The first enantiomerically pure 2,2'-bipyridine-based cryptand is reported. Complexation of this macrobicyclic ligand with the trivalent lanthanoid cations Yb and Lu produces enantiomerically and diastereomerically pure cryptates in solution. The Yb cryptate shows near-IR photoluminescence with lifetimes of up to τ = 29.8 μs in CD3OD.