Tips for trekking in Kyrgyzstan – A beginner’s guide

By Joan Torres 49 Comments Last updated on April 14, 2023

I love trekking.

From Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Georgia, trekking is always a big part of my journeys.

For me, this is the only way to do real exercise during my long-term travels, besides disconnecting from blogging, social media and the world in general.

That’s why during my 2-month journey through Kyrgyzstan, a country with 90% of its land above 1,500 meters, trekking in the mountains was no exception.

From endless high-altitude alpine lakes to dreamy meadows filled with hundreds of wildflowers, breathtaking 7,000-meter peaks, and huge landscape contrasts, Kyrgyzstan is home to some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen.

Moreover, the Kyrgyzstan mountains are very accessible and, thanks to the very visible nomadic life, you can get a warm meal above 3,000 meters, at the most unexpected times.

Kyrgyzstan is the ultimate trekking destination.

The following Kyrgyzstan trekking guide aims to provide you with useful and insightful tips that, hopefully, will help you plan and choose the best treks in Kyrgyzstan.

trekking in Kyrgyzstan

Which Kyrgyzstan trek is for you?

Kyrgyzstan is a very mountainous region, which means that there are endless trekking opportunities for any kind of trekking experience.

I consider myself an intermediate-beginner, so all my suggestions fit within this experience range.

They are all challenging, multi-day, go up to 4,900 meters above sea level (maximum) and some of them require you to be self-sufficient, meaning that you should be well-equipped.

Archa Tör Pass (3-5 days)

Absolutely stunning. It goes over a 3,800-meter mountain pass, from where you get clear views of Mount Karakol.

This trek belongs to the Tien Shan range, taking Karakol town as a base.

If you don’t have many days to spend in Kyrgyzstan, this is the one I strongly recommend.

It’s gorgeous, very challenging and, most important, not many people do it, so you’ll have these mountains just to yourself.

For more information, read my full review: Trekking in Karakol – Archa Tör Pass trek.

Trekking in Kyrgyzstan
Archa Tör Pass

Ala Kul Lake (3-5 days)

This is the most popular trek for anyone going to the Tien Shan mountains around Karakol.

Basically, the trek ends at an alpine lake called Ala Kul, located above 4,000 meters.

It’s also absolutely stunning but, if you only have time for one trek, I recommend Archa Tör because fewer people do it. By the way, if you wanted, you could do both treks at once, as the end of one is the beginning of the other.

Read the full review here: Trekking to Ala Kul

Photo from Dusty Backpacks

Kyzart to Song Kol (2-4 days)

An easy trek but very beautiful at the same time.

Most people come to Song Kul by car from Kochkor. However, I recommend getting there from Kyzart (located on the other side of the lake) on foot.

It’s a perfect hike for beginners, as there are plenty of nomad camps on the way and the only ascent is a not very challenging mountain pass.

Kyrgyzstan mountains
On our way to Song Kul

Lenin Peak Base Camp (2-4 days)

Standing more than 7,000 meters above sea level, Lenin Peak is one of the most iconic mountains in Kyrgyzstan. Climbing it requires quite a lot of experience but any person can reach the base camp.

However, if you are seeking more of a challenge, you can also trek to the advanced base camp (4,900 meters).

That’s what I did and it was a freaking real adventure, as the advanced base camp is located right at the bottom of a 2,300-meter ice wall, which is where you start climbing towards the peak.

Kyrgyzstan trekking
Lenin Peak advanced base camp

Tash Rabat to Chatyr Kol (2 days)

This trail is an ancient and very important Silk Road route.

Here you will find a pretty high mountain pass (4,000 meters) but, since the trail starts at 3,500 meters, it doesn’t look that high.

It’s a relatively easy trek but very beautiful as well. Just for a change, I decided to do it on a horse.

Read my full review: Horse riding along the ancient Silk Road route of Tash Rabat

Kyrgyzstan trek
Chatyr Kul trek

Ala Archa Ak-Sai Glacier

For those who don’t have a lot of time, yet want to do a tough trek in Kyrgyzstan, Ala Archa is a National Park just south of Bishkek that also offers pretty amazing landscapes.

The most popular is a trek to Ak-Sai Glacier, located at 3,350 meters above sea level.

If you leave from Bishkek early in the morning, you can easily finish it in 2 days, 3 maximum.

