Our own photo, taken on this route

Altyn Arashan in winter

The valley does not close. The road gets harder, the vehicles get bigger, and the hot springs get very much better.

Almost nobody writes about this valley between December and March, which is strange, because a hot spring at 2 600 m in snow is a substantially better experience than a hot spring at 2 600 m in August, and there is nobody there. The reason people assume it is closed is that most operators simply stop selling it. The road stays passable for a UAZ or a GAZ-66 most of the winter.

What is different in winter

The vehicle. Only a UAZ or a GAZ-66 goes up. Nothing else, no exceptions.
The time. Three hours up rather than two and a half, sometimes more.
The price. A winter surcharge of $15 per seat, or $40 on a private vehicle. That is the driver’s day, not a season premium — a winter run is genuinely harder work and sometimes needs a second vehicle following.
The daylight. Departures move to 09:00 and the day in the valley shortens to about three hours.
The guesthouses. Two or three stay open all winter, heated by stove. Ask us which ones before you plan a night — the answer changes year to year.

What to bring that you would not in summer

Proper boots, because you will be walking in packed snow between the vehicle and the bath house. A hat and gloves — the transfer between the bath and your clothes is the coldest thirty seconds of the trip. And a second towel, because the first one freezes.

When it does not run

Two or three days after a heavy snowfall, until the track is packed. We will know by the evening before, and you will know within the hour.

Book a winter departure All dates

Is Altyn Arashan open in October and November?

Yes. October is one of the best months here — the larches turn, the crowds are gone and the track is dry. November is quieter still and colder, and the winter surcharge starts in December.

Can I do Ala-Kul in winter?

Not without winter mountaineering experience and a guide. The pass is avalanche terrain. The valley and the springs, yes, easily.

Do the hot springs freeze?

No. They come out of the ground at around 40°C. The pipes to the outdoor pools sometimes freeze; the indoor bath houses do not.