Why visit?
Jeti Oguz is one of the magnificent mountain locations in Kyrgyzstan. There are Western trekkers and many local families, even from Bishkek, coming to visit. Miles of easy hikes, stunning scenery, friendly people, many yurts to stay in and even an opportunity to get a massage in a Soviet-era spa after your hikes.
When to go?
Given the 3,000m elevation and the corresponding temperature drop, the peak tourist season is June-August. This is when the temperatures will hover around 25C during the day and 10-15C at night. The winter is long and cold with the local Soviet-era wellness center and spa closing down in December-March timeframe.
How to get there?
Part of the charm is that there are not many people around. The price to pay for that is that it takes a long time to get there. After the pandemic few trekker groups visit as part of the longer Kyrgyzstan tours, so you will enjoy the mountain tranquility. Jeti Oguz is well known in Kyrgyzstan and there are some existing transport connections, so you do not have to go in an expensive (shared) taxi all the way.
Jeti Oguz vs Jeti Oguz Kurort
A bit confusingly, Jeti Oguz consists of two separate locations. The first one is the village itself (“Jeti Oguz”). However, you want to go the second location, Jeti Oguz Kurort or the Soviet-era wellness center or spa (“sanatorium” or “kurort”). The entrance to the hikes is at the end of the main road to Jeti Oguz Kurort.
The sanatorium is located 15 kms away from the village. Please be clear which Jeti Oguz destination you want to go to when talking with the marshrutka or taxi drivers.
How to get from Karakol to Jeti Oguz Kurort?
From Karakol’s bazaar bus station you might take marshrutka #355 to Jeti Oguz village. In spite of the sign saying “KURORT” (“КУРОРТ”), marshrutkas might not be going to Kurort (Sanatorium). Its final stop is the village, as there are not enough passengers willing to go to the kurort.
So the best choice is to go the village and then hire a taxi (KGS 200 / $2.50 for the entire car). Alternatively, you can try hitchhike (certainly doable but waiting time will be longer after the morning rush to the village). A single seat in the Karakol-Jeti Oguz village was KGS40 ($0.50) and took 30 mins. The #355 marshrutka was leaving on the set hour at full hours (or earlier if all seats taken). Again, the price list in the minibus includes the kurort at KGS 100 ($1.25) but the marshrutka is unfortunately not going that far.
On the way back, there is a single marshrutka from the sanatorium to Bishkek per day leaving at 7:00am from the street next to the sanatorium. You will not miss it as there will be no other minibuses there.
Where to stay?
Kurort is a sleepy village concentrated on some visitors with a few small shops, restaurants located in yurts and homestays. The accommodations options are the private homestays along the stream. When coming to the Kurort you will see a few houses on the right hand side (there will also be four shops on the left hand side). All those houses offer rooms or beds. The standard is largely the same at KGS400-500 ($5-6.25) per person per night. Expect some warm water and unstable wifi, if any. The sound of the stream flowing by is nice and soothing at night.
What to do there?
In kurort you have largely two choices: (1) go to the mountains or (2) go to the sanatorium for a massage or another treatment (radon bath?) afterwards.
The mountains are picturesque with easy hikes. There are also some foreign tourist group tours, which are overnighting in tents or the local yurts. Jeti Oguz seems to be a good stop for them on the way to (or from) the south of Kyrgyzstan. No need to bring a tent and a sleeping bag if you do not want to.
(1) Valley of Flowers (Kok Jayik)
This is an easy 6km (90-120mins) hike along a stream and a dirt road. The views are nice along the stream and then you enter the valley of flowers with a vast panorama. You can overnight in a yurt here and can also get the local meals. You can continue further with miles of hikes ahead.
(2) Seven Bulls
Located immediately next to the main road and the famous Jeti Oguz view. You can climb the hill on the other side of the road for a nice view during sunrise or sunset.
(3) Broken Heart
1 minute down the road after the Seven Bulls there is the picturesque Broken Heart stone formation. It looks especially nice during sunset as the colors are changing rapidly. Pretty interesting to see how regular trees manage to cling (and thrive) to the bare stone of Broken Heart.
What to do next
After your hikes and yurt or tent sleeping, you can get an excellent massage at the Jeti Oguz Sanatorium for $7, the local Soviet-era wellness center and spa.
If you are traveling to Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan border at Dostyk describes this straightforward border.
When going to Kazakhstan, How to cross the Kyrgyzstan – Kazakhstan border at Korday will help.
The overall Kyrgyzstan summary is here: Kyrgyzstan.
