We are lucky enough to have been born in a country where the mountains are so close that you can escape to them even for half a day. But, like many attractions in Kyrgyzstan, many tours are seasonal. So, in this article, I’ll share my reviews of half-day trips from Bishkek and what time of year you can visit each place.

I’ll keep adding to this list…

Summer

Belogorka Waterfall

Belogorka is the highest waterfall in Chuy Region, standing at around 60 metres. The spray gets blown around by the wind before it even reaches the ground, so you can actually get soaked while standing several metres away. But this isn’t always the case. The river feeding the waterfall only has plenty of water in early to mid-summer — that’s when the waterfall is in its prime. The rest of the year, it is pretty ordinary.

We were a little late and saw it looking like this:

The tour to this waterfall is relatively easy. They drive you as close as possible, and then you have to walk for about 40 minutes, with a few uphill sections. Honestly, I thought it would be easier.

But what makes it a little less painful is that, thanks to its height, you can see the waterfall from quite far away.

“Sky Bridge, Pigeon Waterfall and Chunkurchak Gorge” Tour

The best time to take this tour is late spring to early summer, while all the mountains are still green. We took this tour with a tour company quite a long time ago, but I’m pretty sure they still run it in more or less the same way.

First, they take you to the Chunkurchak Ethno Complex, a restaurant complex with a museum on its grounds. The museum curator gives a surprisingly interesting explanation of the exhibits — mostly everyday objects used by Kyrgyz nomads.

Then you head to a suspension bridge over the gorge. It feels pretty terrifying, but it is safe. Strangely enough, I got more adrenaline from this bridge than from the Glass Bridge in China.

The same gorge is home to Pigeon Waterfall. The descent to it is not for the faint-hearted, so be careful.

Just so you know, rope jumping used to take place from this cliff until an accident happened.

After the bridge, we head into Chunkurchak Gorge itself, to the ski resort. These tours, by the way, only operate during the warm season, because in winter the resort is occupied by skiers and snowboarders.

At the resort, you can take the chairlift, admire the green hills, ride a zip line and try the giant swings with ribbons attached to the lift cables. Because they are suspended from the lift system, they fly really high — and it is quite an experience. Maybe they have already added some new activities by now?

Autumn

Birch Grove Tour

Obviously, the best time to visit is autumn, when the birch trees turn golden. This is when local tour companies organise trips to the Boyrok tract. Don’t let the words “Birch Grove” fool you: this grove is actually up in the mountains, not far from Ala-Archa. So yes, you have to climb into the mountains to get to these birch trees! The trail goes uphill, so… good luck. On the bright side, you can comfort yourself with the thought of how easy the way back down is going to be. And if you get lucky with the weather and there is fog, put on the Twilight soundtrack for the full experience.

You can have a picnic in the grove itself — but go farther away from the other groups. There will be plenty of them, especially on autumn weekends. If you make a campfire, please be careful, because the number of chopped-down birch trees and fire pits in this grove is honestly alarming. If you want birch trees but somewhere a little farther away from the crowds, I recommend going to Ak-Tyuz for a full day. I wrote about it here.

Winter

Ala-Archa

Ala-Archa is suitable for visiting all year round, but I personally like it best in winter. It is often the only place where you can find a beautiful snowy forest — or, if winter has been warm, sometimes the only place where there is any snow left at all. After the reconstruction, the park became much more accessible and, unfortunately, much more crowded. You can get there with a tour or on your own by bus, which leaves from the Old Square. Entrance to the park is now paid. After passing through the gates, electric buses take you to the main walking area.

On weekends, the buses and the park are usually packed. Ala-Archa is no longer just about walking in the mountains either. Now you can have lunch at a panoramic restaurant, take a short ride on the funicular cable car, or even stay overnight in an A-frame cabin. In terms of how touristy it has become, this natural park now reminds me of Shymbulak.

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