Here are 15 things to do in Karakol! If you’ve been thinking of visiting Karakol, I’ve got you covered.
Last year I had the privilege of visiting Kyrgyzstan for the first time. I attended the World Nomad Games, got a taste of adventure travel around Song Kol and briefly visited Karakol. We then lingered for while in the capital city of Bishkek. In many ways, it was the perfect introduction to the country. However, I left wanting more.
Having the chance to revisit Kyrgyzstan and come back to Karakol for a few days (I had previously just done a day trip). This allowed me to experience this part of the country more in depth. I got to really appreciate all it has to offer.
Sitting on the eastern shores of Issyk Kul, Karakol is considered the adventure capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Travellers come here to arrange hikes, horse treks and camping adventures. However, the town also warrants considerable exploration. Especially, when it comes to culture and local cuisine.
Visiting Karakol is similar to visiting Bishkek. Karakol rewards those who linger.
You can enjoy the laidback pace of life, discover its unusual attractions, do a bit of cafe hopping, and come to appreciate its many quirky charms. With this in mind, let’s discover 15 things you can do while visiting Karakol.
15 Things to Do in Karakol Travel Guide
1) Karakol walking tour
As a first-time visitor, one of the best ways to get acquainted with Karakol, is to take one of the free walking tours. These tip-based tours are put on by the tourist office and run three times a week.
It’s a great way to get a feel for the town while checking out some of the major landmarks. Plus you have a local guide who can answer any questions you may have about the place. Also, to even offer suggestions on other things to do. More information here: https://destinationkarakol.com/tours/karakol-walking-tour
2) Dungan Mosque
Our first stop of the walking tour was the Dungan Mosque. This architecturally-unique mosque looks a lot like a Buddhist temple. This is because it was built by the Dungan community, an ethnically Chinese people group who follow Islam. But they incorporated architectural elements from their own culture.
As a fun fact: apparently this mosque was built without the use of nails (though some nails have been spotted from modern-day repairs). Further information: https://destinationkarakol.com/what-to-do/attractions-museums/
3) Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church
Another iconic place of worship in Karakol (Каракол) is the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church. This is a traditional Russian wooden cathedral complete with onion domes.
Over the years, it has been used as a sports hall, school, theatre, coal shop and dance hall, just to name a few!
4) Antique Shop of Aleksandr Korablev
If you’re an avid souvenir collector then you’ll want to peruse Aleksandr Korablev’s Antique Shop. This little one-room shop is overflowing with treasures from the Soviet era. They have things like old cameras, porcelain sculptures, and even busts of Lenin.
I wanted to purchase many items but due to the lack of space in my suitcase. I only ended up buying a Soviet-Era border guard hat to add to my ever growing collection of hats from around the world. They had quite a few hats to choose from, and we learned that the color of each hat denotes whether it was an official cap for the army, navy, police or border control.
5) Karakol’s History Museum
We also squeezed in a quick visit to Karakol’s History Museum. The small museum is home to an impressive taxidermy collection. Plus when we visited there was an exhibition of photos by Ella Maillart, a swiss traveler who photographed her travels through Central Asia in the 1930s.
6) Victory Park and World War II Memorial
For a green escape, we also visited Victory Park and World War II Memorial located in the Przhevalsk District. Everything here, from the many busts to imposing monuments, is done on a grand scale. And if you look closely enough you’ll see how tiny I am on the left of the above picture snapped by Audrey.
7) Fat Cat Karakol for food and drinks
Our favorite place to spend a lazy afternoon in the city was hands down the Fat Cat Karakol located on the corner of Gagarin and Alybakova. First recommended to us by two Dutch travellers we met at Bel Tam Yurt Camp. This chill cafe served up some amazing cakes, as well as pizzas and grilled cheese sandwiches paired with craft beers.
What makes this place even more special is that the owner, Zhamila, has used her business to do a lot of good in the community, including organizing projects to raise funds for school supplies and empower women to start their own businesses.
8) Visiting local markets
Meandering through the local markets was another one of our favorite things to do in Karakol. You’ll find just about everything here ranging from fresh produce to boxing gloves. And in the food department, you can’t go wrong with a bowl of Ashlyan-fu (or three), but more on that local dish later.
9) Dungan 8-course meal
For the culture vulture and foodie interested in Kyrgyz cuisine, arranging an eight course meal with a Dungan family is another must. Before the food was served, we had the opportunity to help prepare Ashlyanfu (Ашлян-фу) – a cold soup featuring different kinds of noodles. Additionally, a vinegar based broth and a combination of bell peppers, garlic, cilantro and tomatoes thrown in for good measure.
The dinner itself was a feast of feasts. According to Dungan tradition no less than 8 different dishes appear at the table. We came with our best intentions to finish everything served.
But we didn’t even come close to accomplishing that. You can book this experience through Destination Karakol: https://destinationkarakol.com/tours/dungan-village-family-dinner/
10) Uyghur Cooking Class
With our love of indulging in local cuisine, another experience we really enjoyed was a cooking class where we learned to make a traditional Uyghur dish: laghman (Лагман). We had Gulya as our guide in the kitchen.
She taught us how to stretch the noodles. Let’s just say I was all thumbs in the kitchen.
After a fun demonstration, we left it to the experts to continue with the recipe. We just watched as they fried the ingredients and worked on the broth. Once again, you can arrange this cooking class through Destination Karakol: https://destinationkarakol.com/food-drink/kyrgyz-food/#karakoldishes
11) Eat a bowl of lagman
Speaking of the dish I just mentioned, lagman (Лагман) is a popular Uyghur dish. A true staple of Kyrgyz cuisine. The hand-pulled noodles can be served either soupy or fried. Coming with plenty of meat and vegetables. It’s another dish that you’ll want to sample in the local restaurants.
12) Sunset Cruise on Lake Issyk-Kul
One of our last activities in Karakol was a sunset cruise on Przhevalsky Bay located on the eastern shores of Lake Issyk Kul (Ысык-Көл).
Surrounded by friends, we enjoyed a spectacular sunset with drinks in hand. With calm waters we marveled at mountains off in the distance. Further information about the cruise: https://destinationkarakol.com/tours/karakol-sunset-cruise/
13) Jeti Oguz Valley for hiking
Our favorite day trip from Karakol was a short 30-minute drive to Jeti-Ögüz. Translated, it means ‘seven bulls.’ It was named so for the seven plus hills that make up the formation. As you get a little deeper into the valley you’ll find great opportunities for hiking and horse-trekking.
Pack a picnic lunch like a Kyrgyz visitor. Or stay longer in one of the yurt camps. Hiking information: https://destinationkarakol.com/what-to-do/trekking/
14) Barskoon Gorge
To extend the day trip a little longer, we continued on to the nearby Barskoon Gorge. You’ll find numerous waterfalls here along with some great hiking trails and a bust of Yuri Gagarin. He was the first cosmonaut who apparently had a particular fondness for this area.
You can reach some of the smaller waterfalls within 15 minutes of hiking. But the main one is 1.5 to 2 hours away on foot.
15) Karakol Day Hike
Lastly, we couldn’t visit the adventure capital of Kyrgyzstan without doing at least one hike. With a local guide from Eco-Trek and a dog friend in tow, we set off on a scenic journey starting from the village of Jorgolot. With highlights including panoramic views of Karakol. We also enjoyed a great picnic in the valley. And a walk through the forest trails to finish off.
Of course, far more ambitious hikes, horse-treks and yurt stays are best arranged from Karakol. However, a day hike is a good option.
If you’re short on time or need a little help deciding whether you want to commit to something more challenging or not.
Well, that’s it from me! I hope this guide offered some worthwhile suggestions of things you can do in and around Karakol! As well as day trips to some nearby attractions.
This trip is in partnership with Discover Kyrgyzstan. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.
More Videos from Kyrgyzstan:
World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan
Adventure Travel in Kyrgyzstan | Horse Trekking and Hiking Trip
Yurt Tour in Kyrgyzstan by Issyk-Kul Lake
Kyrgyzstan Travel: Horse Trekking and Yurt Stay adventure to Song Köl
Glamping in Kyrgyzstan | Luxury Yurt Tour
great sir beneficial article thanks for sharing.
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Great travel guide,thanks for sharing this.
This place looks absolutely incredible, would be an amazing backpacking experience. Exploring the former Soviet Union looks like such a different kind of adventure.
