1 person currently interested
7 Day Discover Nomadic Yurts Horse Riding Tour in Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Summer Horse Riding Tour Kyrgyzstan
This listing has one of the 10 most popular offers available in in Kyrgyzstan
Travel back in time to Son-Kul Lake! Exploring Son Kul by horse is an unforgettable experience. Besides the stunning landscapes, this area preserves all the attributes of nomadic life, which is what makes this trip fascinating.
Key Information
- Rider Weight Limit: No limit
- Horse Height Range: 15.2 - 16.2 hands
- Horse Breed: Kyrgyz horse
Highlights
- 3 days of horse riding
- Ride through the rich flora of the Tien Shan mountain pastures
- Adventure tour and hike in the mountains for up to 4 hours
- Magnificent endless horizons of the Son Kul Lake
- Semi-nomadic traditions of local herders
- 6 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
Skill level
- Intermediate
Styles
3 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Kyrgyz
Group size: 4-15 participants
Airport transfer included:
Manas International Airport
Accommodation
The hotels may change depending on availability. In the case of providing another hotel, the category will be similar. Be ready that yurt camps at Song Kul Lake (Tulpar Tash and Tuz Ashuu) have basic facilities with no showers at all. Accommodation in Kyzart village homestay - shared shower and toilets.
- Bishkek: B Hotel / Bridges (three stars) or similar (three nights)
- Kyzart: Homestay (two persons in one room), one night
- Tuz Ashuu: Yurt camp (four to six persons in one yurt), one night
- Tulpar Tash: Yurt camp (four to six persons in one yurt), one night
- Tuulga Tash: Yurt camp (two persons in one yurt), one night
Yurt
Yurt is a traditional dwelling of the nomadic people of Central Asia. The foundation of the yurt consists of a wooden carcass and several felt layers. The construction of such a dwelling does not require a lot of time, which makes it practical and useful for locals. The interior of a yurt is decorated with felt carpets and traditional embroidery.
Program
Day 1: Bishkek City (30 kilometers / 45 minutes)
Arrive in Bishkek early in the morning. Upon arrival at the International Airport of Manas (FRU), you will be met by the tourist guide at the arrival gates. Transfer to Bishkek city. Early check-in is not included. Visit Manas Monument, the main national hero of the Kyrgyz people.
Have a walking tour around the main Ala Too Square to watch the ceremony of changing of the Guard of Honor, Kurmanzhan Datka Monument, and main governmental buildings, and finish at the Old Square with Government House. Transfer to Victory Square to finish the city tour and by short excursion there. Visit of Osh market (closed on Monday). Return to the hotel. Dinner is not included.
Day 2: Bishkek City - Burana Tower - Kyzart Village (280 kilometers / 6 - 7 hours)
Drive to the village of Kyzart. On the way visit Burana Tower (old minaret) near Tokmok town. That minaret was constructed in Balasagyn town; one of the capitals of Karakhanid State existed in 11-12 centuries AD. Explore the ruins of that important trading point at the Great Silk Road and visit a little local museum telling about that civilization. Also watch a collection of Balbals, Turkic ancient tombs. Upon arrival, you will be accommodated in the house of local people. You can have a walk in this typical Kyrgyz village. Instructions and preparation for horse riding. Dinner and overnight at the local homestay.
Day 3: Kyzart Village - Chaar Archa Pasture - Tuz Ashuu Pasture (16 kilometers on horseback / Approximately 4-5 hours)
Today, after breakfast transfer by vehicle to the bridge (14 kilometers) starting point of horse riding to Tuz Ashuu pasture. During the horse riding, discover magnificent views of the pastures of Chaar Archa. Picnic lunch with lunch boxes. Take the height and arrive at Tuz Ashuu pass (3228 meters). Stop there and enjoy beautiful Son Kul Lake.
Descent to the pastures of Tuz Ashuu (3050 meters), crossing on the passages several herds of cattle and sheep with their shepherds. Upon arrival, meet with the family of shepherds who welcome you for dinner in the yurt camp (four to six people in a yurt). Distance by car from the village to the starting point is 14 kilometers.
