Staying Overnight in Altyn Arashan

A day trip gives you about five hours in the valley. A night gives you the hot springs in the evening, a quiet morning, and time for a proper walk or a horse ride. It is also how most Ala-Kul trekkers start or finish.

You don't need a private car for this. Ride up on a one-way seat, stay as long as you like, and ride down on another one-way seat on the day you choose.

Karakol → Altyn Arashan

A seat one way: up at 08:00 or down at 16:00.

• Out08:00
• Back16:00

2 750 somper seat, one way

Pick a date

Book one way

How to combine it with our seats

1. Day 1, up. Book a one-way seat (2,750 som). Meet at Giraffe Coffee, Zhusaeva St, at 07:50; the jeep leaves at 08:00 and reaches the valley around 10:30.
2. Stay. One night or several.
3. Day 2 or later, down. Book a one-way seat (2,750 som) for that date. The jeep heads back from the valley at 16:00 and is in Karakol around 18:00.

Book both seats before you go up. There is no phone signal in the valley, so you can't book the way down from there. If you decide to stay an extra day, tell the driver who brings you up, or message us while you still have signal.

A departure runs with at least 2 paid seats. If it doesn't run, you get another date or a 100% refund. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Where to sleep

Guesthouses. A handful of family-run houses next to the springs. Rooms range from shared to private, heated with wood stoves. Most cook dinner and breakfast and have their own bath house. Some, like Arashan Hotel, can be booked online in advance.

Yurt camps. Felt yurts with beds and a stove, put up for the summer season. Usually with meals. Atmospheric, colder at night.

Camping. Free spots near the springs and along the river. Some guesthouses let you pitch next to them and use their toilet and bath for a fee. Bring a warm sleeping bag: nights can drop to freezing even in summer.

For named places and published prices, see our guide Where to stay in Altyn Arashan.

What to ask when you book or arrive

• Price per person or per room?
• Are dinner and breakfast included?
• Is the bath house included, and when can I use it?
• Is there power to charge a phone, and when?
• Where is the toilet?

Prices in the valley change from season to season. Pay in cash, in som.

What the valley doesn't have

No ATM, no card terminal, no mobile signal, no pharmacy, and no shop you can rely on. Hot water is in the bath houses, not in the rooms. Bring cash, a power bank, a head torch and any medication. Full list on what's in the valley.

A good two-day plan

Day 1. 08:00 from Karakol. Arrive around 10:30, drop your bag at the guesthouse, walk the 2.8 km loop or go to the wild pools. Eat. Soak in the evening when the day visitors have gone.

Day 2. Early walk up the valley or a horse ride. Lunch, a last soak, and the 16:00 jeep down. Karakol around 18:00.

Starting or ending Ala-Kul

Most Ala-Kul treks pass through Altyn Arashan. Sleeping here before the pass gives you a night at about 2,500 m before climbing to about 3,860 m. Finishing here means a hot bath at the end. Both work with one-way seats. See Ala-Kul and getting back from Altyn Arashan.

Groups

For 4–8 people, a whole car can be simpler: a UAZ-469 for up to 4 costs 25,000 som, a UAZ-452 for up to 8 costs 31,000 som. Details on the private page.