Kel Suu is one of the most underrated gems of Kyrgyzstan, although rightfully growing in popularity. I visited Kel Suu as a solo traveler without a guide, which made things a little more difficult. The headache was amplified by my spur-of-the-moment decision to head to Naryn, gambling on being able to get the permit for Kel Suu Lake within a day or two. The lack of affordable transportation to Kel Suu also complicates things, as expensive private taxis are the only way to get their without your own car. As I was visiting towards the tail end of the summer season, it was harder than I expected to find other backpackers to split costs with. Tour groups are plentiful, but solo travelers and budget backpackers are still a fairly rare sight in Kyrgyzstan.

I almost gave up on visiting Kel Suu Lake entirely, ready to count my losses and leave Naryn empty-handed. Luckily, I’m no quitter, and despite the hassle it was to get there, Kel Suu proved to be beyond worth the effort to get there. As always, I make the mistakes so that you don’t have to. Here is everything you need to know about visiting Kel Suu Lake, a hidden gem of Kyrgyzstan.

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Table of Contents

• Getting the Permit for Kel Suu Lake
• How To Get to Naryn
• Where To Stay in Naryn
• The Taxi to Kok-Kiya Valley
• Where To Stay in Kok-Kiya Valley
• The Hike to Kel Suu Lake from Kok-Kiya
• Reaching Kel Suu Lake

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Getting the Permit for Kel Suu

First things first, a permit is needed to visit Kel Suu Lake. There are multiple options for the permit, with one covering all border zones of Kyrgyzstan, and a cheaper one for just Naryn if you only plan on visiting Kel Suu.

The permit for Kel Suu Lake can be obtained through CBT Naryn, either by applying online a week or two in advance, or in-person with a rush delivery.

Although it should be straightforward, this proved to be one of the more annoying steps of the journey. While most Kyrgyz people are kind and welcoming, quite a few who work in tourism are more than happy to take advantage of unwitting tourists. I could not get a straight answer, and received a lot of conflicting information from the agencies I talked to. I met people who were able to get the permit within hours while paying less than half of the normal price of paying for it online.

Because of this, I risked heading to Naryn without the permit and paid the price. I ended up paying the 4,000 som “urgent next-day” permit since I was running low on time. It did not arrive the next day, of course, but luckily, it did arrive on the last possible day for me to head to Kel Suu Lake.

I’d recommend just sucking it up and paying for the permit in advance online. If you go this route, you will pick it up at the CBT office in Naryn. For the multi-zone border permit, you will pick that up at the CBT in Bishkek. There are no disadvantages to applying earlier, so give yourself some leeway and submit your application earlier than you need it.

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How to Get to Naryn

The first step to reaching Kel Suu Lake is to make your way to Naryn. As one of the larger cities in Kyrgyzstan, transportation to Naryn is pretty frequent, and leaves from many different cities. If you are coming from a smaller village or from further away, you might have to leapfrog through some smaller cities.

From Bishkek, Kochkor, and Balykchy, there will be no issues finding a marshrutka or a shared taxi to Naryn. I’d recommend leaving earlier in the morning, as it takes longer for the shared transport to fill up later in the day. From Bishkek, it takes about 5 hours to reach Naryn. From Balykchy, about three hours, and two hours from Kochkor. For travelers coming from Karakol, I believe there is a morning departure that goes directly to Naryn. Otherwise, head to Balykchy or Kochkor and hop on a shared taxi there.

As to the actual prices, your guess is as good as mine. Shared taxis like to charge foreigners significantly more, and I watched the locals pay either 500-600 while my driver pocketed my 1000 and drove away. It’s not a big deal, but it certainly was a fitting precursor to the hustle-fest headache that Kel Suu ended up being.

Where To Stay in Naryn

Naryn isn’t the most exciting town, but it is a necessary stop en route to Kel Suu. There aren’t any hostels in Naryn, at least not in the traditional sense. Most places to stay are guesthouses where you’ll book an entire room to yourself, although they are pretty budget-friendly.

Nothing shows up on Hostelworld yet, so book directly through WhatsApp or use Expedia to book a place in Naryn. My friend recommended Naryn Guesthouse for meeting other people to split the costs of Kel Suu with. However, when I sent them a message WhatsApp, they told me they weren’t taking reservations because they were under construction. The next day, I met several people who were indeed staying at Naryn Guesthouse. Naryn was frustrating in many ways, but it was the constant lying and misinformation that drove me the craziest.

