Karakol is one of the best adventurous bases in Kyrgyzstan. Most people come here to trek to the turquoise alpine lake Ala Kul, which is one of the best things you can do in Kyrgyzstan, but for us, it was also the animal market and the strange laidback vibe of the city that makes Karakol so unique. Not talking about excellent travel connections to other parts of Kyrgyzstan.
Our travel guide tells you what you can do in Karakol, the best day trips and multi-day hiking trips, and where to eat and safely store your stuff before you return from the hike. We based ourselves for two weeks in Karakol and did great research on the best things to do, so consider this article as your best help for planning your future trip.
HOW TO GET TO KARAKOL
Karakol is a transport hub; therefore, travelling to other parts of Kyrgyzstan is very easy from here. Daily buses connect Karakol with Bishkek, Balykchy, Cholpon Ata, Bokonbaevo, Kochkor, Jyrgalan, Ak Suu, Jeti Öguz and others.
FROM BISHKEK
Marshrutkas or shared taxis to Karakol frequently leave from the Western Bus terminal in Bishkek.
FROM CHOLPON ATA
Daily marshrutkas frequently leave to Karakol. You need to go to the station 2 km outside the city toward Karakol. A taxi will take you there for 100 som. Marshrutka cost 250 som, and it was the only place in Kyrgyzstan where the driver also wanted us to pay for luggage.
FROM SOUTH COAST ISSYK KUL
Suppose you come from the South Coast of Issyk Kul, such as Bokonbaevo, Tosor or Tamga. Just stand by the main road and wave at any car that goes in the direction of Karakol. This is a normal way how locals travel. Not every car stop, and it can take some time. Drivers expect you to pay little money for gas. If no one stops, there are marshrutkas roughly every 20-30 minutes that go between Bokonbaevo or Bishkek to Karakol, and those pick up passengers along the way. Expect to pay around 150 som per person.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR KYRGYZSTAN
Travel insurance to Kyrgyzstan is not mandatory, hoverer it is very recommended you get proper travel insurance. Most likely, you will be in places over 3000 m above sea level; you might do horse riding or explore the remote areas. Therefore, ensure you have travel insurance covering all these activities. IATI Insurance is our favourite; they cover high altitude trekking, horse riding, and water activities, but also expenses regarding Covid 19. As a reader of Broken Navigation, you get an exclusive 5% discount for any travel insurance plan.
Get your 5% discount with IATI Insurance here.
ABOUT KARAKOL
Karakol has a strong historical influence from Russian colonisations, which is visible, especially in the wooden houses and orthodox churches. It’s a very different architectural style than we are used to. The Bolsheviks destroyed eight mosques, leaving just one untouched. But what is bizarre is that they turned the Orthodox Church into a club. Today, Karakol is a rather boring city; there is not much to see except for a few sights. It is the natural surroundings that attract its visitors all year round.
In Karakol, you also find the Dungan community. If you don’t know who Dungan are, they are Chinese Muslims who fled persecution in the 1800s. That’s why you can find Chinese traditions and architecture in Karakol. Also, Dungan food, which is often vegetarian, can be found in various places in the town.
Top things to do in and around Karakol
Karakol is the next bigger town after Bishkek, where you can conveniently refill food stocks, hiking gear or other important stuff you might need to buy. Karakol is very popular all year round; in summer, people come for hiking since Karakol is one of the best places in Kyrgyzstan, as the logistics to other places are very straightforward. In winter people come for skiing. We often hear that Karakol is an ugly city with nothing to do. We must admit that the first impression after our arrival wasn’t the best, but the longer we stayed, the more comfortable we felt in the city. And if we considered a convenient location to visit other places, we gave Karakol a chance, and it didn’t disappoint.
DUNGAN MOSQUE
At first sight, you would guess you see a Chinese Buddhist Temple, but in reality, you stay in front of one of the biggest masterpieces in Karakol, the Dungan Mosque. Impressive details, made entirely of wood, without a single nail, blue colour and white topped mountains in the background. This place is stunning, and even though you can be done exploring in a few minutes, we spend a good hour admiring its beauty. This is the only mosque that survived the Bolshevik era. Entry fee is 20 som, opening time is between 8am to 6pm, and ladies can borrow robes for free at the entrance to the mosque.
HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL
Another impressive sight to visit is Holy Trinity Cathedral, made of wood with golden domes, visible from a distance in various places in Karakol. Sometimes the Cathedral gate is closed, but if you wait a little while, some staff will open it for you. Otherwise, official opening times are between 8am to 5pm, with free entry. Bolsheviks turned this cathedral into a club in the 1930s. Women must wear a headscarf that can be borrowed from the staff by the entrance.
