Bishkek & Chuy Valley

Bishkek, the green and relaxed capital of Kyrgyzstan, is where most journeys begin. Manas International Airport lies just outside the city, and the snow-capped Kyrgyz Ala-Too range forms the backdrop to almost every street. The city itself is worth a day: Ala-Too Square, the Osh Bazaar and the leafy parks and boulevards.

The surrounding Chuy valley offers excellent day trips. Ala-Archa National Park, about an hour south of the city, has hiking trails for every level among spruce forests, rivers and glaciers. To the east lies the Burana Tower, an 11th-century minaret from the Silk Road city of Balasagun, and beyond it the Boom Gorge with the red sandstone Konorchek canyons.

These trips are ideal on arrival or departure days, or as a warm-up before a longer tour into the mountains. All can be booked as private tours with a driver and guide, and we also arrange transfers from Manas airport to your hotel.