Karakol 2026: A Private Ski Tour in the Heart of the Tien Shan

✈️ Arrival at Manas International Airport. A warm welcome from the company representative: a firm handshake, a genuine smile, and the first words in Kyrgyz — “Kosh kelingizder!” (Welcome!).

🛣 Comfortable transfer to Bishkek. Hotel check-in in the city center.

🍯 Free time for your first walk around the capital. You can stroll along the boulevards or visit the local market — here you’ll find dried fruits, nuts, spices, and mountain honey straight from alpine apiaries.

🌙 Rest after the flight. Tomorrow is an early wake-up — a domestic flight to Karakol.

🏨 Accommodation: hotel in Bishkek

✈️ Early wake-up and transfer to the airport. The flight from Bishkek to Karakol takes only 40 minutes, crossing the ridges of the Tien Shan.

🗻 The plane flies low: snowy peaks pass beneath you, glaciers descend into the valleys, deep gorges and mountain rivers come into view. The sun glitters on the snow like thousands of crystals.

❄️ Landing at Karakol Airport. The air here is different — it smells of pine and snow. Transfer to the hotel and check-in. After a short rest, the guided city tour begins.

🕌 The first stop is the Dungan Mosque, a wooden structure built in 1910 in Chinese architectural style — not a single nail was used, only wooden joints.

⛪ A few streets away stands the Holy Trinity Cathedral, a 19th-century wooden Orthodox church with onion domes, simple Russian architecture, and a peaceful atmosphere inside.

🏛 The Przhevalsky Museum lies just outside the city, on the shores of Issyk-Kul. The great Russian explorer of Central Asia led his expeditions here and is buried on the lake’s shore.

🏨 Return to the hotel by evening. Dinner and free time. Preparing equipment for tomorrow’s trip to the ski base.

🍽 Meals: breakfast

🏨 Accommodation: hotel in Karakol

🌲 Breakfast, gear check, and departure for the ski base. The road climbs up the Karakol Gorge along a mountain river. Spruce forests rise on both sides — branches heavy with snow. The air smells of pine and frost. With every kilometer, the temperature drops and the snow gets deeper.

🏔 The Karakol Ski Base is located at 2,300–3,000 m elevation. Several lifts operate here, and the slopes vary in difficulty. The base is surrounded by evergreen forests, and from the upper stations you get sweeping views of Karakol Peak and nearby four-thousanders. The panorama is breathtaking: endless snowy ridges, deep blue skies, crisp mountain air.

🎿 The first runs are always emotional — skis bite into the snow, the body recalls the technique, muscles warm up. After a few turns, confidence returns, breathing steadies, movements become smooth.

🏂 The slopes are diverse: wide gentle pistes for relaxed skiing, steeper sections for experienced riders, and access to off-piste terrain for freeride lovers. In the upper zone the snow is deep and soft — true powder, a joy to glide through.

🏨 Return to the hotel in the evening. Shower, rest. Dinner in town — once again Eastern cuisine, once again new flavors. Maybe beshbarmak, a traditional meat-and-noodles dish, or zharovnya — roasted meat with vegetables, or perhaps another lagman — it’s hard to resist.

😴 Free evening. The body is tired, but pleasantly so. Preparing for the next day.

🌙 Evening optional activities (for an extra cost):

♨️ Hot springs. Warm mineral water melts muscle tension and brings deep relaxation.

🛁 Traditional steam bath. A classic banya with herbal brooms, steam, heat, and cold water splashes — an excellent recovery ritual.

🐎 Horseback riding. A peaceful ride through a snowy valley. The horses walk calmly, silence surrounds you, landscapes sparkle with fresh snow. Suitable even for beginners; the ride lasts 1–2 hours.

🍽 Meals: breakfasts

🏨 Accommodation: hotel in Karakol

🏂 Breakfast at the hotel. Packing, then a transfer to the ski base for a final session on the slopes.

🛫 After lunch, transfer to Karakol Airport. Flight to Bishkek.

🫂 You look out the window, scroll through your photos, exchange contacts with fellow travelers. Over these days the group has grown close — promises to meet again, maybe next season.

🛬 Arrival in Bishkek. Transfer to the airport or hotel (for next-day departures)

🍽 Meals: breakfast

⚠️ The program may be adjusted depending on the Bishkek–Karakol flight schedule