More than 90 percent of Kyrgyzstan is covered by mountains, and nature is the main reason most travellers come here. Within a few hours of Bishkek you can walk through juniper and spruce forests in Ala-Archa National Park, see the red sandstone canyons of the Chuy valley or swim in Issyk-Kul, one of the largest mountain lakes in the world.
Our nature tours range from easy day trips to multi-day journeys around Issyk-Kul and up to the high pastures of Son-Kul. Along the way you will see gorges and waterfalls, wild flowers in early summer, herds of horses on the jailoo and, on clear days, snow-capped peaks of the Tian Shan on the horizon.
Most nature tours are best from May to October. Walks are usually easy to moderate and can be adapted to your pace; for more demanding hikes see our Mountains and Adventure tours.
Ala-Archa National Park and the Karakol valleys (Ala-Kul, Altyn-Arashan)
A compact but demanding mountain trip: acclimatisation in Ala-Archa, then the classic trek over the Ala-Kul pass to the Altyn-Arashan hot springs.
Almaty region, south-east Kazakhstan
Six days of the best nature in south-east Kazakhstan: Big Almaty Lake, Charyn Canyon, the sunken forest of Kaindy and the Kolsai lakes.
Astana, Turkistan, Shymkent and Almaty
From the futuristic capital Astana to the medieval caravan cities of the south – Turkistan, Otrar and Sauran – and on to Almaty.
Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara
The essential Silk Road in five days: Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara, linked comfortably by high-speed train.
Japanese Alps: Matsumoto, Kamikochi, Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa
Seven days through the mountainous heart of Japan: a samurai castle, alpine valleys, old merchant towns, a night in a thatched farmhouse and the gardens of Kanazawa.
Seoul, the DMZ, Gyeongju and Busan
Seven days across the peninsula: royal palaces and hanok alleys in Seoul, a visit to the DMZ, the temples of Gyeongju and the colourful seaside city of Busan – with a KTX high-speed train ride.
Jeju Island, South Korea
Five days on Korea's volcanic island: sunrise on Seongsan Ilchulbong, the ascent of Hallasan, lava tubes, waterfalls, the island of Udo and the legendary haenyeo women divers.
Central Mongolia: Terelj, Khustai, Kharkhorin and the Orkhon Valley
Six days through central Mongolia: granite peaks of Terelj, wild Przewalski's horses, the ancient capital Karakorum and a night with a nomadic family in the Orkhon Valley.
English
Deutsch
Русский
中文
Kyrgyzstan
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Japan
South Korea
Mongolia