Welcome to Kyrgyzstan! An Exciting Destination Worth Exploring
Located at the crossroads of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is a fascinating gateway to the region’s rich and diverse history, cuisine, and nature. With its high mountains, stunning nature, and rich nomadic culture, beautiful Kyrgyzstan has it all for travelers seeking a unique and authentic travel experience.
For travelers seeking to experience the best of what Kyrgyzstan has to offer, a visit to the country’s historical sites, mountain villages, and mountains are a must. From the Silk Road era city of Osh to the towering 11th century Burana Tower, Kyrgyzstan’s historical sites offer a glimpse into the country’s fascinating past while visits to its villages and mountains provide insight into its unique nomadic culture. Our expert local guides offer valuable insights into history and culture, and provide a more immersive experience.
In addition, Kyrgyzstan has some of the best hiking, trekking and outdoor activities in Central Asia thanks to its high altitude mountains and nature. From alpine lakes to mountain peaks, virgin walnut and juniper forests, deep gorges and mountain rivers, it’s hard to beat the diversity of landscapes and nature of Kyrgyzstan. Travelers interested in outdoor activities like hiking and trekking, horseback riding, mountain biking and freeride skiing will have no shortage of options and adventures in Kyrgyzstan. Simply take in the breathtaking scenery of the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alay mountain ranges.
Despite having some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, Kyrgyzstan is still relatively unknown and off-the-beaten-path. This means you’ll likely have many of the trails and vistas all to yourself, and many of our hiking and trekking tours are focused on lesser-known trails. Often on our Kyrgyzstan hiking tours you’ll come across a local shepherd in the hills with his animals and the moment you share with him and his family, enjoying a cup of tea and a bit of local hospitality, will be something you won’t forget.
Kyrgyzstan’s unique nomadic culture is also a highlight for travelers. Learn about the traditional nomadic way of life and experience it firsthand by staying in a yurt and participating in cultural activities such as eagle hunting, horse games or local festivals. Our local guides provide a deeper understanding of this fascinating way of life that still continues today.
Kyrgyzstan offers such a diversity of deep experiences for travelers seeking to explore a unique, authentic and exciting destination. Whether it’s exploring historical sites, experiencing nomadic culture or hiking in the mountains, Kyrgyzstan really does have something for everyone.
Below is an overview of our Kyrgyzstan tours, including hiking and trekking, horseback riding (horse treks), and cultural tours. We also provide answers below to many questions about travel to Kyrgyzstan.
Whether you’re visiting beautiful Kyrgyzstan for the hiking and trekking, the culture, or just pure relaxation, you’ll find a guided tour to fit your interests and needs. We take care of all the logistics and provide a local experienced guide so that you have a the best possible visit to Kyrgyzstan. Just get in touch with us to book your tour.
Practical Travel Information for Visiting Kyrgyzstan
- Capital: Bishkek
- Other Main Cities/Towns: Osh, Karakol and Jalalabad
- Currency: Kyrgyz Som
- Language: Kyrgyz and Russian
- Population: 7 000 000
- Area: 199,951 sq km
- Electricity Voltage: The standard voltage is 220V at 50 Hz frequency
- Electricity Sockets: Type C and F
Kyrgyzstan has two main airports; Bishkek and Osh. Many international flights land in Bishkek.
International flights to Bishkek city:
- Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Bishkek
- Pegasus Airlines from Istanbul to Bishkek
- Flydubai Airlines from Dubai to Bishkek
- AirArabia Airlines from Sharjah in UAE to Bishkek
- Jazeera Airways from Kuwait to Bishkek
- Air Astana from Almaty to Bishkek
International flights to Osh city:
- Pegasus Airlines from Istanbul to Bishkek
- Flydubai Airlines from Dubai to Bishkek
Domestic flights between Bishkek and other cities.
There are 4-5 regular flights everyday between Bishkek and Osh cities. The flights to other cities as to Tamchy village in Karakol and Jalal-Abad cities are not regular and arranged on summer season. You can book domestic flights only one month before your date, not available on early dates. Here are the best local websites to book online:
- bookit.kg
- https://tickets.kg/
Kyrgyzstan is quite safe to travel. Some guests claim it is even safer than USA. However, every nation has it’s up and downs, so normal precautions should be taken. We hear one or two incidents during summer touristic season, so here where you need to be careful:
Avoid unlit streets and parks at night if possible. No big issues if you are with your guide or in the city centers.
Keep your valuables safe especially if staying in hostels.
Be cautious while visiting local bazaars. We hear about passports and wallets of tourists being stolen.
Avoid traveling alone or hitchhiking in remote areas of the country especially if you are women.
When you need a taxi in cities, use registered taxi companies as Tumar Taxi, Jorgo, Udacha, Yandex Taxi, Sms Taxi, and so on.
While driving your rental car or crossing streets, try to check one more time before you take an action.
All of this aside, Kyrgyzstan is generally safe and it’s very unlikely you would come across this.
Entry into Kyrgyzstan, and staying on its territory is allowed on valid foreign passport holders and visas issued by the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Visa and Visa-Free regimes
| According to the Law of Kyrgyzstan, a visa-free regime applies to citizens holding national passports of the following countries: |
| 1. Azerbaijan 2. Armenia 3. Georgia 4. Moldova 5. Republic of Belarus 6. Republic of Kazakhstan 7. Republic of Tajikistan 8. Russia 9. Vietnam 10. Republic of Cuba 11. Laos |
| 1. Andorra 2. Argentina 3. Australia 4. Austria 5. Bahrain 6. Belgium 7. Bosnia and Herzegovina 8. Brazil 9. Brunei-Darussalam 10. Canada 11. Chile 12. Croatia 13. Czech Republic |
14. Denmark |
27. Kuwait 28. Latvia 29. Liechtenstein 30. Lithuania 31. Luxemburg 32. Malta 33. Monaco 34. Montenegro 35. Netherlands 36. New Zealand 37. Norway 38. Poland 39. Portugal |
40. Qatar |
| Up to 90 days: | Up to 30 days: |
| 1. Mongolia 2. Serbia 3. Ukraine 4. Turkey |
1. Malaysia |
Types of visa and categories
A touristic visa («TS») is issued to an applicant, aiming to visit Kyrgyzstan with the purpose of tourism, for a period of up to 60 days.
– USD40 for a one-month single entry visa.
– USD50 for a two-month single entry visa.
A mountain tourism visa («MT») is issued to a foreign citizen for visiting Kyrgyzstan for the purpose of alpine tourism (alpinism, climbing, snowboarding, rafting, freeriding, etc.).
– USD60 for a one-month single entry visa.
– USD70 for a one-month multiple entry visa.
– USD70 for three months single entry visa.
– USD90 for three months multiple entry visa.
A transit visa (“TR”) is issued to an applicant who is in transit through the territory of Kyrgyzstan to third countries for a period of up to 5 days.
– USD25 for a five-day single entry visa.
General information for obtaining a visa.
About E-VISA – www.evisa.e-gov.kg
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan has launched an e-visa website to facilitate the visa issuance process for genuine travelers.
Now travelers have the possibility to obtain an e-visa with two simple steps: applying and making an online payment. An electronic visa application does not require more information than a traditional paper application and it grants the same right to enter Kyrgyzstan territory as an ordinary sticker visa in the passport.
All you need is an internet connection, a credit or debit card for making payment, and scanned copies of your documents.
You can check if you are eligible for an e-Visa by going to Home Page >>> Information >>> Do I need a visa? and selecting your country/region of travel document. Each traveler must obtain a separate e-Visa, including infants and children (even if children/infants are included in their parents’ passports). Your travel document must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you intend to enter Kyrgyzstan.
Additional information can be found on the website of the «Electronic visa» www.evisa.e-gov.kg, as well as by sending an e-mail to evisa.kg@mfa.gov.kg.
Presently foreign citizens and stateless persons with electronic visas of the Kyrgyz Republic can cross the State Border of the Kyrgyz Republic at the following international checkpoints:
1. Manas-airport
2. “Osh-airport”
3. “Chon-Kapka-avtodorozhnyi”
4. “Chaldybar- avtodorozhnyi”
5. “Ak-Jol- avtodorozhnyi”
6. “Ak-Tilek- avtodorozhnyi”
7. “Dostuk- avtodorozhnyi”
8. “Kyzyl-Bel- avtodorozhnyi”
9. “Kulundu- avtodorozhnyi”
10. “Bor-Dobo- avtodorozhnyi”
11. “Irkeshtam- avtodorozhnyi”
12. “Torugart-avtodorozhnyi”.
You can find almost all types of hotels in Kyrgyzstan. Booking.com has included all the accommodations where internet is accessible.
Meat is an essential part of Kyrgyz cuisine. All the meals offered in yurts and cafes have beef or mutton. Ask before your order your meal. Here we will list the main dishes of local Kyrgyz cuisine:
Beshbarmak is the Kyrgyz national dish. It consists of horse meat boiled in its own broth for several hours and served over homemade noodles sprinkled with parsley. Beshbarmak means “Five Fingers” in the Kyrgyz language because the dish is typically eaten with the hands. Of course, you can use spoons.
Dumdama is a stew consisting of meat, potatoes, onions, vegetables and sometimes fruits.
Kuurdak is fried beef or mutton with potatoes.
Shashlik A mutton grilled over smoking coals with raw sliced onions out on your table. The meat is usually marinated for hours before cooking. Shashlyk can also be made from beef, chicken, and fish. Each shashlik typically has a fat-to-meat ratio of one-to-one.
Shorpo is a meat soup. Sometimes potatoes are put.
Laghman is a dish consisting of meat, vegetables and pulled noodles by hand. It has some soop in it as well.
Big cities have many restaurants and cafes that serve European, Turkish, and Asian food. However, you should always be cautious if you are planning to drive deep into the mountains. Get some dry food, bottled water and other items since it is difficult to find groceries in the mountains.
