Kyzyl-Tuu
Updated How we check facts
Yurt makers’ village on Issyk-Kul’s south shore: stays, workshops, trips to the salt lake and canyons.
- ≈244 km from BishkekAbout 4 h by car
- Village on footTo the lake: by car
- 6 places nearby12 to 62 km by road
- 3 places to stay3 within 1.5 km of the centre
6 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.
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August 27, 2018≈12 km along the road1 / 6
Tuz-Kol salt lake
A small salt lake among pale, dry hills. The water is blue, the shore steep and whitish; it is quiet and empty all around. People come for a few hours.
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July 17, 2022≈23 km along the road2 / 6
Ak-Say canyons
Red-and-white canyons between the highway and the lake: rock ridges, pale slopes, trails down the dry riverbed. Half a day is enough.
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≈30 km along the road3 / 6
Bokonbaevo
A district centre at the foot of the range. An arch and a horseman monument stand at the entrance. It has a tourist office, shops, places to stay and trailheads into the mountains.
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April 27, 2023≈49 km along the road4 / 6
Kadzhi-Sai
A resort village by the highway: guesthouses, yurt camps and beaches. Around it lie a stony plain and reddish hills.
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July 18, 2018≈62 km along the road5 / 6
Skazka Canyon
Red crests and sharp rock towers above the trail. The trail runs along the canyon floor between slopes; from above you can see the lake and snowy ranges.
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January 15, 2012≈58 km along the road6 / 6
Balykchy
A town at the western end of the lake. Here the road splits for the north and south shores, and there is a bus station. Handy for shopping and changing buses.
Kyzyl-Tuu: four seasons
Things to do in and around town throughout the year. Monthly temperatures are averages for 2016–2025, not a forecast.
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Spring
March–May+7 to +15 by day, around zero at night. In spring, ask locals about the road to the lake and canyons before setting off.
- MarchKyzyl-Tuu +7° / −1°
- AprilKyzyl-Tuu +11° / +4°
- MayKyzyl-Tuu +15° / +8°
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Summer
June–August+18…+21 by day, +12…+15 at night. The best time for the lake, canyons and workshops; an empty road leads to snowy peaks.
- JuneKyzyl-Tuu +18° / +12°
- JulyKyzyl-Tuu +21° / +15°
- AugustKyzyl-Tuu +19° / +14°
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Autumn
September–NovemberIn September about +17 by day, about +6 by November, with nights already around zero. Summer programmes around the lake come to an end.
- SeptemberKyzyl-Tuu +17° / +10°
- OctoberKyzyl-Tuu +11° / +5°
- NovemberKyzyl-Tuu +6° / 0°
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Winter
December–February+1.5 to +3 by day, −5…−6 at night. Little is known about winter trips to the lake and canyons; workshops by arrangement.
- DecemberKyzyl-Tuu +3° / −4°
- JanuaryKyzyl-Tuu +2° / −6°
- FebruaryKyzyl-Tuu +3° / −5°
Getting here and getting around town
How to get there
From Bishkek
about 4 h by carVia Balykchy on the southern highway, 244 km. Marshrutka from the western bus station to Bokonbaevo: 5–6 hours, formerly about 350 som.
From Balykchy
about 1 hEast along the south shore, 60 km. Marshrutkas towards Bokonbaevo use this road; ask to be dropped off in Kyzyl-Tuu.
From Karakol
about 3 h by carWest via Bokonbaevo, 163 km. Buses run from Karakol’s southern bus station to Bokonbaevo and Balykchy.
From Bokonbaevo
about 30 kmBack west on the southern highway towards Balykchy; taxi or a passing marshrutka. Arrange to meet your hosts in advance.
Getting around town
- On foot. The village is small: the centre, houses and lodging are within 1.5 km. Tuz-Kol is 12 km away by car.
Contact and help
112 single emergency number
- 101 fire and rescue
- 102 police
- 103 ambulance
You can call 112 with a local SIM or without one.
Check in advance
- Bus timetable from Bishkek and Karakol
- Workshop addresses and demonstration prices
- Overnight prices in the village
- Condition of the dirt road to Tuz-Kol
- Mobile coverage in the canyons
Check on site
- Workshop address, time and demonstration price Host family
- Getting to Tuz-Kol and the entry fee Local driver
- Bus timetable and boarding point Transport operator
- Route to the Ak-Say viewpoint and entry to Skazka Local residents
Where to stay: 3 of 3 places are within 1.5 km of the centre
How many places
- Within 1.5 km from the centre
- 3 of 3
Options with names, from the centre outwards
- Yurt camp «Kiyiz Duino»guesthouse
- Guest house «El Nuru»guesthouse
- Guest house «Jasmin»guesthouse
Kyzyl-Tuu in photos
Real photos, each with the date it was taken. Tap or click to enlarge.
- April 27, 2023
- August 27, 2018
- August 27, 2018
- August 27, 2018
- July 17, 2022
- January 15, 2012
- July 18, 2018
Guides and ready-made itineraries
Pages that include this place in a guide or itinerary.
Routes and programmes
Nearby and where to go next
Route · ≈9.7 km as the crow fliesTuz-Kol salt lakeA stop at a salt lake, returning to Cholpon-Ata
Base · ≈27 km as the crow fliesBokonbaevoVillage on the south shore of Issyk-Kul: a night’s stay and trips to canyons, a salt lake and gorges.
Base · ≈42 km as the crow fliesKadzhi-SaiA village on the south shore of Issyk-Kul: a beach, a night by the lake, trips to Skazka and Barskoon falls.
Route · ≈56 km as the crow fliesSkazka CanyonA day trip from Karakol to explore the rocks at your own pace
Base · ≈50 km as the crow fliesBalykchyA town at the western shore of Issyk-Kul, where roads branch along the two shores.
Base · ≈40 km as the crow fliesKosh-KolKosh-Kol is a village on the north shore of Issyk-Kul. People come here for time by the water and a night in a guesthouse.