Ala Archa – Photo from my friends from Journal of Nomads

Kyol Ukyok Lake (2-3 days)

This easy trek follows a trail that leads to two dreamy, tiny lakes.

It’s located east of Song Kul and you start from Kochkor.

Normally, only people who have plenty of time tend to do this trek. It’s the perfect hike for beginners, as there’s a nomad camp at the lake.

Keskenkija Loop Trek in Jyrgalan

Jyrgalan is the new alternative to Karakol, a more off the beaten track place for trekking in Kyrgyzstan.

The mountains in Jyrgalan also belong to the Tien Shan range, so the landscape is pretty similar to that around Karakol and, if you want a good 3-4-day trek, the Keskenkija Loop trek is one of the most gorgeous.

The conditions and difficulty of the trek are very similar to the Archa Tör trek, meaning that they go over similar mountain passes, have the same duration and are equally stunning.

For more information, read: How to do the Keskenkija Loop trek

Jyrgalan – Photo from my friends from Journal of Nomads

Do you need a guide for hiking in Kyrgyzstan?

That’s a good question but, instead of wondering whether you need a guide or not, just ask yourself:

Do I have camping experience?
Do I know how to cook and use a camping stove?
Do I know how to follow a trail?
Do I have adequate camping equipment?

If you’ve never done any of the above, perhaps you should hire a guide for hiking in Kyrgyzstan.

Bear in mind that the mountains here are no joke, as the weather is highly unpredictable, nights are freezing and you’ll be hiking at very high altitudes.

Furthermore, here you won’t find the crowds that you may find in the mountains of Nepal but you might be trekking alone for days.

However, you don’t really need to be a professional at all.

Before trekking in Kyrgyzstan, I did some treks in Nepal, Ladakh, and Pakistan.

Not extreme hikes but just base camps and going over mountain passes.

I consider myself an intermediate-beginner.

I own a good tent and sleeping bag, know how to cook basic meals on a camping stove and can walk for hours.

I know that the amount of experience is very relative but, in the end, it will all depend on how confident you feel.

Tulpar Lake and Lenin peak at the background

Staying in nomadic camps

However, the good news is that the mountains in Kyrgyzstan are very accessible, plus there is also a very accessible nomadic life, visible everywhere, in the most unexpected places.

For just a couple of dollars, you can stay at their yurts, have a hearty soup and a filling breakfast.

A yurt camp in Song Kul

In treks such as Kyzyl Art to Song Kul or Kyol Ukyok Lake, you don’t even need to bring camping equipment because you can always stay in yurts.

In the other treks, you will find nomadic camps at the beginning of the hike, at the lower altitudes.

The further you go, the more you will have to depend on yourself alone.

Nomads Kyrgyzstan
A nomadic camp

Permits for hiking in the Kyrgyzstan mountains

Trekking in some areas close to the Chinese and Tajik borders may require a special permit.

These areas include Chatyr Lake, Lenin Peak, Kelsuu Lake and the most eastern part of the Tien Shan range.

Typically, it should be easy to obtain a permit but it may take a couple of days.

CBT (Community Based Tourism) got my permit for Chatyr Kul Lake and I am sure they can help you get other permits. Here’s their website.

For Lenin Peak, to be very honest, I didn’t get the required permit but nobody asked me for it.

Permit fees vary, depending on where you go. I paid $15 (non-urgent) for trekking to Chatyr Kul.

Just email CBT or go to any of their offices a week before you plan to go trekking.

Trekking in Kyrgyzstan
Trekking around Karakol

How much does trekking in Kyrgyzstan cost?

Except for the few areas where you actually need a border permit, hiking in Kyrgyzstan is free, as the mountains are always free, unlike Nepal or Patagonia where you need to always pay an entry fee.

Therefore, if you are trekking independently in Kyrgyzstan and have your own camping equipment, you will only have to pay for your food.

However, if you decide to hire a guide and rent some camping equipment, here are the costs:

(Note that these are the average costs) 

Camping equipment

Tent: 150-250SOM (2.15-3.60USD) per day
Sleeping bag: 100-200SOM (1.40-2.80USD) per day
Cooking stove: 100-200SOM (1.40-2.80USD) per day
Gas: 350SOM (5USD). It lasts for 4-5 days, approximately

Trekking Union Kyrgyzstan has very good deals when it comes to rental equipment.

Here you can check their pricing list.