VICTORY PARK
It is just a short walk from our favourite Snow Leopard Hostel. In the late afternoon and early evenings, the place is a hot spot for locals, coming to enjoy their time in the park. You can see here the Victory statue as an honour of the end of WWII.
BIG BAZAAR
It’s quite a big market where you can buy anything from spices and clothes to food. The most lively place in Karakol and a great spot for interaction with locals.
ENJOY A GOOD COFFEE
Fat Cat Cafe is one of Karakol’s most popular places to get a good coffee. It is famous mainly because its owner Jamiliya gives part of the profit to local enterprises. Another good coffee place is Sierra Coffee Karakol or Karakol Coffee.
SNAKEHEAD
Walking in the streets of Karakol, we came across a Snake Head with no special meaning. It is just an old building that is abandoned today. It is a few meters behind Karakol Coffee on Toktogula Street. We just found it really interesting. I mean, what a memorable entrance.
FREE WALKING TOUR
Destination Karakol organises a free walking tour (tip-based). It is a three-hour walking tour that takes you through all the interesting places in Karakol. The tour is on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9:30am to 11am. To register for the tour, stop by the Destination Karakol office.
DUNGAN FAMILY MEAL
If you want to learn more about Dungan culture and traditions, make sure to experience a real Dungan Family Dinner. To book the dinner, you must visit the Destination Karakol office, which gives you all the necessary information. Be prepared for a lot of food. According to Dungan traditions, you can expect at least eight different dishes for dinner!
ANIMAL MARKET
Our favourite thing about Karakol was the animal market, which takes place every Sunday. Take a taxi for 100 som and tell the driver you want to see the animal market, he knows where to take you (Mal bazaar). The place is bustling with local farmers selling sheep, goats, cows and horses. There is so much going on, so make sure your camera’s memory card is empty. Thousands of photos are guaranteed. The market happens from early morning till 10am. There will still be some farmers if you come by 12-1pm. However, the biggest rush is early morning. Check out the fat-tailed sheep; it’s a special breed we haven’t seen before.
If you don’t manage to visit the animal market on Sunday in Karakol, you still have a chance to see it in Osh. There is also an animal market every Sunday.
Read more: Discover the Best of Osh: Your Ultimate Travel Guide.
SOVIET ANTIQUE SHOP
The Antique Shop of Aleksandr Korablev is a place to be if you like antique souvenirs and treasures from Soviet times. It is a small, furtive house close to the Snake head mentioned above. The store seems to have random opening times, so walk by to see if they are open.
RUSSIAN HOUSES
You will see the typical Russian houses as you walk around Karakol. It is a reminder of the Russian Empire from the 19th century. One house, in particular, caught our attention. See the photo below.
DAY OR MULTI-DAY TRIPS FROM KARAKOL
ALA KUL LAKE HIKE
Karakol is an awesome base for one of the most popular hikes in Kyrgyzstan. The turquoise alpine lake of Ala Kul. It takes three to four days to complete this trek, which takes you over the mountain pass in 3900 m. It is worth the effort; the camping and sunset over Ala Kul Lake is something we will never forget. You also go through the village of Altyn Arashan, where you can jump in one of the hot springs.
If you don’t have camping gear, don’t worry, you can sleep in nomad yurts along the way, and they also cook dinner and breakfast for you. We completed the hike in four days, and it was our favourite hike in Kyrgyzstan. The beginning and end of the hike are easily reachable by public transport from Karakol.
Essential reading: How to complete Ala Kul Lake hike, including detailed 4 days itinerary
SEVEN BULLS ROCK/JETI OGUZ
An excellent option for a half-day trip from Karakol is the Seven Bulls Rock near Jeti Öguz. Red earth cliffs in the foothills of the Terskey Ala-Too Mountains are the perfect place for hiking, which is the top thing to do in the valley. It is only 30 km from Karakol.
Not only can you get to the viewpoint on the hill opposite the Seven Bulls Rock. Follow the path 400 m further to the left, go next to the nomad yurt, and follow the path that takes you down the red cliff canyon. This place is out of this world. We didn’t expect to see this canyon as we only knew it existed once we randomly went for a walk.
Roughly 1 km before the viewpoint, you can see the broken hearth rock formation, which according to legend, represents the women’s broken heart after two men fought over her and one got killed.
Take a marshrutka from Karakol to Jeti Öguz, which leaves every 30 minutes from Karakol Bazaar and costs 40 som ($0.5). It will drop you off in Jeti Öguz. From there, its another 10 km to Seven Bulls Rock. Take a shared taxi for 50 som ($0.6) per person. It leaves regularly.
