Central Asia. The 5 -Stans. A region of wild mountains, hospitable nomads, and endless bumpy marthrutka rides. It’s one of the best hiking regions in Asia, or even the world for that matter, but don’t expect much in the way of infrastructure or signage – prepare to be self-reliant and sort out all the logistics yourself.
Pick up most recent Lonely Planet: Central Asia guidebook to start planning your trip.
Kyrgyzstan: Arslanbob Loop Walk Explore the best of Arslanbob village and the surrounding walnuts forests on this fairly easy one-day loop around the village that offers an intro to the natural landscapes and cultural highlights of the area. Total km: 17 km Elevation gain/loss: 870m+/947m- Start point: Arslanbob Small Waterfall […]
Kyrgyzstan: Sary-Chelek Lakes Loop (Jalalabad) Exceedingly popular among domestic tourists, Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve is something of a niche destination for international visitors. If you do make the long drive up, try to set aside three or four hours to make this pleasant little loop through the seven small lakes […]
Kyrgyzstan: Kezhige-Kol (Alay) Kezhige-Kol, also locally known as the ‘Emerald Lake’, is a small lake tucked into a side valley of the Alay mountains just off the highway between Osh and Sary Tash. A quick and easy walk that will take a couple of hours max, this makes for a […]
Kyrgyzstan: Tulpar-Köl Panorama Skip the grueling technical climb to Peak Lenin in favor of this low-angle view of the beautiful mountain, walking up from the yurt camps of the Tulpar-Köl lakes near Osh oblast’s Sary-Mogol. Total km: 12.m km (round-trip) Total days: 1 Elevation gain/loss: 485m+/485m- Start point: Tulpar-Köl Yurt […]
Kyrgyzstan: Suluutor Lakes The short walk to Suluutor Lakes – it’s hard to really even call it a hike – a few hours from Bishkek has become one of the most popular day trips from Kyrgyzstan’s capital city. Total km: 5.8km (round-trip) Total days: 1 Elevation gain/loss: 196m+/196m- Start point: […]
Kyrgyzstan: Tiorgen Ak-Suu High Loop Easy going walking up a pretty mountain valley, with nice peak views and a beautiful angle back on Tashtambek-Tor Bashi Peak from the end. Total km: 9.5 km Elevation gain/loss: 641m+/641m- Start point: Tiorgen Ak-Suu Road End Endpoint: Tiorgen Ak-Suu Road End GPS Files A […]