Lake · Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan

Sary-Chelek

1 876 mEasy Official source

1 876 m

Elevation

trips

verified

A deep forest lake at the west end of the Chatkal range: 7.5 km long, 234 m at its deepest, dammed by a landslide about 10,000 years ago. And it is not one lake but seven. A strict reserve since 1959 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1978. The water is +19.8 °C in August.

Weather

At 1 876 m

Today

Snow

4°-8°

Rain 12.9 mm

13 November 2026

Snow

0°-8°

Rain 0.8 mm

14 November 2026

Fog

3°-13°

15 November 2026

Clear

4°-8°

Now: -5° · Clear · Wind 5 km/h

Updated: 8 min ago · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Trail conditions

No reports in the last 14 days. Be the first to report in the app.

Discussion

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How to get there

Andijan — Do'stlik — Osh

The same door as Arslanbob: train or bus to Andijan, then a minibus through Do'stlik to Osh, every 20 minutes, two hours. Fares unchecked. · 322,0 km
1. Toshkent → Andijon Public transport
2. Andijon → O'sh Public transport · 2 h · 43,0 km
Osh or Jalal-Abad to Arkyt

The road runs through Jalal-Abad and Kerben to Arkyt village. No open source for the time or the fare was found — this is established on the spot.

Questions and answers

Do you need a permit?

Yes. This is a protected area: entry needs permission, or a fee at the gate. This is a zapovednik, not a park — the strictest category, and you may not wander or camp inside it. Under the 2023 rules a visit to a protected area is agreed with the administration and paid for, and a ticket is issued. The amount is published nowhere, so we do not print one. Free entry applies only to Kyrgyz citizens' children under 7 — an Uzbek family pays full price for everyone.

How do you get there?

Andijan — Do'stlik — Osh: The same door as Arslanbob: train or bus to Andijan, then a minibus through Do'stlik to Osh, every 20 minutes, two hours. Fares unchecked. There are 2 ways in altogether.