Kyrgyzstan Self-Drive Tour: Song-Kol, Kel-Suu & Issyk-Kul by 4×4 — 11 Days

This Kyrgyzstan self-drive tour puts you behind the wheel of a Toyota Land Cruiser or Toyota Sequoia 4×4 for 11 days and about 1,900 km. You drive; your guide and a mechanic lead the convoy in their own jeep, with a radio in every car. It is a real Kyrgyzstan road trip, without the worry of finding the way, fixing a puncture or arranging permits.

The route climbs from the Chon-Kemin valley over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass to the yurt camps of Song-Kol, crosses the Moldo-Ashuu and MELS passes to the stone caravanserai of Tash-Rabat, and follows a dirt track to Kel-Suu, a turquoise lake between rock walls near the Chinese border. From Naryn you drive the wild road over the Tosor pass (3,890 m) down to Issyk-Kul, then along the lake to the Skazka canyon, Jeti-Oguz, Karakol and the Altyn-Arashan hot springs.

How the Kyrgyzstan self-drive tour works

• The cars: Toyota Land Cruiser or Toyota Sequoia (2004–2006), strong, simple 4x4s made for these roads. Four travellers share a car and can take turns driving.
• The convoy: the guide and mechanic drive in front and set the pace. Every car has a radio, so you hear about river crossings, rough sections and photo stops before you reach them.
• Who can drive: drivers aged 21 to 55 with at least 3 years of driving experience and an International Driving Permit.
• If a section is too much: our team can take over the wheel on any stretch you would rather not drive.
• Insurance and deposit: the cars are insured. We take a $500 deposit per car for scratches and minor damage and return it at the end of the tour if there is no damage.
• Fuel and permits: fuel is not included; the border-zone permit for Kel-Suu is.

Why a guided self-drive tour in Kyrgyzstan

Renting a car and driving alone is possible on the main roads, but the best part of the country starts where the asphalt ends. The tracks to Song-Kol, Kel-Suu and over the Tosor pass have no signs and no fuel stations, rivers rise after rain and a small breakdown can cost a full day. On this Kyrgyzstan jeep tour you still do all the driving, but a local guide who knows every pass chooses the line, and a mechanic is one radio call away.

It also means you see more than the road. Each day has a walk of 1–2 hours, and along the way there are kok-boru and horse games in Chon-Kemin, a visit to shepherds at Song-Kol, a boat trip and horse riding at Kel-Suu, an eagle hunting show and dinner with an Uyghur family in Karakol.

Kyrgyzstan road trip route: 1,900 km in six stages

• Bishkek to Song-Kol (days 1–2, about 365 km): an easy first day on asphalt to Chon-Kemin, then your first pass, Kalmak-Ashuu, and a night in a yurt by the lake at 3,016 m.
• Song-Kol to Naryn by Tash-Rabat (day 3, about 350 km): the longest day, over the Moldo-Ashuu switchbacks and the MELS pass to the 15th-century caravanserai.
• Naryn to Kel-Suu and back (days 4–5, about 150 km each way): 80% dirt track into the border zone, a yurt night near the lake and a boat trip between the cliffs.
• Naryn to Issyk-Kul over the Tosor pass (day 6, about 220 km): the hardest and most beautiful driving day, 95% dirt, from the Naryn valley down to the lake shore at Tamga.
• South shore to Karakol (days 7–8): Skazka canyon, the eagle hunter and Jeti-Oguz, then a day off from driving while a Soviet GAZ-66 truck takes you up to the Altyn-Arashan hot springs.
• North shore back to Bishkek (days 9–11, about 475 km): the Grigorievka gorge, the Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs and an asphalt run through the Boom gorge.

Each day in the itinerary below shows the distance, the highest point and the share of asphalt and dirt, and the whole Kyrgyzstan self-drive tour is drawn on the map.

Best time and what it costs

This Kyrgyzstan self-drive tour runs from June to September, when the high passes and the track to Kel-Suu are free of snow; see the best time to visit Kyrgyzstan for the weather month by month. The price is $1,790 per person with four travellers in each car, and it covers the car, the guide and mechanic, all nights, all meals, the border permit and the activities. On top of that, plan for fuel, your flights and the $500 deposit per car, which you get back if there is no damage. If you would rather not drive at all, look at our other Kyrgyzstan jeep tours with a driver, and read our visa, money and safety tips before you go.

On this Kyrgyzstan self-drive tour many roads are dirt tracks with river crossings and high passes up to 3,890 m. Your guide leads the convoy, a mechanic travels with the group and every car has a radio. Drive slowly on gravel and follow the guide's instructions. If a section feels too difficult, our team can take over the wheel.

Your national driving licence and an International Driving Permit (required for drivers)
Passport (a copy is needed in advance for the Kel-Suu border permit)
Warm layers — mountain nights are cold even in summer
Rain jacket
Comfortable hiking shoes
Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
Personal medicine