Lake Issyk-Kul Travel Guide

Lake Issyk-Kul is one of the major attractions of Kyrgystan. Located in the east of the country, it can be reached from Bishkek or Naryn by bus or taxi.

The region around the lake is stunningly beautiful and is great for anyone who loves the outdoors. Hiking is superb is the hills and mountains around, on the lake itself you can sail, surf, row, scuba dive and fish and for the more adventurous there are always activities like helicopter skiing.

The lake has length of 113 miles (182 kilometres), a width of up to 38 miles, and a surface area of 2,445 square miles (6,332 square kilometres). It reaches 2,303 feet in depth and has a volume of 416 cubic miles. The lake's name, which derives from a word for "hot lake", alludes to the fact that it does not freeze over during the winter, even though the lake is situated at an altitude of 5,278 feet.