Ala Archa National Park is located near Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The name “Ala Archa” means “colorful juniper” in Kyrgyz language and the park is known for its picturesque mountain scenery, crystal clear rivers and rich biodiversity. The park is home to a number of animals including snow leopard, wolves, foxes, bears and various birds.
In this article, we will tell you about our one-day trip to Ala Archa National Park from Bishkek, we will share practical details and the most exciting experiences. You just take umbrellas because it might rain on this beautiful May day.
How to get to Ala Archa National Park
Looking for different options for transportation, we decided that it would be best to use Yandex taxi, which offers affordable prices and saves us time and effort in searching for the right bus. We traveled about 30-40 minutes from our apartment in Bishkek to the start of the national park or the First Gate. After that, there are another ten kilometers to the Second Gate, next to which there is a large parking lot, a hotel, other smaller accommodations, and a cafe. Then you need to continue on foot.
What to do in Ala Archa
Ala Archa offers numerous opportunities for walking, hiking, and observing nature. The park is a great place for picnicking, photography and simply enjoying the beauty of nature. Different trails of varying difficulty lead to glaciers, waterfalls, and beautiful views. After the Second Gate, three routes can be taken – to the left – shorter and steeper, in the middle – suitable for horses, and to the right, easier and very long, with detours to the gorge.
Our experience in the park and along the gorge
So, it is May 5th, day two of our Central Asia trip. We are in Bishkek, but today we decided to go to Ala Archa National Park, which is near the city. Reading about transport options, we decided that it would be best to call Yandex because the price is quite affordable. In addition, with Yandex, we will not take into account the times of minibusses and searching for accurate information, which is not very easy.
We take a Yandex and travel about 30-40 minutes from our place in Bishkek to the beginning of the first gate of the national park. A few hundred meters before the gate, however, the car breaks down. He tells us that he put in bad gas the day before and the car just doesn’t want to move. We leave the car to wish him well and walk through the gate. The good thing is that even though there is a queue of cars, we as pedestrians walk right through and no one even asks us for an entrance fee, though we have read that there is such. The landscapes are already beautiful – green hills, grazing animals, pine trees, the song of the river.
Between the first and second gates there is about a ten-kilometer hike up on asphalt and detours to the river can be made, many people do picnics. We go up the road and hope to hitchhike or catch a taxi. Not long after, a car picks us up, the driver tells us an amount, for which we later realize that maybe we should have bargained, but it doesn’t matter – it wasn’t so much. After ten kilometers, we are already in the mountains.
But there is one detail – the weather is cloudy and it looks like it will rain. Still, we want to explore the valley, but we don’t know if it will work or how far we will go. At the entrance of the park (the second gate), since it is a holiday, there are many people. We choose the route on the right. On the way, we mostly meet people who are already getting off, some very funny party old ladies, who flirt a little with Nace. There are signs about interesting animals that can be found in the area – snow leopards, wolves, foxes, bears, various birds, etc.
We walk along a very beautiful river. We take pictures from time to time, and the rain starts to drip lightly. We meet some people with a camera coming down and they ask us if we can do an interview. It turns out they are from the biggest Kyrgyz newspaper and have a YouTube channel. We give an interview in Russian (which I’m still trying to refresh, it’s only our second day in the area) and we talk about the beautiful countryside and the wonderful people we’ve known for 24 hours only, but have already made a great impression on us.
The rain starts to fall harder and the higher we go, the fewer people we meet. We come to a diversion where we walk along a riverbed that was probably a river many years ago. The waters flow from the nearby glacier. We didn’t take the glacier and waterfall trail because it’s longer and steeper. We took the easier path, which was mostly an asphalt road to make it comfortable for everyone.
The landscapes become more majestic – high mountains and rocks, but unfortunately, the rain is intensifying. We reach a place where we can see green grass through the fog and it’s very beautiful, but the rain is getting so strong and we decide to go back down. When we get back to the Second Gate, we are soaking wet.
We’re looking for a place to have tea, but all the options are out in the open. We manage to order tea and Nace calls a Yandex, which even happens to be nearby in the area. The driver leaves one person in the park and drives us down to Bishkek. We’re looking forward to going home and drying off. However, the driver starts mumbling that he is late for something and his mother calls him. He tries to drop us off early, but we tell him we’ve already paid and want to get to our apartment. After some arguing, he dropped us ten minutes from the apartment and even gave us money to take another taxi.
We return to Bishkek wet but satisfied with the adventure. We order food from our favorite restaurant with vegan options and enjoy a late lunch in the peace of our apartment. In the evening, we even had the strength to go out for a short walk and finish the day with pizza, preparing for the next day, when a trip to Kazakhstan and Almaty, in particular, awaited us.
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Practical tips for a day trip to Ala Archa from Bishkek
1. Transportation: The most convenient way to get to Ala Archa is by taxi from Bishkek, and Yandex offers good prices and convenience. There is also a minibus (marshrutka) that can be taken from Osh bazaar and goes into the village to the first gate of Ala Archa.
2. Weather: Regardless of what the weather forecast says before you leave, pack rain gear as conditions can change quickly on the mountain.
3. Gear: Bring waterproof clothing and comfortable shoes as there will be walking (or riding if you choose to explore the park on horseback).
4. Food and drinks: Bring enough water and food, as on-site purchase options are limited. Water, tea, pastries, and chips are sold.
5. Route: Choose routes that are suitable for your level of training and fitness and according to how much time you have.
Our trip to Ala Archa National Park was an unforgettable adventure filled with unexpected moments and wonderful memories. Despite the rain and taxi challenges, we met amazing people, enjoyed the beautiful mountain scenery, and felt the true magic of Kyrgyzstan’s nature. Ala Archa not only showed us its wonderful beauty but also reminded us of the importance of spontaneity and willingness to adapt to circumstances. This day will remain in our hearts as one of the most exciting and inspiring first days of our adventure in Central Asia.
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