完璧な一日：アラアルカ国立公園+ビシュケクシティツアー

ビシュケクの市内の観光と郊外のアルアラチャ国立公園を1日でめぐるツアーでした。 アルアラチャ国立公園はビシュケク市内から40分程度で入り口に到着する距離に有りますが本格的な山岳渓谷美が楽しめるすばらしいところでした。また市内観光も要所を押さえた納得できるものでした。昼食のキルギス料理もたいへん美味しかったです。 注意点としてはアルアラチャはけっこう山道を歩くので普段運動をしていない高齢者にはおすすめできません。 ガイドのmadinaさんは華奢な女性にもかかわらずとても強くて山道も平気な顔で登っていました。説明の英語も完璧で自分で努力されて学ばれたとのことでとても感心させられました。This was a one-day tour that included sightseeing in Bishkek city and Al Alacha National Park on the outskirts. Al Alacha National Park is located about 40 minutes from Bishkek city, and it was a wonderful place to enjoy authentic mountain and valley beauty. The city tour also covered the key points and was very satisfying. The Kyrgyz food for lunch was also delicious. Please note that Al Alacha involves quite a bit of walking on mountain paths, so it is not recommended for elderly people who do not exercise regularly. Our guide, Ms.Madina, is a slender woman, but she is very strong and climbed the mountain paths with ease. Her explanations in English were perfect, and I was very impressed that she had studied English herself.

Our group of four did two tours with Ventura Tours. The first day we took the Ala Archa National Park and Bishkek City Tour. We made a special request to stop at Ata Beyit Memorial Complex which was very moving. Our guide was Nuriza and she did an excellent job. She was very accommodating and told us about each of the sites. Ala Archa is a beautiful park to see. Nuriza suggested we start early to beat the crowds which was an excellent idea. This is a great one day trip to learn about Bishkek and see some of the spectacular scenery of Kyrgyzstan.

We started our 5-day excursion in Kyrgyzstan with a tour of Bishkek and a visit to Ala Archa National Park. Everything was well coordinated. Medina, who spent time in the US, speaks excellent English and made communication easy. We were picked up on time at 9am from our hotel (the Orion, reviewed separately) and headed out to the park. The weather was cloudy, so the views were a bit hazy, but the drive was smooth and not too long. From the visitor center, we took a bus to the start of the hike. The trail to “Broken Heart Rock” is steep but not rough. It took us exactly one hour of steady hiking to reach the formation — a small outcropping with a story behind it and what would likely be stunning views on a clearer day. Still, the hike was very enjoyable, and we were back down in 45 minutes. Medina then brought us to a Kyrgyz restaurant and ordered several local specialties: samsas, a tomato and onion salad, a beef sausage kebab, and of course, the bread. After lunch, we returned to Bishkek for a city tour. We started at the train station and visited several sites, including Victory Square, where we heard about Kyrgyzstan’s struggles under both Tsarist and Soviet rule. We continued through the park to the Soviet-era Russian Theater, then on to Ala-Too Square, where we learned about the epic poem of Manas. We wrapped up at the Osh Bazaar, picking up some spices, dried fruits, and a backpack for our next hike. Throughout the tour, Medina was informative, attentive, and easy to understand. We’re looking forward to the next part of our trip with her at Issyk Kul!

I am trip planner and I curated a Central Asia trip with 10 friends from September-October 2024. Central Asia is not well known to most people so I was fortunate to find Ventura Tours to help us navigate this part of the globe. They took care of us from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Tashkent Uzbekistan as well as Samarkand and Bukhara. They made it easy for us and introduced as to a world that was new to us. The guides we had in each place were all very good specially Ameera in Samarkand who just got her Ph.D. She was exceptional. So too was Princess, our guide in Bukhara. Our guide in Almaty, Damir, was excellent. The special Kazakh dinner prepared by his mom Mrs Raushan was memorable. We saw how hospitable and friendly the Kazakhs are. Central Asia should be on one’s bucket list. Great destination and specially when you hook up with a tour operator to make it easy for you. Ventura Tours was my one-stop shop for Central Asia. We were in good hands with them. They were flexible, reasonable and very easy to work with. Talk to Ash or Nuriza. They will help you.

I really enjoy the tour. It is great if you are short on time to be able to do some hiking and see the city in the same day. Bek, my guide, is great and very encouraging during the hike. Overall very satisfied.

Ash was very responsive in our Whatsapp conversations and accommodating of our requests. We had a wonderful time hiking the Broken Heart in Ala Archa National park with Bek, our guide who made sure our 76 yr old Mom and 7 yr old daughter traveling with us were in good hands. Alex, our driver, was also very professional and understanding of our needs to drop off our Mom and daughter early to the hotel since weather became too hot for them during the city tour. All that plus a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. Thank you for making sure we all had an authentic and fun experience in Kyrgyzstan! Don't miss the picturesque views and immerse yourself in the history and culture of the city with a knowledgeable guide by booking with Ventura tours!

Our tour bookings were last minute but they managed to squeeze us in. They were really flexible and we had a comfortable tour,from the van, so power naps along the trip were not a problem, to the sites that we visited, no complaints, it was all worth it.That is why we booked for another day with them👌🏼. Our guide Abdi was awesome, he really knows his history and he has been really accommodating. Book with these guys on your next trip 👍🏻😊 (sharing you random pics from all the places we went to aside from Ala Archa)

A wonderful trip! Lovely guide and driver- thanks to Bocu and Rahim. Bocu had amazing knowledge of the city and its history; and amazing nature at Ala Archa.

Bek was a great guide. Ala archa is a beautiful park. My daughter was feeling well so he modified the hike so we didn't have to walk as far but still had amazing views. The city tour was good. It was fun to explore the market. Highly recommend this company for exploring the city and countryside.

The most impressive day-tours, to me, are those giving you surprises. For this tour: 1. Scenery itself is a surprise and natural wonder. Seeing the Tian Shan mountain range - with little squirrels playing around just in front - is impressive enough, let alone the clear waterstreams and the tranquil woodland in the national park. 2. A walk in the market is really all walks of life. I’ve seen a lot of different markets in the world and am still pretty impressed with the combination of local elements and vibrancy. 3. Of course, the soviet architecture and landscape are nothing to compare with those in Moscow or Saint Petersburg in terms of scale and detailing. That said, thanks to Boca, such spots become a good platform for gorgeous photography. Real surprise was that I managed to see guard-changing in time! Boca is energetic while deeply caring about my needs. Patient and communicative - thanks a lot especially for your introduction of the beautiful capital!