Hiking to Kol Ukok:

Welcome to one of Kyrgyzstan’s most breathtaking hikes. It’s usually done over two days with one of the day having vastly more walking than the other. Although there are trails that go beyond it, the lake of Kol Ukok is the highlight of the hike. We hiked up to our yurt camp on day 1 and planned on hiking up to the lake the next day. Weather forecasts said rain would be coming the afternoon of day 1.

Sadly the weather forecasts weren’t entirely correct and it remained pretty clear until nightfall when it began to rain. Leaving us to wonder if we’d made a rather monumental cock up. However when our alarms went off at 5:30am we were greeted with a few clouds and no rain. We then hiked up to Kol Ukok and back down to the trail entrance where our wonderful hostel owner picked us up. Sore legs, blisters and smelling awful it was most definitely worth it. 

The trailhead is a 15 minute drive from the small town of Kochkor, a town synonymous with the rise of tourism in Kyrgyzstan over the last few years. Be under no illusions, this is not a short stroll. At times this hike can be very challenging and proper hiking boots, warm clothes and wet weather gear are a must. But the sore legs and inevitable blisters are absolutely worth it and in truth words cannot truly describe just how beautiful this place is. 

Booking Accommodation:

Any guesthouse or tourist agency in Kochkor can book you a night in one of the yurts up on the plains. We stayed at Center Guesthouse which had only been open a few weeks when we stayed there in June 2018, and they were fantastic. Not only did they provide fantastic accommodation, they helped us arrange this trip and an amazing 3 day horse trek around Song Kul. Their advice and prices were excellent, they definitely come recommended. You will need to take cash with you to pay for your food and accommodation directly.

Do be aware that not many people speak English in Kochkor. For some information and advice on potential language barriers in Kyrgyzstan check out our article on the usefulness of Russian in Central Asia.

Day 1: 

Starting out from the trailhead the path winds gracefully uphill towards the entrance to the valley. Pretty soon you will saying goodbye to the rocky landscape as you enter the valley proper. As you snake your way into the valley lush green fields and snow capped mountains make up your view. To enter the plains where the yurt camps are located you will need to cross a small but very cold river. You will need to remover your shoes as in places you will be up to you knees. From here head towards your yurt camp to make sure you know where you’re sleeping. 

Here you have 2 choices. You can either spend the rest of the day exploring the areas around the yurt camp or head up to see the the lake itself. We took the former option as the weather forecast was suggesting heavy rain in the afternoon. After a long afternoon lazing on the plains in glorious sunshine it began to rain lightly as night fell. At this point we were getting worried that the forecast was wrong and that we’d made a rather large error. 

Day 2: 

With our alarm clocks going off at 5:30 am we pulled back the door fearful we’d be heading up to Kol Ukok under the rain clouds. However we were greeted with clear blue skies. From the yurt camps it was a 2 hour hike up to Kol Ukok. The views were sublime and we shared them with some horses and a couple of other hikers. As you follow the path along the lake a backdrop of snow capped mountains unravels before you. From here there are other treks that will take you further into the mountains. However you will need you own gear and possibly a guide for this. After enjoying the views we head back down past the yurt camp to the trail head. This took between 5 and 6 hours. This is a demanding but beautiful hike.