Day Trip to Burana Tower and Konorchek Canyons
Description
If you're looking for a quick day trip from Bishkek but don't want anything too remote, then it is the best choice. During this full-day private tour, the guide will introduce you to the history of Silk-Road-era Burana Tower, with a hiking to the marvelous trails of Konorchek Canyon.
Tour Options
Itinerary
In the morning you’ll be picked up from a hotel to start your exciting tour. We’ll head towards Burana Tower to the small town of Tokmok (80km from Bishkek). You will drive along the border with Kazakhstan and, if the weather is clear, you will see the beautiful scenery of the Tien Shan mountains. Tokmak was the second largest industrial city in Kyrgyzstan during the Soviet times, and you can see some of the Soviet monuments while driving through the city. Then you will pass through several small but picturesque villages, and you will be able to see the life of the locals outside the capital.
Your guide will show you the mausoleums and other buildings discovered by archaeologists during excavations, you will have a chance to climb to the top of the ancient tower, where there is a beautiful view of the Chui valley and the Tien-Shan mountains open. Visit the small museum, which presents various archaeological artifacts, as well as an open-air museum, which contains ancient gravestones, rock drawings, and other interesting historical objects found on the territory of our country.
The hike begins in Boom Gorge at the Red Bridge, which arches over the Chu River. Your 1 hour hike (one-way) winds through a maze of rocks and red sandstone columns. The trail provides ample photo opportunities and has many fun twists and turns. Follow a dried up river through the narrow gorge until you reach a small plateau, from which you’ll have a sweeping view of the red-earth Eolian Castles. The climax of the hike is the panoramic view where you can observe layers of canyons from the north and green meadows and mountains from the south. Enjoy a picnic lunch and a time of rest, admiring the striking beauty of the cliffs, before beginning the return trek.
Return to Bishkek. Dropping you off at the hotel will be the end of our gorgeous tour. Have an amazing evening!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Our guide will pick you up from a hotel or any point in Bishkek.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(51)
If you have a day in Bishkek that would be the trip to take. Both the tower and the canyon are worth visiting. Datka has all organized, from the pick up to the return, you have no worries. Eldar, our guide offered lots of knowledge not only about the places we visited but the history, economy and latest in Kyrgyzstan. Excellent lunch, allowed us to touch to the local cuisine and flavors. The car was spacious and comfortable, the driving - smooth and safe.
The trip is great, starting with the tower visit while there were not many people and allowed to enjoy it in full. The canyon visit is a great hike, the gorge leading to Konorchek is very interesting too. The place is remote and virgin in its beauty. Then the local cuisine lunch was so good! Thanks to Eldar, our guide, for the great day!
The hike to Konorchek Canyon was challenging and took place during the middle hours of a bright sunny day, mainly along the creek bed and also included some climbing sections using ropes present on site. The scenery that appeared rewarded the effort of the walk.
My guide Eldar was on time, communicated the itinerary clearly and knowledgeable about the things we saw and did. The trek to the Canyon was a great highlight, not to be missed.
This was my second trip with Datkatravel. The guide is Nurbek. I was on a private tour. Everything is organized at a very high level. We were in the Chu Valley, stopped by Burana, then had an amazingly good lunch. Nurbek is a very good guide, storyteller and interlocutor. Recommend Datkatravel👍❤️ to all
A friendly and wonderful guide, and the view! The guide gave us a chance to experience Kyrgyz culture, giving us Kyrgyz stamps and a traditional kurt. The view was also an hour-long hike, with unimaginable views and a truly amazing experience! They also took care of the time to catch the flight home, which helped!
Burana Tower was very cool, and the canyon hike was beautiful. Be careful in hot weather, but the guide was knowledgeable on the area and shared a lot of Kyrgyzstan history as well. Highly recommended.
I was able to taste the great nature of Kyrgyzstan! It was such a beautiful view! The hike, which lasted about an hour, was a good one. The driver was very kind and comfortable. They also gave me traditional sweets, kurts and nuts, and they were very caring. I hope to join another tour next time!
My tour to Konorchek Canyon and Burana Tower was the highlight of my trip! I loved that it was a small group and my guide, Faruk, made the whole day so much fun. He shared lots of interesting facts about the places we visited and answered all our questions about the country. The food was great, the views were incredible, and the whole experience felt more like a road trip with a friend. Highly recommend!
This full-day excursion was truly memorable. The canyon hike was not too difficult, and the stunning view at the end made every step completely worthwhile. Our lunch stop was an enjoyable experience in itself. Above all, our guide, Andrey, was top-notch. His knowledge led to a very insightful and exhilarating conversation about the local culture and the country’s evolution post-Soviet Union. Highly recommend!
