Karakol Ski Resort Facilities and Services

Eating On Mountain

You’ve got a few options for on-mountain dining during the day. White Night 3040 is located at… wait for it, at an elevation of 3,040 metres at the top of the lifted part of Karakol Ski Base. The cafe has big windows, so you can appreciate the views along with your specialty coffee.

Café Brown down at 2,442m elevation is in a ski-in ski-out position adjacent to the Kaprice Hotel. It’s a small café with decent coffee and lots of food options. Some English is spoken and the service is friendly. Adjacent to this café is an eatery that serves up pizza and shasliks – the aroma should help you find it.

Down at the base is a large modern restaurant where prices rise significantly and the wait for your lunch could be ridiculously long. The restaurant/bar tries to emulate the European après ski bar atmosphere with a DJ blasting music that could be on an annoyingly repetitive loop, even though there’s a DJ who could change the playlist. The people-watching is likely to be good, but unlike Europe, you can’t get a spritz or any other alcoholic drink, so hopefully you like tea and smoking a hookah pipe. 

Ski and Snowboard Rental

There is an equipment rental shop with rather basic equipment. You can choose from equipment from the 2013-14 season, or upgrade to “premium” gear from the 2017-18 season! 

Karakol Ski School

The Karakol snowsports school has a small band of instructors which are kept busy with the Russians on the beginner slope. It is unknown if you can take a lesson in English, so hopefully you can speak Russian or already know how to ski or snowboard. Or if you’re intrepid enough to travel to Kyrgyzstan and eat horse meat, you’re probably hardy enough just to give it a go.

Amenities in Karakol Town

Karakol Ski Shops

There are a lot of snowboard and ski shops in Karakol and more seem to be popping up. The recency of the equipment is generally better than up on the hill. You can get all-mountain skis yet if you’re after touring gear or avalanche equipment you’ll be hard pressed to find it. Prices for equipment rentals in Karakol are competitive ie very inexpensive for international visitors. 

Karakol Restaurants

In line with the increasing number of international tourists heading to Karakol, the town has a good range of quality restaurants. Whilst you might not find fine dining, there are good international restaurants that serve up a range of cuisine with spicy Asian origins and Euro/Asian fusion fare. Many restaurants have extensive menus and if you want to eat traditional Kyrg fare such as 5 Fingers horse meat, then you can. Whilst some restaurants don’t serve alcohol, others will give it a crack, even if the liquor options are limited.

Karakol Bar

In a town with a lot of muslims, getting a drink can sometimes be challenging. The Hut is THE place to go for a drink. The barman loves his job and even if there aren’t many people in there, it has a great vibe, plenty of memorabilia, and good tunes.