- Horse riding distance: 16 kilometers, including 1,100 meters uphill and 200 meters downhill
Day 4: Tuz Ashuu Pasture - Tulpar Tash Pastur (14 kilometers on horseback / Approximately 3-4 hours)
After breakfast, take the west direction of the lake and horse ride along the shore of the lake. Small climbs and descents (maximum of 100 meters) await you before arriving at Tulpar Tash yurt camp. Lunch in a yurt camp. The shore of the lake is beautiful with herds of horses, cows, sheep, and goats. Possibility to go to the shepherds and taste fermented mare's milk, karat-cheese balls, and simply tea with cow's milk. Dinner and overnight at yurt camp (four to six people in a yurt).
- Horse riding distance: 14 kilometers, including 100 meters uphill and 100 meters downhill
Day 5: Tulpar Tash Pasture - Kambar Ata Pasture - Tuulga Tash Pasture (18 kilometers on horseback / Approximately 5 hours)
This day, walk for 18 kilometers, the landscape is beautiful with the yurts of shepherds. Although, there are no trees or even bushes around the Lake, the altitude and climatic variations allow watching an exceptional flora and fauna. Lunch at Kambar Ata Yurt Camp. Fields of edelweiss and forget-me-nots will be present during the hike.
Possibility to observe different species of birds, such as ducks, cranes, storks, mergansers, coots, plovers, golden eagles, cormorants, and thousands of seagulls. Сontinue horse riding till Tuulga Tash pasture. Dinner and overnight at a yurt camp (2 persons in a yurt).
- Horse riding distance: 18 kilometers, including 0 meters uphill and 0 meters downhill
Day 6: Tuulga Tash - Bishkek (350 kilometers / 6-7 hours)
After breakfast, take another beautiful drive to Bishkek city. You'll leave Song Kul Lake and will take the road in the morning through one of the most spectacular areas of Tien Shan, Kalmak Ashu Pass (3446 meters), towards Bishkek city. Lunch is en route. Arrival in Bishkek, check-in. If time permits, you may go shopping in the largest department store in the city, ZUM.
Optionally (for a supplement) enjoy a folklore show at a local restaurant. Especially for you musicians, they will play the national melodies of the Kyrgyz people and show you musical instruments. You will listen to singing and enjoy the charming melodies of ancestors. The folklore show is possible if the whole group participates.
Day 7: Bishkek City - Manas Airport (FRU) (30 kilometers / 45 minutes)
Have breakfast then a morning transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home. End of tour.
Responsibilities of clients
Clients should accept and be aware of the risk that circumstances may arise that would cause some activities to be shortened or even canceled without reimbursement or refund. Such circumstances include weather conditions, earthquakes, and other acts of nature, as well as injuries or other medical problems clients may experience. Each participant should organize medical insurance in his or her home country. You will spend the nights at the yurt camps of local semi-nomads.
Visiting a new country offers the opportunity to meet other cultures with different mentalities, therefore it is important to accept these differences and respect the local way of life. Please take your rubbish home with you. There are no recycling facilities in Kyrgyzstan, so take your used batteries, aerosols, etc back home and dispose of them appropriately. Try to leave excess packaging material at home before traveling.
Trip information
You will meet Kyrgyz nomads who will happily invite you to their yurts and offer you tea or traditional dairy products. By sleeping in yurts, traveling by horse, and eating traditional food, you will feel like a real nomad. You need to be a capable rider who is used to riding outdoors and fit enough for some long hours in the saddle. You are riding in a very remote location across rugged terrain and there is no option to miss a day if you get tired.
There are some difficulties on the route, tourists should have an average level of fitness for horse riding, and take into account that sometimes they have long transfers up to four hours by mountain roads and more than four hours of horse riding (one day only). You will be asked to groom, tack, and untack your own horse although help is on hand. You may also assist with feeding and watering the horses if you wish.
