Edited. I do this hike a few times a week for both mental and physical health, usually listening to NPR All Things Considered or listening to a Spotify playlist. Regardless of the season I am always delighted to see such wide views of the local geography in Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan.
While dusk and dawn are ideal, on this day my tourism & hospitality class wanted to go for the hike in the afternoon. While some had been swimming with their families, most had NEVER taken this walk into their own backyards! I was happy to share with them.
The local CBT (www.cbt-toktogul.com ) has a guided tour available and I have put one possible route on the website with GPS options.