Kyrgyzstan Walking Explorer

Walk amid mountains and alpine lakes

Dominated by majestic mountain ranges, Kyrgyzstan has been nicknamed the Switzerland of Central Asia. Yet despite its seemingly endless natural beauty, it remains undiscovered by mass tourism, making it the ideal destination for culturally curious travellers. Come and explore this magnificent land on foot, the best way to truly appreciate the natural wonders.

Starting from the capital, Bishkek, we head into the wild and walk among marvels of nature, including the Tian Shan mountains, Ala-Archa Gorge, and alpine lakes, such as Issyk Kul and Son-Kul. We also experience the nomadic traditions of the country, staying in a lakeside yurt camp, before returning to Bishkek with a scenic drive over mountain passes.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible. In Chon Kemin, Karakol and Kochkor, we stay in family-owned guesthouses and at Son-Kul we stay at a family-owned yurt camp. This provides great opportunities to learn about local cultures.
• Staying in small villages and visiting them contributes to the local economies.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles.
• The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves and archaeological sites generates income used for upkeep and development of these important sites.
• With our partners, Rewilding Apennines, we rewild 100 square meters (1,075 sqft) of land per passenger who travels with us.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Is this trip for you?

This trek has been graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate) with five days that include walking. For more on our trip gradings, visit our Activity Level Guidelines page.

The terrain is generally straightforward.

The highest part of this trip is around Son-Kul. We’ll sleep at an altitude of 9,895ft (3,016m) and walk up to about 11,480ft (3,500m). Please refer to the Altitude Warning within the Trip Notes for further information.

Walking distances and hours are given as approximates only and will vary depending on the pace of your group.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Kyrgyzstan

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tuberculosis and typhoid. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

Kyrgyzstan

Travellers from the UK, US and EU (except Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania) normally do not need a visa to enter Kyrgyzstan. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia:  www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/kyrgyz-republic
• Canada:  www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/kyrgyzstan
• United Kingdom:  www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/kyrgyzstan/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Kyrgyzstan.html

Important note: You can be arrested if you are not carrying ID in Kyrgyzstan.  You should carry your passport or a copy of it with you at all times.

Food & Drink

All breakfasts and five dinners are included.

On days 2 and 5, the leader will assist in purchasing food for lunches. Lunches can be arranged at Son-Kul. On other days, there are places to eat lunch during the journeys.

Common dishes include shish-kebabs and plov (rice usually with mutton, onions, carrots, spices, raisins and peas). The kebabs can be from different meats, including lamb and beef, while plov is a rice-based dish.

Please note, vegetarian food choices are limited. If you are vegetarian or have any special dietary requirements, please notify us well in advance. In this region, the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring such specialised dietary items from home.

Drinking water is included and will be provided in large containers for you to refill your bottle from – please bring a reusable bottle with you.

Weather

Although the overall climate in Kyrgyzstan is continental, there can be huge variations in temperature between seasons, different geographical locations and elevations. Summer can extend from May to September, but some mountain passes can remain blocked by snow until June. Snow persists in the high mountains year-round. Kyrgyzstan gets surprisingly little rain and has more than 300 days of sunshine a year.

In summer, mornings are characteristically clear, but afternoons can sometimes be hazy with occasional rain. Even in summer, there can be occasional snowfalls above 9,840ft (3,000m). At lower altitudes (around the tree line), temperatures usually range from 16C to 28C (61F to 80F) in July/August and it can feel very hot during the day. In the highlands, the temperatures in July/August are 8C-12C (46F-54F). Temperatures may get below freezing at night at Son-Kul, especially from mid-September onwards.

Bishkek and the lowland areas around Lake Issyk-Kul will be hot in the day and mild in the evenings.