Important: Please note that the quality of the trekking gear is not as good as back home. Tents and sleeping bags tend to be pretty heavy and bulky and the cooking stoves are low quality. I always recommend bringing camping equipment from home. More information below, in the packing list section. 

Local Guides and porters

Local English-speaking guide: 2500KGS (35USD) per day
Horse: 900KGS (13USD) per day
Porter: 1600KGS (23USD) per day
Cook: 2300KGS (33USD) per day

Nomad camps

Staying in a yurt costs around 10-12USD, including breakfast and dinner.

The way to Lenin Base Camp

Horse trekking in Kyrgyzstan

As you may know, Kyrgyzstan is the land of horses, a key element for the survival and development of the nomadic culture.

Kyrgyz people learn how to ride a horse from the moment they start to walk and it’s actually very shocking to see 3-year old kids riding those big horses so well.

Outside of the big cities, everybody rides horses and that’s why you can’t say you have fully experienced this Central Asian country until you do some horse trekking through some of the most beautiful mountains on Earth.

You can go horse trekking anywhere in Kyrgyzstan, for as many days you want.

Actually, we met a couple who did a 7-day horse trek around the Tien Shan mountains. That’s a lot of days on a horse!

However, after the second day, they were so tired of being on a horse that they actually walked and led the animals. Just take this into consideration before deciding to go on such a long trek.

For more practical information, read: Horse trekking in Tash Rabat

Kyrgyzstan hiking
Taking a break, somewhere near Chatyr Kul

More information and tips for hiking in Kyrgyzstan

Trekking companies

CBT (Community-based-tourism) I always recommend CBT, which is a very popular tour agency in Kyrgyzstan that can arrange any kind of trek and activity.

They have offices in each and every town and offer the most competitive prices in the country.

One of their biggest advantages versus other agencies is that, wherever you go, they will always provide you with locals guides from that specific area or region.

TUK (Trekking Union Kyrgyzstan) They are based in Bishkek and they offer plenty of tours all the weeks, with other trekkers usually, so they are the cheapest choice.

Pro-tip: Don’t book your trek in advance but wait until you actually arrive in Kyrgyzstan, as it will be much cheaper

Best season to go trekking in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a very seasonal destination. In winter, the whole country is covered in snow, which makes it practically impossible for trekking. The season lasts from mid-June to September.

The first trek I did was during the last week of June and, at high altitudes, it was still pretty cold and one day we even got heavy snow.

The unpredictable weather

Just to let you know: summer isn’t always sunshine, birds singing and happiness.

In Kyrgyzstan, the weather can go from a beautiful sunny day to a fierce storm in a matter of seconds.

In the Tien Shan range, from 3,000 meters upwards, the weather can get extremely cold, sometimes to freezing temperatures.

Even when we were there in July, occasionally, we found our bottles frozen in the morning. One day, it started to snow so hard that we passed from walking over a green plain to trekking in the snow.

By this, I don’t want to scare you but just say that you should be prepared. We had very good equipment with us, including a good tent, a warm sleeping bag and everything we actually needed.

Hiking kyrgyzstan
This was during the first week of July

River crossing

I hated this. In almost all the treks we did, we had to cross countless rivers. In the Archa Tör trek, we probably crossed 20 rivers, no kidding.

Some of them were easy, while for others we had to remove our shoes or even cross on a horse.

Just keep this in mind and bring sandals and waterproof hiking boots.

Take water from the small side rivers

You should never drink water from the main river, as animals drink, poo and pee in it, but just from the tributaries.

Use Maps.me

If you don’t have Maps.me me yet, just download it to your phone now. 

In case you don’t know what this is, maps.me is similar to Google Maps, with the main difference that it exclusively works offline and it shows trekking trails, including all trails I mentioned in the beginning.

It is free and extremely useful. It is the app I use the most.

Somewhere in the Tien Shan Mountains

The ultimate packing list for hiking in Kyrgyzstan (honest advice)

The following list contains, mainly, all my personal trekking gear, as well as a few extra recommendations.

Disclosure – The following Amazon links are affiliate links which means that, if you buy a product after clicking them, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These small earnings help me maintain and improve Against the Compass

1 – Best backpacks for trekking in Kyrgyzstan

Backpacks are important, both for traveling and trekking and, if you want to do both, you need a backpack with the following characteristics:

With all these features, my favorite brand is Osprey. They make very comfortable backpacks and have a lifetime guarantee.

Some trekkers claim that Deuter backpacks are great for trekking and long-term travel as well.

