Yurts, horses and alpine lakes. Here is when to go, what a day costs on site and what to see, then Okela composes your itinerary hour by hour.

Compose my trip to BishkekSee Bishkek in Okela

When to visit Bishkek

Best months: June, July, August and September.

What to see in Bishkek

1. Place Ala-Too
   This is Bishkek's main public square, where the city gathers and where the country's recent history is most visible.
2. Bazar d'Osh
   This is one of Bishkek's major markets, where the city shows its everyday life most directly.
3. Parc national d'Ala Archa
   The park lies about forty kilometres from Bishkek, and within a few dozen minutes you go from the city to the peaks of the Tian Shan.
4. Lac Issyk-Koul (Cholpon-Ata)
   Lake Issyk-Kul does not freeze in winter despite its altitude, and its salty waters stay cool even in midsummer.
5. Musée historique d'État
   This museum gives a broad overview of Kyrgyz history, from ancient peoples to the Soviet period and independence.
6. Canyon Skazka (Issyk-Koul sud)
   Skazka Canyon, the "fairy tale canyon", is a landscape of eroded rock in warm ochre and red tones, set in the mountains of the south shore of Issyk-Kul.
7. Tour de Burana
   This solitary minaret rises out of the fields of the Chui valley, the remains of Balasagun, once a major city on the Silk Road and a Karakhanid capital.
8. Song-Köl (yourtes)
   This high-altitude lake, at about 3,000 metres, sits in a valley ringed by summer pastures where herding families set up their yurts.

A sample itinerary for Bishkek, three days

Composed by Okela from the places in its database, with times. Yours takes your dates, pace and group into account.

Budget

Expect about €42 per person per day on site (accommodation, meals, transport and visits), depending on the comfort you choose. Okela shows the price of every step of your itinerary.

My Bishkek itinerary, hour by hour

Photo: Aitenir, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.