Barskoon: apartments and holiday homes

Anyone wishing to rent an apartment in Barskoon can then continue searching for accommodation. The Barskoon Gorge is a long valley that extends into the Terskey Ala-Too Mountains as far as the high-altitude Arabel Plateau. Its passes reach approximately 4,000 meters; the landscape includes high waterfalls and dense spruce forests.

Nature

The Barskaun Gorge, with a waterfall, is recognized by the Tourism Department of Kyrgyzstan as one of the natural sites in the Issyk-Kul region. Barskoon Waterfall is a geological protected area established in 1975. The Barskoon River lies at the foot of the mountain in Barskoon Valley. The path at Barskoon Waterfall offers views toward Issyk-Kul and the mountains on its northern shore.

The named waterfalls in the Barskoon Gorge include Chashcha Manasa Waterfall. Leopard's Tears is the first waterfall visible from the road in the Barskoon waterfall cascade. Champagne Spray is the second waterfall along its stream and is visible from the road. Aksakal's Beard is the highest of the three waterfalls along its stream in the Barskoon Gorge. A third waterfall can be reached after approximately 45 minutes of climbing.

Culture

Yuri Gagarin visited the Barskoon Gorge in 1964; a monument to the first cosmonaut was erected there in the late 1980s. The path ascending into the Barskoon Gorge is marked as the Gagarin Trail on many maps. On November 1, 2025, a statue of Mahmud Kashgari Barskani was unveiled in Barskoon.

Routes

The turnoff onto road A364 to the Barskoon Gorge is located immediately before the bridge over the Barskoon River when traveling toward Karakol. A marshrutka reaches the village of Barskoon from the South Shore Bus Station; a 15-kilometer walk then leads to Barskoon Waterfall.

In summer, jeep tours use the road over Barskoon Pass to the Arabel Lakes and the high-altitude Syrt Plateau. The gravel road over Barskoon Pass also reaches the Syrt Plateau and the Arabel Lakes.

Local life

In a summer yurt in Barskoon Valley, visitors can try the traditional Kyrgyz drink kymys. Roadside stalls near the Barskoon Falls offer mountain honey and sea buckthorn.

Further destinations: Balykchy, Tamchy, Kaji-Say, Kuturga, Dolinka, Bokonbayevo, Teploklyuchenka, Tosor.

For the main travel overview: Yssykköl region.