Advertisement
Ala Kul Lake

Ala Kul Lake

About
Duration: More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

The area

Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Attractions
1 within 6 miles

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles100 reviews
Excellent
92
Very good
7
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1

Erkaim Tour Guide Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan156 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2019 • Business
I visited the lake at the end of September. I was sure that the weather would be horrible. Fortunately, it was wonderful weather for such month! We started our riding from Altyn-Arashan to Ala-Kul lake. It takes about one day to get there. The last 30 min of our way was on foot. If you don't have time and equipments, better go from Altyn-Arashan to the lake.
It was a challenge for me since I went with my sprained ankle. I was so eager to reach the lake even I forgot my pain in my foot. My wish for 2019 was done successfully! It was amazing view of the lake, seemed that it was glad to see us. I know that it will not be the last climb.
Written February 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gytis Bliu
Kaunas, Lithuania18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
The road towards it is pretty steep. The best view is not directly near the lake, but going to the hot springs from the lake, at the pass. The weather is changing pretty fast here though. So be prepared.
Written July 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alex_Johnson_Bishkek
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan872 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Friends
I have been to Ala Kul Lake many times and it's amazing! I have been trekking in the Swiss and French Alps for a few summers and I have never seen something like Ala Kul Lake. The views are really worth the trek up. Some people would say that it's not an easy tour. Some people take guides and some people go one there own. Make sure you have all the right gear you need before you go. Good tent, down sleeping bag even in summer, good trekking pools and full rain gear. You can rent all your gear at EcoTrek Trekking and Travel in the center of Karakol. The best time to see the lake is in the end of June to the end of September.

The lake is 3500M
The pass is 3850M
In summer at night it easily becomes below 0 C

This is the 3 day trek description from EcoTrek Trekking and Travel

Day 1
Hire a vehicle to Karakol Leskhoz (Karakol National Park) ~20min (20km). The cost to enter the park is 250 SOM per person and 150 SOM per tent. The hike to Sirota EcoTrek’s campsite ~5-6 hours (22km). You will be walking alongside the river for ~3 hours (11km) and then cross a bridge with a cable and trek up the valley to the campsite. Overnight in the tent (Elevation: 2700m).
Day 2
Leaving the campsite you will summit Alakul Lake (3600m) in ~2 hours and Alakul pass (3860m) ~2 hours. Then you will descend to Keldiki gorge where you will find the Altyn Arashan Yurt camp/Accommodation ~4-5 hours (15km). Be aware that the Alakul pass has loose rocks and can be dangerous. At Altyn Arashan Yurts/Accommodations and food can be provided (Elevation: 2500m).
Day3
Leaving the campsite Altyn –Arashan you will hike down to Aksu Village ~3-4 hours (16km). Once you’re in Aksu hire a vehicle to Karakol ~30min (18km).
Written November 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sambawalk2025
Singapore753 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Solo
No camping gear, no guide, and no porter are required for 3D2N from Karakol Valley to Altyn Arashan and back to Karakol city. I did it on 23-25 July 2018 and enjoyed the spectacular scenery and trekking experience, just on my own.

I chose this option because I am not able to carry heavy weight, unfortunately. 2 days prior to the trek, I visited Destination Karakol to confirm the possibility of this option. I only used one walking stick, which I found to be useful for crossing the stream and muddy grounds, and a small day pack with simple food and water.

I started the trek by taking marshrutka #101 from Karakol City, hiked up from the Karakol Valley Park entrance to Sirota camp site where the local had set up Yurt and tent. I paid 1,500 Som, which included a Yurt stay, dinner and breakfast. The Yurt operator maintained a minibar with drinks for sale. Some other backpackers set up their tents nearby.

The 2nd day was the longest. I started at 8am and reached Altyn Arashan only after 5pm. Yes, I stopped from time to time to rest, and who didn't? The scenery was just WOW. The ascent was not that easy, but I made it. The first part of descend was even more difficult, but after that, a easy smooth descent. In Altyn Arashan, I stayed at one Yurt operator (VIP) which provided Yurt stay, dinner, breakfast, a 30 minutes hot spring for 1,200 Som. The quality was minimum.

On the 3rd day, I walked about 14 Km all the way to the main road where I was able to catch marshrutka #350 back to Karakol city.

Don't miss it.
Written August 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrew M
7,589 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Family
My son and I booked this tour with Visit Karakol and were not disappointed. My son is 15, and I knew it would be challenging, so we chose what we thought was the easiest option, Karakol Valley to Altyn Arashan valley. We took a 4WD from Karakol to the wooden bridge in Karakol Valley which saved us close to an hour walking on a muddy trail. The entrance to the park was included in the tour price, but is approximately US$5 (350 som) for foreigners.We rented tents and sleeping bags, which were carried by our guide.

We trekked for 2-3 hours from the bridge to the main camp site, which has old Soviet tents. This section of the trek was relatively easy and cool, as the trail was covered with pine trees. After a short break, we continued on the steeper climb to the waterfall, and then Ala Kol Lake. We didn't bring as much snacks as we had intended, so this section was a little challenging and took longer than expected. It should be a 2-3 hpur hike to the lake from main camp, depending on your level of fitness.

