What to See in Kyrgyzstan for First Time Travelers?
Apart from the vibrant mountain forest, you will experience more in our well-designed Kyrgyzstan trips. The first thing is to travel around the Issyk-Kul Lake. It is highly recommended to have a 3 or 4-day tour along the south shore to visit the Eagleman and his Golden Eagle in Bokonbayevo, great Danxia landscape in Canyon Fairy Tale, famous red rock formations, the "Seven Bulls Rocks" and the "Broken Heart" in Jeti-Oguz Canyon, and the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Karakol. On the north shore, Cholpon Ata is popular among locals and foreign tourists, where to enjoy the bright sunlight, sandy beach and clear waters, or to admire thousands of historic rock carvings outdoors. You are advised to spend 4 to 5 days around the Issyk-Kul Lake.
The other highlight is the 2nd largest alpine lake in Kyrgyzstan, Song Kul Lake (alt 3,016m). Every summer, herdsmen will take their cattle, sheep and horses to graze around Song Kul Lake. Have a 1-2 night yurt stay by the lake shore to enjoy a stunning view of the beautiful sunrise, sunset and starry night.
If you want to go on the ancient Silk Road expedition, go to the Burana Tower and Tash Rabat. These two historic sights are located separately in the north and south area of Kyrgyzstan and on the way, you will pass through the Song Kul Lake, which will take about 5 days. It is sensible to add another 5-day trip to the scenic spots around Issyk-Kul Lake, which is a must-see in Kyrgyzstan tours.
Jeti-Oguz Canyon
Valley in Kyrgyzstan
How is the Weather in Kyrgyzstan?
It has a continental climate with low rainfall in hot summer between June and September, and heavy snowfall in cold winter from November to March. The average temperature in summer is 30 °C (86 °F). In winter it is -6 °C (-21 °F). Kyrgyzstan always experiences heavy rainfall in spring from April to May. During the autumn months (October to November), it also gets colder and rainy. Therefore, the best travelling and trekking time of the year is during its dry summer season from June to September, with no worry about cold weather or snow blocked roads.
Do I Need a Visa for Tours to Kyrgyzstan?
Citizens of 44 countries, such as Australia, USA, and most EU members, are endowed with visa fee entry to Kyrgyzstan for up to 60 days. Before the start of your tours to Kyrgyzstan, please double check with your local Kyrgyzstan embassy about the visa policy. Since 2017, the tourist E-visa access is available, and travelers can apply for an e-visa online easily.
How to Get to and Travel Around Kyrgyzstan?
International flights usually land at Bishkek International Airport (FRU) or Osh International Airport (OSS). For domestic travel, we mainly use private car drive during your Kyrgyzstan tours. In general, on the way to gorges and villages, the road conditions are very bad, which requires experienced drivers. Please rest assured that our drivers are capable enough to drive through the mountain road.
Is Tap Water Drinkable in Kyrgyzstan?
It depends on different regions. In some places, tap water is said to be safe to drink. However, it may not be good for tourists. We suggest to drink boiled tap/spring water or bottled water. We will also provide 1-liter free bottled water per day.