How to get here?

The most convenient option is going by Yandex Go (taxi), this will cost between 700 and 1000 som (between 7 and 10 euros). It still is around an hour by taxi, so if you want to do one of the bigger hikes I would recommend going early. We had no trouble getting a Yandex around 07:30 in the morning. Make sure to navigate to the link above in Yandex. If you search for “Ala Archa National Park” you will get two options in Yandex, the one in this article is the entrance, and the point where the taxi can drop you. If you navigate to the wrong option you will pay more for the Yandex.

Bus 1 should go to the entrance of the park, and will cost 20 som (around 20 cents). If you want to use the bus I would recommend using Yandex Maps for the navigation, or asking at your hotel or hostel for directions.

To get back to Bishkek, from the entrance, you have the same two options. We were lucky enough to have a Yandex available both times. This Yandex was cheaper than the first ride. It is possible that no Yandex is available at the entrance, but then you can take the bus.

What to do?

After going through the entrance you can get into a free bus, which will bring you to the actual national park. You get off at the final stop. Once you get off the bus, you have two hiking options:

1. You can hike to a waterfall (and even further to a glacier). For this route you keep left until you can start walking up through a dirt road. After this road you will get to a good trail which will get to the waterfall after 6 kilometers. You have to hike the same way back, so around 12 kilometers total.

2. You can hike next to the river, to the mountains. For this option you have to stay close to the river, and keep right. Eventually you will find a bridge across the river. From there you follow the only trail, and keep going to the mountains you see on the horizon. You can keep hiking for as long as you want. If you want to get to the mountain you have to walk for about 10 kilometers. You hike the same way back, so around 20 kilometers total.

Weather and clothing

Good hiking shoes are important if you decide to go for one of the longer hikes. Dress according to the season. For me a t-shirt with long pants was fine in May.

Additional information

No need to make a reservation, you can buy tickets at the entrance. You can pay by both cash and card.