The city of Karakol is called the gateway to the natural wonders of the Tien Shan Mountains and Lake Issyk-Kul. Its rich history has turned the city into one of the most fascinating cultural and culinary destinations in the Kyrgyz Republic.
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Karakol is known as one of the top regions for mountain hiking tours in Central Asia, but it is also a great place to explore the culture of different peoples of Kyrgyzstan. Modern Karakol is a living encyclopedia of cultures. Kyrgyz, Russians, Tatars, Dungans, Uighurs, Kalmyks, Uzbeks and other nationalities call this city their home, ready to treat tourists with their traditional dishes, tell about their rich history and culture. Here you can dine with a Dungan family or sing Russian songs with the Cossacks.
Karakol is located 12 kilometers from Lake Issyk-Kul and 5 kilometers from the Terskey Ala-Too mountains. In winter, people also come here to the ski base, which is among the top ten in the territory of the post-Soviet countries. But there is something to see in the city itself: this is the Russian Orthodox Church of the 19th century, and the hundred-year-old Dungan mosque, built without a single nail, a zoo, museums, monuments, bazaars.
