Though small, the craggy mountains that back these two high-altitude lakes make for an impressive scene; as does the long look back down from their shelf above the Boz-Uchuk Valley and down towards the border with Kazakhstan. The terrain around the lakes stays quite marshy, so it's generally better to camp below in the main valley.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
19.27 MILES
The two-day trek to stunning Ala-Köl is for many visitors a highlight of the entire Kyrgyzstan experience. Though less than 1.5 km², the range of massive…
20.75 MILES
Hike the hour or two up from the village of Jolgolot (a suburb of Karakol) to take in stunning views of the city and Issyk-Köl to the north and the…
24.95 MILES
Early on Sunday mornings one of Kyrgyzstan's biggest animal markets takes place around 2km north of central Karakol. Typical of such markets, you'll…
28.71 MILES
The main attraction of the shrine-like Przhevalsky memorial garden is a small, well-presented museum dedicated to Nikolai Przhevalsky, the Russian…
23.95 MILES
Set peacefully amid trees, this hefty wooden structure is topped with green-roofed towers and almost-golden onion domes. The 1872 stone original was…
24.14 MILES
Occupying an archetypal 1887 Russian house, this museum has a few Scythian bronze artefacts, local tools and musical instruments. Taxidermists' victims…
23.31 MILES
In addition to the standard monument of Victory on a plinth, memorialising the end of WWII, Karakol's Victory Park also includes an interesting monument…
24.43 MILES
Developed under the initiative of the Destination Karakol public association, this area of nicely maintained land alongside the Karakol River has benches,…
Nearby Issyk-Köl Oblast attractions
8.45 MILES
This small but pretty mountain lake is a great day trip up the Ak-Suu Valley. The hike climbs from 1760m off the highway to 3245m at the lake, so don't…
14.41 MILES
The height and impressive rocky cove, as well as pleasant landscapes en route, make this waterfall a nice walk or horse ride from the village even if it's…
14.82 MILES
The still waters of this quiet mountain lake reflect the surrounding forests, and the trail up looks out over splendid views of the surrounding valleys…
19.27 MILES
The two-day trek to stunning Ala-Köl is for many visitors a highlight of the entire Kyrgyzstan experience. Though less than 1.5 km², the range of massive…
20.75 MILES
Hike the hour or two up from the village of Jolgolot (a suburb of Karakol) to take in stunning views of the city and Issyk-Köl to the north and the…
21.17 MILES
According to local legend, this large pile of thousands of rocks hearkens back to the Timurid era. As the story goes, en route to an invasion of China the…
23.31 MILES
In addition to the standard monument of Victory on a plinth, memorialising the end of WWII, Karakol's Victory Park also includes an interesting monument…
23.55 MILES
This historic building still serves as the office of the local Radio and TV company, which is not open to the public.