Which one do I personally use?

I personally bought an Osprey ATMOS AG 65  in 2018 and it’s the backpack I have used since then, both for trekking and backpacking. This backpack has a technology that makes you feel as if the bag is floating on your back, making it extremely comfortable.

Day backpacks

For shorter treks or even to wander around cities like Bishkek or Osh, I recommend you bring a day backpack that is big enough to carry snacks and stuff like that but, if you want to travel comfortably, buy a compressible one.

A Sea to Summit Day Pack with Ultra-Sil technology is the best choice.

Here you can check more backpacks for short treks.

2 – Best camping gear for hiking in the Kyrgyzstan mountains

Don’t forget to bring a good backpacking tent (lightweight)

As I said, the weather can be very unpredictable so, if you travel to Kyrgyzstan to go trekking, you should get a tent with the following characteristics:

Tents with those characteristics tend to be expensive but they are a very good investment.

Which one do I personally use?

I have had an MSR Freelite 2 since 2017.

I bought it on Amazon when I was backpacking in Pakistan and then my family shipped it to my Airbnb address in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, but it never arrived and looking for it at the different mail offices across Bishkek where nobody could speak English was a big adventure.

Anyways, the MSR Freelite 2 is a bit expensive, but we camped in the middle of a snowstorm and didn’t feel anything at all. Moreover, the whole tent weighs less than 1KG, so you will barely feel it in your backpack.

However, my model is relatively old, and the MSR Hubba Hubba seems like the latest model of mine.

If you want cheaper options, MSR has many different models:


Get a warm sleeping bag

Another very important element, perhaps even more than a tent.

At night, temperatures may reach below zero and you don’t want to freeze to death, right?

Furthermore, like with the tent, you don’t want to buy a 3-kilo bulky sleeping bag that takes half of your backpack.

Therefore, you should definitely get a sleeping bag with down insulation, as they are compressible, yet incredibly warm.

When we did the trek to Archa Tör, we got some snow at night, reaching around -5ºC. In the morning, our bottles of water were literally frozen and well, it was cold as f***.

For trekking in Kyrgyzstan, I recommend you get one in the mid-range budget and for that, Marmot Never Summer is ideal, quite warm (0ºC), and around 1.5kg.

Which one do I personally use?

I bought a Kelty Cosmic.

It is not the warmest sleeping bag ever but, it’s just enough for me, as it doesn’t weigh more than a kilo and, with a thermal t-shirt and pants, I was never cold and, at that price, you won’t find anything better.

A sleeping mat

Kyrgyzstan is home to lush, green meadows that are relatively comfortable to sleep on.

But it won’t be always like that.

Occasionally, we actually had to sleep on really hard surfaces and all I had was a shitty yoga mat that didn’t allow me to ever get a good sleep, so buying a good mat was my first investment after my trip to Central Asia.

Which one do I personally use?

I bought a Klymit Static V2 (in the photo), which has the following characteristics:

Mine is quite budget. There are other mats that also may keep you warmer, as they insulate you from the ground. A really good one is the Thermarest NeoAir, which besides keeping you extra warm, is also very lightweight and packable. 

Camping stove multi-fuel

If you go trekking by yourself, you’ll know that camping gas is a must.

There are two kinds of camping gas: one which works with a separate gas bottle and multi-fuel.

The multi-fuel has the great advantage that it can be re-filled with any type of gas, including gasoline, white gas, or diesel.

That’s why this one is the best because you don’t have to rely on finding and buying gas bottles. I strongly recommend MSR Camping gas Multi-Fuel.

3 – Electronics & gadgets you might need for trekking in Kyrgyzstan

A Steripen (Water purifier)

Amazing device.

In the mountains, you won’t have bottled water and, if you don’t want to get sick in your stomach, you should always sterilize your water.

Purifying water tablets work fine also but they taste horrible and, actually, they are not that cheap.

Steripen does the exact same thing with the added benefit that it doesn’t leave the horrible taste and it lasts forever. Best purchase ever.

backpack gift ideas

A portable mini-espresso maker

OK, I don’t have this but I saw a couple who had it and it was really an edge.

For a bit of extra luxury, being able to have a good espresso at 3,500 meters, while admiring the views after waking up, is priceless.

It allows you to have an espresso by just pressing with your hands. It works with ground coffee and it is not very expensive!

