Free Hot Springs in Altyn Arashan

Most of the thermal water in Altyn Arashan is piped into guesthouse bath houses that charge about 250 som. Some of it isn't. On the right bank of the river, below the settlement, hot water seeps out of the rocks into small pools built up with stones. These are the wild pools, and they are free.

Guide sources describe them simply as springs "in hollows or grottoes carved into stones". Locals and drivers have names for the best-known ones; the one you will hear most is the Swallow's Nest (Lastochkino Gnezdo), a small pool tucked into the rocks just above the water.

How to get there

• Start at the guesthouses in the middle of the meadow.
• Walk to the river and follow the path along the bank. There is almost no climbing.
• The pools are close to the water, below the path. The last steps down are steep and wet.
• Komoot's easy 2.8 km loop around the settlement (about 45 minutes, 30 m of ascent) passes a "Hot Spring Pool by the River". Download it before you lose signal.

The pools are not marked on signs, and there is no phone signal in the valley. The simplest way is to ask your driver or a guesthouse owner to point you in the right direction when you arrive. They know where people go.

The water

The springs in the valley come out at about 35 °C (radon) and about 41 °C (hydrogen sulphide). A wild pool next to a cold river is a mix of the two, so some days it is hot and some days only warm. After heavy rain or snowmelt, the river can rise and flood the lowest pools.

• Keep a soak to 15–20 minutes. At about 2,500 m, heat and altitude together can make you lightheaded.
• Many people step into the river between soaks. It is glacial water: go in slowly and stay near the edge.
• Don't bathe with an open wound.

Wild pool or bath house?

On a dry summer day the wild pools are the better experience. In rain, wind or winter, pay for the bath house. Details on the hot springs page.

What to bring

• Swimsuit. You will share the pool with whoever is there.
• A towel, two in cold weather.
• Shoes with grip that can get wet.
• A bag for wet clothes and for your rubbish. Leave nothing at the pool.
• Water to drink.

Respect the place

The valley is a nature reserve. No soap or shampoo in the pools; they run straight into the river. Don't move the stones that hold the pools together. If people are already in, ask before you join.

On a day trip

The jeep reaches the valley around 10:30 and heads back at 16:00. That is enough for the walk to the river, a long soak and lunch, or for the wild pools plus a walk up the valley. A return seat costs 3,750 som. The park fee is paid in cash at the gate. See what's in the valley for cash, food and signal.