Kol Tor Lake: The Best Hike Near Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan is a trekker’s paradise. There are epic mountain hikes dotted throughout the country, lasting anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks. For those of you just arriving in the country and wanting to stretch your legs, Kol Tor Lake is a moderate hike to an incredible mountain lake, coloured the most unbelievable shade of milky aquamarine. And the best part? It’s just a couple of hours from Bishkek.

Read on for our complete guide to Kol Tor Lake, by far the best hike near Bishkek. 

Kol Tor Lake Hike overview

• Location: Kegeti Valley, Chuy Oblast 
• Length: 10 km roundtrip 
• Elevation: Approx 800m ascent/descent
• Time: 3 hours up, 2 hours down 
• Season: April – November (July – September if camping)
• Gateway city: Bishkek
• Type: There-and-back
• Sleeping: Camping
• Cost: Free
• Start: Kegeti Valley
• Finish: Kegeti Valley
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate
• What to expect: Lush green pastures, a stunning mountain valley and a lake of the most surreal colour of aquamarine possible 

Kol Tor Lake Location 

Kol Tor Lake is located in the Kegeti Valley in Chuy Oblast, just 80 km from Bishkek. Hence why this is the best hike near Bishkek!

The nearest settlement to Kol Tor Lake is the village of Kegeti. 

Important: The name ‘Kol Tor’ is quite common in Kyrgyzstan and there are a number of lakes with the same name. This lake refers to the one in the Kegeti Valley.

Where to next? Check out Kel Suu Lake, another incredible lake in Kyrgyzstan

Kol Tor Lake

Kol Tor Lake sits at around 2700m, nestled in the mountains of the Kegeti Valley. The lake is coloured by loose sediment and crystal-like rocks from melting glacier waters, which give it an almost unbelievable shade of aquamarine. We’ve seen a lot of alpine lakes in our lives, but nothing quite like the colour of Kol Tor Lake! 

Due to its proximity to Bishkek (it takes about 2-3 hours to get there from Bishkek), Kol Tor Lake is a popular day hike from Kyrgyzstan’s capital. It’s also quite a short and moderate hike, meaning it can easily be done in a day. 

But while the trail itself is easily done as a day hike, if you’re depending on public transportation, it’s more difficult to get there, hike, go down and get back in one whole day. 

It’s not nearly as popular as an overnight destination, so we highly recommend bringing some gear and supplies and spending the night! It’s an incredibly peaceful spot to pitch up for the night. 

Whether you do it as a day hike or an overnighter, we recommend you get out to Kol Tor Lake as it is truly the best hike near Bishkek. 

Best time to hike to Kol Tor Lake

The best time to hike to Kol Tor Lake is between July and September, during Kyrgyzstan’s summer. During this time, you’ll have the best chances of favourable weather: warm days and cool evenings. 

As Kol Tor Lake is situated at 2700m, the nights are quite cool, even during summer. It’s in the mountains, so always subject to mountain weather: heavy rain, strong winds and freezing conditions can happen at any time!

In the shoulder season, May, June and October, you can do the hike to Kol Tor as a day hike, but it would most likely be too cold to spend the night. (You could still overnight in the Kegeti Valley – see below). 

During the winter, the valley will have snow and icy conditions. You can still hike here for the day but must be prepared to brave snowy, winter conditions. It’s also a good idea to have crampons and other winter gear. 

Want more hiking in Kyrgyzstan? Read our Essential Guide to Ala Kul Lake

How to get to the Kol Tor Lake Trailhead 

The trailhead to Kol Tor is marked by a small yurt camp in the Kegeti Valley. The yurt camp and trailhead are about 15 km from the village of Kegeti. 

To get to the trailhead, there are a few steps involved. 

From Bishkek, marshrutkas to the Kegeti Valley leave from the Bishkek Eastern Bus Terminal. There are direct marshrutkas (#303) to Kegeti at 9.30am and 3.30pm. It takes around 2 hours to get to the village of Kegeti. 

From the village of Kegeti, to get to the trailhead, you can either:

1. Walk;
2. Hire a taxi; or 
3. Hitchhike. 

If you cannot make the set times above, you can also take a marshrutka from Bishkek to Tolmak. These also leave from the Eastern Bus Terminal, leave very frequently (when full) and cost around 80 KGS per person. 

From Tolmak, you can either:

1. Take another marshrutka to Kegeti. These only leave later in the afternoon and cost 50 KGS. Note that the trailhead is still 15 km from the village;
2. Take a taxi directly to the trailhead. This will cost around 1500 som and the taxi will drop you directly off at the yurt camp at the trailhead; or 
3. Hitchhike. 

Hitchhiking is quite common in Kyrgyzstan and you’ll often see people on the side of the road waving down rides. Payment is often expected, so be sure to at least offer some som for petrol. 

How to leave the Kol Tor Lake trailhead

Now that you’ve finished the awesome hike to Kol Tor Lake, how do you leave? 

Well, unfortunately, options are limited in this regard. 

