Our own photo, taken on this route
Ala-Kul trek: getting in and out
The trek is straightforward. The logistics are what people get wrong. Here is how the transfers work in both directions.
Book a seat · from $45Ala-Kul is a through-trek: you go in at one end and come out at the other, which means the ride you booked to get in is no use to you coming out. That is the whole problem, and it is why people finish the trek at 16:00 at a trailhead with no phone signal and start walking towards Karakol on the road.
The two directions
| Direction | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arashan first (most common) | Shuttle to Altyn Arashan, night in the valley | Over the pass to Ala-Kul, down to Sirota camp | Out through the Karakol gorge, we pick you up at the trailhead |
| Karakol gorge first | Shuttle to the Karakol gorge trailhead, walk to Sirota | Ala-Kul and over the pass, down to Altyn Arashan | Springs in the morning, shuttle down at 15:00 |
Either way it is $95 per person for both legs, booked as one thing, and we hold your big bag in Karakol for free while you are up there. Both legs go to different places and the car waits three hours at the far trailhead — that is what makes it more than the $85 up-and-back.
Why Arashan-first is the better order
Because the hot springs are on the wrong end otherwise. If you walk out at Altyn Arashan you finish the hardest day with a bath and a bed at 2 600 m; if you walk out at the Karakol gorge you finish it in a car park. The counter-argument is acclimatisation — starting at Arashan means you sleep at 2 600 m before crossing at 3 900 m, which is exactly what you want. Both reasons point the same way.
Coming out: how the pick-up actually works
You will not have signal at the trailhead and you will not know your exact time when you book. So we do it the way it works rather than the way it looks tidy: you tell us the day, we put a car at the Karakol gorge trailhead from 15:00, and it waits until 18:00. If you come out earlier, there is a car. If you are going to be later than 18:00, someone at Sirota camp will have signal in the morning — message us then.
Luggage
Leave your big bag with us in Karakol, free, for as long as the trek takes. Most hostels will do this too if you are coming back to them; we will do it whether or not you are.
Book the through-trek shuttle — $95 All dates
How many days is the Ala-Kul trek?
Two long days if you are fit and travelling light, three comfortably. Three is the right answer for most people and gives you an evening in the springs.
Do I need a tent?
No. There are yurt camps at Sirota and guesthouses at Altyn Arashan, roughly 1 000–1 500 som per person with food. In peak season, book ahead — ask us and we will hold one.
When is the pass open?
Reliably from late June to late September. Snow can sit on the pass into July and arrive again in October. Outside those dates you want a guide.
Can I do it in one day?
People do the Karakol gorge to Ala-Kul and back in a very long day. Over the pass to Arashan in one day is 25 km with 1 400 m of climbing at altitude — possible, unpleasant, and you will not enjoy the lake.