It looks like a giant blue eye amidst the Tian Shan Mountains. This is one of the largest lakes in Central Asia, surrounded by snowy mountains. This is Lake Issyk-Kul, one of the main destinations in Kyrgyzstan. Its coasts have been settled since ancient times, and there are many villages and towns around it. One of the main Issyk-Kul towns is Cholpon Ata, a modern resort that retains the traditional culture of the past. In this article, we will explore Lake Issyk-Kul, starting from Cholpon Ata.
Table of Contents
Some geography
Lake Issyk-Kul is one of the most significant geographical features in Central Asia. It is an endorheic (without outflow), slightly saline lake, and one of the deepest lakes on the Earth (its surface altitude is 1607 m, its bottom altitude is 939 m, so its depth is 668 m). Its length from the westernmost to the easternmost point is 182 km, and its maximum width is about 60 km.
It is surrounded by the ranges of Tian Shan mountains- on the north is Kungei Alatau (the border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan lies on its summit), and on the south- Terskey Alatoo, an incredibly beautiful mountain chain. These two mountain ranges and their extensions join together east and west of the lake.
Northern shore
This is the most popular and most visited area around Lake Issyk-Kul. The main road connecting Bishkek with Karakol follows the whole northern shore of the lake, from Balykchy to Tyup, and it is one of the main roads in Kyrgyzstan- 191 km long. Cholpon Ata is located in the middle of this section.
The road along the northern shore is always busy. Public transport is very well-arranged, with regular minibusses (marshrutkas) traveling in both directions. In recent years, the whole coastal area has almost fully built up not only Cholpon Ata but also the neighboring settlements gradually turning into resorts.
Southern shore
This a different place- much less popular and less visited. The coast of the lake is longer and more curved. Again, there is a road connecting Balykchy with Karakol from the south but this road is less busy, with only a few minibusses (marshrutkas) traveling on the whole section or only on parts of it.
Yes, there are settlements (towns and villages) along the southern coast too but they are more separated, and there are long wild sections of the coast between them. There are some resorts and campsites too but much sparser than at the northern shore. The most popular spot in this area is Canyon Skazka (Fairytale Canyon), and most of these resorts are located around it.
But let’s back to the northern shore.
Cholpon Ata
Cholpon Ata is the main town and tourist center on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. It is one of the most popular resorts in the whole of Central Asia, attracting tourists and vacationers from Kyrgyzstan and the neighboring countries. In recent years, many new hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, bar clubs, and more have been built here. It brought prosperity to the town and it became a famous tourist destination.
Cholpon Ata is also the main starting point for exploring Lake Issyk-Kul and trying the best of it. Of course, you can do it also from Karakol, Balykchy, or another point but Cholpon Ata gives you more opportunities.
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How to explore the Lake Issyk-Kul
Exploring the Lake Issyk-Kul includes traveling around the lake, floating into its interior, or trying some lake-related activities.
Circumnavigation around the lake
There is a road around the whole lake: Balykchy – Cholpon Ata – Karakol – Barskoon – Balykchy. It makes a full circle along the northern and southern shores of the lake, including the section from Balykchy to Karakol of the main road connection Karakol with Bishkek. The whole circle is 447 km long.
This road doesn’t stick to the lake shore tightly- in some places it moves away from the coastline and you can’t see the lake. But in other places, especially along the southern coast, you can see the lake right beside the window of your vehicle. Nevertheless, there are various points on the road that you can stop, relax, or do more activities.
Some of the most interesting points around the Lake Issyk-Kul include:
- Balykchy. The first Issyk-Kul town if you come from Bishkek. An important transportation hub.
- Lazurnyi Bereg. A small peninsula with fantastic views of the lake.
- Cholpon Ata. The main town resort of Issyk-Kul- a “base camp” for exploring the lake.
- Grigoryevskaya Pristan. A calm village on the northern shore with a beautiful beach.
- Keremet Suu Hot Spring. Two hot spring pools at the lake shore.
- Tyup. A small town at the extreme northeast end of the lake.
- Karakol. The largest city in the Issyk-Kul region, a starting point for exploring the lake and Terskey Alatoo mountains.
- Boz Beshik. Another remote area on the southern shores of the lake, with nice beaches.
- Skazka Canyon. The most famous natural phenomenon around the lake.
