Three nights with a family
Stay in the family's yurt or wooden house in the mountains, far from roads and signal.
The journey
Not a visit. Three days of living it.
Most trips to Kyrgyzstan stop at a nomad family for tea. This one stays. For three nights, you live alongside a herding family in the mountains above the south shore of Issyk-Kul: milking in the morning, making kaimak, butter and boorsok, riding with the herders across the pastures, and washing the day away in a natural hot spring.
Around it, a loop of Issyk-Kul: Burana Tower and a golden eagle hunter on the way in, Skazka, the Fairy Tale Canyon, a ridge hike above Jeti-Oguz, and two nights in Karakol with a gorge hike and a cooking class with a Dungan family.
Milk, kaimak & boorsok
Help with the milking, make fresh cream and butter, and fry boorsok with the family.
Ride with the herders
Half a day on horseback across the pastures, at a calm pace suited to beginners.
The eagle hunter
Watch a berkutchi fly his golden eagle on the south shore of Issyk-Kul.
Canyons & hot springs
Skazka Canyon, a ridge hike above Jeti-Oguz, and a natural hot spring.
Cook with a Dungan family
Learn ashlyanfu and other Dungan dishes in a family home in Karakol.
The route
A loop around Issyk-Kul, with three nights in the mountains
BishkekStart
BuranaDay 1
BokonbaevoDay 1
SkazkaDay 2
Nomad familyDays 2–4
Jeti-OguzDay 5
KarakolDays 5–6
Cholpon-AtaDay 8
BishkekDay 8
Before you book
Please read this first
Three nights with a nomad family is real life, not a show: simple conditions, early mornings and no signal. For the right traveller, it's the most memorable part of Kyrgyzstan.
Every traveller should read this personally, together with the full day-by-day itinerary.
Where you'll stay
3 nights with a nomad family, in their yurt or wooden house in the mountains. 1 night in a guesthouse in Bokonbaevo and 3 nights in a guesthouse in Karakol.
Showers & toilets
There's no shower for 3 nights with the family; you wash in a natural hot spring nearby. The toilet is a simple outdoor toilet, shared. Hot showers are waiting in Karakol on Day 5.
No signal
On the pasture there's no Wi-Fi and little or no phone signal. Charging may be limited to a small solar panel, so please bring power banks.
Real family life
The family's day follows the animals and the weather. Plans are flexible: some days are busy, some are slow, and every family is a little different.
Food
You eat what the family eats: bread, dairy, meat and noodles, and lots of tea. Tell us about any dietary needs (vegetarian, no lamb, allergies) when you book.
Cold nights
Summer days are warm, but mountain nights are cold, even in August. Bring warm layers, a hat and a sleeping liner.
Horse riding
No experience needed. On Day 4 you ride for about half a day with the family's herders, at a calm pace suited to beginners.
Being a good guest
Take your shoes off in the yurt, ask before photographing people, and accept the tea. A few words of Kyrgyz, like rakhmat (thank you), go a long way.
Day by day
Comfort at a glance
Yes
Limited / shared
None
Not confirmed
| Day | Overnight | Shower | Toilet | Wi-Fi / signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Hotel in Bishkek (included) | Hot shower in your room | Private | Wi-Fi |
| Day 1 | Altyn Oimok or Elestet, Bokonbaevo | Yes; hot water is limited, so please keep showers short | Shared | Yes |
| Day 2 | Nomad family yurt or wooden house | No shower; wash in the natural hot spring | Simple outdoor toilet, shared | No |
| Day 3 | Nomad family yurt or wooden house | Natural hot spring | Simple outdoor toilet, shared | No |
| Day 4 | Nomad family yurt or wooden house | Natural hot spring only | Simple outdoor toilet, shared | No |
| Day 5 | 78 Hotel or Matsunoki, Karakol | Yes; hot water is limited, so please keep showers short | Yes, in your room | Yes |
| Day 6 | 78 Hotel or Matsunoki, Karakol | Yes; hot water is limited, so please keep showers short | Yes, in your room | Yes |
| Day 7 | 78 Hotel or Matsunoki, Karakol | Yes; hot water is limited, so please keep showers short | Yes, in your room | Yes |
Day by day
The itinerary
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Day0
Arrival in Bishkek
Welcome to Kyrgyzstan
All our tours start on Day 0, and this night is included in the trip. Arrive in Bishkek, check in to your hotel in the capital, enjoy a comfortable hot shower and rest well before your journey through Kyrgyzstan begins.
