Kyrgyzstan
Lakes, rivers, mountains, delicious food, friendly people – and you don’t have to sell a kidney to see it.
It might seem like traveling in Kyrgyzstan is difficult and expensive due to the challenging routes and mountain roads. It seems like only climbers and the physically strong can afford it, especially when you see foreign tourists, laden with backpacks, climbing mountain routes that only jeeps or special vehicles can handle. I think they just love to suffer.
Kyrgyzstan’s tourist attractions are only 1% explored, as they say. I’ve been traveling in Kyrgyzstan since 2019, taking one-day and multi-day tours, and something new pops up every time.
How to travel on a budget
Until recently, it was possible to hire a guide and transportation for a considerable fee to travel somewhere. However, this has changed: local tour companies offer a wide range of tours almost every day. One-day tours start at 800 KGS ($10), which includes a guide, transportation, and entrance fees to nature reserves, if needed. Multi-day tours (approximately three days) start at 6,000 KGS, which includes a guide, accommodation, transportation, and meals.
Things to consider
Carefully research the best time of year to visit certain locations. For example, there’s nothing to do at Kel-Suu in winter and spring, while Enilchek is best visited in winter, and the Sunken Forest only appears for a few months.
One-day trips from Bishkek
My Most Unusual Water Adventures in Kyrgyzstan
Canoeing across a sunken forest? What? Yes! The Great Chuy Canal? Absolutely. The Chu River in the Boom Gorge? That too.
If you’re tired of one-day mountain hikes, let me tell you about my favourite hobby — paddling on boats, SUP boards, and canoes. And the best part? All of this can be done in just half a day.
Beach Day at Issyk-Kul: The Train from Bishkek to Balykchy
A new and surprisingly great option for a one-day trip from Bishkek to Lake Issyk-Kul has finally arrived. If you’re visiting the lake for the first time, or simply need a quick escape from the city, this is probably the easiest, most scenic, and most tourist-friendly route you can take.
Places to visit in Bishkek
The Best Bars in Bishkek: My Personal Picks
If there’s one thing Bishkek absolutely nails, it’s its bar and restaurant scene.These are my favorite places for a great atmosphere, excellent cocktails, and evenings that somehow end much later than planned.
Bishkek Art Spaces
Bishkek rarely comes to mind as Central Asia’s art capital, but the city actually has quite a few unusual creative spaces. In this guide, I’ve gathered places where you can see exhibitions, attend art events, take some unique photos, and, at least for a few hours, feel like a cultured person.
The Most Instagrammable Places in Bishkek
I like pretty places. And so do you, otherwise you wouldn’t have ended up here. Bishkek isn’t exactly a Pinterest-style city, but it does have a surprising number of beautiful spots, both within the city and just outside it.
Multi-day trips
Kel-Suu Guide
The trip requires thorough preparation – I hope that this article will help you, and the trip to the lake will leave only pleasant impressions!
Ghost town Enilchek
A ghost town at 2,000 meters above sea level, a post-apocalyptic setting, and a natural hot spring by the cliff.
Altyn-Arashan Gorge Hot Springs Tour
Overview of the Altyn-Arashan hot springs tour with a stop at Fairy Tale Canyon and Barskoon Waterfalls.
Karakol: More Than Just a Ski Resort
Karakol is more than 150 years old — one of the first real cities in nomadic Central Asia. It’s worth stepping out of your hotel and walking around, because thanks to waves of settlers and a mix of cultures, Karakol is probably the most unusual — and in my opinion the most historic — city in Kyrgyzstan.