- Manzhyly Ata Sacred Springs. A pilgrim site with springs, related to the national hero Manas.
- Desert Labyrinth and Canyon Aksay. A dry sandstone area with maze-like terrain.
- Camel Shape Sandbar. One of the best bird-watching spots in the Issyk-Kul region.
Now, let’s focus on Cholpon Ata.
Exploring Cholpon Ata
Although Cholpon Ata is known mostly as a famous resort in Kyrgyzstan and the whole of Central Asia, if you have an explorer’s passion, you can get much more from this place.
The town
First, Cholpon Ata is a town, with local people who have their normal lifestyle. It is their hometown and although the growing tourism has brought a lot of changes, they still keep their original culture. Yes, Cholpon Ata is not an “ancient town” with “old traditional architecture”- its original buildings (apart from the new hotels) are not different than the buildings in any other town in Kyrgyzstan. But this is the foundation of this place, and the “resort” grew on it.
The resort
During the last decade, Cholpon Ata has changed dramatically. It was used as a resort even during the Soviet times but now it gradually turned into a modern resort, with luxurious hotels, restaurants, and various attractions. But unlike the “original town”, this resort is seasonable. It is full of tourists in summer but most hotels and other attractions are closed in winter.
The Lakeshore
This is the main reason for the existing of Cholpon Ata as a resort. Here the coastline is complex- with one large and one small peninsula, and narrow bays between them. The shore is low, with many beaches. Here you can enjoy a normal beach experience like in a normal seacoast. Just it can be a bit cold sometimes, even in summer. But the lake water is almost constantly calm, without high waves.
Cholpon Ata is not only a resort but also presents some history and culture.
Rukh Ordo Cultural Center
Rukh Ordo is a new cultural site, opened in 2007. It is lakeside park, presenting various art pieces and artifacts from the local culture, as well as small “mini-museums” telling stories about the origin of Kyrgyz people and the history of the region. The center is a place for various cultural events- exhibitions, traditional festivals, music concerts, and more.
Issyk-Kul Historical Culture Museum
This is the largest museum in Issyk-Kul region. It presents artifacts from the history, ethnography and culture from the whole region around the lake- in fact, it is dedicated to the lake. The museum is located in the center of Cholpon Ata, opened in 1979, in an old, one-storey Soviet style building.
However, the most impressive part of the museum is not in this building but about 3,5 km northwest of it- the Petroglyphs Open Air Museum.
Petroglyphs Open Air Museum
It is a field in the suburbs of Cholpon Ata, between the town and the nearby village Kara-Oi. The field is covered by countless stones, like a maze. There are ancient pictures on many of these stones, from 1500 BC to the 4th century AD. The fact that so many stone drawings from a time period of 2000 years remain together suggests that this place was a long-period functioning religious site.
Around the lake: Hiking in the mountains
As mentioned above, Lake Issyk-Kul is surrounded by mountains. More specifically- two mountain ranges. In the north is Kungei Alatoo Range, and in the south- Terskey Alatoo Range. Cholpon Ata is the main starting point for hiking Kungei Alatoo, and Karakol- for Terskey Alatoo.
Kungey Alatoo
Various trails start from Cholpon Ata and the main road along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, from different points. They go northward and ascend to various altitudes, visiting some local spots like waterfalls, rocks, gorges, and more. Most of them end at some point (and if you want to proceed further, you have to go off-road) but some reach the summit and cross into the other side of the range.
The nearest to Cholpon Ata route that crosses the range starts from Ornek village, follows the valley of Orto-Koi Suu river (stream) and reaches Kok-Ayryk Pass (3890 m), then descends to the valley of Chon-Kemin River. Another trail starts from Temirovka, east of Cholpon Ata, reaches Kum-Bel Pass (3598 m) and descends on the other side to the valley of Chon-Ak Suu River.
Terskey Alatoo
This mountain range is much more popular than Kungey Alatoo. Its traditional starting point is Karakol, and some of the most famous and spectacular mountain trails start from here. Places like Altyn Arashan, Lake Ala Kul, Karakol Valley, Djeti Oguz, and many more, are well-known among the hikers in Central Asia from all over the world.
The interior of the lake: Boat riding
We talked about the lake shores, and the mountains surrounding the lake. But what about the interior of the lake?
There aren’t regular ferry services between various spots around Lake Issyk-Kul. When you stay at the lake shore, it is almost unlikely to see any vessel floating on the lake. But there are still some floating activities. There is even a yacht club “Cruise” in Cholpon Ata, and the local yacht owners offer short cruise trips on the lake.
You can go there and join a 1-hour tour on the lake. They offer the whole yacht for 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, or more persons (there are yachts with various sizes), and the prices are between 6000 and 10 000 som. There are similar but smaller yacht clubs in Karakol (Karakol Pristan), Balykchy and Barskoon (the southern shore of the lake).
Additionally, you can join a full 1-day tour from Bishkek. These tours usually include transport from Bishkek to Cholpon Ata (or other spot at the lake shore), exploring the local points of interests, a boat cruise on the lake, and transport back to Bishkek.
Underwater: Diving
And what about underwater? Issyk-Kul’s waters are clear and transparent. What is hidden beneath the surface?
Today, Lake Issyk-Kul’s surface is 8 m higher than 1000 years ago and before that. In ancient times, the lake was smaller and the coastline a bit further inside than today. And the ancient people built many of their settlements at the former coast of the lake.
However, the lake’s level gradually rose and the settlements, even some forests remained underwater. If you dive below the surface, you can see remains of buildings, roads, trees, and other constructions. It is like an underwater museum, hidden from the “normal” tourists outside.
But that’s not all. Although Lake Issyk-Kul’s waters are cool and far from the tropical climate, without coral reefs or other formations that can be seen only in warm waters, here you still can see some forms and shapes with different origin, as well as some fish.
If you want to try diving in Lake Issyk-Kul, the easiest but more expensive way is to join an expedition. Another option is to go to the yacht club in Cholpon Ata and ask for diving opportunities- there is a small diving association that also organizes diving tours.
Useful tips
A self-arranged trip to Issyk-Kul, or as a part of a longer trip is easy. Anyway, take a look at some additional details about transportation and accommodation to and around the lake.
Transportation
Three routes lead to Lake Issyk-Kul: Bishkek-Balykchi, Kochkor-Balykchi, and Kazakhstan (Horgos or Almaty)-Karakol.
The first route is the most popular, the easiest, and the most crowded one. Regular minibuses (marshrutkas) travel between Bishkek and Balykchy- literary every 10-15 min. Some of them proceed to Cholpon Ata, others even further- to Karakol. There are also a lot of marshrutkas from Balykchy to Karakol via Cholpon Ata. The price from Bishkek to Karakol is 500 som, and the price to everything in between this route is much lower.
In addition to the marshrutkas, there are also multiple shared taxis on the same route. They are more comfortable and a bit more expensive depending on the number of passengers.
But if you come from Kochkor, options are much lesser. Only a few marshrutkas travel on this road. Some of them- only between Kochkor and Balykchy, and one of them- from Naryn to Karakol via Balykchi and Cholpon Ata. From the spring of 2025, when the new road in the middle of Kyrgyzstan between Osh and northeastern Kyrgyzstan should be open, probably more marshrutkas will travel on this route. Shared taxis are easier to find.
The third route from Kazakhstan is only for people with their own transport or more adventurous travelers. There are marshrutkas and shared taxis from Almaty or Horgos to Kegen, and to the border checkpoint, but from there, you have to look for hitchhiking or arrange a transport from a tour company in Karakol.
Accommodation
Accommodation is also very easy. This is one of the most touristy regions in the whole of Central Asia. It is full of hotels, from budget to splurge, especially in Cholpon Ata and Karakol. There are also various types of guesthouses, hostels, and yurt camps. Most of them can be found on Booking or Agoda. You can make reservation online in advance.
Check for hotels in Cholpon Ata on Booking!
Check for hotels in Cholpon Ata on Agoda!
However, according to some traveler’s experiences (including mine), even if you book a place to stay, when you go there, you can discover that they haven’t received a confirmation, or the confirmation came “too late” and there are no free rooms (at least, most of the accommodations don’t require payment in advance). But you don’t need to worry- you can easily find another accommodation nearby.
This is in short what the Lake Issyk-Kul looks like. It is an easy place to go, once you are in Central Asia. And it is one of the most essential destinations in Kyrgyzstan- incredibly beautiful, with rich geography and history, and opportunities for adventures.
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Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually.
So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration.
And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality.
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