Bishkek → Issyk-Kul South Shore · Ak-Sai Canyon · Eagle Hunting Show · Bokonbaevo yurt camp

We drive east from Bishkek toward Issyk-Kul, the second-largest mountain lake in the world, following the southern shore where fewer tourists venture. We will walk through the red walls of Ak-Sai Canyon which rise above the lake. Then, on surrounding hills, we meet a local berkutchi (eagle hunter) whose golden eagle has been trained since birth. They will demonstrate hunting skills unchanged for centuries. The evening is yours at a lakeside yurt camp - one of the finest ways to fall asleep in Central Asia.

Bokonbaevo → Skazka Canyon → Barskoon Gorge → Jeti Oguz

Three of Kyrgyzstan's most photogenic landscapes in a single day. First, Skazka (Fairy Tale) Canyon — where wind and water have carved red sandstone into formations that look like dragons, castles and mythical creatures. Then Barskoon Gorge with its waterfalls and Tien Shan panoramas. Finally, Jeti Oguz (Seven Bulls), the famous red cliffs and the "Broken Heart" rock formation that has inspired Kyrgyz poetry for generations.

Jeti Oguz → Karakol (Dungan Mosque + Orthodox Church) → Cholpon-Ata

You drive to Karakol — the cultural capital of the Issyk-Kul region — and encounter one of Central Asia's most quietly extraordinary contrasts: a wooden Dungan Mosque and a Russian Orthodox Church standing within walking distance of each other. Before leaving, you try Ashlyanfu — Karakol's famous cold noodle dish, served at a traditional restaurant and unlike anything you've eaten before. The afternoon drive follows the northern shore to Cholpon-Ata, the resort town that will host the heart of the Games.

Two full days at the World Nomad Games · Cholpon-Ata

Two full days immersed in the Games. You watch kok-boru (horseback polo with a goat carcass), Er Enish mounted wrestling, traditional archery, salburun (eagle and falcon hunting), and dozens of other disciplines from across the nomadic world. Between competitions, the festival grounds are alive with felt-making demonstrations, traditional cuisine from 80+ nations, komuz music, manas recitation and throat singers. Evenings are free — walk along the lake, explore Cholpon-Ata, or simply sit with the extraordinary feeling of being somewhere few Westerners have ever been.

Final competitions · World Nomad Games Closing Ceremony

The final day of competition — medal events in the disciplines you've been watching all week. The atmosphere is electric. In the evening, the Closing Ceremony brings everything together: a spectacular performance with traditional music, fire, equestrian displays and a celebration that only a people with 3,000 years of nomadic tradition can produce. This is the moment the trip was built around.

Cholpon-Ata Petroglyphs → Burana Tower → Bishkek

A morning that spans 3,000 years in two stops. First, the Cholpon-Ata open-air petroglyph museum — 2,000 rock carvings from 800 BC depicting hunting scenes, sun worship and the animals of the ancient steppe. Then, driving back toward Bishkek, you stop at the Burana Tower: an 11th-century minaret from the Karakhanid dynasty, one of the oldest standing structures in Central Asia, surrounded by stone balbals (warrior statues) gathered from across the steppe. You arrive in Bishkek for the final night at a spa hotel.

Transfer to Manas International Airport · Departure

After breakfast, transfer to the airport. Nine days in Kyrgyzstan — from the Opening Ceremony to the petroglyphs of 800 BC, from the shores of Issyk-Kul to the red canyons of the south. You leave with stories that most travellers will never have.