Kyrgyzstan Tours & Holidays
If mountains are your thing, then Kyrgyzstan is your place.
Tucked into the heart of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan’s skyline is dominated by craggy peaks and alpine lakes. Pull on your boots and get trekking to really experience its spectacular beauty. You’re likely to come across spectacular glaciers, be invited into a yurt for some yoghurt or be ushered to the sidelines of a ferocious game of goat polo.
Get inspired on The Good Times
Kyrgyzstan at a glance
CAPITAL CITY
Bishkek (population 835,000)
POPULATION
5.5 million
CURRENCY
KGS
LANGUAGE
Kyrgyz, Russian
TIME ZONE
(GMT+06:00) Almaty, Novosibirsk
CALLING CODE
+996
ELECTRICITY
Type C (European 2-pin)
Learn more about Kyrgyzstan
Best time to visit Kyrgyzstan
Like most of Central Asia, the best time to visit Kyrgyzstan is spring and autumn. As well as being the best weather, in spring the desert flowers bloom and in autumn markets fill with fresh harvest produce. Summer can get very hot and winters are bitterly cold. Winter can also get quite wet and some roads may close due to snow.
Geography and environment
With around 90% of Kyrgyzstan above 1500m, your adventure is sure to reach some heady heights. The Tian Shan (Heavenly Mountains) range takes up most of the country and around every corner appears another rolling hill or majestic peak. Kyrgyzstan is also home to some of Asia’s largest lakes, the most famous being Issyk-Kul in the northwest. Kyrgyzstan shares borders with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and China.
Top 4 natural highlights of Kyrgyzstan
1. Son-Kol
This reserve on the shores of one of the biggest lakes in the country is surrounded by pastures that are favoured by nomadic herders. Don’t be surprised to see a fierce game of ulak tartysh (goat polo) during the summer months.
2. Jeti-Ögüz
Spend days hiking canyons and valleys surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Seven spectacular red sandstone cliffs stand guard over the entrance to the Jeti-Ögüz Valley. Local tradition says that the cliffs were once wild bulls, immobilized by the gods to stop them terrorizing local yurt dwellers.
3. Karakol
Even in urban areas, Kyrgyzstan’s natural beauty abounds. Karakol is surrounded by orchards and mountains, with a lovely Russian church and colonial houses. Explore tree-lined streets that slope up towards glaciers and pine forests.
4. Issyk-Kul
Take a beach break with a difference. This alpine lake has been a favourite holiday spot for locals for centuries. After relaxing on the beach, be sure to see the petroglyphs that date back to 500 BC.
Kyrgyzstan travel FAQs
Most nationalities do not require a visa to travel to Kyrgyzstan for up to 60 days, including Australia, Belgium, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, USA and Switzerland. Other nationalities should check with their nearest embassy and obtain a visa in advance if required. Please contact us should you need any supporting documents for your visa application. If you do require a visa you will need to obtain one through your closest consulate.
Tipping is becoming more common in Kyrgyzstan. Rounding up the bill by 10% should be sufficient.
Internet access is available in the main towns and cities.
Mobile phone coverage is fairly limited, even in major centres. Ensure you have global roaming activated with your carrier if you wish to use your phone.
Toilet facilities may be very basic. Expect drop toilets outside of hotels and bring your own toilet paper as there may be none.
Drinking tap water in Kyrgyzstan isn’t recommended. For environmental reasons, try to avoid buying bottled water. Fill a reusable water bottle or canteen with filtered water. It's also advisable to avoid ice in drinks and peel fruit and vegetables before eating.
Credit cards are accepted in major shops and hotels in Bishkek and Osh, but rarely elsewhere.
ATMs are available in Bishkek and Osh but harder to find outside of these cities.
Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.
For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance
Intrepid takes the health and safety of its travellers seriously and takes every measure to ensure that trips are safe, fun and enjoyable for everyone. We recommend that all travellers check with their government or national travel advisory organisation for the latest information before departure:
From Australia?
Go to: Smart Traveller
From Canada?
Go to: Canada Travel Information
From the UK?
Go to: UK Foreign Travel Advice
From New Zealand?
Go to: Safe Travel
From the US?
Go to: US Department of State
The World Health Organisation also provides useful health information.
Yes, all Intrepid trips support the Intrepid Foundation. Trips to this country directly support our global Intrepid Foundation partners Eden Reforestation Projects and World Bicycle Relief. Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.
Eden Reforestation Projects
Eden Reforestation Projects are helping to mitigate climate change by restoring forests worldwide; they also hire locally and create job opportunities within vulnerable communities. Donations from our trips support restoration across planting sites in 10 countries around the globe.
Find out more or make a donation
World Bicycle Relief
World Bicycle Relief provides people in low-income communities with bicycles to mobilise school kids, health workers, and farmers in far-out areas – giving them access to vital education, healthcare, and income. Donations help provide Buffalo Bicycles – specifically designed to withstand the rugged terrain and harsh environment of rural regions – to those who need them most.
Find out more or make a donation