Burana Tower travel guide

This 25-meter tall tower, the Burana Tower is all that remains of the mosque of the medieval city Balasagun located in the Chuy Valley that lies to the east of the Kyrgyz capital city Bishkek.

The Burana Tower stands peeking over the treetops impressive and ancient and still withstanding as one of the most prominent historical sites of Kyrgyzstan.

Features Of The Tower

Originally built to a height of 44m during Balasagun, the Burana Tower fell victim to both- a war and the massive earthquake that struck the area in the 15th century. 20meters of the tower fell off and today the Burana Tower is only 25m tall. The Burana Tower is definitely worth checking out.

How To Get To The Burana Tower

You can easily visit the Burana Tower as a day trip from the city of Bishkek.

You need to take a city marshrutka to the Western Bus Station and then a minibus ride to head to the town of Tokmok from Bishkek.

It probably takes two hours or less to reach there and costs 300 soum per person.

As you reach Tokmok, the best option is to book a taxi to Burana region.

You can also find minibuses that run between Tokmok and Burana as an alternative to the taxi.

Visiting Info

Opening Hours: 9 AM -17.00.

Entrance Fees: 150 Som (2usd) that includes the access to climbing to the top of the tower and exploring the small museum in the backdrop. An absolutely stunning location, the minaret surrounded by the Tian Shan mountains and golden fields gives an incredibly amazing view. You can go up the steep and spiralling flight of staircases to soak up the breathtakingly incredible views accompanying the leafy trees.

The Sidewalks and Museum

Apart from the tall minaret the Burana grounds now act as an open-air museum. You can find hundreds of balbals and stone petroglyphs scattered around the tower and the museum.

• Wandering between their carved faces of the balbal is an interesting experience. A balbal is a grave marker used by the Turks centuries ago while they roamed through parts of Central Asia.

• The local museum is also worth visiting. It has a small collection of artefacts found around the complex.

Kyrgyzstan known for its beautiful mountain peaks and challenging adventure sports and activities was also once a major part of the historic and important Silk Road. You must take some time away from the peaks from your itinerary and travel to its other unusually fascinating sights.

The Burana Tower is totally worth your effort and time and is a must-visit while in Kyrgyzstan. Call us or visit our website to book your tour to the majestic tower while in Kyrgyzstan.