Karakol Tours & Holidays
Karakol Small Group Tours & Tailor-Made Holidays
Karakol is the administrative centre of Issy-Kul province and a good base from which to explore the lake. It was founded in 1869 after the commander of a nearby garrison realised that with its mild climate and fertile soil it was well suited for settlement. Today the town is famous for its surrounding apple orchards and there is a very good Sunday market. Things to see include the Chinese mosque, which was built entirely without nails by Chinese artisans in 1920, and the Holy Trinity Cathedral. ...
Karakol is the administrative centre of Issy-Kul province and a good base from which to explore the lake. It was founded in 1869 after the commander of a nearby garrison realised that with its mild climate and fertile soil it was well suited for settlement. Today the town is famous for its surrounding apple orchards and there is a very good Sunday market. Things to see include the Chinese mosque, which was built entirely without nails by Chinese artisans in 1920, and the Holy Trinity Cathedral. There are also good walks to be had in the valley of the Karakol River.
Best experiences

Enjoy a meal at Reina Kench Eco-Farm
This beautiful and peaceful eco-farm was built from scratch after the fall of the Soviet Union and is run by the same family that still live and work here. Enjoy a delicious home cooked lunch in the restaurant where most of the produce has been grown on site.
Explore Soviet life with a city tour
Karakol reaches back only 150 years and can be described as a quaint Soviet-style town full of Russian-style cottages shaded by white poplar trees. Visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the bright Chinese Dungan Mosque, Pushkin Park and Nokolai Przhevalsky Museum.
Hike through Jety-Oguz Valley
This is one of five beautiful green valleys around Karakol with icy cold rivers and sloping forests of Tien Shan spruce, Siberian larch and walnut trees. Local shepherds can tell you about the red rocks and the fractured mountain known as "Broken Heart".OUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO STAY
TOURS FEATURING Karakol
Travel to Kyrgyzstan with like-minded people on one of our small group tours (usually max size 12), featuring knowledgeable local guides and an expert tour leader.