Every guidebook says that to make the most of your time in Kyrgyzstan you must head for the hills – and they’re right. The Karakol valley offers many beautiful routes to explore, and Discover Karakol has some stunning suggestions.
That said, we found the suggested hikes more difficult than described and better suited for folks with some trekking experience. For those with limited hiking experience, there is no need to fear! It is possible to enjoy the beauty of the Tian Shen mountains safely and without getting (too) lost.
General Tips
- The easiest way to enjoy the hills is to choose a valley, climb up it, and, once you’ve soaked in the views, go back down the way you came. There is no danger of getting lost, you control the length of your hike, and you’ll still get the solitude and sensation of exploring new territory.
- Buy the Karakol trekking map from the Tourist Information Center in the University of Tourism. It’s on Abdrahmanov St, north-west of Central Park in Karakol.
The difficulty levels indicated on this map for each hike are not necessarily representative. All the hikes we tried were more difficult than the description would have us believe, and the paths were not always clearly marked. To supplement this map…. - …We recommend using the Maps.me mobile app for offline maps. It covers many of the hiking paths you’ll be using, and also has latitude/longitude and altitude data about your current location.
- Be wary of altitude. At 3000m, the air is thin! This will slow you down more than you expect.
- Pack more water and food than you think you’ll need. Really.
- Bring water purification tablets to refill your bottle in the mountain streams.
- Don’t forget your flashlight, compass, and a variety of layers of clothing & rain gear.
Suggested Hikes
We completed these hikes in August 2018. All the paths are now marked on Maps.me.
The Hills of Karakol are Alive
Climb into the hills directly behind the city for spectacular views of the neighbouring valleys and peaks! This is a fairly straightforward day hike, but it does have some steep sections.
You have the option to continue along the ridge and down the valley to the Ak-Suu arboretum and return by hitching a ride from Ak-Suu. Although the path is marked on Maps.me, when we did this, the section through the arboretum was very overgrown and featured stinging nettles, so we don’t necessarily recommend it. You’ll get the same enjoyment out of the hike by returning to Karakol the same way you came.
Logistics:
- Distance: about 5km one-way from the road to the ridge where the above photo was taken.
- Elevation gain: about 500m
- Take a taxi from Karkol to about 42.464497, 78.426157. Select the point on your maps app and use the navigation tool to direct your taxi driver (taxi drivers in Karakol are not very familiar with map-reading). This should cost about 200 SOM.
- A horse trail leaves the south side of the road at about this point. Follow it up into the mountains. Keep going until you emerge on the ridge! Once you’ve enjoyed the views, retrace your steps.
- There is no water source available on this hike, so bring more water than you think you’ll need.
Altyn Arashan
This popular hike takes you up a rough 4-wheel road to a yurt camp where you can soak your weary feet in hot springs. The hike follows a river and the elevation gain is fairly gentle overall, with some steep sections especially at the end. You’ll stay overnight in Altyn Arashan and walk back down a day or two later.
Lonely Planet has a good summary of the hike directions to Altyn Arashan, and many other blogs have covered it as well, so we won’t go into much detail here. Essentially, stick to the 4-wheel drive track and, once you’ve crossed the river, keep the water to your right!
Logistics:
- Distance: 15km one-way from the start of the path. Add about 3km if you’re walking from the main road in Ak-Suu.
- Elevation gain: about 660m.
- You can book and pay for your Altyn Arashan food and accommodation at the Tourist Information Center in Karakol. That way, you’re certain of a meal and a bed when you arrive! You have the option to sleep in a yurt or a house. 900 SOM per person got us a bed for the night, dinner, and breakfast.
- Take Marshrutka #350 from Karakol to Ak-Suu, where the road to Altyn Arashan begins, or take a taxi or hitchhike from Karakol for about 300 SOM.
- When you get to the yurts, ask your hosts for recommendations about which hot springs to visit.
- When you come down from the mountains, you should have no trouble hailing a passing car in Ak-Suu to take you back to Karakol for a small price.
Karakol Ski Base to Przhevalsky Mountain/Alternate Arashan
On this more challenging hike you’ll climb the Kashka Suu valley, following an alpine stream right to its source. The hike gains altitude steadily, with only a few very steep sections. You’ll start in pastures, then emerge from alpine forest into wide open spaces dotted with glacial boulders. Finally, you’ll get up close and personal with snow-covered peaks – all in complete solitude. We didn’t see a single other human when we did this hike!
It is possible to connect to Altyn Arashan this way, but the pass and descent in the neighbouring valley are quite steep and (in summer 2018) the path is poorly marked and difficult to follow. We don’t recommend this unless you are a more experienced trekker.
How to get there:
- This walk is in the Karakol Valley National park. There is a 250 SOM per person fee for entry, and an additional fee if you are carrying a tent.
- After entering the park, whether walking or by taxi, keep left at the fork. The start of the trail is at 42.4133, 78.4662, just before the road takes a sharp turn to enter the ski base.
- By taxi: Ask or persuade a driver to take you to “Basa Karakol”. We paid 700 SOM for this trip, and though it was one of our more expensive taxi rides, it was worth it to save walking the extra few kilometers up to the start of the trail.
- By marshrutka: Take marshrutka #101 from Karakol all the way to the end of the line. It will drop you at the entrance to the Karakol Valley National Park. From here, you’ll need to walk up the road about 3-4 km to the start of the trail.
- Make sure to consider how you are going to get back from the park entrance at the end of your hike. You might choose to take a tent if you think it would be easier to spend the night in the hills.
Hike directions:
- Distance: about 10km one-way from the road.
- Elevation gain: about 1000m, depending how close you get to the mountains.
- Keep the stream on your right. The path is not always well worn and we only saw a few trail marker arrows, but as long as you follow the water you’re heading in the right direction.
- When the stream ends, you can continue to climb to the base of the mountains for spectacular views.
- Return the same way you came and hitch a ride back to town.
Happy hiking!
