Kyrgyzstan - Yurt Holidays for Families

You land in Bishkek in the early hours of the morning and are taken to your hotel in the city – time to catch up on sleep first. In the afternoon a short city tour introduces you to Kyrgyzstan's capital and its history, before you round off the day with a dinner together.

After breakfast you drive through the Chui Valley to Issyk Kul, the second-largest mountain lake in the world. At lunchtime you are guests of a family in Balykchy and experience true Kyrgyz hospitality. In the afternoon you reach the Jaichy yurt camp in the wide Ala Bash Valley south of the lake – with a playground, mountain views and a small museum about nomadic culture, it's the perfect place to ease into the trip.

Today you get into the saddle for the first time and ride into the mountains around the camp. You decide on the distance and pace yourselves; your guide and a local horse boy help you handle the animals – no previous experience needed. Small children can ride together with a parent. In the afternoon you visit a master yurt builder and learn about the traditional craft.

The roughly three-hour drive into the high mountains is full of highlights: you visit an eagle hunter and learn about this centuries-old tradition, have lunch at a special yurt camp right on Issyk Kul and hike through the Tian Shan spruce forest in the afternoon. Afterwards you relax in the hot springs of Chong Kyzyl Suu, set deep in a mountain gorge. The guesthouse is simple, but the setting in the mountains is unique; in good weather you can also pitch your tent nearby.

A dream 20-kilometre ride takes you over grassy slopes and through forests into the neighbouring Yeti Oguz valley – past the locals' yurts, with views of Issyk Kul and the mountains at the same time. The trail is wide and easy to ride. At the Eco Village Lodge you move into your comfortable yurts; rooms in the lodge are available on request for a surcharge.

The lodge has a sauna, a pool for the children, a volleyball court and a playground – ideal for simply relaxing. If you like, you can visit the nearby provincial town of Karakol with its bazaar, wooden Dungan mosque, Orthodox church and history museum. Be sure to try ashlan-fu, the Uyghur dish Karakol is famous for. Water lovers head to the hot springs of Aksu.

The Yeti Oguz valley is dominated by the glaciated, 5,168 m Oguz Bashi – the destination of the next three days lies just below its glacier. First you drive about 15 km up the valley, stopping at the red rocks of the “Seven Bulls” and the “Broken Heart”, which is the subject of a legend. Then you get into the saddle and ride upstream through the valleys of the Terskey Ala-Too to the nomads' high pastures. There you are guests of the only herding family on this pasture, who look after you and introduce you to their traditions. On the middle day you ride up to the glacier and help herd the livestock, milk or bake bread – whatever needs doing. On the third day you ride back down into the valley.

You drive back along the south shore of Issyk Kul, with many stops and breathtaking views. Near Kaji Say you explore Fairy Tale Canyon, where wind and water have carved bizarre sculptures out of the sandstone. At the Bel Tam yurt camp the beach invites you to swim and relax, and there is a small playground for the children.

Along Issyk Kul you head to Kochkor, known for its felt workshops. At a hands-on workshop you make something out of felt yourselves and then have lunch at the workshop. Afterwards you drive up to Son Kul: at 3,000 m, the lake is a true gem and one of the country's highlights.

In summer, thousands of the nomads' animals graze around Son Kul; in winter the lake freezes over and is deserted. You ride west along the shore from the yurt camp, between herds and yurts, and together with your guide you choose a spot for the night in the wilderness – right by the lake or on a hill. In the afternoon the guide takes the horses back to the camp.

Absolute silence, sweeping views across the lake and animals coming down to the shore to drink in the morning – this is a morning you'll remember. After breakfast you drive back to Bishkek, stopping on the way at the Burana Tower, an 11th-century minaret and one of the few surviving buildings in Kyrgyzstan from the heyday of the Silk Road. In Bishkek you round off the trip together.

Transfer to the airport and flight home.