Victory Day DE
15-day tour, in small groups, since 2011
This is the 75th anniversary of the end of WW2,
and the celebrations this year will be extra-special
The number of veterans from the “Great Patriotic War” are declining, but they are still honoured 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) 75 years ago, 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 Umia Hotel. After a light lunch some sightseeing in Bishkek with your guide/interpreter. Stay in the Umai Hotel. |
| Day 3-4 | Festivities celebrating Liberation Day, the day that saw the end of the “Great Patriotic War” 75 years ago. There will be parades, music and dancing in the centre of town. Veterans are honoured 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 | 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 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 6 | We drive from Bishkek to Cholpon-Ata on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. En route we will visit the Burana Tower, the remnants of an old Silk Road City. Close to Cholpon-Ata we will stop to visit the new Nomad Museum that has displays of traditional Kyrgyz nomadic life through the centuries. Stay in a nice hotel in Cholpon-Ata. |
| Day 7 | 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 guesthouse. |
| Day 8 | From Karakol to Jeti Ogus, one of the most beautiful gorges in Kyrgyzstan located at an altitude of 2.200 metres. We will see the famous red rock formations of the “Seven Bulls” and the “Broken Heart”. Hike in the valley and continue to Jenish, a nice village by the lake. Stay in guesthouse. |
| Day 9 | Along the south side of Lake Issyk-Kul to the yurt camp Manjyly. On the way we will stop for a hike in “Fairy Tale” Valley, a miniature canyon with strange eroded rock formations in different colours. Continue to Manjyly, located in a dry semi-dessert area, the so-called “badlands”. Stay in yurts. |
| Day 10 | From Manjyly 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. We follow the lake to Kyzyl-Tuu where we will visit a family that will show how yurt frames and yurt decorations are made. Then on to the small village of Kara Suu to see how felt is made from sheep wool. We will spend the night with a local family. |
| Day 11 | As this is a Saturday, we can visit the animal market in Kochkor. It is not as well-known as the animal market in Karakol but more authentic and less touristic. After lunch to a salt mine, not far from Kochkor. We can make a short hike in the area and visit the “curative hospital” partially located in the mine where there are rooms used to treat health problems like chronic bronchitis and certain allergies. Stay in Kochkor. |
| Day 12 | Leave Kochkor and drive along the Orto-Tokoy Reservoir and over a pass to the Boom Valley where we will stop for a hike in the Konorchok Canyons. We hike 3-4 hours and then continue to the Chon Kemin Valley where we will arrive in the afternoon. Stay in nice guesthouse. |
| Day 13 | Day in the Kemin Valley. This long valley itself lies at altitudes of between 1.400 and 2.800 metres, and stretches over 80 kilometres 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 guesthouse. |
| Day 14 | Return to Bishkek. In the afternoon time for shopping, visiting museums and/or Osh bazaar. Stay in the Umai Hotel. |
| 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 four and more persons | |
| Price | € 1.195 p.p. |
For bookings of 4, or more, persons we offer a 5% discount. 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…
click the link below
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.