The ride is not fast because of the altitude and steep terrain, but the flat plateaus and valley bottoms are conducive to some long canters - although some sections that look inviting may have too many marmot burrows and your guide will assess the conditions on the day. You need to be fit and in good physical condition. You will be riding at an altitude between 2,200 and 3,200 meters. There are some sections where you will need to dismount and lead your horse downhill.
Please check with them if you have any medical conditions as you will be a long way from medical help. Previous experience of riding a trail of several days is a definite advantage but is not required. Riders who do not ride regularly are requested to get riding fit prior to the start of their holiday. Your luggage will be transported by horses during the trip. Some horseback riding days can be modified for security and / or weather reasons.
During trekking, lunches are at yurt camps of local semi-nomads. It may be that you will have to wait for the preparation of dinner since there is no connection there. Transfer times are given approximately by average speed. They depend on climate and road conditions. Horseback time is given approximately by average speed. Depending on the level of the physical conditions of all participants, the weather and / or the state of the terrain, horseback trekking time can vary.
Kyrgyz horse
The Kyrgyz horse or Kirgiz horse is a traditional breed of small horse from the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan). Kyrgyz people associate it with their nomadic past. During the Soviet era of Kyrgyz history, the Kyrgyz horse was cross-bred with imported foreign breeds, including Don and Thoroughbred strains, to create a new and larger breed, the Novokirgiz or New Kirgiz.
Included excursions
- Visiting Ala Archa National Park
- Hiking to the Ak-Sai waterfall
- Sightseeing tour of Bishkek
- Going to ZUM (Central department store) to buy souvenirs
- Trekking in the canyons of Konorchek
- Hiking to Tuz Achuu pasture
- Visiting Osh Bazaar, the biggest open-air market in the city
Location
Kyrgyzstan is amazing and unique in its beautiful country. This small oasis in the heart of Central Asia impresses with its huge variety of landscapes and the unique Son Kul Lake plays a considerable role. Only in Kyrgyzstan during the summer period, you will see yurts - nomadic portable dwellings, decorated with felt carpets. Meet nomads, who will welcome you and invite you to their yurt to try the traditional Kyrgyz drink, kymyz.
Food
Included in the package are the meals as per the itinerary (six breakfasts, three lunches, and four dinners). Food in Kyrgyzstan is strictly connected with the country’s nomadic traditions and is influenced by food from Russia, Turkey, the Middle East, and other Central Asian countries. The staples of the Kyrgyz diet and the diets of most of the traditionally nomadic people in Central Asia are boiled mutton, flat, crusty round bread, rice, and tea mixed with sheep or horse milk.
Kyrgyz are very fond of horsemeat. Sour cream, yogurt, and sausage are used to flavor dishes. Kyrgyz likes soupy food. The sort of food that is eaten in the form of pasta by Russians is eaten as a soup by Kyrgyz. Please take your flasks for the trip. During the trekking part, Ak Sai Travel provides boiled water for all participants. Ak Sai Travel wishes to limit the use of plastic bottles. Also, they recommend that you take a one-and-a-half-liter water flask.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- Horse riding tour
- 6 nights accommodation
- 6 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 4 dinners
- 1 liter of drinking water per person per day
- Local English-speaking guide (for days 1 to 6)
- Entrance and ecological fees according to the program
- Transport services during the tour
- Rent of horses for riding, horseman services, and his assistant(s) on days 3, 4, and 5
- Horses for portering on days 3, 4, and 5
What's not included
- Folklore show
- Personal expenses
- Tips for driver and guide
- International and domestic flights
- Alcohol and soft drinks
- Other meals
How to get there
Recommended Airports
FRU
Manas International Airport
22 km
Transfer included
Airport: Manas International Airport
Airport transfer included: Manas International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.
71578
Similar Horse Riding Holidays you might like
Why choose BookHorseRidingHolidays.com
Largest Selection
Friendly Customer Service
Offers for every budget
Best Price