A solar power bank

You want a power bank to charge your devices but, if you want to go fully eco-friendly, I recommend you get a solar power bank, so you can charge things even while you are trekking.

A Kindle

At night, there’s nothing else to do besides reading a book and, if you don’t want to carry them in your backpack, just bring a Kindle.

Books on Central Asia

Central Asia is an unknown, complex region, and, in order to make the most out of your trip, I strongly recommend you get 1 or 2 books for your trip, which will also prove immensely useful when trekking in Kyrgyzstan.

For that, check the 28 best books on Central Asia.


Why not getting a drone?

Buying a drone was also one of the investments I did after my trip to Central Asia and seriously, it is awesome. With a drone in the mountains, you can get unique perspectives, much nicer than with a normal camera.

I bought a Mavic Pro, as it is very packable and the camera is of great quality.

You will be able to take shots like this one:

In Georgia

A CamelBak

To be honest, I don’t have one of these but, definitely, this is going to be my next trekking gear investment.

I am actually tired of having to drink from my bottle, as I always have to stop and take it out of my bag.

CamelBak has some really cool water bags which allow you to drink water without having to stop. This way you avoid dehydration and a potential headache.

More useful gadgets for hiking in Kyrgyzstan

4 – Proper clothing for trekking in the mountains of  Kyrgyzstan

A down jacket

You want a packable, warm jacket and for that, down jackets are the best, not only for trekking but also for backpacking.

There are obviously many brands out there and I personally use Haglöfs, a Swedish brand that has very good quality, warm jackets at a very good price, much cheaper than North Face and similar quality.

Get a Gore-Tex windbreaker

And not only to protect you from the wind, but also from the rain.

I have had the same North Face windbreaker since 2017.

More must-carry clothes

5 – Personal items for trekking in Kyrgyzstan

More information for visiting Kyrgyzstan

Don’t forget to check our travel guide to Kyrgyzstan.

As well as all our Kyrgyzstan articles:

trekking in Kyrgyzstan

49 comments

I want to ask where do you hire the guide and porter based on that cost? Ive searched all google and cannot find it. Link pls if you have.

Hi Caroline, there are many agencies where you can hire it, it all depends on where you want to go. You can find a CBT office in almost every town and they offer the cheapest rates. Just google CBT Kyrgyzstan and ask them for any additional information. Thanks

Hey, I’ll be visiting Kyrgyzstan in August and am hoping to do the Lenin Peak hike to the base camp. When do you think your full review will be up? Would be great to read it before and to have an idea of the rough route. Thanks!

Hey, thanks for the beautiful article! I am thinking about going to this country as well, but was wondering if you would recommend travelling through this country alone. Is it easy to hook up with other travellers who want to do the same hikes? Or are most trekkings doable alone? I consider myself as a beginner to intermediate hiker. Thanks in advance!

Hey Tomas, yes, it is perfectly doable. I did all the treks by myself and I am also an intermediate beginner. If you know how to use a camping gas and pitch a tent, you will be fine 😉 And yes, you can find travel mates easily. Kyrgyzstan is becoming very popular! moreover, if you are not sure about going to the mountains without a guide, there are many treks where you can find yurt camps along the way. Enjoy!

hi Joan, if we can chose only 2 multi days hikes ( 2 to 3 days each) which one would you recommend? which one are the prettiest landscape wise? and for those hikes are their yurts available?

Hi Joan,

you were writing about CBT and I am wondering – do you need to make reservations for horses and guides beforehand or can you just come to Kochor and arrange everything there for the next day? Thank you for all the information, your blog is perfect for my travel planing 🙂 Enjoy!

Hello, (your blog is really cool btw)
I am planning a trek in Kyrgyzstan next august and I don’t know if my sleeping bag is warm enough, I don’t really realize the temperature at night over there. I have a 5-10° sleeping bag, do you think I should invest in another one?
Thank you for your tips 🙂

Morgane, a soon to be nomad

Hi Morgane! I think there is a big difference from 5º to 10º, so you really should know what is the exact temperature. I have a 5º and, for most of the nights it was fine. However, there were a few nights were we had some snow and, camping at 4,000 meters, I was kind of freezing of course, but with both me thermal pants and t-shirt, it was not that bad. It will depend also on what treks you do and at how much altitude you stay!

