Region

Issyk Kul

Lake in northeastern Kyrgyzstan

Photo: User:Robert-Antonio, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Issyk Kul (Kyrgyz: Ысык көл Ysyk Köl, Russian: Иссык-Куль) is a lake in Kyrgyzstan. The name refers both to the lake and the oblast (region) containing the lake. The region is centered around the massive Issyk Kul lake, which is the second largest alpine lake in the world. It is completely ringed by the massive snow-capped Tian Shan mountains that lie between 3,000 and 4,000 m.

Getting there and around

Getting there

By taxi
You can arrange a van or taxi from Almaty or Bishkek. A hired driver one-way from Bishkek will cost up to US$100.
By train
There is also a scenic train ride from Bishkek to Balykchy (see here for more details).

Read in the guide

Getting around

By autostop
Hitching a ride around the lake or into any direction is easy—see Kyrgyzstan#By autostop.
By taxi
Most bus stations have a taxi stand nearby where you can negotiate additional rides. But also in smaller cities, towns or villages, you can just ask around for a car and driver—there are plenty.

Read in the guide

Airports and nearby hotels

Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.

Issyk-Kul International Airport

Tamchy · International · IKU

Search stays near IKU

Search flights

Read before you go to Issyk Kul

Articles and travel topics about Issyk Kul and Kyrgyzstan.

Itineraries

Moscow to Urumqi

The usual overland route from Europe into China is the Trans-Siberian Railway, crossing Russia to Lake Baikal then continuing either via Mongolia or Dongbei (the former Manchuria) to Beijing.

Wikivoyage

Nature & adventure

UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves

As of 2023 the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves is made up of 738 reserves in 134 countries of which 22 are transboundary.

Wikivoyage

Itineraries

Pamir Highway

The Pamir Highway leads through the Pamir Mountains in Central Asia. The bulk of the Highway runs through the Tajik portion of the Pamir Mountains, and extends into Kyrgyzstan to the north and Uzbekistan and, briefly,…

Wikivoyage

Itineraries

Silk Road

For modern-day trade in China, see Shopping in China The Silk Road (丝绸之路 sī chóu zhī lù), also known as the Silk Route, is not a single road, but a network of historical trade routes across Asia from China to Europe.

Wikivoyage

Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

Cities and villagesThere are plenty of smaller villages at lake shore, with cheaper accommodation and less tourists.

UnderstandIssyk Kul is a slightly saline deep water body. Years of over-fishing have decimated its fisheries and many of the smoked fish sold in the surrounding cities come from other alpine lakes.

TalkRussian and Kyrgyz are the primary languages. Some hospitality staff may speak English, but it is much more helpful to know basic Russian.

Get inThe simplest way to reach Issyk Kul is by minibus from Bishkek western bus station (Западный автовокзал Zapadniy avtovokzal).

Get aroundAll of the larger cities have bus stations with frequent marshrutkas. If you are in a smaller city, town or village, you might have to head to the highway around the lake to catch a marshrutka.

SeeThe locally published Spektator magazine had an online guide to circumnavigating Issyk Kul.

DoIssyk Kul is also ringed by hundreds of kilometers of beaches popular for swimming and sunning.

EatMost of the restaurants serve "national and European" cuisine, which amounts to local and Russian food. There are few restaurants catering to western tastes.

DrinkSome locals believe drinking the slightly saline water of Issyk Kul has health benefits. But, there is a uranium tailing pond on the south shore, that likely runs off into the lake.

Stay safeThere are no lifeguards at any of the beaches. There are no nudist beaches and women being topless is quite rare, but local custom has no aversion to extremely skimpy swimsuits.

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Issyk Kul" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Issyk-Kul", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: User:Robert-Antonio, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Improve this guide on Wikivoyage