I ended up staying at the quieter Urayat Guesthouse, a small, unassuming hole-in-the-wall with only three rooms. It was close to the CBT and the bus station, although far from the restaurants and supermarkets in town. The price was reasonable, the hostess was nice, and the breakfast was pretty solid. I paid about $16 per night for a small private room with a single bed. I was the only guest for most of my time there, making it difficult to meet other travelers, so I had to take Kel Suu’s transportation into my own hands.

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How To Get To Kel Suu Lake (Kok-Kiya Valley)

The only way to reach Kel Suu is by hiring a driver. The starting cost is usually 15,000 to 16,000 som per vehicle, with a maximum of 4 people per vehicle. When I was alone, I got offered 13,000 som by the CBT office. When I found people to split the costs with, the price suddenly jumped up to 16,830 som, despite the board behind her literally stating 16,000 som. She said the real price was 165 euros, and then made up an exchange rate on the spot that was more favorable to her by a good 3-5%.

The lady running the CBT is ruthless, but I was too exhausted to argue by this point. Up until I encountered two Australians on my third trip to the CBT that day, I had been going from guesthouse to guesthouse and agency to agency to see if there were any groups to join. I was beyond stoked to have found people to split the costs with, at what felt like the eleventh hour. 5,600 som was much better than paying 13,000 by myself, so I wasn’t gonna jeopardize my lucky find by arguing over 300 som extra on each of our ends.

Of course, upon actually reaching Kok-Kiya Valley, I found plenty of other travelers who had also been told by the CBT that there were no groups to join or share cars with. The CBT lady gets no love from me, so be persistent and pray that luck is on your side, because she will not be. I’d even recommend going through a different agency, guesthouse, or negotiating with a taxi driver yourself. Once you have your permit from the CBT, leave and never look back.

If you are really dead set on avoiding paying for a taxi, you might have some luck by heading to the village of Ak-Muz and hitchhiking on the road towards Kok-Kiya Valley. It is still another two or three hours of driving from there. The cars heading all the way to Kok-Kiya will be few and far between, but if you are a gambler, then I won’t stop you. Go early because that’s when most cars head to Kel Suu, with taxis typically leaving at 7 AM.

Before setting off on this epic adventure through the mountains, make sure you have a plan for staying connected. I use Saily eSIM to keep me online during my travels, ensuring that I have internet from the moment I land to the moment I leave. Navigating directions, coordinating travel plans, booking a ride, and so on – having an eSIM makes life that much easier when you’re on the road. Data packages for Kyrgyzstan start at just $6, and you can use my code “eli5” for an additional 5% off of your first Saily eSIM.

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Where to Stay in Kok-Kiya Valley

Despite the nightmare of a time trying to reach Kel Suu, all of the frustration melted away as soon as I reached Kok-Kiya Valley. Even the drive there was marvelous, with stunning mountain landscapes and gorgeous rolling hills throughout. However, the final turn into Kok-Kiya Valley, revealing the dramatic mountainous backdrop was unforgettable. I immediately thought about spending an extra night there, if I had one to spare.

Yurt Camps in Kel Suu

The CBT dragon lady also booked my yurt camp for me, but I didn’t bother seeing how much more I was being charged. Nothing could bring me down now that I had finally made it. I believe my yurt camp was called Jyrgalan, although it didn’t show up online or on any maps apps. There are tons of places, though, and I can’t imagine it’s necessary to book in advance. I was very surprised how many yurt camps there were at Kok Kiya Valley, even late in the summer when some places have already started packing up their yurts for the season.

Walking up to a yurt camp and seeing if they have availability should be fine. I’d recommend this as you can scope out if it meets your expectations. Only a handful of yurt camps are available online to book, and the Australian couple I shared with had pre-booked Ulan yurt camp. This was a good call as it was much closer to Kel Suu than where I stayed, a small camp with 4 yurts and a single yurt granny running it.

However, my place did have its advantages. It was right next to the river so the views were much more scenic. It was further away from the larger congregation of yurt camps, making it feel much more wild and natural. The extra 3-4 kilometers of total hiking to get to Kel Suu and back was a bit of a drag, but waking up the next day to unobstructed views of the river and mountains made it well worth it. The yurt granny running the place was fantastic, perhaps my favorite person I met in all of Kyrgyzstan. A minor miscommunication between us meant that she gave me a second helping of dinner when I was in fact trying to return my plates. She was an angel, always smiling and upbeat, and I’d highly recommend staying at Jyrgalan just for her.

