Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan and the largest city in the country by the number of population (more than 1 million).

Bishkek is located in the center of the Chui Valley at the foot of one of the mountain ranges of the Tien Shan - Kyrgyz Ala-Too. Its length is 375 kilometers and extends from the Boomsky Gorge to the Talas region. The highest point of the ridge (4875 meters) is the peak of Semenov-Tyan-Shansky.

Bishkek residents divide the city into up and down. The upper part (south) is closest to the mountains, the lower (north) – to the border with Kazakhstan. The upper part of the city is considered cleaner in terms of ecology. But almost all "life" is concentrated at the bottom. It is there that the main attractions, markets and much more are located. How to determine the top and bottom? It's very simple: the top is where the mountains are.

Bishkek is a square city. In it you will find almost no winding streets. That is why it is almost impossible to get lost here. Residents of the city are guided by the intersections of streets. For example, they rarely make appointments just in a restaurant, but necessarily add that it is located at the intersection of Chui / Isanova or Togolok Moldo/Kievskaya.

The Chon-Kemin River flows from the Kungey Ala-Too and Iliysky Ala-Too ranges to the Chu River. From its headwaters in the mountains to the edge of the Boom Gorge, the Chon-Kemin River flows a total of 116 km (72 miles), through a forested gorge and seven lakes.

Much of the area around the Chon-Kemin River is protected by the Chon-Kemin State Nature National Park, which protects a total of 5000 hectares. This park was created in 1997 to protect the unique species of flora and fauna in the area, including the Tolai hare, pheasant, and fir trees. The river basin is rich in habitat and biological diversity, and has been left practically untouched.

Chon-Kemin is popular among adventurers, who can raft in the river or hike through the forests in the valley. Even those who aren’t adrenaline seekers will appreciate the picturesque quality of the river winding through the deep valley, ringed by snow-capped peaks.

Osh is Kyrgyzstan’s southern capital, and one of the oldest cities in the country. With a history estimated to stretch back 3000 years, Osh has long been a central city in the Fergana Valley. Osh has also been historically significant in many different eras, from being home to a large bazaar to being the birthplace of Kurmanjan Datka.

It’s hard to confirm exactly how old Osh is, and though artifacts have been found dating to the 5th century BCE, many say that the city is 3000 years old. Legends say that the city was founded by Solomon, or maybe Alexander the Great. No matter what the legends say, Osh has been a crucial point for merchants and traders for millennia. The bazaar, located along the Ak-Bura River, has been in its same location for many centuries.

Son-Kul is the second most famous alpine lake and mountain meadow in Kyrgyzstan. At an altitude of 3016 m (9895 feet) above sea level, Son-Kul is astonishingly blue, surrounded by flat, fertile green meadows, long used by nomadic herders for grazing their animals. Because of its remote location and high elevation, Son-Kul is only accessible in the summer (from around June to early September). Sustainable and community based tourism has thrived here for years, and there are a number of eco-friendly yurt camps where visitors can stay comfortably and experience the traditional nomadic culture of the Kyrgyz highlands. The surrounding mountains are pleasant and great for trying horseback rides or going on shorter or longer treks. Roughly 100 km (60 miles) from the town of Kochkor, and 300 km (190 miles) from Bishkek, the road to Son-Kul takes about 6-7 hours, and though much of the road is paved, some parts are still gravel.

Batken is a province situated in the far southwest of Kyrgyzstan, and contains four mountainous regions, with altitudes ranging from 400 to 5621 m (1,312 to 18,442 feet) above sea level. The province was created in 1999. The administrative center of Batken Province is the town of Batken. The province includes a number of enclaves belonging to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, created when the borders of the Central Asian republics were created by a commission of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. There are seven enclaves altogether - some are very small, not much more than the size of a farm. The largest is the Sokh District, which belongs to Uzbekistan, and has a population of 52,000.

Kochkor is located in Naryn Province, on the road to Lake Son-Kul and Torugart Pass. Kochkor used to be a stop for merchants going to and from Kashgar, on the other side of Torugart Pass in China. Today, Kochkor (or Kochkorka) has become a stop for tourists as they head deeper into the Tian Shan. Kochkor has been relatively well developed in terms of tourism infrastructure. Transport, treks, horse rides, homestays, and concerts are all relatively easy to organize. Kochkor is now home to artisans who specialize in traditional Kyrgyz art, and who revive the traditions of the region and make sustainable souvenirs. Kochkor has become famous for its shyrdaks and felt carpets, which are made in workshops around the city. Tourists can also learn how these carpets are made with demonstrations from the masters themselves, and those interested in immersing themselves in Kyrgyz culture can organize homestays and concerts of traditional Kyrgyz music.

About 520 km from Bishkek, 125 km (1.5 hours), from Naryn, 17 km from the end of the paved road (just after the emergency airstrip) 90 km (1.5 hours) short of the border at Torugart, and at an altitude of about 3500m above sea level is the ancient caravanserai of Tash Rabat. According to one author, this is probably the best-preserved Silk Road site you will find and “no other retains as much of its original atmosphere”.

The Torugart Pass is a remote mountain border crossing between Kyrgyzstan and China.  Until 2002 when the Irkeshtam pass was opened for passenger traffic between the two countries it was the ONLY border crossing between China and the Kyrgyz Republic which could be used by tourists – for example, those traveling the Silk Road.

The pearl of the Tien Shan - Issyk-Kul is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan. Issyk-Kul translates as "hot lake". The water temperature here does not drop to minus even in winter, so the lake never freezes. It is located at an altitude of 1,608 meters above sea level and ranks seventh in the list of the deepest lakes in the world. Issyk-Kul is a favorite holiday destination for Kyrgyzstanis. Also, the coast is visited annually by thousands of tourists from the CIS and other countries of the world. The hottest tourist season in Issyk-Kul lasts from mid-June to the end of August. In summer, the northern shore of the lake is the most attractive for tourists. The most popular tourist places of Issyk-Kul are the city of Cholpon-Ata, the village of Bosteri, Bulan-Sogottu, Chok-Tal, Sary-Oi and Chon-Sary-Oi. Also in summer you can go to Karakol (Przhevalsk). In winter, thousands of skiers and snowboarders go to the ski resort in Karakol.