Jyrgalan is a charming little village surrounded by mountains in the far east of Kyrgyzstan. If you have some time while exploring Karakol and want to escape the tourist-oriented town, I highly recommend visiting Jyrgalan for a couple of days.

It once thrived as a coal mining town under the Soviet Union. However, once the mine closed, many people left the village in search for work elsewhere. The village is making a real effort to introduce eco tourism projects into the area, with homestays and guesthouses, hiking trails, and horse riding, plus plenty of other activities planned for the future, including mountain biking and skiing.

The picturesque village is a great base for exploring local life, heading off on a hike, or simply relaxing in the quietness. I stayed a few nights there in a local family guesthouse and completed some of the day hikes, but there's opportunities for longer multi-day adventures too.

Destination Jyrgalan Office in the middle of the village is open every day during summer and offers information, maps, and you can rent camping gear there too.

Where? 63km east from Karakol

How to get there? You can take marshrutka #331 from Ak-Tilek bazaar bus station in Karakol. The current timetable as of 2025 is 8:30am, 1:30pm, and 5:30pm. I recommend being at the station more than 30 minutes before departure to ensure you get a seat, because they quickly fill up. You could also arrange a shared taxi to split amongst other travellers if you preferred. You can also try hitchhiking (which is how we got there)!

Best things to do in Jyrgalan:

• Walk around the village and chat with locals (it's small but a nice way to interact with friendly locals)

• Day hike to Turnaluu Kol lake and Chaar Jon Panorama, a 14.5 km loop from the village

• Day hike to Kok Bel Waterfall, a 12 km return walk

• Multi-day hikes that start from the village include the Ak Suu Traverse (a 110km 9 day one way adventure from Jyrgalan to Jeti Oguz), Keskenkija Loop (a popular 53km loop) and Boz Uchuk Lakes (a 3 day one way hike from Jyrgalan to Boz Uchuk village passing lakes)

• Ski resorts are coming soon to the area!

Read my full guide to Jyrgalan village, including more info on all the best things to do here.