Central Asia. The 5 -Stans. A region of wild mountains, hospitable nomads, and endless bumpy marthrutka rides. It’s one of the best hiking regions in Asia, or even the world for that matter, but don’t expect much in the way of infrastructure or signage – prepare to be self-reliant and sort out all the logistics yourself.
Pick up most recent Lonely Planet: Central Asia guidebook to start planning your trip.
Tajikistan: Kulikalon Lakes Hike Таджикистан: Куликалонские озера The straightforward Kulikalon Lakes Hike, a three-day route in the Fann Mountains, is among the most popular treks in Tajikistan (particularly those outside of the Pamirs). Starting and ending at trailhead alplagers (mountain huts) and taking in several beautiful strings of mountain lakes, […]
Kyrgyzstan: Ratsek Hut Кыргызстан: хижина рацека A classic hike for climbers and trekkers in Kyrgyzstan, the trek to Ratsek Hut (хижина рацека in Russian) is for many local mountaineers the first step on holidays to climb the peaks that surround the Ak-Sai Glacier, for which the Ratsek Cabin is a […]
Kyrgyzstan: Chon Kaindy Valley Kyrgyzstan’s Chon Kaindy Valley (sometimes transliterated as Chong-Kaindy of Chong-Kaingdy instead) is not among the well-known trekking routes in the Chuy Oblast surrounding Bishkek, and therein lies much of the appeal. There are no epic peak panoramas, but an abundance of beautiful verdant nature away from […]
Kyrgyzstan: Ak Kol Loop Hike This Ak Kol Loop route begins and ends in the quaint log-cabin village of Ak-Kol in Naryn oblasts’ rarely-visited Jumgal region. Though access to the village isn’t easy (requiring a private transfer from the nearest village at Chaek), the surroundings are beautiful and the village […]
Kyrgyzstan: Ak Suu Arboretum Dayhike Ak Suu Arboretum is an easy dayhike outside the city of Karakol in the east of Kyrgyzstan. Not very physically demanding and with reasonably pleasant walking and nice views, it makes for a nice rest day in Karakol or a simple dayhike for travellers who […]
Kyrgyzstan Topographic Trekking Maps топографические карты Кыргызстана In partnership with national tourism brand Discover Kyrgyzstan, the USAID Business Growth Initiative recently helped design a set of topographic trekking maps covering their partner destinations across the country of Kyrgyzstan. Each map includes detailed descriptions, distance, and difficulty information along with photos of every […]