- ArrivalManas Airport, transfer to your hotel
- OvernightHotel in Bishkek (included)
- ShowerHot shower in your room
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Day1
Bishkek → Burana → Bokonbaevo
Silk Road tower & the eagle hunter
Your journey begins with a drive to Burana Tower, an 11th-century minaret standing alone in the Chuy Valley, surrounded by ancient stone figures called balbals. After lunch on the way, the road follows Issyk-Kul to its quiet southern shore. In the late afternoon, you meet a berkutchi, a golden eagle hunter, and watch his eagle fly in a hunting demonstration.
- DrivingAbout 5 hours, with stops
- OvernightAltyn Oimok or Elestet, Bokonbaevo
- ShowerYes; hot water is limited, so please keep showers short
- ToiletShared
- Wi-FiYes
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Day2
Bokonbaevo → Skazka → Barskoon → Nomad family
Fairy Tale Canyon & meeting your hosts
Start the morning with a swim or walk by Issyk-Kul. Then visit Skazka, the “Fairy Tale Canyon,” where wind and rain have shaped colorful rocks into castles and dragons. After a family lunch in Barskoon, you drive into the mountains to meet your nomad hosts. The afternoon is for settling in, getting to know the family, and watching the evening routine as the animals come home.
- DrivingAbout 2.5 hours, with stops
- MealsBreakfast, lunch, dinner with the family
- OvernightNomad family yurt or wooden house
- ShowerNo shower; wash in the natural hot spring
- ToiletSimple outdoor toilet, shared
- Wi-FiNo
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Day3
With the nomad family
Life with the family
Today you join the family's daily rhythm. In the morning, you help with milking, then learn to make kaimak (fresh cream) and butter, and cook boorsok, the fried bread served at every Kyrgyz table. Later, you go for a hike in the surrounding mountains, and end the day with a soak in a natural hot spring.
- Hiking1–2 hours, depending on the day
- MealsBreakfast, lunch, dinner with the family
- OvernightNomad family yurt or wooden house
- WashingNatural hot spring
- ToiletSimple outdoor toilet, shared
- Wi-FiNo
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Day4
With the nomad family
A day with the horses
Start the day slowly with tea at sunrise and some gentle stretching. Then ride with the family's herders for half a day across the pastures, at a calm pace suited to beginners. Back at home, you cook a meal together with the family, followed by a farewell evening.
- Horse ridingAbout half a day, beginner pace
- MealsBreakfast, lunch, dinner with the family
- OvernightNomad family yurt or wooden house
- WashingNatural hot spring only
- ToiletSimple outdoor toilet, shared
- Wi-FiNo
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Day5
Nomad family → Jeti-Oguz → Karakol
Red ridges & back to Karakol
After breakfast, say goodbye to your hosts and drive to Jeti-Oguz for a hike on the red rock ridges above the valley, away from the usual tourist stop. After lunch in Karakol, check in to your guesthouse for a proper shower and a comfortable bed.
- DrivingAbout 2.5 hours, with stops
- HikingAbout 2 hours
- MealsBreakfast, lunch, dinner
- Overnight78 Hotel or Matsunoki, Karakol
- ShowerYes; hot water is limited, so please keep showers short
- ToiletYes, in your room
- Wi-FiYes
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Day6
Karakol Gorge and Karakol town
Forest gorge & a Dungan cooking class
In the morning, you hike into Karakol Gorge through spruce forests along a mountain river, followed by a riverside lunch. In the afternoon, discover Karakol's mixed heritage: the wooden Holy Trinity Church, built by Russian settlers, and the Dungan Mosque, built without nails in the style of a Chinese temple. In the evening, you're welcomed into a Dungan family's home for a cooking class. Learn to make traditional dishes such as ashlyanfu, the cold noodle dish Karakol is known for, and hear how the Dungans came here from China in the 19th century and kept their language, food and customs alive. Dinner is the meal you've cooked together.