Hi there,
Amazing article about treks in Kyrgyzstan. But tells little about the treks in Osh region, south of Kyrgyzstan. You can read about treks and horse riding tours near Osh region

Hey Joan, great blog.
So I want to combine the archa tor pass and the ala kul lake treks, how simple is this?
Furthermore I was wondering where to get a good trekking (physical) map for the area. I understand that maps.me is an option but i prefer a physical map ik can open during the trek aswell.

Thanks and kind regards,
Joren

Hi Joren, its simp,e. you just need a few more days. I don’t know where you can find a map but maybe you can ask the owner of Riverside guesthouse. He has plenty of maps about the area.

Hi Joan,

I’ve been looking to book few treks in Kyrgyzstan for June/July and contacted few local companies. The thing is that the prices they quote are way too high, too expensive, and in comparison to TUK Kyrgyzstan is still too expensive. I wonder if booking on arrival, a day in advance I will find better price? What’s your experience?

Thanks
Seher

Hey!

Thanks for such a useful set of recommendations! I’d consider myself the same level of hiking experience/confidence as you’ve described, so this is really helpful to gauge what to expect.

I was hoping to visit end of April/early May for 10 days or so, I want to spend at least 3-4 days on a long hike, I’m not sure whether it’s too early in the season, can you recommend hikes that are not As likely to be snow covered, I guess an indication of altitude perhaps? I’m wondering whether to delay my trip which I’d rather not do…

Also any advice on anything I should be aware of as part of a female pair hiking?! (Ideally without a guide).

Many thanks

I am planning three solo expeditions through the Chinese Tian Shan, Pamir, and Turkestan Ranges this upcoming summer, and am curious about the presence of bears throughout these mountain ranges. Throughout any of your treks have you encountered any bears, or taken any of the precautions that are standard to North American backpacking? I own a couple kevlar bear bags and am debating on whether or not I should bring them along. In your experience is protection of your food against bears (and rodents) necessary here? I’ve read that the Tian Shan brown bear, while sparse in population, tends to linger around treeline throughout the summer, in climates where bear hangs are not an available option. I am trying to travel as lightly as possible as I will already be burdened by a lot of gear which I don’t typically carry while backpacking, mostly items which I will need through the front-country portions of my trip.

Thanks, Ian

Hi Ian! To be honest, I don’t really know about this topic, so I would just be giving bad assumptions. All I can say is that in the treks I did, nobody ever mentioned anything about bears. Perhaps, if you get deeper into the mountains, then it will be a different story.

Besides I was pondering where to get a decent trekking (physical) map for the zone. I comprehend that maps.me is an alternative however I incline toward a physical guide ik can open amid the trek aswell.

You can also buy good maps from the kyrgyzstan trekking union in Bishkek. Their maps are at 1:100 000. Bigger hostels and CBT offices will also probably sell them. Note they are normally out trekking on weekends so be sure to pop in during the week!

Hi Joan! It’s Nicky, we met in Morocco in Essaouiera at the Green Milk Hostel at first and later on with my friend Lea also in Ouerzerzate. You told me to go Kyrgyzstan, well, I will! On Friday I leave with my boyfriend to go hiking, free camping and horse trekking, super excited! I got a question, is it easy to find clean water on hikes? We won’t go with guides. And, about food. Is it possible to buy freeze dried food there? We will fly to Almaty (don’t know if you’ve been there?) Got any tips what to do with food on a five day trek? Thank you so much. You inspired me to take this trip! Waaa excited! Lovely greetings, Nicky

Hey Nicky, good to hear from you! Good to know that you’re going to Kyrgyzstan.
About the water, the clean water comes from the little side rivers that flow into the main river. There are loads of them along the way. Don’t drink from the main river. Still, bring purifying tablets with you or the Steripen.
About the food, the only place where I found the food you are talking about was in Riverside Guest House, in Karakol. The owner is actually Dutch and he sells different kinds of dried food, like risottos and stuff like that. I hope he still sells them. Perhaps you can email him and ask. Just make a booking and then you’ll be able to write him.
Then, about the food for 5 days, we bought instant noodles, oats, bread, tuna, sausages, and some instant buckwheat they were selling in the supermarket.
Let me know if you need anything else. I wish you a great trip!

Hi Joan, In your multi day trips ( 3 to5) how were you charging your phone and camera? i mena power bank wont charge slr camera ? even for phone how many power bank we have to take for such treks..please let us know

Hi Joan, thanks for your quick reply…i have one more question. we do not want to carry tents in ala kul trek but we understand there are some yurts for one night and some sheds for anoher night..any idea if we can reserve it in advance? if not, what if its all already booked by travel agents..any idea how it works?

