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Chimgan Mountain Tour
The Chimgan Mountains and Charvak Reservoir are popular spots outside of Tashkent, both for locals and visitors. Just two hours is enough to leave the city and head out into the wilderness. Breathe clean mountain air, sunbathe, hike, or have a picnic while surrounded by picturesque mountains. Discover the best sights around Tashkent with this tour to the Chimgan Mountains and the Charvak Reservoir, some of our favorite vacation spots outside the city.
Chimgan Mountain Tour descriptions
| Price Discount | 1 person – no discount 2 persons – 10% discount 3 persons – 20% discount 4 persons and up – 30% discount |
| Price Currency | USD |
| Destinations | Chimgan, Charvak, petroglyphs of Hodjikent, Beldersay |
| Offered | Any time |
| Deadline | Get confirmation 3 days before the departure date |
| Included | Transport throughout the tour (1-3 pax – sedan; 4-6 pax – van); Lunch; English speaking guide to accompany the group of 4pax and more. |
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Excluded
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Personal travel insurance. |
| Accommodation | Not available |
Must visit on your Chimgan Mountain Tour
Just over an hour northeast of Tashkent by car lies Ugam-Chatkal National Park, an outdoor haven loaded with hiking and adventure-sport opportunities as well as more relaxing pursuits. This entire area is known locally as Chimgan, a reference to both its biggest town and its central peak, Bolshoy (Greater) Chimgan (3309m).
The Chimgan village was settled 400–500 years ago in the mountain massive of dominant the Greater Chimgan peak (3,309 m), at an altitude of 1,620 m. Some experts see Chinese words in the name “Chimgan” but others translate it as “sod” or “pasture abundant in water, green valley”. For generations of those, who live in Tashkent province, the Greater Chimgan is the place of romantic gravitation. Greater Chimgan is known to mountaineers since the beginning of the 20th century.
Once the tsarist governor-general had a house here at the foothills of the western Tian Shan, the social elite also built summer cottages, only for the Bolsheviks to requisition them for sick workers after the revolution. The Russian love of winter sports and the Soviet addiction to sanatoria guaranteed Chimgan’s growth.
The mountains here are not quite as extreme or scenic as the higher peaks around Almaty and Bishkek, but certain activities (heli-skiing, trekking and rafting come to mind) are more accessible and at least as challenging.
A major sanatoria centre in Soviet times, today it has hatched a few newer resorts and retreats to complement the usual diet of decrepit yet still-functioning concrete Soviet hulks.
Climatic conditions in Chimgan are determined by the mountainous part of the Ugam-Chatkal National Nature Park. The climate is continental; there are seasonal and daily fluctuations. During the day it is warm, the evenings are cool. Spring comes in April in the mid-mountains; in the high mountains there is snow and cold until midsummer. The highest temperature is in June–July and early-August. Mean daily temperature of the warmest month (July) fluctuates from 20 to 35 degrees Celsius. Average annual precipitation is 650 mm. Heavy snowfall is in winter, which allows skiing and snowboarding. Snow cover lasts for 4–5 months. The frost period lasts about 130 days.
Chimgan is located 60 km from Gazalkent regional centre and 40 km from Hojikent railway station. The closest airport having international and local importance is in Tashkent, 100 km away. A new expressway from Tashkent to Hojikent is paved with high-quality pavement; in some places there is artificial illumination. Chimgan is further reachable from Gazalkent by public bus (50 min). There are bus routes Chimgan-Gazalkent (time of departure is 6:30 and 13:30) and Gazalkent-Chimgan (10:30 and 14:30). Private cars including taxis can also be used to get there. The road is accessible any time of the year, but in spring there can be limitations because of landslides and mudflows. In winter avalanches make the route dangerous. Alternative means of transportation are helicopters (but their use is limited).
Itinerary
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In the morning, depart to Chimgan Mountains (80 km, ~2 h.). You will be driving the road lying in picturesque surroundings full of local villages, gardens, and streams. If the cable car is functioning, take 3 km long ride in Beldersay gorge to Kumbel peak (2400) where the longest ski track has its start (Please, note that the cable car may not function during the weekdays and expect long lines on Saturdays and Sundays). Have a walk in mountain area. Continue to the shore of Charvak reservoir, surrounded by green mountain flanks. With numerous resorts, beaches, and children summer camps, Charvak Lake is a favorite place of locals and foreigners to enjoy summer days outside the city. Drive down serpentine road to have lunch at a local restaurant. On the way make few photostops at the most picturesque landscapes.
Return to Tashkent after lunch. Drop off at the hotel.
