Trekking Uzbekistan: 5-Day Trek & Camping in The Western Tian Shan Mountains

Embark on an exhilarating 5-day trekking adventure that unveils the enchanting landscapes of Galvasay and Beldersay river valleys. Traverse the captivating Gulkam Canyon and treat your senses to the awe-inspiring panoramic views from the western slopes of the iconic Great Chimgan Peak. Nestled within the majestic embrace of the Western Tian Shan Mountains, this journey offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and accessibility, as it unfolds just a stone’s throw away from Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s vibrant capital.

Your trek starts at the idyllic Karamazar village in Aksakata Valley, setting the stage for an immersive exploration spanning a total distance of 58 km over 5 days. As you wind through these picturesque valleys, you’ll be treated to a medley of stunning sights, from the verdant landscapes to the dramatic rock formations of Gulkam Canyon. The trek is thoughtfully designed to capture the essence of the Western Tian Shan’s grandeur, ensuring you witness its most captivating corners.

At the end of each exhilarating day of exploration, you’ll find respite in the embrace of lush, picturesque campsites nestled within the valleys. This medium-difficulty trekking program caters to adventurers of varying fitness levels who are in good and healthy shape.

Day 1 – Karamazar village- Galvasay valley
Be ready at 9:00 am to meet our driver and guide in the parking lot of the Uzbekistan Hotel in Tashkent and transfer to the trekking start point at mountain village Karamazar in Aksakata river valley (65km, 1,5 h, 850m). The trek starts with a smooth ascent to the mountain ridge that divides the Beldersay and Galvasay river valleys. Heading up on the ridge to the northeast, there are panoramic views of the river valleys with lush green vegetation mainly represented by walnut, birch, and other bush flora. Reaching the altitude of 1500m on the ridge, start descending towards the village of Uchterek. The route passes Uchterek from the east and continues the descent further to the Galvasay River valley. Reach the camping area after a short walk up along the Galvasay riverbed.

Highest Altitude 1500m
Sleeping altitude 1250m
Distance 14km, 8 hours, ascent 650m, descent 250m

Day 2 – Galvasay – Big Chimgan Waterfall
After breakfast, start the trek from the campsite towards the northeast aiming to reach the Archali Pass (1600m) of mount Kiziljar. Reach the pass and take a look around to enjoy the stunning views of the surrounding mountains. From the Archali Pass, we will then continue to the southeast on the ridgeline towards the Chimgan Waterfall located on the foot of Great Chimgan Peak. Here you’ll witness fantastic views of the mountains and Great Chimgan Peak throughout the day. We set up camp at the foot of the Big Chimgan mount.

Highest Altitude 1750m
Sleeping altitude 1750m
Distance 10km, 6 hours, ascent 500m

Day 3 – Gulkam Day Trip
Today, we’ll go on a trekking excursion from the base camp to Gulkam canyon – one of the most beautiful places in Western Tian-Shan. From the camp, we head up towards Gulkam Pass also known as Pesochniy Pass (1830 m). Once you are on the Pass start descending to Gulkam Canyon. Please keep in mind, that the descent from this pass to the canyon requires participants’ utmost concentration as some stretches of the trail have loose and slippery ground. The 5-7 metres wide canyon meets hikers with vertical walls, several waterfalls, and mysterious stone formations. After spending some time exploring the area of the canyon, we will return to our camp at the foot of the Big Chimgan Mount.

Highest Altitude 1830m
Sleeping altitude 1750m
Distance 10km, 6 hours, ascent 80m descend 300m

Day 4 – Chimgan Waterfall – Beldersay Valley
Today we’ll reach the highest point on our trek – the western side ridges of Great Chimgan Peak. After breakfast, start heading up on the path to the southeast bringing you closer to Great Chimgan. The trail that leads to the top of the ridgeline is considerably steep and requires more endurance from participants. Reach the ridge at the height of 2460m and enjoy the views of the lush green Beldersay River valley. We’ll have a short rest before starting the descent to the ‘Beldersay Walls’ – the source of the Beldersay River. Beldersay is a great area for bird watching, where bird species including White-crowned Penduline-tit, Turkestan tits, Rufous naped tit as well as birds of prey such as Booted Eagle, Short-toed eagle, and Eurasian Griffon Vultures can be spotted. After walking downstream into the valley we’ll reach the camping area.

Highest Altitude 2460m
Sleeping altitude 1730m
Distance 8 km, 5 hours, ascent 710, descent 730m

Day 5 – Beldersay Valley – Marble River
After breakfast, we’ll continue trekking downwards through Beldersay Valley to reach the last major accent- Urtakumbel Pass (1830m). Through Urtakumbel Pass we descend to the picturesque marble River valley (1700m). Heading further down through the valley, we pass the waterfall and reach the end point of our trek (1500m). Here our driver will transfer us back to Tashkent (82 km/ 1,5- 2 hours)

Highest Altitude 1830m
Distance 6km, 4 hours, 100m ascent, descend 330m

All our tours are available as private tours. To request private tour departure dates you can send us an enquiry here. Please fill in your details and select your preferred trekking tour in the form below and we will get back to you with available departure dates.