Camping at Kel Suu

Camping has its advantages. Even from the nearest yurt camp, Kel Suu Lake is a solid two hours of walking away. Packing your own tent allows you to camp wherever you want, even right by the lake itself. The meadow leading up to Kel Suu has plenty of flat places close to the river perfect for pitching a tent. Finding a spot by Kel Suu Lake can be a little trickier, especially if it’s high season and there are other travelers with the same idea. It’s also very windy and cold by the lake, but I can imagine it’s well worth it to unzip your tent and have a killer view of Kel Suu.

As far as I know, wild camping is free. Like most places in Kyrgyzstan, you can also set up your tent on the grounds of a yurt camp and pay a nominal fee to use their facilities, which is typically just the kitchen and a small outhouse. Kok-Kiya Valley is wide open with little cover, so for a small fee, I think it might be worth it to have access to a private place to poo. It’s not like anyone is really guarding the bathrooms, though, so you might be able to just pop in.

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Getting to Kel Suu lake From Kok Kiya

Once you have chosen your quarters for the evening, it is time to head to the magnificent Kel Suu Lake. Like everything in Kyrgyzstan, there are many different options for whatever your energy or fitness levels desires. From Kok Kiya Valley, it is about 9 kilometers to reach Kel Suu Lake, making for an 18 kilometer roundtrip hike.

Plan for about six hours to do the trek, allowing for three hours to reach the lake, an hour to enjoy the views, and two hours to descend back to camp. The hike was fairly easy. Although long, most of it is flat, and the elevation gain is only about 300 meters. I was helped out a little by a local guy named Talant who offered me a ride in his monstrous Soviet army vehicle. While I was more than happy to walk, it is not every day you get to jump in a massive army truck and traverse otherwise unnavigable roads. I felt like a kid riding a fire truck, and this friendly gesture saved me about 30 minutes of walking and made my trip to Kel Suu even more memorable.

If hiking isn’t for you, you are in luck. In Kyrgyzstan, there is always another way. Although Central Asia is jam-packed with mountains, hiking for leisure is not a big part of the cultures here. I remember inviting a friend on a hike and they just asked, “Why? We can just drive there.”

And at Kel Suu, you can indeed just drive there. I don’t know how much a taxi costs, but I can’t imagine it’s cheap. However, it will take you 90% of the way to the lake, leaving you with about a ten-minute walk before soaking in the views.

Of course, we are in Kyrgyzstan. If two legs or four wheels aren’t doing the trick, how about four legs? Locals will tell you that horses are the wings of the Kyrgyz people, and if you want to live as the locals do, a horseback ride to Kel Suu Lake is an excellent option. It costs 2500 som for the horse and another 2500 som for the guide. However, the guide can be split between your group, making the price more manageable.

If you’re up for the hike, I still recommend going this route as it is free and the views are simply unforgettable all throughout. It was one of the most enjoyable day hikes I did in Central Asia, and overall, not too taxing. The rolling hills had a reddish hue to them, making them absolutely stunning in the golden hour lighting. The flat meadows and rivers running through them gave me Patagonia vibes, as if I were in El Chalten. The snowy peaks in the backdrop only amplified by the beauty of the place.

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Kel Suu Lake

Kel Suu Lake was even more beautiful than I imagined. It is an incredible destination, perhaps the most beautiful place that I visited in Kyrgyzstan, arguably on par with the views from the Ala Kul Trek.

I’d recommend reaching Kel Suu as early as you can so that the sun still hits the lake, showcasing its stunning turquoise colors. I arrived at around 3 PM, and only had about an hour of sunlight before the majority of the lake was shrouded in shadow. The far side of the lake was still bright and turquoise, and there is an option to take a boat across the lake. It costs 1500 som per boat.

I was happy to stay on dry land and wander around. There are some short trails along the lake that offer slightly different views, but they won’t take more than 30 minutes to finish. I ended up leaving the lake to spend more time along the stunning trail on the way there. The entire journey to reach Kel Suu Lake is stunning, and almost as beautiful as Kel Suu itself.

All in all, everything about this region is spectacular. From views from my yurt camp at Kok-Kiya Valley, the unique landscapes of the meadows leading to Kel Suu, to the absolutely jaw-dropping lake itself, literally everything will take your breath away. If you’re deciding whether the journey to Kel Suu is worth it, trust me. It is beyond worth the effort.

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If this post helped you out, show some love and support for the blog and help keep my adventures going by buying me a beer! My adventures are entirely self-funded, so any show of support is greatly appreciated, and allows me to keep writing helpful travel guides and creating travel content to help you all travel the world on a budget.