Victory Day
15-day tour, individual or in small group
On May 9 we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2.
The number of veterans from the “Great Patriotic War” are declining, but they are still honored every year and this is an opportunity to join the jubilee
After the celebrations you will tour Lake Issyk-Kul, meet our people, join in our traditions and become engulfed in our culture and history
About tour
In this spring programme you will get to join in the festivities celebrating the end of the “Great Patriotic War” (WW2), and also become acquainted with the life of the Kyrgyz half-nomads whilst you tour around Lake-Issyk-Kul. This is the season when, around the lake, all fruit trees are blossoming, a marvelous sight. You will stay in hotels, B&Bs and with a local family.
An English or German speaking guide/interpreter will travel along with you. Transportation will be by Mercedes minibus.
Should there be less than 4 participants the tour will take place anyway but you will have to pay an additional fee.
Day By Day Programme
Here you can find a detailed description of the tour with routes and locations
| Day 1 | Departure from your local airport. |
| Day 2 | Arrival at Manas Airport where you will be met and taken to the Umai Hotel. After a light lunch some sightseeing in Bishkek with your guide/interpreter. We will visit the historical museum to get a first impression of the history and traditions of Kyrgyzstan. Stay in hotel Umai. |
| Day 3 | Daytrip to the Alamedin Gorge and Ata Beyit. The Alamedin Gorge is one of the most striking of the Kyrgyz gorges, just 30 km South of Bishkek. Ata Beyit is a memorial complex, the name of which means ‘Grave of Our Fathers’ in Kyrgyz. Here we will see a small museum and mass grave from the Stalin area, and close by the final resting place of the famous author Chingiz Aitmatov and of those who were killed during the 2010 revolution. Picnic lunch. Stay in the Umai Hotel. |
| Day 4 | Festivities celebrating Liberation Day, the day that saw the end of the “Great Patriotic War” 80 years ago. There will be parades, music and dancing in the center of town. Veterans are honored with flowers and a meal – almost identical to the food of WW2, and served in army tents by today’s soldiers. Stay in hotel Umai. |
| Day 5 | We drive from Bishkek to Tamchy on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. En route we will visit the Burana Tower, the remnants of an old Silk Road City. Stay in a nice guesthouse in Tamchy. |
| Day 6 | In Cholpon-Ata we visit the Archaeological Open-Air Museum to see the petroglyphs (rock drawings made by the Scythes from the 11th to 3rd centuries BC). On to Kyrchyn Valley, the home of the World Nomad Games and a meeting place for the Kyrgyz nomads for hundreds of years, where we will have a hike up the valley. Continue to Karakol, the largest town in and capital of the Issyk Kul Region. Sight-seeing Karakol, including the Russian Orthodox Church and the Dungan Mosque. Stay in guest house. |
| Day 7 | In the morning we visit the famous animal market. Next from Karakol to Jeti Ogus, one of the most beautiful gorges in Kyrgyzstan located at an altitude of 2.200 meters. We will see the famous red rock formations of the “Seven Bulls” and the “Broken Heart”. Hike in the valley and continue to the very comfortable Royal Gate yurt camp near Tosor. From here it is short distance to Skaska, meaning “Fairy Tale”, a small hidden valley with strange eroded rock formations in a great variety of colors. Stay in yurt camp Sonun. |
| Day 8 | From Sonun to Bokonbaevo, where we will meet a man who hunts with golden eagles, see his bird(s) and listen to him explaining his profession and the way he trains his eagles. From here we drive up to the mountain village Temir-Kanat, where we will stay with a local family. |
| Day 9 | Day in Temir Kanat. We can hike in the mountains and experience what life of the Kyrygz nomads is like. It is also possible to rent horses here and go for a ride. Stay with local family. |
| Day 10 | From Temir-Kanat we drive through the Kongur Olung valley, famous for its flora and fauna, to Kyzyl-Tuu where we will visit a family that will show how yurt frames and yurt decorations are made. Then see on to the village of Kochkor to see how felt is made from sheep wool. We will spend the night with a local family. |
| Day 11 | In the morning we will visit the bazaar and Altyn Kol, a cooperative shop where we see felt products made by the women of the surrounding villages, in the afternoon we drive to the Boom gorge for a hike in the Konorchok canyons. Next to Chon Kemin, a valley at the border with Kazakhstan, where we will stay in a nice guesthouse at the edge of a forest. |
| Day 12 | Day in the Kemin Valley. This long valley itself lies at altitudes of between 1,400 and 2,800 meters, and stretches over 80 kilometers into the mountains. The valley has a rich variety of vegetation and animal life. It is possible to rent horses here and go for a ride. Stay in guest house. |
| Day 13 | Return to Bishkek. In the afternoon time for shopping, museums and/or Osh bazaar. Stay in the Umai Hotel.. |
| Day 14 | Day trip to Ala Archa National Park, 40 km from Bishkek. We can make a rather strenuous hike to the waterfalls at 2665m or an easier hike in the lower area of the park. Picknick lunch. In the afternoon some time for last minute shopping. Stay in hotel Umai. |
| Day 15 | Transfer to Manas Airport and departure. |
Due to unforeseen circumstances, it might be necessary to make small changes in the program.
We ask for your understanding.
Tour specifics
Our tours can be organized for individual travelers or groups of up to 10 people (and sometimes more) and for families with (young) children. For the majority of our tours you can specify the start date and length of the tour.
| Date | |
| May 6 | May 20 |
| Group | |
| 4 and more persons | |
| For 4-5 persons | |
| Price | € 1.460 p.p. |
| For 6 and more persons | |
| Price | € 1.210 p.p. |
For bookings of 4, or more, persons we offer a 5% discount.
For another discount, contact us.
In case there are less participants than required, if you pay an additional fee, the trip will go on as planned.
Terms of payment
Your booking will be confirmed upon receipt of a deposit of euros 250 per person. The outstanding balance must be paid either 8 weeks before departure or in cash upon arrival. We do not accept debit or credit cards.
• Transportation by minibus
• Transfer from and to the airport
• All meals, breakfast, lunch and supper
• Stay in hotel, B&B, guesthouse, yurt and homestay
• Programme as described
• English/German (as required) speaking guide/interpreter
• Flight
• Insurances
• Personal expenses
• Entrance charges if applicable
• Tips
• Alcoholic and other bottled beverages
• Activities not mentioned in the programme
If you have to cancel a tour you already booked, we have to charge you cancellation fee.
If Ecotour cancels the tour, of course you will get back the full amount you paid.
If you cancel your trip, depending on the time your message reaches us, you owe Ecotour the following amount:
| till 42 days before departure | one pays the deposit |
| day 42- till day 28 | 35 % |
| day 28- till day 21 | 40 % |
| day 21- till day 14 | 50 % |
| day 14- till day 5 | 75 % |
| day 5 – till day 2 | 90 % |
| on the last day before and the day of departure | 100% |
A trip with Ecotour means an unusual and unforgettable vacation.
Our trips are suitable for those who do not insist on luxury, love the mountains,
appreciate the silence and do not want to travel in large groups.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU
Kyrgyzstan is a land full of beautiful experiences and wonders unique…
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Mountain passes, bad tracks, off-road, and firm climbs over 3000 m characterize this route.
Not all slopes are steep, but some are very long and on dirt roads.
But it is worth the effort.