Attractions of Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan and located in a beautiful setting at the foot of the Tien Shan mountains. It's a modern city of wide streets and many trees with a strong Russian influence. The city has open spaces such as Ala-Too and Victory Squares, several museums of note and interesting markets in Osh and Dordoy Bazaars. Outside of the city, the Ala Archa Gorge has snow-covered peaks and steep spruce-forested slopes while the 11th century Burana Tower is a minaret from the old city of Balasagun, once capital during the Karakhanid reign.

Issyk-Kul is a spectacular and enormous lake situated between two mountain ranges with peaks of up to 4,700 metres. It is the second largest alpine lake in the world after Lake Titicaca and is 170 km in length, 70 km wide and up to 700 metres deep. The lake was a popular resort for Soviet officials during communist times and remains a favoured holiday destination for Russians and Kazakhs. As well as absorbing the stunning views of the lakes and the surrounding mountain ranges, travelling around the lake's edge takes in a number of interesting destinations. The northern resort town of Cholpon-Ata has beaches and ancient petroglyphs, while the southern shoreline boasts Barskoön Gorge and the red sandstone formations of Jeti-Öghüz Canyon, perfect for trekking or horse riding. The eastern village of Karakol is known for its Russian wooden houses, the Chinese Dungan Mosque (built in 1910), the Russian Orthodox Cathedral and the Sunday livestock market. Staying in the lakeside villages and sleeping in traditional yurts allows you to experience traditional Kyrgyz culture in an amazing setting.

Surrounded by green pastures amidst a mountainous backdrop, Son-Kul Lake is a popular spot for nomadic herders to make summer camp. Staying in a traditional yurt by this lake allows you to experience the stunning beauty of Kyrgyzstan and its traditional culture. Swimming, hiking and horse riding around the lake and eating and drinking with locals out under the stars gives you a great taste of the Kyrgyz nomadic life. The village of Kochkorka near Son-Kul Lake has opportunities for homestays to meet friendly locals and the chance to visit workshops that made traditional Kyrgyz shyrdak felt carpets.

Travelling on the Silk Road from Kashgar in China to Kyrgyzstan will take you through the stunning Torugart Pass (at 3572 metres) and descend through alpine scenery to Tash Rabat. This is an ancient 13th century caravanserai where you can stay in yurts and explore the beautiful surroundings before heading further into Kyrgyzstan.

The Tien Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan has some of the most beautiful and dramatic mountain scenery on earth with excellent, yet rarely visited, trekking opportunities. The Tien Shan offers snow-capped mountains and glaciers, alpine meadows and blue fir tree forests, deep gorges and rushing mountains streams. The nomadic lifestyles of the traditional Kyrgyz people are also much in evidence, as they graze their flocks and live in their summer yurts, providing a unique and memorable cultural interaction.

Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain is located in the Ferghana Valley overlooking the Silk Road city of Osh. Sulaiman has been revered as a sacred mountain for over 1500 years, and contains numerous ancient places of worship including two reconstructed 16th century mosques and over 100 petroglyphs representing humans, animals and geometric forms. Sulaiman represents the most complete example of a sacred mountain in Central Asia.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain