Visit Karakol — Local services in Naryn Region

I recently had the good fortune to travel in Kyrgyzstan in the caring hands of Visit Karakol, and I can safely say this was one of the best trips I have ever had, anywhere in the world. Visit Karakol were totally professional in every aspect and, along with my photographer companions, we could not fault any part of the organisation in a trip which showed us the very best the Kyrgyzstan has to offer.

Our guide Javlon was perhaps the best guide I have ever had - knowledgeable, passionate, generous with his time, always concerned with his clients' comfort and safety, and tuned in to their wishes. Who else would think to bring his own little burner to make us freshly brewed filter coffee at sunset after a hair-raising horse ride to a precipitous ridge at 3700m ??? And who other than Visit Karakol could organise a delicious afternoon tea in a field full of edelweiss (see photo) in a remote alpine pass on the way to Sary-Jaz? Javlon's colleague Farhad, who joined us for part of the trip was similarly thorough, energetic, and professional in every way.

Apart from spectacular nights in yurts in Kol-Suu and Ak-Say, we were also lucky enough to spend a couple of nights at Visit Karakol's home base, the Green Yard Hotel in Karakol. The clean and spacious rooms, the welcoming and inclusive atmosphere make you feel like you are personal guests of Timur Akbashev and his family, which in a way you are. Nestled in a beautiful garden of conifers and fruit trees, which provides much of the organic food used in the kitchens, Green Yard Hotel is rightly famous for its outstanding breakfast - one of the best I have had, anywhere in the world - featuring a wide variety of organic savoury and sweet items, including the countless homemade jams proudly made by Timur's mother. In short, I cannot recommend Visit Karakol strongly enough. If you are going to Kyrgyzstan, they should be your first (and last) port of call for organising an unforgettable trip to this...

Visit Karakol Made Our Kyrgyzstan Adventure Unforgettable We are a group of four intrepid travelers and photographers who recently returned from our first trip to Kyrgyzstan—a stunningly beautiful and mountainous country in Central Asia. From the very first moment we contacted Timur Akbashev, the owner of Visit Karakol, we knew we had found not just a good company, but an outstanding team of professionals and friends who would turn our journey into something truly unforgettable. Timur carefully crafted a custom itinerary that included every destination we hoped to see—and much more.

Our guide, Farhad, was exceptional. He constantly went above and beyond, making sure we were always in the most breathtaking places at exactly the right time of day for both light and photography. Our cook, Ruslan, spoiled us with absolutely delicious meals—even while wild camping in remote mountains far from any civilization. On the final leg of our adventure, Timur himself joined us in reaching remote, high-altitude destinations—places that are nearly unreachable and probably never before visited by foreign travelers.

Visit Karakol exceeded every expectation we had. They are professional, trustworthy, deeply knowledgeable, friendly, and truly passionate about sharing the beauty of Kyrgyzstan. If you are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, we cannot recommend Visit Karakol strongly enough—they are simply the best choice for exploring this...

I wanted to take full advantage of a trip to Kyrgyzstan with my two teenage sons and a friend of them. We wanted to do as many activities as possible, which is difficult to organise and a challenge to plan with the limited time we had available in Kyrgyzstan. I was very fortunate to find Visit Karakol and count with the outstanding help of Timur Akbashev. Timur allowed to put together a private itinerary featuring hiking, horse riding and mountain biking in the areas of Karakol and Sary-Jaz valleys. I was blown away by the quality of service provided by Visit Karakol, from the perfect itinerary to the fantastic 4x4s, from the mountain bikes provided to the best meals freshly prepared on the field. We were treated like kings. Everything was executed perfectly like a Swiss clock! And if the physical activities were not enough, Timur also organised one of the trip’s highlights: meeting an eagle hunter and his son. We had the privilege of spending almost two hours alone with them, while they explained us their way of life and demonstrated how eagles are trained to hunt. My trip was always a challenge because I needed to herd 3 teenagers, kept them on time and kitted up for the different activities. I would never have been able to do this without the support and kind assistance of the Visit Karakol team. Everybody that help us made us feel welcome and went the extra mile to ensure we had a superb time. I highly recommend...