Hi Joan,

Thanks for your detailed article. And i’m planning to go 1st week of August. Just want to check with you, is it safe for woman to travel alone and eventually join few group/s once i reach Kyrgyzstan? And can you suggest the best trekking for 5 days only.
Thanks.

Hi Sheryl, I would say it is safe, but I suggest you ask women who have actually been there.
The trekking that goes over Archa Tor and Ala Kul is really epic and easily accessible from Bishkek

Hi Sheryl,
Yes very safe. They just want your money 🙂
Highly recommend son kul lake horse trek. Book via apple hostel in bishkek. Othereise if you book via CBT in kochkor is very expensive, nearly double.

Hi Joan,

What an excellent guide! I’m wondering if you could be more specific about how to combine the Archa Tor and Ala-kul treks? We will be in Kyrgyzstan the last week of August and potentially have 7-8 days to trek. Song-kul also looks amazing. Would you recommend picking between Archa-Tor and Ala-kul and then head to Song-kul? Also, how should we go about hiring guides, i.e. in advance through CBT or other agency, or wait until we get to Bishkek?
Thanks so much!

Hi Katie,
My responses:
– I never combined those 2 treks, but they do merge near Jeti Oguz – I bumped into 2 trekkers shortly before they left the main trail to Archa Tör
– You mean choosing between Archa Tor + Ala Kul and Song Kul? Well, definitely Aracha Tor + Song Kul – Much more wonderful trekking experience. Song Kul is pretty, but it is not a chllenging trek
– I would wait until I reach Bishkek or Karakol

Thank you so much! Would you also recommend waiting until we get to Bishkek/Karakol to book yurt stays along the trails? We would not be bringing any camping gear, so would very much rely on renting equipment + guide when we get there. I’m a bit anxious about not booking anything until we arrive (other than city accommodation).

Hey Joan do you have any recommendations for guides in Kyrgyzstan, someone that can help with arranging hikes and camping out of bishkek to close by mountains which can be finished in 2 days, thanks in advance.

Hi! Great guide. I want to plan a trip here this summer, but I will probably be doing it solo. It appears I would require a guide for the treks as I’m not an expert navigator. I’m most likely doing this trip solo… will that cost more for the guide? Or is it easy to find a small group of travelers to lighten the cost? Any other tips for solo traveling through Kyrgyzstan? Thanks!

Hi there,
I am thinking of going to Kyrgyzstan in July or August to hike the Ak Suu Transverse. Would like to ask if it is necessary to book treks in advance or can I do it once I reach the starting point of the trek (in this case Jyrgalan)?

Thank you.

Buenas Joan, Estoy pensando en ir a Kyrgyzstan segunda mitad de Junio y la verdad pensaba alquilar allí el saco de dormir y la tienda, de TUK en particular. Pero las temperaturas que mencionas dan miedito…
mi pregunta es : me puedo fiar de la calidad del hiking gear de estos lugares para alquilar? ( en relación a que la temperatura indicada en el saco sea correcta y/o si pesa mil kilos etc. )
Muchas gracias !!!!

Buenas Isma, la calidad en cuanto a lo que abrigue será buena, pero será pesada, sin lugar a duda. Si únicamente planeas hacer un trekking de pocos días, y vas ligero de equipaje, quizás te convenga alquilarlo, pero no sé, depende de muchas cosas!

Hi!
I’m going to Kirgistan and want to get of the beaten track, so I was wondering if u would advise a gas-cooker (Gaskocher in German) to cook for yourself or would you say it’s not necessary? I wanted to travel around the mountains and I’m pretty sure that I will try and get guided tours with food included, so I’m talking specifically about the time when you hitchhike or maybe try to get a nice quiet place for the night a little bit away from civilisation.
Thank you very much for your blog!!! They make me want to dive deeper into the county and the culture and travel waaaaay more countries!!! Big fan

Hi Moritz, thanks for your comment!
It’s completely up to you. It’s not strictly necessary but having a proper warm meal for dinner, or waking up with a hot coffee is definitely an edge when you are in the mountains.

Hi Joan! Thank you for you great tips.
My question is the following: is it possible to go trekking in the Karakul region in October, or is it already freezing cold and covered with snow?
Thank you in advance,
Gabriel

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