About Kyrgyzstan Travel
Kyrgyzstan is truly one of the last frontiers of travel. Nomadic culture, horseback riding and eagle hunting have shaped this nation for thousands of years.
Not much has changed here in that time either. You can still witness and take part in many of these age-old traditions, plus you can go on epic multi-day treks into the mountains, you can soak in hot springs and fish in rivers.
Kyrgyzstan is a nature-lover's dream and those who make the effort to come here will be rewarded with some of the most memorable travel experiences that any one destination can offer.
Things To Do In Kyrgyzstan
Despite the fact that Kyrgyzstan is a relatively new travel destination with a tourism industry just starting to blossom, there are actually a lot of things to keep a traveller busy here.
Recent investments from the USAID and other projects have helped the local people of Kyrgyzstan to open new doors for tourists and have built some incredible tourism products here.
You can now follow well-marked trails, take part in walking tours and cooking classes and stay in a wide variety of accommodations, from fancy hotels to traditional yurts. Give yourself some time to travel here.
Below we've included all of our posts about the best things to do in Kyrgyzstan. Enjoy!
Top 10 Things To Do in Karakol (That Don’t Involve Trekking)
Karakol is the main city in the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan and is mostly known for being a jumping-off point for the surrounding Tian Shan Mountains and the popular treks to Ala-Kul lake, Altyn Arashan hot springs and the new treks in the village of Jyrgalan. But, there are ...
Places To Visit in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan isn't the easiest place in the world to get around, but it's definitely the easiest in Central Asia. People call it "Central Asia for Beginners" and for good reason. Here you can easily organize bus and car transport between the major sites.
It may take a little longer than in some countries, but the effort is always rewarded. Showing up at breathtaking villages like Arslanbob and heading out on trails where few other travellers have stepped is something that Kyrgyzstan offers visitors at every turn.
The Ultimate Guide To Backpacking Kyrgyzstan
Backpacking Kyrgyzstan is often considered to be a highlight of travel through “The Stans“ and for good reason. The scenery is breathtaking, the people are warm and welcoming and best of all, there is no visa required to enter the country! Not only is it easy to ...
Through The Lens: The Village Of Arslanbob, Kyrgyzstan
There’s just something about small villages that we absolutely love, and the village of Arslanbob was no exception. The people living there are 100% Muslim, 95% Uzbek and 5% Kyrgyz, which made for a very colourful, flavourful and hospitable place. From mountains to walnut groves, this ...
Arslanbob, Kyrgyzstan – Village Life At Its Finest
Sometimes we come to a place and we know instantly that it will stay with us for a long time. Arslanbob was one such place. We arrived at night after a long 10 hour shared taxi ride from Bishkek (the Kyrgyz capital). Even in the pitch ...
Kyrgyzstan Travel Information
There really isn't a lot of information about Kyrgyzstan travel online. When we first visited here, we were one of the only bloggers to have explored and written about our experiences there. We're still adding to this information today and below you'll find all of the posts on this blog that include useful Kyrgyzstan travel information.
Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide
Kyrgyzstan is truly one of the last frontiers of travel. Nomadic culture, horseback riding, and eagle hunting have shaped this nation for thousands of years. Not much has changed here in that time either. You can still witness and take part in many of these age-old ...
Our Kyrgyzstan Travel Blogs
We've visited Kyrgyzstan independently and as part of a tourism project helping local people build up the tourism infrastructure in the country, and we've had some incredible experiences in the country. Below you'll find all of our personal travel blog posts about our experiences travelling in Kyrgyzstan. Hopefully by reading our story, you'll get an idea of what your travels might be like in the country.
Trekking in Jyrgalan, Kyrgyzstan: Our Experience Marking The New Keskenkija Trail
Intrepid travellers visit Kyrgyzstan on a mission to find cultural experiences, adventurous activities and off-track spots – of which, there are many. Those in the know have been travelling here for years, while enjoying the rugged landscapes and warm hospitality. Still, Kyrgyzstan is a destination that ...
Discovering Kyrgyzstan: Announcing Our Next Big Adventure!
This year has been a whirlwind of experiences, taking us from South America to Europe and now, Central Asia. From the jungles of Colombia and the ice fields of Chile, to the historical sites of the UK, the medieval villages of Greece, and everything in between. It’s been ...
A 5 Month Round Up of Central Asia & Iran: Highlights Of Our Journey Through The Least Touristed Region On Earth
Wow, I can’t believe it’s over! Nearly 5 months of overland travel from China, through Mongolia, Russia, The Stans and Iran. What a trip! Even though we knew this journey would be intrepid, we could have never imagined just how adventurous it would be. We had ...
Backpacking Through Kyrgyzstan: A 3 Week Roundup
When we set off on this journey, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect from most of the “Stan” countries. The one country that we knew would be a hit though was little Kyrgyzstan, a place that is easy to get in to (no visa anymore), ...
Goats On The Silk Road: Where in The World Are We?
We’ve been blogging away, writing endless posts about this enchanting, little-visited land known as Central Asia. But what is Central Asia? Where the hell are the Goats? I think it’s about time that we fill our readers in on the area and why we’ve decided to ...
Lake Song Kol: Horse Trekking In The Mountains Of Kyrgyzstan
One of the many things we really wanted to do while on this trip through Central Asia was to go on a multi-day horse trek. We had trekked to high altitudes and over passes by foot and now it was time to mount a horse and ...
A Hike To Remember: Trekking To Ala-Kul & Altyn Arashan in Kyrgyzstan
We decided to do our trek to Ala-kul and Altyn Arashan without a guide and it was one of the most stunning and exhausting treks we’ve ever done. We trekked the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal which brought us up to 5,416 meters, but that was a ...
Lake Issyk-Kul: We Came, We Saw, We Had Food Poisoning
Lake Issyk-Kul is a special body of water in the Northeast of Kyrgyzstan. Set between the two towering Ala-Too mountain ranges (which form the northern part of the Tian Shan mountains), this stunning lake is the second largest alpine lake in the world! Astonishingly, due to ...
Almaty To Bishkek: Goodbye Kazakhstan, Hello Kyrgyzstan!
After an amazing 10 days in Kazakhstan, it was time to say goodbye. We had planned to see more than just Astana and Almaty, but after having some fast-paced travel days, we decided to just stay put and travel slower. We spent a whole week just ...
Travel To-Do List: Central Asia
Depending on which country we travel to, we have a different To-Do List. Some of the items remain the same (getting vaccinations, budgeting for the trip, buying travel gear, etc.), but for this particular trip, which will take us through Mongolia, Russia, Central Asia & Iran, ...
Travelling to Central Asia: Pressures Of The Planning Process
We have 3 months left before our teaching English contract here in China is up and we’ve officially started planning for our next trip! It’s turning out to be quite the process. We knew that travelling to one of the least touristy regions on the planet ...
Our Next Trip is Central Asia: The Most Epic One Yet?
We’ve been living in China for 7 months now and we’ve started getting The Travel Itch. We need to get going again. We need to get on the road and experience new things. There are people in the world who can live their lives, working all ...
THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT
When To Travel To Kyrgyzstan
The Best Time To Visit: July to December
The best time to visit is July to September, although camping and trekking are pleasant from early June through mid-October. From the end of June through to mid-August most afternoons will reach 32ºC or higher, with a maximum of 40ºC. Mid-May to mid-June is pleasant, though many mountain passes will still be snowed in.
We've also visited the country in the fall, around October, and it was still a really nice time to visit. With climates warming around the world, the warm and dry season in Kyrgyzstan is being pushed later and later into the year.
There are years when you can still trek in November in Kyrgyzstan, but for your best chances of good weather at all elevations around the country, definitely July and August are the best.
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