Felt workshop and culture
15 days tour, in small groups, since 2004
2 week popular textile tour
During your bike tour there will be plenty of time to enjoy the local nature
In the yurt camp on the shore of lake Issyk Kul you can go for a swim in the clear blue water.
In the mountains you can go for a hike, ride a horse or pay a visit to the nomadic families who live in the mountain pastures during the summer.
About tour
Discover the culture and sample the life of the Kyrgyz nomad. Sleep in a yurt, the traditional felt house of the shepherds, built the same way today as it has been for the last 8 centuries. In a number of different villages you will visit the small workshops where felt is manufactured. You will be taught how to and will make felt yourself, and then craft a small shyrdak and an alakiis, the traditional Kyrgyz carpets.
Along the way you will hear local children sing folksongs and play traditional musical instruments. You can see kymyz, the national drink made from mare’s milk, being prepared.
Embroidery on felt will be taught in Bishkek and you will have the opportunity to visit museums and art galleries and, if there are enough participants, a short concert by a folklore-band will be arranged. If you have special wishes or requirements please contact us in advance and we will try to fit it into your program.
There will be plenty of time to enjoy our magnificent nature and to go on some of the myriad of walks available. It will be possible to do a little “exploration” of Kyrgyzstan on horseback or you can go for a swim in the lake.
Get to meet the shepherds and their families who go to the summer pastures, with their flocks and cattle, high in the mountains.
In Bishkek you stay in an unpretentious, but very pleasant,’ hotel, and when in the countryside you will stay in yurt camps and B&B where a local family takes care of you.
Throughout the whole programme you will be accompanied by and English speaking interpreter.
This journey is suitable for people who are interested in the nomadic way of life and the culture of the Kyrgyz people. We expect you to be a little adventurous, to be in average physical condition and to find luxury unimportant.
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 | Workshop in Bishkek on elechek making, the traditional millinery of married women and consisting of many layers of fabric. Stay in hotel. |
| Day 3 | Workshops (embroidery, making corsage) and a visit to the Osh-bazaar. Stay in hotel. |
| Day 4 | By minibus to Kara-Suu Village. Start the first workshop (making felt traditional way). Stay in the house of a shyrdak-making family. |
| Day 5 | Continue workshops (shyrdak), learning about the meaning of Kyrgyz patterns andmaking chi, the reed mat which is put between the frame and the felt of the yurt and which is used for moulding felt). Stay in the house. |
| Day 6 | Visit Kochkor (Altyn-Kol shop, museum, gallery, bazaar) and after lunch to Tuura-Suu yurt camp (2.200 m). Stay in a yurt. |
| Day 7 | Full day in Tuura-Suu, visit the village, hiking and/or horse riding. Stay in a yurt. |
| Day 8 | Drive to Sonun yurt camp. On route stop in Kyzyl-Tuu to see yurt frames and decorations being made. Stay in a yurt. |
| Day 9 | Some short hiking and continue working on your shyrdak. Stay in a yurt. |
| Day 10 | To Temir-Kanat yurt camp (2.450 m). On the way we will stop and meet a man who hunts with eagles and can see his bird(s) of prey. Stay in a yurt. |
| Day 11 | Day in Temir-Kanat. Hiking, horseback riding. Stay in a yurt. |
| Day 12 | By minibus to Tamchy Village on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. We will stay at the house of the lady who makes local handicrafts. Workshops on Kyrgyz traditional patchwork and making a kerchief with silk and wool. |
| Day 13 | Drive back to Bishkek. On the way visit Burana Tower, the remnants of an old Silk Road city which existed in X-XII centuries. Stay in hotel. |
| Day 14 | Day in Bishkek for a workshop on origami and then for shopping in Osh Bazaar, local shops. Farewell dinner. Stay in 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 | |
| June 2 | June 16 |
| Group | |
| 4 and more persons | |
| For four and more persons | |
| Price | € 1.295 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
• Transportation by own minibus
• All meals
• Stay in hotel, guesthouse, yurt, tent
• Programme as described
• English speaking guide/ interpreter
• Camping equipment except sleeping bag and Iso-mattress
• Porters to carry luggage (max 12 kg pp.)
• Cook
• Trekking guide
• Road taxes
• Flight
• Insurances
• Personal expenses
• Entrance fees
• 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.