Guided E-Bike Tour through Kyrgyzstan

We land in Bishkek and are comfortably taken to the hotel by shuttle bus. In the afternoon, we take a city tour through the green capital of Kyrgyzstan and get to know the bazaar, the center with its squares and government buildings. We end the day with a shared meal.

After breakfast, we take the bus out of the city (about 1 hour) and start our cycling trip on a little-traveled road near the mountains. The stage leads up an asphalted road to the spa town of Issyk Ata. In the afternoon, there is time to relax or take a bath in the hot springs. We will spend the night in a simple guesthouse right in the spa.

From the spa resort, we reach Rotfront after a 10-km descent, a settlement founded in 1927 by German immigrants in a valley and still home to the largest German community in Kyrgyzstan. About an hour later stands the Burana Tower, a minaret from the 11th century. After lunch at the Burana Tower, we cycle through various villages to Orlovka, where we will spend the night in a guesthouse.

On today's cycling stage, we leave the Chui Valley and turn into the idyllic Chon Kemin Valley. With its alpine landscapes, it hints at why Kyrgyzstan is also called the 'Switzerland of Central Asia.' In the early afternoon, we reach our guesthouse, where we can relax in the garden after lunch and enjoy the mountain scenery for the rest of the afternoon.

The Chon Kemin Valley offers a dreamy backdrop for a relaxing round tour. We pass numerous villages, have time for a conversation or tea with the locals, and get to know life in rural Kyrgyzstan. In the afternoon, we return to our cozy accommodation.

To reach the high mountain lake Son Kul at 3,000 meters, we will take the tour bus today and drive to Kochkor (about 1.5 hours). Near the small town, we will visit a traditional felt workshop and try our hand at making the national product. After lunch, we will continue our spectacular journey up to Son Kul Lake with the tour vehicle. In the afternoon, we will reach our yurt camp in the midst of the vast high mountain landscape.

We spend the day in the impressive landscape around Son Kul. Those who wish can participate in an easy hike or take a ride on a Kyrgyz horse. In the afternoon, we drive back to Kochkor, where we will stay in a cozy accommodation and spend the evening together.

Back in Kochkor, we start the second part of our cycling trip: the impressive tour along the Terskey Ala Too mountain range. Today, we are facing a more challenging mountain stage. We ride steadily uphill to the Semiz Bel Pass (2,715 m). Along the way, we take breaks to enjoy the magnificent landscape. In the small village of Tura Suu, we spend the night in a simple guesthouse and experience the generous hospitality.

After breakfast, our today's stage takes us over the 2,565 m high Ala Bash Pass into the Ala Bash Valley. Time seems to have stood still in this valley. The people there live from livestock farming, and only a few travelers visit this remote side valley at Issyk Kul. Via the newly built connecting road to Issyk Kul, we leave the valley in the direction and drive down to the second largest mountain lake in the world. Along the wild shoreline landscape over sandy tracks, we reach a unique yurt camp right by the shore. (Note: In case of bad weather, the canyons and the wild shore may be impassable. In this case, we will change the stage and continue parallel in the Ala Bash side valley until Bokonbaeva – Accommodation: Yurt camp).

The stage begins impressively with the ride through the loess-shaped Kyzyl-Eschme Gorge. On a gravel road along the Tong Bay, we reach Bokonbaeva, where we pause in the garden of a guests' house and also visit an eagle hunter. We continue relaxed along the Issyk-Kul shore to Kaji Say where we end our cycling tour and toast to it.

Optional extension: Pass crossing at Kaji Say (2,540 m) with 65 km/1,300 m elevation.

The drive along the southern shore of Issyk Kul is not long, but invites numerous stops. In the morning, we take an excursion to the bizarre rock formations near Kaji Say. Wind and water have created mystical sculptures and formations there over many years. For lunch, we are invited to a very special yurt camp. The Tai Chi Yurt Camp in Tosor not only prepares delicious vegetarian dishes, but also features yurts of all sizes, including the largest wooden yurt in Kyrgyzstan, and not to forget one of the most beautiful beaches on Issyk Kul. After the extensive lunch stop, we continue to the Eco Village Lodge in Yeti Oguz.

Today we are taking a trip to the nearby provincial capital of Karakol. The Karakol bazaar, the famous wooden Dungan mosque and Orthodox church, as well as the historical museum are just a few attractions worth visiting. Above all, the Uyghur cuisine with the dish "Aschlamfu," which is famous in Karakol, is worth trying. Alternatively, a bathing trip to Issyk Kul can also be undertaken. Back at the guesthouse, there is an opportunity for those interested to watch the preparation of dinner and learn how to cook typical Kyrgyz dishes during cooking sessions.

After breakfast, we begin our return journey to Bishkek. During the approximately 6-hour drive along the shores of Issyk Kul and through the Chui Valley, we let the journey unfold spatially before us once more. Along the way, a stop at the workshop of a yurt master is possible. We can also lend a hand and build a yurt together. In the late afternoon, we reach Bishkek and conclude the journey with a shared dinner.