The calm surface of the lake; in the distance a shore lined with trees and mountains in the evening haze — Kosh-Kol: summer

Kosh-Kol

Updated October 28, 2026How we check facts

A village on the north shore of Issyk-Kul by a cape lined with lakeside resorts.

≈224 km from BishkekFrom Karakol ≈181 km
Shore on footResorts ≈1.9 km away
8 places nearby5 to 43 km away
15 places to stay9 within 1.5 km of the centre

Kyrgyz SeasonsPlanning a trip?Ask about a triphello@kyrgyzseasons.com

8 places from the centre outwards

Start with places you can walk to, then roads out of town. The map shows the route from the centre to the place you are viewing.

September 15, 2007

≈5.2 km along the road1 / 8

Tamchy

By car, about 5 kmAll year round, by day

The neighbouring village to the east: guesthouses by the water, a mosque and a war memorial.

Place page →
September 1, 2024

≈13 km along the road2 / 8

Chok-Tal

By car, about 13 kmJune–September

A quiet village on the north shore on the way to Balykchy: a sandy shore and a pier, with beaches and gorges nearby.

Place page →
June 12, 2014

≈27 km along the road3 / 8

Chon-Sary-Oy

By car, about 27 kmJune–September

A village to the east: from its southern edge you can see the lake and the snowy mountains beyond.

Place page →
September 24, 2023

≈30 km along the road4 / 8

Sary-Oy

By car, about 30 kmJune–September

A village to the east with a wide sandy beach by the blue water.

Place page →
August 14, 2022

≈36 km along the road5 / 8

Kara-Oy

By car, about 36 kmAll year round, by day

A village east beyond Sary-Oy: a sandy beach and the hot springs of the Ak-Bermet resort.

Place page →
October 10, 2014

≈41 km along the road6 / 8

Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs

By car, about 41 kmDaytime, best in dry weather

An open-air museum above the highway. Animals, hunters and hunting scenes are carved into large boulders.

Place page →
≈43 km along the road7 / 8

Ruh Ordo cultural centre

By car, about 43 kmWeather permitting

A lakeside cultural complex named after Chingiz Aitmatov: chapels, sculptures and viewpoints.

Place page →
April 27, 2023

≈38 km along the road8 / 8

Balykchy

By car, about 38 kmAll year round, by day

A town on the lake’s western edge. Roads from Bishkek, to both shores and towards Naryn meet here; there is a railway station.

Place page →

Kosh-Kol: four seasons

Things to do in and around town throughout the year. Monthly temperatures are averages for 2016–2025, not a forecast.

Spring
March–May

Days from +5 °C in March to +13 °C in May, nights from +2 to +9 °C.
- MarchKosh-Kol +5° / +2°
- AprilKosh-Kol +10° / +6°
- MayKosh-Kol +13° / +9°
August 16, 2023

Summer
June–August

Calm water and the north-shore mountains in the evening haze. Days +17…+20 °C.
- JuneKosh-Kol +17° / +13°
- JulyKosh-Kol +20° / +16°
- AugustKosh-Kol +18° / +15°
September 16, 2007

Autumn
September–November

A sandy beach with colourful umbrellas by the blue water. Days from +15 °C in September to +5 °C in November.
- SeptemberKosh-Kol +15° / +12°
- OctoberKosh-Kol +10° / +7°
- NovemberKosh-Kol +5° / +2°
Winter
December–February

Days around +1…+2 °C, nights down to −2 °C.
- DecemberKosh-Kol +2° / −1°
- JanuaryKosh-Kol +1° / −2°
- FebruaryKosh-Kol +2° / −2°

Where it is

Location: Issyk-Kul Region
Altitude: 1,626 m
Coordinates: 42.54° N, 76.61° E

Open in Maps

Getting here and getting around town

How to get there

From Bishkek
≈3.5 h
Via Balykchy along the north shore of Issyk-Kul, about 224 km by road. Marshrutkas to Cholpon-Ata and Karakol pass through; no timetable.
From Karakol
about 3 h
Along the north shore, about 181 km by road. Check marshrutka times and fares for your date.