FAIRYTALE ,,SKAZKA’’ CANYON
Skazka Canyon, translated from Russian literally as a fairytale canyon, is a gorgeous place 100 km from Karakol. You can either make a day trip from Karakol or move to one of the villages along the South coast of Issyk Kul (read more below) and go from there.
The canyon was formed through thousands of years of wind, water and ice erosions, creating the desert landscape so uncharacteristic of Kyrgyzstan. Red and orange rock formation makes you feel like you are walking in a fairy tale land. If you don’t have enough time and you are deciding between the Seven Bulls or Skazka, we recommend you for sure the Skazka Canyon as the scenery is absolutely stunning, you can see the Issyk Kul in the distance and snow-capped mountain peaks behind you. It’s the scenery like nowhere else.
Read: Quick but detailed travel guide to Fairytale Skazka Canyon in Kyrgyzstan
ISSYK KUL LAKE
Second largest alpine lake in the world, and one of the few remaining ancient lakes, roughly 25 million years old. You might imagine the snow-capped Tian Shan mountains in the distance, which is right. But you know what surprised us the most? The perfect yellow sand beaches make you feel you are not in Kyrgyzstan but the Mediterranean.
The north part of the lake is more commercial, with the biggest village of Cholpon Ata. There, you find everything, restaurants, nightlife, perfect beaches and everything one needs for a proper holiday. If you want to get more off the beaten path, you must head South. We visited Tamga and Tosor villages. But you can also go to Tong village, Kaji Said and others. Tosor has in our opinion, the best beach around Issyk Kul and a very quiet village with an authentic life. From Tosor, it is only 7 km to reach the Fairytale Canyon.
JYRGALAN
Jyrgalan is quite a new destination promoted years ago by various travel bloggers invited for a press trip to bring Jyrgalan more attention. A former coal mine village, Jyrgalan has for sure still authentic charm; you can sleep in yurts and use it as a base for the wonderful nature that is all around. There are many hikes you can do. But be prepared; you should bring food for hikes from Karakol, as there are no more options to buy. There is just one small local store with limited selection. The accommodation is also pricey in comparison with the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Marshrutka #331 leaves three times per day from Karakol to Jyrgalan. (8:30am, 11:30am, 5:30pm).
ALTYN ARASHAN HOT SPRINGS
You don’t have to hike four days Ala Kul Lake trek to visit the hot springs of Altyn Arashan. You can do just a day trip or an overnight trip from Karakol. Organise a horse trek or 4×4 transport to Altyn Arashan with CBT Karakol or Destination Karakol. Enjoy one of many hot springs with temperatures up to 40 degrees. Don’t expect luxury, though. The baths are located in small wooden sheds by every guesthouse in Altyn Arashan. We liked the hot springs numbers 5 and 6.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TO KARAKOL
Globus
A big supermarket called Globus is in the Karakol centre, where you can buy the same food as in Bishkek. It is very convenient, especially if you need to buy supplies for multi-day hikes.
CBT AND DESTINATION KARAKOL
If you need help planning your trips from Karakol – hiking, free walking tour, Duncan dinner. CBT and Destination Karakol are places where they help you. CBT tends to overcharge things, but it’s a way to go if you don’t have any other option.
TAXI IN KARAKOL
Taxi in Karakol has a fixed rate of 100 som within the city. Marshrutka costs 11-15 som per person.
WHERE TO STAY IN KARAKOL
Budget I Snow Leopard Hostel – our favourite place to be in Karakol. Family-run guesthouse with a kitchen, rooms with private bathrooms and a sauna, which is a perfect treat after a hard day exploring. You can order homemade food throughout the day, and the most important thing is that they safely store your things if you go hiking. We loved our stay there. You also meet lots of fellow travellers. They also speak perfect English and help you organise tours or trips. Wifi is awesome.
Budget I Duet Hostel – another popular place among backpackers and hikers. It is closer to the city centre and has a superb restaurant with burgers. We didn’t eat them, but we heard from other travellers its delicious. You can stay in private rooms or dorms. Based on reviews, this is another excellent place to store your things during your hike.
Mid-Range I Memo’s Boutique Guesthouse – For more privacy and comfort, Check out Memo’s Boutique Guesthouse. They feature a cosy garden with the possibility of a BBQ, shared lounge and fast wifi. Delicious breakfast is included.
We hope you find our article about Karakol useful, yet if you need to know something else or have some comments, please don’t hesitate to drop them in the comment section below. Happy travels!
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