Altyn Arashan day trip
$85 per seat. We leave Giraffe Coffee in central Karakol at 08:00 and are back by 17:00, with four hours in the valley and hot spring entry included.
The day, hour by hour
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 08:00 | Giraffe Coffee, Zhusaeva street, central Karakol. The driver is parked in front of it. Every hostel in town is a ten-minute walk away and the coffee is open before we leave. |
| 08:20 | Through Ak-Suu, past the last shop. This is the last place to buy water. |
| 08:40 | The barrier and the park fee. Included in your price, we hand it over. |
| 08:45–11:00 | The climb. Riverbed, two fords, roughly 700 metres of ascent. It is loud and it is slow and it is the best part. |
| 11:00–15:00 | Four hours in the valley at 2 600 m. Hot springs, the walk up towards the Ala-Kul junction, lunch if you booked it. |
| 15:00–17:00 | Back down. In Karakol before dark, all year. |
What is included
- The 4x4 and the driver for the whole day, with him waiting in the valley — not dropping you and leaving
- Departure and return at Giraffe Coffee in central Karakol, the same place both ways
- National park entry
- Hot spring entry — one bath, the enclosed kind, not the roadside pools
- A driver who speaks enough English to be useful and knows every guesthouse in the valley by the owner’s first name
What is not
- Lunch — add a yurt lunch for $14 at checkout, or bring your own
- A guide who walks with you. The driver is a driver. If you want a walking guide, tell us and we will price it.
- Anything you buy in the valley
What to bring
The valley is at 2 600 m and it is properly colder than Karakol — in September it can be 25°C in town and 8°C up there, and in the shade by the river it feels worse. Bring a warm layer whatever the forecast says. Swimsuit and a towel for the springs. Cash in som for anything you want to buy up there; there is no card machine in the valley and no reliable signal.
Book a seat — $85 All departures
Questions people actually ask
Is four hours enough?
For the springs and a walk along the valley floor, comfortably. It is not enough to go up to Ala-Kul and back — that is a full separate day, and for that you want the shuttle rather than the day trip.
Can I stay the night instead of coming back?
Yes. Book the shuttle up and add a night in a guesthouse, or book the private overnight option and the same driver returns for you the next day.
What if it rains?
We still go — this is a UAZ. If the fords have risen to where the driver says it is not safe, we call you the evening before and you get the date moved or your money back. We do not gamble with the river.
Are children ok?
Yes, and children under 12 travel at $55. It is a rough two hours, so under about four years old we would honestly suggest a private vehicle instead, so you can stop when you need to.
Can you pick us up at our hotel instead?
On a shared departure, no — everyone meets at Giraffe Coffee at 08:00, and that is what keeps the departure on time and the price at $85. On a private vehicle, yes: your hotel door, or anywhere in Karakol, at whatever time you choose. From Ak-Suu or Jyrgalan we can start there at the same price; Cholpon-Ata or Bishkek is a different journey, write to us.