek38 min on the road · 5 h usableSee the day →
- Day 2Shamsy Gorge · night in Tokmok8 h planned · 1 h 56 on the road · 12 h usableSee the day →
Stage 3 · Chong-Kemin
Chong-Kemin Valley & Alpine Meadows
We sleep in Bordunskii, 5.3 km from the place visited
1 night · climate favourable
- Day 3Chong-Kemin Valley & Alpine Meadows · night in Chong-Kemin8 h planned · 1 h 18 on the road · 12 h usableSee the day →
Stage 4 · Balykchy
Orto-Tokoy Reservoir & Desert Hills
We sleep in Orto-Tokoy, 3.7 km from the place visited
2 nights · climate variable
- Day 4Orto-Tokoy Reservoir & Desert Hills · night in Balykchy5 h planned · 2 h 06 on the road · 8 h usableSee the day →
Stage 5 · Kochkor
Kochkor Crafts & Ukok Valley
Day trip from Balykchy · no night here · climate variable
- Day 5EXCURSIONfrom Balykchy → Kochkor Crafts & Ukok Valley6 h planned · 1 h 37 on the road · 8 h usableSee the day →
Stage 6 · Kyart
Kyart Village & Kilemche Jailoo
≈ approximate position — the point found is 18 km from the expected place
1 night · climate variable
- Day 6Kyart Village & Kilemche Jailoo · night in Kyart8 h planned · ≈ 2 h 08 on the road from an approximate position · 12 h usableSee the day →
Stage 7 · Sary-Bulak
Sary-Bulak Meadows & Trout Streams
2 nights · climate favourable
- Day 7Sary-Bulak Meadows & Trout Streams · night in Sary-Bulak8 h planned · ≈ 1 h 40 on the road from an approximate position · 12 h usableSee the day →
- Day 8AT BASESary-Bulak Meadows & Trout Streams · night in Sary-Bulak8 h planned · 12 h usableSee the day →
Stage 8 · Song-Köl
Song-Köl Northern Shore & Petroglyphs
We sleep in Song kol lake "Tilek yurt camp", 7 km from the place visited
1 night · sleeping at Song kol lake "Tilek yurt camp", 23 km from Kyzart · climate favourable
- Day 9Song-Köl Northern Shore & Petroglyphs · night at Song kol lake "Tilek yurt camp", 23 km from Kyzart8 h 30 planned · 1 h 31 on the road · 12 h usableSee the day →
Stage 9 · Ak-Tal
Ak-Tal
≈ approximate position — the point found is 26 km from the expected place
1 night · climate to watch
- Day 10Ak-Tal · night in Ak-Tal2 h planned · ≈ 2 h 25 on the road from an approximate position · 5 h usableSee the day →
Stage 10 · Kel-Suu
Kel-Suu Lake & Kok-Kiya Canyons
We sleep at Meder Yurt Camp, 9.9 km away
1 night · climate favourable
- Day 11TRANSFERKel-Suu Lake & Kok-Kiya Canyons · night in Kel-Suu7 h planned · ≈ 3 h 12 on the road from an approximate position · 12 h usableSee the day →
Stage 11 · Chatyr-Kul
Chatyr-Kul Lake & Torugart Borderlands
We sleep at Tourists Yurt camp 1000som sleepdinnerbreaky, 9.1 km away
1 night · climate favourable
- Day 12Chatyr-Kul Lake & Torugart Borderlands · night in Chatyr-Kul8 h planned · 2 h 12 on the road · 12 h usableSee the day →
- Day 13WALKTash Rabat Caravanserai · night in Tash Rabat9 h 46 planned · 12 h usableSee the day →
Stage 13 · At-Bashy
Koshoy Korgon Ruins
We sleep at Guest house Kyrgyz Friends, 1 km away
1 night · climate variable
- Day 14Koshoy Korgon Ruins · night in At-Bashy9 h planned · 1 h 01 on the road · 12 h usableSee the day →
- Day 15Eki-Naryn Pine Canyons · night in Naryn8 h planned · 1 h 42 on the road · 12 h usableSee the day →
- Day 16TRANSFERBaetov Clay Canyons & Moldo-Ashu · night in Baetov4 h planned · 2 h 59 on the road · 8 h usableSee the day →
- Day 17TRANSFERKazarman Gold Town · night in Kazarman2 h planned · 3 h 34 on the road · 5 h usableSee the day →
Stage 17 · Arslanbob
Arslanbob Walnut Forests & Waterfalls
We sleep at CBT guest house, 2.4 km away
2 nights · sleeping at CBT guest house, 44 km from Arslanbob · climate variable
- Day 18TRANSFERArslanbob Walnut Forests & Waterfalls · night at CBT guest house, 44 km from Arslanbob5 h planned · 2 h 59 on the road · 8 h usableSee the day →
- Day 19AT BASEArslanbob Walnut Forests & Waterfalls · night at CBT guest house, 44 km from Arslanbob7 h 30 planned · 8 h usableSee the day →
Stage 18 · Uzgen
Uzgen Silk Road Heritage & Terracotta
We sleep in Özgön, 100 m from the place visited
1 night · climate to watch
- Day 20Uzgen Silk Road Heritage & Terracotta · night in Uzgen2 h 55 planned · 2 h 05 on the road · 5 h usableSee the day →
- Day 21TRANSFERChaek Town & Jumgal River Cliffs · night in Chaek4 h planned · 3 h 52 on the road · 8 h usableSee the day →
Stage 20 · Kyzyl-Oi
Kyzyl-Oi Ochre Village & Kokomeren
≈ approximate position — placed on “Kyzyl-Oi”, where you sleep: the place itself was not found
Day trip from Chaek · no night here · climate variable
- Day 22EXCURSIONfrom Chaek → Kyzyl-Oi Ochre Village & Kokomeren5 h planned · ≈ 1 h 24 on the road from an approximate position · 8 h usableSee the day →
Stage 21 · Suusamyr
Suusamyr Valley Steppes
≈ approximate position — the point found is 17 km from the expected place
1 night · climate favourable
- Day 23Suusamyr Valley Steppes · night in Suusamyr8 h planned · ≈ 1 h 21 on the road from an approximate position · 12 h usableSee the day →
Stage 22 · Chychkan
Chychkan Gorge & Toktogul Cliffs
≈ approximate position — the point found is 21 km from the expected place
We sleep at Belek Dream Hotel, 9.1 km away
2 nights · climate variable
- Day 24Chychkan Gorge & Toktogul Cliffs · night in Chychkan6 h planned · ≈ 1 h 54 on the road from an approximate position · 8 h usableSee the day →
- Day 25AT BASEChychkan Gorge & Toktogul Cliffs · night in Chychkan7 h 30 planned · 8 h usableSee the day →
- Day 26DEPARTUREBishkek, departure · end of the trip2 h planned · ≈ 4 h 37 on the road from an approximate position · 5 h usableSee the day →
What it costs, roughly
€1,725 to €2,671 per person
€66 to €103 per day
Based on: 2 people.
The cost estimate and the availability of accommodation, transport and activities are as of 30 October 2026: prices and availability change over time.
Where the money goes, and how this figure is obtained →To check
2 points to look at before booking.
The method
Why this version, what sets it apart from the others, the cost in detail, the interest of the places, the automatic review and the sources.
Read the method →