This a fantastic post on a much-overlooked part of the world. Kyrgyzstan is such a beautiful country and the entire region is worth exploring.
Thanks for sharing.
Wow thanks for your detailed sharing information. This year I travelled to Kyrgyzstan for 20 days including Karakol area. From here possible to do 1-10 days tours. I book tour with Travel Forever company in Karakol. It was amazing just you should be ready for cold whether and rain. Trek also not so easy. I did Ala Kul lake, Altyn Arashan , and Jyrgalan area
If I do get time, I would definitely love to travel to Karakol. Can you please continue posting about more such places?
Wow, Ashlyanfu looks too yummy! I am going crazy for it… The picture of the Ashlyanfu dish makes my mouth watery…
Hello Samuel,
Was looking up for a post on Karakol for my next trip and came across your article. Love the list and surely going to try these. Thanks for sharing, you should post more often 🙂
Thanks & Regards!
Manu Singh.
Wow thanks for sharing this. This is the only place I have been dreaming to visit in India. Hopefully I get there one day
Great travel guide, Hope to visit once to Karakol .
Great post. Actually I am a big fan of travel. The short description here seems so fascinating to me. I like that so much as a travel lover.
thanks for sharing
Thanks Larry!
First time I heard about this place and this is really beautiful..thanks for sharing this amazing blog
Best place to travel and adventure.
Hiking: A Pleasure For the Adventurous Souls
Dungan Mosque: Take A Free Walking Tour.
Spices: Dig Into A Retreat Of Food Culture.
Przhevalsky Memorial Museum: An Historical Expedition.
Sunset Cruise: Make The Most Of The Sizzling Summer.
The Animal Market: The Place Where You Can Barter
Thanks for sharing the best things to do in Karakol. I have never been to Karakol but after reading your article I’m interested to visit there. I think this article is really helpful to explore the natural and cultural beauties in depth. It will be better if you mentioned the routes also. Keep on sharing!
I really did not think of visiting Karakol. It seems there are so many places to discover.
One can visit to antique shops to buy the items to decorate your houses. Here you will find all the items from the Soviet Era. The old cameras will attract you and what will surprise you is that the camera still work.
I haven’t actually been to Kyrgyzstan, but after I read your post, I actually hope to go there soon.
🙂 Love your blog, hope to visti again soon,
Just arrived in Kyrgyzstan. Glad I found this guide though won’t have much time as I will be heading to the mountains.
Ahh, cherish saunas! Such an incredible method to unwind. When I backpedal home, I generally ensure we employ one for a couple of hours 🙂
Awesome guide folks, would completely love to visit! I figure my Russian dialect abilities would come helpful here 🙂
So astounding to see individuals like Zhamilia who are endeavoring to offer back to the group, extremely motivating!
Looks like an interesting place to visit that I have never heard of. Last year I made a pact with myself that I would travel to one such place every year and I think I have a shortlist for 2018. Reading your article about Karakol seems enough but let me check out more on Google. Thanks, brother.
I have also been to Osh and recommend it. I found it to be more traditional than bishkek and culturally more interesting.
What a great set of photos. Before this, I did not even know there existed a place called Karakol, but now I’m intrigued. The closest I have been to such a place is when I was Indonesia back in 2015 – a jungle (slamor, or something) where it was so green, almost felt like vantagreen. LOL. Thanks for writing this. will check out later.
Was looking up for a post on Karakol for my next trip and came across your article. Love the list and surely going to try these. Thanks for sharing, you should post more often 🙂
Jeti Oguz Valley is beautiful! Thank you for sharing your experience in a new place!
These are beautiful photographs and the scenery is absolutely stunning. This certainly makes me want to visit Kyrgyzstan someday…
Hi Samuel,
That’s an amazing go-to list for anyone planning a visit to Karakol. I would like to suggest one more place of interest which is Ala Kul Lake. Ala Kul Lake’s look is stunning in itself and the experience of its beauty is spellbound.
Thanks
Harsh
Look at that valley! How beautiful! Great post 🙂
This was a great read. I did not know anything about this place, but now I want to go.
Such a nice post! You captured great pictures in your post. I really add this in my list. Great adventure. Thanks for sharing it.