A marshrutka leaves Kegeti for Bishkek at 3.30pm. To get to Kegeti in time, you can either hitchhike or walk. 

Alternatively, you can try hitchhiking the entire way back to Bishkek or somewhere else on the road to Bishkek, from where you can easily flag down a marshrutka. 

As a note of confidence, when I completed the hike to Kol Tor Lake, I was picked up by two guys from the yurt camp almost immediately. They dropped me off in some unknown town, where I was able to get a marshrutka back to Bishkek’s Eastern Bus Terminal. 

They were incredibly lovely, and despite not being able to communicate well, bought me a monster-sized energy drink to refresh myself after the hike!

Related: How to Visit Tash Rabat Caravanserai

Visiting Kol Tor Lake as Part of a Tour

If you can’t be bothered with getting there yourself, there are numerous companies around Bishkek that go to Kol Tor Lake as part of a tour. Being the best hike near Bishkek, it’s becoming more popular with tour groups (but still not super busy). 

I’ve seen it advertised in various hostels in Bishkek, or alternatively, you can contact Feel Nomad or the Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan. 

It’s The Best Hike Near Bishkek: But How Difficult Is It?

The hike to Kol Tor Lake is easy to moderate. The trail is very clearly defined and does not require any special technical skills. 

There is a significant amount of elevation to gain – around 800m over 5 km, so the trail can be quite steep at times, requiring a good level of physical fitness (especially if carrying camping equipment for an overnighter). 

That said, we did meet an older woman walking the trail in platform sandals. We really don’t recommend this though! 

Going to Song Kul Lake? Read our complete guide

What to expect at Kol Tor Lake 

Camping

If you want to spend the night at Kol Tor Lake (and we highly recommend you do!), then camping is your only option. 

There are plenty of places to pitch a tent around the lake, and in particular, some nice areas near the stream where you can also grab fresh, flowing water. 

Even in summer, it can get quite cold, so do be sure you have the appropriate gear with you. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! See our packing list below. 

Food 

There are no facilities to purchase food at Kol Tor Lake, so you must bring all the food you need for the duration of your trek. 

If you are staying the night, instant noodles are easily found in Bishkek and are a great option. 

Fuel canisters for hiking stoves can be found at Red Fox in Bishkek. 

Water

There is plenty of water on the trail to Kol Tor Lake, plus a stream flowing directly into the lake, so there is no need to carry excess water.  We always recommend getting water from a flowing source, if possible, rather than the lake directly.

As with all hikes in Kyrgyzstan, be sure to treat your water before drinking it, as it is most likely contaminated by animal droppings.

Pro tip: for treating water on all our hikes, we use a Steripen – it’s a game-changer.

Rubbish

Pack it out, folks! Make sure to bring a bag to collect your garbage and take it out with you. Please, please do not throw your rubbish out on the trail or leave it at the lake.

Pro tip: to minimise rubbish on the trail, decant as much of your food beforehand as possible. 

Safety

Even though the track to Kol Tor Lake is a well-marked trail, it is still a relatively isolated trek in the mountains, so be sure you are prepared and have notified someone of your intentions.

A few locals warned us about wolves, but we don’t think this is a serious problem, nor were we particularly concerned. The biggest animal encounter you may have is a cow trying to eat your tent!

We always recommend walking with a personal locator beacon (PLB) or similar device in case of any emergencies. 

Hiking is always an adventure, so make sure you have travel insurance!

Navigation

It is pretty easy to navigate to Kol Tor Lake. There aren’t any trail markers, but the the trail itself is quite clear and easy to follow. 

There is a trail on maps.me that you can use to navigate, just be sure to have it downloaded in advance. 

Mobile Reception and Electronics

There is no reception at Kol Tor Lake, so make sure to download any offline maps you may need. When we hiked the trail, MegaCom didn’t have any reception in the valley, but we met someone with O! that had reception about halfway up the trail. 

We also recommend bringing a power bank to keep your devices fully juiced. 

The Trail to Kol Tor Lake

The trail to Kol Tor Lake begins at a small yurt camp at the end of the road in the Kegeti Valley. 

From the yurt camp, the trail goes in and out of the forest for a couple of kilometres. After almost 2 km, it crosses the river – there are some rocks you can walk on, but Goretex is always a good option. 

After crossing the river, the trail starts to climb briefly before levelling off. 

For the final stretch, the trail goes into open hillside and has its biggest climb of the day. At this point, it’s very obvious where you’re heading. 

There’s only another 1.5 km of lateral distance, but around 300 m of elevation gain, so it is quite steep. 

You can’t actually see the lake until you crest the final hill – it’s quite the finish! 

What to Pack for Kol Tor Lake

Where to stay in Bishkek before and after the hike 

Budget

Koisha Hostel

One of the most popular choices in town, Koisha Hostel has a lovely courtyard for chilling out in. It fills quickly, so be sure to book ahead.

Tunduk Hostel

Mid-range

Garden Hotel & Spa

High-end

Orion Hotel Bishkek

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