Transportation
How to get to Karakol and around town.
Sure, Karakol can seem quite remote in the eastern part of Kyrgyzstan, not far from the borders of China and Kazakhstan. And with its stunning natural scenery of mountains, valleys, and alpine lakes, that seeming remoteness part of its charm. But the town is actually very accessible from capital city of Bishkek, and from other parts of Kyrgyzstan. Once you arrive, it's quite easy to get around.
If you need additional transportation information or want to hire private transport to get you to/from Karakol or around its surrounding region, be sure to get in touch. We work with a group of trusted drivers, most of whom speak some English, who can provide you with a comfortable ride that is timely and safe.
Public Transportation in Kyrgyzstan
Marshrutkas
The most common — and cheapest — way to travel around Kyrgyzstan by public transportation is by marshrutka, which is like a minivan or a small bus that travels a standard route and picks up and drops off passengers along the way. Although marshrutkas usually have some set stops, you can also flag one down on the street in similar way as you would a taxi. Marshrutkas run on popular routes between towns and destinations, as well within towns and cities.
Shared Taxis
A shared taxi is a driver with a car (often unmarked) who is going to a specific location (e.g., city, town, village). Although you will usually find shared taxis at the bus station or main markets, there is no set departure time. A shared taxi driver will leave once his car is filled with passengers (depends on the car, but often four people). The advantage of shared taxis is that they are sometimes a bit faster than marshrutkas since they typically travel a more direct route. The downside is that you may need to wait for a while for the car to fill with passengers.
Shared taxis usually cost slightly more than marshrutkas, and if you get tired of waiting for passengers to show up you can also often offer to pay for the missing passengers so that the driver leaves immediately.
Buses
Large buses run on some of the more major routes between bigger towns and cities within Kyrgyzstan. This can be more comfortable than marshrutkas as there is more space. It is advised to buy tickets in advance for popular routes.
How to Get Around Karakol
Marshrutkas: Karakol's public transport system uses a system of numbered marshrutkas with set routes throughout the town and also to nearby villages and other locations (e.g., Sunday Animal Market). Marshrutkas have a set cost of 15 som/person for local stops. The main hub is the "Ak-Tilek" bazaar.
Local taxis: Traveling around Karakol by taxi is rather simple and easy. Yandex is commonly used and ordering rides through the app is easy. This avoids the need to negotiate or watch the meter for fear of being cheated.
Getting from the Karakol bus station into town: Take Marshrutka #109 (15 som/person) or take a taxi (70 som/car). If you have a lot of gear, a taxi will likely be more comfortable.
How to Get to Karakol
There are a number of ways to get to Karakol from the capital city of Bishkek, as well as other areas of Kyrgyzstan. Some routes have enjoyable, scenic drives of the Tian Shan mountains and Lake Issyk-Kul.
The closest airport to Karakol is in Tamchy (IKU) on the northern short of Lake Issyk-Kul, not far from Cholpon Ata. But, this is only for domestic flights (from Osh) or from specific locations in Russia during the summer. Most people fly into Bishkek and then transfer by ground transport to Karakol.
GoBus offers daily rides from Bishkek to many destinations around Kyrgyzstan, including Karakol. Once you download the app, it's possible to book your seat up to 3 days in advance. The bus is a comfortable coach-style bus, with room underneath for your luggage.