We camped overnight at the lake, where the weather can be very unpredictable. The climb to Ala Kol pass is much more difficult than the trail up to the lake. We did this early in the morning. This may take 2-3 hours, but you will be rewarded by a magnificent view. It is a very steep descent from Ala Kol pass to the camp below, but this may be accomplished easily in less than an hour. From the camp (Keldike gorge) it is approximately a 10 km trek to Altyn-Arashan on open plains, and then through forested areas. Depending on the weather, this may take 3-4 hours, but is mostly downhill and relatively easy.

Altyn-Aishan is in a protected botanical research area which is said to have snow leopards and several bears.The only animals that we saw were cows and horses.On reaching Altyn-Aishan resort you will have to cross a wooden bridge over the river, and a small shop is to the right.The views here are great. There are hot springs here, but we preferred to head back to Karakol and missed this.

The 4WD back to Karakol is only a distance of 14 km but the road is non-existent in many places, and it is a difficult and bumpy journey of (2-3 hours). If you are an experienced trekker, you can avoid the 4WD, but I would encourage it for those who wish to enjoy a less physically demanding trek. In my opinion, there is no guide required from the Karakol Valley to Ala Kol pass, but we saw individual trekkers take incorrect paths instead of crossing over the river on the hike to the hot springs. If you are unsure of the area, a guide may be best.

We were assisted by many fellow trekkers with snacks as our supplies were short, and we wish to thank them. The trek to Ala Kol lake is difficult but rewarding, and the great photos make it well worth the effort.
Written August 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ian W
Montreal, Canada333 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2017 • Solo
You need some hiking gear and good shoes to hike to this lake. No matter which trail you take, you will hike to a 4000m pass where it was snowing on September 3rd! The views over the lake and glaciers were fantastic and worth the efforts to get there.
Written December 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alex Stensholm
Buenos Aires, Argentina162 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2016 • Friends
The Ala Kul Lake is situated south of Karakol, just southeast of Issyk-Kul Lake.

1. You will need at least 4 full days to enjoy this hike. You can easily get a porter and a guide in Karakol - just ask around, it's very easy.

2. You can also do this hike without a porter and a guide since it is a pretty easy hike, with the exception of the last bit to the Ala Kul Pass if you aren't fit.

3. The hike will bring you through handsome forests and creeks with stunning backdrops before leaving the level of tree - and you will finally reach the Ala Kul Lake. Speaking in altitudes, you will start at around 1800 metres above sea level. The first camp is at around 2500 metres, the second at 3000 metres. Ala Kul Lake is at 3550 metres while the pass is about 350 metres higher up. The third camp is on the other side of the pass - at 3200 metres. The fourth is in a tiny village at 2000 metres.

4. You should do the hike anti-clockwise because of the hot springs close to the fourth camp site. It is a real bliss after the hike!

5. Please take everything you took with in with you out again!

6. Water is safe to drink from the creeks.

7. Bring warm clothes. We did encounter a snowstorm which lasted 10 minutes, and it was very cold.
Written March 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

alexltrouble
Vienna, Austria1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Couples
We did hiking to Ala Kul lake early in july. It was very interesting our guide and porters are very friendly and spaek english. For this trek very important things must to take good trekking boots. Highly recommend tour operator. Their have very friendly team. We spent best time with Pegas Adventure (easy to find on Facebook)
Written July 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mnbiker
Saint Paul, MN285 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Solo
Ala Kul is a beautiful, glacier-fed lake high in the mountains above Karakol. It is accessible only on foot, and it's a challenging hike, with lots of climbing, but well worth the trouble of getting there. You must cross several boulder fields on the way up to the lake, so wear sturdy boots. And the lake is at an elevation of about 3,900 feet, so bring warm clothes. The hike can be done in as little as two very long, challenging days, but four days is the standard time for this hike. At Altyn Arashan there are hot springs and several guesthouses where you can soak in them. It's a great way to spend the last evening on the trail.
Written November 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrew
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2018 • Friends
We did 3 days trekking to Ala Kul lake and Altyn Arashan 3 Days. Started from Karakol city to Karakol valley near the bridge. When we started the wheather was little bit cluody and colder, later getting sunny and view of the mountains stunning. First day we slept in a tent, the place name is Sirota. Second day we went up to Ala Kul lake 3500m. Ala kul is really beautiful places in Kyrgyzstan. After ala kul gobup 3900m. Than down to Altyn Arashan. Altyn Arashan is a in a valley here you can take natural hot shower. 3rd day went down to Ak suu village. From Ak suu to Ksrakol by car. In this tour you will see a lots of different kind of birds. Before trekking you should to take warm jackets and trekking shoes because the way is difficult.

We booked qith "Travel Forever" contactted on Facebook. Their gave us cheaper prices then others. Highly recommend
Written February 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 61
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Ala Kul Lake - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

All things to do in Karakol
Zoos & Aquariums in KarakolDay Trips in Karakol
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars