Kyrgyzstan

Things to do in Kyrgyzstan

Enjoy your Kyrgyzstan tour package with these wide-ranging activities:

Outdoor activities - Kyrgyzstan offers a large number of trails outdoor enthusiasts with varying degrees of difficulty:

Hiking & Trekking in Kyrgyzstan

• Ala Archa
• Alamedin
• Issyk Ata
• Chon Kemin
• Altyn Arashan
• Karakol gorges
• Eki Naryn valley
• the plateau of Son Kol lake
• Talas range
• Karavshin gorge
• Chatkal valley and Arslanbob valleys
• Sary Chelek lake
• Aigul Tash

Mountaineering in Kyrgyzstan

• Tien Shan Mountain Range
• Pamir Mountain Range
• Pobeda Peak – the highest and most difficult to climb due to unpredictable weather conditions
• Khan Tengri – Part of the world climbers’ elite list—every respectable mountaineer should climb it at least once
• Lenin – the most accessible

Cycling Tours in Kyrgyzstan (Best Season: June-October)

• Bishkek-Torugart
• Road around Issyk-Kul lake
• Bishkek-Osh highways
• Suusamyr – Son Kol
• Osh – Sary Tash roads
• Karakol
• Chon Kemin gorges

Whitewater rafting & Kayaking in Kyrgyzstan

• Chon Naryn river
• Kichi Naryn river
• Chatkal river
• Kekemeren river
• Suusamyr river
• Chon-Kemin river
• Chu river
• Sary Jaz river
• Kyzyl Suu river

Skiing and Snowboarding in Kyrgyzstan (Best season: December-March)

• Karakol
• ZiL
• Orlovka
• Too Ashu
• Chunkurchak
• Jergalan
• Suusamyr
• Arslanbob

• Jailoo – Thousands of Kyrgyz shepherds/Turkic nomads travel and move their livestock to high summer pastures called iailoo. They assemble a yurt, a house made of felt and wood with fully-functioning interiors to keep cool in summer and even warm in winter.
• Horseback Riding – Horseback tours are popular in Kyrgyzstan. You can trail along the Tien Shan and Pamir landscapes with its beautiful greenery, mountain lakes, and alpine fields. Speaking of horses, do not forget to have a taste of their national favourite—Kumis—a local mare’s milk known for its great health benefits! Best season for this is from mid-June to September.

Places to visit in Kyrgyzstan

As you customize your Kyrgyzstan travel package, do not miss to visit these exciting sites:

• Issyk-kul Lake – the second largest mountain lake in the world
• Burana Tower – the ruins of the ancient Silk Road capital of Balasagun
• Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve – a stunning lake with diverse flora and fauna located in Jalal-Abad Region in western Kyrgyzstan
• St.Matthew’s Burial Site
• The Dungan Mosque – Built in 1910-1912, the Dungan Mosque was created by masters of architects headed by Zhou Si. This one-story wooden building was built without using a single nail!
• Sacred Sulaiman-Too – The first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in the Kyrgyzstan
• Saimaluu-Tash – Central Asia’s largest collection of petroglyphs (‘ancient carvings/engravings’)
• Arslanbobs Walnut Forests – Located in the Arslanbob valley, it has the more than 600,000 hectares of walnut trees producing 1500 tons of walnuts every year
• Ala Archa National Park – High alpine landscapes within Bishkek also perfect for hiking and skiing
• Suusamyr Valley – A scenic valley with yurts surrounded with beautiful landscapes and mountains
• Tash Rabat Caravanserai – Another memory of the Silk Road, a 15th century stone relic with a magnificent mountainous backdrop at At-Bashi District, Kyrgyzstan

Food in Kyrgyzstan

To complete your Kyrgyzstan holiday package, top it up with the country’s exotic cuisine:

Small and flavorful is ideal here. Food is served in small proportions but you can also buy your food in small stands or food bazaars abundant in every city.

Because of the country’s long history of nomadic life, all of the traditional dishes contain meat. Nevertheless, you can still receive a tasty vegetarian meal without a hassle.

Here are some exotic must-try suggestions:

• Besh Barmak – literally means “five fingers”, a national soup dish of Kyrgyzstan prepared with sheep or horse meat, alluded to be eaten with one’s hands.
• Plov or Osh - a rice/wheat dish mixed with vegetables, spices, and beef or mutton
• Samsa – meat/vegetable/cheese pie
• Lagman – a noodle dish, served as soup or pasta mixed with mutton or beef.
• Shashlik (shish kebabs) – made of beef, mutton or pork served with spices and bread

All Kyrgyz meal is paired with tea (either black or green) and a loaf of bread called lepeshka. Traditionally, the bread is torn apart by one person for everyone. In the north, tea is usually poured by women while in the south, it is poured by men.