- HikingAbout 3 hours, easy to moderate
- DrivingAbout 1.5 hours in total
- MealsBreakfast, riverside lunch, dinner you cook with a Dungan family
- Overnight78 Hotel or Matsunoki, Karakol
- ShowerYes; hot water is limited, so please keep showers short
- ToiletYes, in your room
- Wi-FiYes
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Day7
Karakol
A slow day in Karakol
A day with no long drives. After a slow breakfast, head back into Karakol Gorge and choose how to explore it: on horseback with a local guide, or on foot along the trails through the spruce forest and beside the mountain river. Go as far as you like, and return to Karakol in the afternoon for a relaxed evening before the drive back to Bishkek.
- ActivityHorse riding or hiking in Karakol Gorge
- MealsBreakfast
- Overnight78 Hotel or Matsunoki, Karakol
- ShowerYes; hot water is limited, so please keep showers short
- ToiletYes, in your room
- Wi-FiYes
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Day8
Karakol → Cholpon-Ata → Bishkek
Petroglyphs, kattama & back to Bishkek
On the drive back along Issyk-Kul, stop in Cholpon-Ata to see ancient petroglyphs carved into the boulders, or take a short boat trip on the lake. Later, enjoy a tea break with fresh kattama, a flaky layered bread, at a roadside family café. You arrive in Bishkek in the evening for dinner.
After the tour, we take you back to your hotel in the capital to rest (or, if you have an evening flight, we take you to the airport for free).
- StopsCholpon-Ata petroglyphs or a short boat trip
- Tea breakKattama at a roadside family café
- ArrivalBishkek in the evening, dinner
How to register
Is this tour right for you?
Before you register, take a short survey (about 2 minutes). If the tour fits you, the registration form opens right away.
Start the survey
- 1Take the survey
- 2See if the tour fits you
- 3Register for the tour
Why is this survey required?
- Our tours go to remote mountains: simple stays, long drives, altitude and changing weather.
- Your answers help us make sure the trip is safe and enjoyable for you and the whole group.
- We can only confirm a registration after the survey.
Food
Authentic Kyrgyz dishes and fresh seasonal fruit
On the trip, you may taste these classic dishes:
Beshbarmak
Hand-cut noodles with boiled meat. The most iconic Kyrgyz dish, served for celebrations and to honor guests.
Kuurdak
Fried lamb or beef with potatoes and onions: everyday nomad home cooking.
Plov
Rice slow-cooked with carrots and meat, rich and fragrant.
Lagman
Hand-pulled noodles with vegetables and beef, a favorite across Central Asia.
Samsa
Meat pastries baked in a traditional clay oven, crisp outside and juicy inside.
Shashlik
Skewers grilled over charcoal in the open air: the smell you'll meet most often on the road.
Snacks and drinks
- Boorsok: fried dough pieces that are a must at every nomad feast; with jam and hot tea, they're the locals' favorite afternoon snack.
- Maksym / Chalap / Jarma: traditional fermented grain drinks, refreshing and slightly sour, loved by locals every day.
- Kymyz: fermented mare's milk, the classic nomad drink, slightly sour and good for digestion.
Seasonal fruit
- Summer: cherries (June), apricots (July, famous across Central Asia), melons, and all kinds of berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, blueberries).
- Autumn: apples from around Issyk-Kul, juicy pears, and the sweetest grapes in September.
Price details
What's included
Included
- 3 nights with a nomad family and 4 nights in guesthouses (Bokonbaevo, Karakol)
- Meals as listed for each day
- Driver and guide for the whole tour
- Half-day horse ride with the family's herders
- All activities with the family: milking, kaimak and butter, cooking
- Eagle hunting show, Dungan cooking class and entrance fees
Not included
- International air fares
- Travel insurance covering horse riding (required)
- Personal expenses, e.g. souvenirs
- Gratuity to guides, drivers and your host family
Still have questions?
Can't find what you're looking for? Email us directly and we'll get back to you soon.