From Bishkek to Karakol:
23.30 - 06:25, 580 som
From Karakol to Bishkek:
23:55 - 06:10, 580 som
- Bishkek Bus Station: 1 Kurmanjan Datka Street, Bishkek
- Cholpon Ata Bus Station: 96 Sovetskaya Street
- Bokonbaevo Bus Station: Mambetova Street
- Almaty Bus Station: Sairan Bus Station
| From (Location) | Type | When | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishkek (Western Bus Station, Shymkent 1, Bishkek) | Marshrutka | Ongoing during morning hours | 5-6 hours | 350 KGS |
| Shared taxi | Ongoing during morning hours, when vehicle is full | 5-6 hours | 500-800 KGS | |
| Night bus | 21:00, 22:00 and 23:00 | 5-6 hours | 350 KGS | |
| Cholpon Ata (Long Distance Bus Station, 96 Sovetskaya Street) | Marshrutkas | Almost every 30 minutes during the daytime in summer season. | 2 hours | 150 KGS |
| Shared taxis | Departures throughout the day, when vehicle is full. | 2 hours | 150-200 KGS | |
| Bokonbaevo / South Shore of Issyk-Kul | Marshrutkas and shared taxis | Throughout the day, but ask at your guest house for regular departure times for that season. | 2 hours | 150 KGS |
| Almaty, Kyrgyzstan | Bus | In summer, there is daily bus service from Almaty to Cholpon Ata or Tamchy, switching buses at the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border. In Cholpon Ata or Tamchy you can change to a Kyrgyz marshrutka to Karakol. | confirm | confirm |
How to Get from Karakol
Traveling from Karakol to other destinations in Kyrgyzstan, both near and far, is quite easy. There are three main transport hubs in the town — main bus station, south bus station, and main bazaar. Use the chart below to figure out which transport hub gets you to your next destination.
- Main Bus Station: 149 Przhevalskiy Street, Karakol
- Southern Bus Station: Corner of Toktogul / Torgoev streets
- Big Bazaar: Jamansarieva/Bektenova streets
- Big Bazaar (Jeti-Oguz Buses): Torgoeva/Aldasheva streets
| To (Location) | Bus Station | Type | When | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishkek | Main Bus Station | Marshrutka | Ongoing during the day | 5-6 hours | 350 KGS |
| Shared taxi | Ongoing during the day, whenever vehicle is full | 5-6 hours | 600-800 KGS | ||
| Night bus | 21:00, 22:00 and 23:00 | 5-6 hours | 350 KGS | ||
| Cholpon Ata | Main Bus Station | Marshrutkas and shared taxis | Regularly throughout the day. | 2 hours | 200 KGS |
| Naryn (Main Bus Station, Przhevalskiy Street 149, Karakol) | Main Bus Station | Bus (via Kochkor) | 8:50 am (North Shore), 9:10 am (South Shore) | 5-6 hours | 450 KGS |
| Bokonbaevo, South Shore | Southern Bus Station | Marshrutkas | 12:20; 14:20; 15:20; 16:30 | 2 hours | 150 KGS |
| Balykchy, South Shore | Southern Bus Station | Marshrutka | 7:50; 8:50; 9:50; 10:50; 11:30; 12:50; 14:50 | 3 hours | 200 KGS |
| Tamga, South Shore | Southern Bus Station | Marshrutkas | 13:00 pm; 15:00 pm | 1.5 hours | 80 KGS |
| Barskoon, South Shore (Southern Bus Station, corner of Toktogul and Torgoev streets) | Southern Bus Station | Marshrutkas | 9:20; 12:00; 14:00; 15:00; 16:00; 17:00 | 1.5 hours | 80 KGS |
| Jyrgalan | Big Bazaar | Marshrutka | 8:30; 1:30; 17:30 | 1 hour | 80 KGS (Private taxi = 1,300 KGS/4 people) |
| Ak Suu | Big Bazaar | Marshrutka | Every 10 minutes beginning at 7:20 | 20 min | 25 KGS/person + 20 KGS/trekking bag |
| Jeti Oguz Village and Resort | Big Bazaar (Jeti-Oguz buses) | Marshrutka (Note: If enough passengers want to go to the resort, the bus will stop there. If not, passengers can get off at the village and take a taxi to the resort.) | There is no exact schedule for bus. Share taxis available almost whole day. | 20 min to Jeti Oguz village, 35-40 minutes to Jeti Oguz resort | 35 KGS to Jeti Oguz village; 100 KGS to Jeti Oguz resort |
