kyrgyzstan

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Almost 90 percent of Kyrgyzstan lies above 1,500 meters, and outside Bishkek much of the country still lives by the horse and the yurt.

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RECOMMENDED STAY
Ideal Duration

STARTING PRICE
Per Person Per Day

IDEAL MONTHS
Best Time to Visit

$800

7 days

Jun to Sept

The last frontier of Central Asia

are you ready for kyrgyzstan?

Kyrgyzstan is not for the faint of heart, and that is what I loved about it. I rode horses across green summer pastures. On Issyk Kul I took a 1969 Russian truck over a road of boulders, two hours each way, and I would do it again tomorrow. In Karakol, I bonded with three Kyrgyz pharmacists over my phone translations. It is also where families still race horses in kok boru, train golden eagles and build their yurts by hand. I held one of those eagles on my arm, and our guides arrange the same private time with these families for you.

  • Burana Tower, an 11th century minaret in the Chuy Valley, Kyrgyzstan

  • Kok boru rider with the Kyrgyz flag in the Chon Kemin valley

  • Red sandstone formations in Skazka Canyon on the southern shore of Issyk Kul

  • Woman preparing dough in a Kyrgyz home kitchen

  • 4x4 on a dirt track below the Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan

  • Kok boru riders on the summer pasture in the Chon Kemin valley

  • Red sandstone spires above steppe shrubs in Skazka Canyon on the southern shore of Issyk Kul

  • Mountain river through pine forest in the Altyn Arashan valley near Karakol

  • Sarah Casewit trying traditional Kyrgyz archery on the steppe

  • Kok boru rider at full gallop in the Chon Kemin valley

  • Eagle hunter launching his golden eagle above the steppe near Issyk Kul

  • Hooded golden eagle on the back seat of an eagle hunter's car in Kyrgyzstan

  • Sarah Casewit on horseback in the Chon Kemin valley

sample
Kyrgyzstan itineraries

Think of this as a starting point. We shape every journey around you.

Sarah Casewit walking a ridge through eroded canyons below the Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan

7 days: bishkek to karakol

Begin in Bishkek, stop at the 11th century Burana Tower and ride through the Chon Kemin valley. Spend a night in a yurt on Issyk Kul, then follow the southern shore past Skazka Canyon and Jeti Oguz to Karakol. Hike to the Altyn Arashan hot springs before driving back to Bishkek along the northern shore.

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Layered rock formations in Altyn-Emel National Park, Kazakhstan

kyrgyzstan and kazakhstan

Kazakhstan shares the Tian Shan with Kyrgyzstan, and Almaty sits just north of the range. Pair Almaty, Charyn Canyon and the Kolsay Lakes with a week around Issyk Kul for one journey through both countries.

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Where to go in kyrgyzstan

Bishkek

Bishkek is the capital and the arrival point, with Manas International Airport about 25 kilometers northwest of the city. Ala-Too Square, the State History Museum and the Osh Bazaar are all in the city, and the Tian Shan rises directly behind it. Our travelers stay at the Hyatt Regency Bishkek.

Snow capped Tian Shan mountains rising behind Bishkek at dusk
Red heart shape.

Chon Kemin

The Chon Kemin valley is about 150 kilometers east of Bishkek, and the Chon Kemin River runs 116 kilometers through it, past forested slopes and alpine meadows. The valley is a national park, and you ride through it with a local guide. The 11th century Burana Tower is on the road there.

Kok boru riders galloping across the Chon Kemin valley below forested hills
Red heart shape on a white background.

Issyk Kul

Issyk Kul is the second largest mountain lake in the world after Lake Titicaca, and its salt water means it rarely freezes in winter. The name means warm lake in Kyrgyz. The southern shore has Skazka Canyon, the eagle hunters of Bokonbayevo and yurt camps by the water.

White yurt on the shore of Issyk Kul lake, Kyrgyzstan
Red heart shape

Karakol is a town at the eastern end of Issyk Kul and the base for hiking in the Tian Shan. Jeti Oguz, the Seven Bulls, is a row of red sandstone cliffs nearby, and the Altyn Arashan hot springs are a day hike up the Arashan valley. Our travelers stay at the Hills Hotel.

Karakol

Pine forest and river in the Altyn Arashan valley near Karakol
A red heart symbol.

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kyrgyzstan?

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For Sarah Casewit, who was born and raised in Morocco, the ritual of Atay Bi Nana is a way to remain connected to her roots and childhood memories."

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"Casewit spoke to the impact and importance of exploring the world outside your comfort zone. She inherited her love of travel from her trailblazing mother."

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"Excellence is the word that comes to mind when I think of Sarah Casewit and my recent trip. It was a stress-free, life-changing experience for me. Can't wait for our next adventure!"

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