Country: Hike Name

This quick and easy dayhike is a popular option among visitors to the Kok Jaiyk Jailoo, whether as a pleasant distraction on a daytrip to the mountains or for the evening before starting off on a longer hike out of Jeti Oguz.

Total Km: 2.5km
Total Days: 1
Elevation Gain/Loss: 161m+ / 161m-
Start Point: Kok Jaiyk Jailoo
End Point: Kok Jaiyk Jailoo
GPS Files

The hike is very simple – and if it’s too much, there are also local horsemen waiting at the starting point with horse to give you a ride up for 800som. From the valley, follow the very obvious dirt path that climbs up a hillside and around through a copse of trees along an old jeep road.

The small elevation here shouldn’t be any real problem, but in the event of recent rains the muddy trail might well be (and those aforementioned horses don’t help the matter at all).

It’s all very short and straightforward. About 800m from the start, at a small bend in the path, horsemen deposit their clients and everyone continues on foot. Another 200m beyond that, the path makes one final curve into forest cover (it splits here, but all options converge, so take whatever seems the safety and least muddy) before descending through the trees to the waterfall itself – you’ll hear it slightly before you see it.

Take your selfies, enjoy the view, and head right back the way you came. If you planned and timed the excursion right, you might just have shashlyk waiting at the nearest yurt camp by the time you return.

Good To Know

Getting to the Hike Name

Public transport runs often from Karakol to Jeti Oguz village, from which shared taxis will carry travelers to Jeti Oguz resort for 50som per person. From there, you can either walk up the jeep road or hire an expensive taxi transfer to the Kok Jaiyk jailoo itself.

Costs and Practicalities

There is no cost to enter Kok Jaiyk or to visit the waterfall, though do keep that 800som handy if you think you’ll want a horse to carry you up the first kilometer.

Where to Stay and Eat

There are countless yurt camps that work in Kok Jaiyk through the summer, though many of these are focused more at domestic daytrippers than international visitors. Our three favorites (and the three most accustomed to welcoming foreign guests) are EcoTrek, Taberik, and Golden Yurt. The first two generally remain open through the winter season as well for cross-country and snowshoe enthusiasts, which is a lovely time to visit the valley.

Copyright Stephen Lioy – Photography and Travel Media