Overview
Our Burana Tower tour is the easiest way to see the history of the Chuy valley in one relaxed day from Bishkek. The Burana Tower is a minaret built in the 11th century in Balasagun, a trading city of the Karakhanid state. Today about 25 m of it still stands, and the site is part of the Silk Roads: Chang’an–Tianshan Corridor on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
What you see at Burana
You can climb the narrow inner staircase to the top of the tower for a view over the valley and the mountains. Around it lies a field of balbals, stone figures that once marked Turkic graves, and a small museum with finds from the old city. Our guide explains how Balasagun fit into the trade between China and the West.
Lunch and eagle hunting
After Burana we have lunch with a local family, then meet an eagle hunter (berkutchi). He shows how golden eagles are trained and flown, and you can hold the bird on a leather glove if you wish. Hunting with eagles is a living tradition in Kyrgyzstan, passed on in families.
Practical details
Burana is about 80 km east of Bishkek, near the town of Tokmok, roughly 1.5 hours each way. The day starts around 09:00 with pick-up from your hotel and ends back in Bishkek by about 17:00. Walking is minimal, and the tower stairs are steep and dark, so climbing is optional. The tour runs all year; in winter, dress warmly.
Why join this day trip
It is a good first or last day of a longer trip, a good option if you have only a stopover in Bishkek, and easy to join on your own: solo travelers can join group departures and pay less as the group grows. See more of the region on our Bishkek and Chuy valley page, or read about the Burana Tower on Wikipedia.
Booking the Burana Tower tour
There are three ways to join the Burana Tower tour: pick an open date on this page, propose your own dates and let other travelers join you, or book the Burana Tower tour privately for your own group. On a shared date the price per person drops as the group grows. Nothing is paid on this website: a manager confirms the dates, the price and every detail of the Burana Tower tour with you first. See all open group departures.
