Issyk-Kul · Kyrgyzstan
Cholpon-Ata
Cholpon-Ata is a resort town on the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, at about 1,650 m, with the Kungey Ala-Too range behind it. At its edge lies an open-air field of boulders carved with petroglyphs, many dating from the Bronze Age to the early medieval period. Travellers swim from the town beaches, take boat trips on the lake and visit the Ruh Ordo cultural centre. The water is warm enough for swimming in July and August. Bishkek is about 250 km away, a drive of roughly four hours.
- Region
- Issyk-Kul
- Altitude
- 1,650 m
- Roads
- Any car
What Cholpon-Ata is
Cholpon-Ata is the resort town of the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, at about 1,650 m, with the Kungey Ala-Too rising behind it. It is the busiest place on the lake in summer and the quietest in winter, when most of the beach-front closes. The lake water is slightly salty and never freezes, which is why people have come here to swim for a century, and the town is set up for that above all else: beaches, guest rooms, boats and a promenade.
What there is to do
- Swim from the town beaches. The water is warm enough in July and August; it is cold either side of that.
- Walk through the petroglyph field on the northern edge of town, an open stretch of glacial boulders carved with ibex, hunters and horsemen, from the Bronze Age through to the early medieval period.
- Take a boat out on the lake, from short trips along the shore to longer sailings.
- Visit the Ruh Ordo cultural centre by the water, which sets chapels of several faiths and statues of writers in a lakeside park.
Day trips
- Grigorievka Gorge, 56 km and about an hour and three-quarters, for spruce forest, meadows and small mountain lakes.
- The neighbouring Semenovka gorge, on the same stretch of shore.
- Karakol, 141 km and about two and a half hours, at the eastern end of the lake.
- Kochkor, 139 km and about two and a half hours, on the way south to Song-Kul.
When to go
July and August are the swimming months and the only time the town is fully awake; expect crowds from Bishkek and Kazakhstan, especially at weekends. June and September are cooler and calmer, and better for walking in the gorges behind the town. From October the season shuts down.
Getting there
Bishkek is 258 km away, about four hours by paved road through Tokmok, the Boom gorge and Balykchy. The road is open all year. Karakol is 141 km east, roughly two and a half hours; sections of the north-shore road have been under reconstruction, and the many villages along it come with speed limits and radar. Minibuses run to both cities. Carry cash in som for the gorges and village stops behind the shore.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
- When can you swim in Issyk-Kul at Cholpon-Ata?
- July and August are the dependable months; the lake is large, deep and high, so it warms slowly and cools slowly. In June the water is usually still cold for most people, and by late September it is bracing. Issyk-Kul is slightly saline and does not freeze in winter, but nobody swims then.
- How far is Cholpon-Ata from Bishkek?
- 258 km, about four hours by road through Tokmok, the Boom gorge and Balykchy. The route is paved and open all year, and both shared minibuses and private cars run it daily. In July and August traffic out of Bishkek on Friday evenings and back on Sunday is heavy, so leaving early makes a difference.
- What are the Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs?
- An open field of glacial boulders on the northern edge of town, carved with ibex, hunters, horsemen and hunting scenes. The oldest date from the Bronze Age and the newest from the early medieval period. The stones lie where they were left by a glacier, spread over a wide area, so visiting means walking between them rather than seeing a single monument.
- What day trips can I make from Cholpon-Ata?
- Grigorievka Gorge is 56 km and about an hour and three-quarters, with forest, meadows and small lakes; the Semenovka gorge next to it is a similar outing. Karakol, at the eastern end of the lake, is 141 km and about two and a half hours, and Kochkor, on the road south toward Song-Kul, is 139 km and about the same.
- Is Cholpon-Ata worth visiting outside summer?
- It depends what you want. Beach life exists only in July and August, and much of the town closes from October. June and September are pleasant for the petroglyphs, the lakeside and the gorges behind the town, with far fewer people. In winter the north shore is bleak and most travellers pass through toward Karakol instead.
Ready-made trips
Tours that go here
5 days
Around Issyk-Kul, 5 days
Petroglyphs at Cholpon-Ata, Karakol and its Dungan kitchen, a night by the Altyn-Arashan hot springs, the Barskoon waterfalls, Skazka canyon and an eagle hunter on the south shore.
from $660 / person
14 days
Grand tour of northern Kyrgyzstan, 14 days
Ala-Archa, Burana and Chon-Kemin, the full Issyk-Kul circuit with Altyn-Arashan, two nights at Song-Kul, Naryn and Tash-Rabat: the whole north in two weeks.
from $2,200 / person
Kyrgyzstan
More places
Your route is one conversation away
Tell us your dates, your pace and what you would like to see. We will put together a route from our own suppliers.