“Get acquainted with Kyrgyz's nomadic culture”
(No availability) 15 Day Taste of Wilderness and Freedom Tour Horse Riding Holiday from Osh to Bishkek
Hotel Sunrise Osh, 25 Masalieva Street, Osh 723500, Kyrgyzstan
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Kyrgyzstan Horseback Riding Holiday
The Kyrgyz Republic is a country that was populated by different Kyrgyz tribes, nomads from ancient times. The caravans came through the chain of the Tian-Shan mountain gorges where people created new family relationships and exchanged cultures and traditions. Now, you have an opportunity to go along one of the ancient roads, to enjoy the wild nature of the mountains, to feel the warmth and hospitality of local people. But the main thing is you can feel that you are a real nomad!
Key Information
- Rider Weight Limit: 216 pounds / 98 kilograms
- Tack Type: Nomad Saddle, Cavalry Saddle
- Horse Breed: Kyrgyz Horse
Highlights
- 7 horse riding days and daily tours
- Approximate daily riding time: 2 to 6 hours
- Get the opportunity to stay with Kyrgyz families
- Ride the strong and powerful Kyrgyz horses used to cross high mountain passes
- An opportunity to get acquainted with the nomadic culture of the country
- Spend nights in tents in the wild celestial mountains and a nomadic dwelling yurt
- 3 daily meals during the tour will be provided
- 14 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Styles
14 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: German
Group size: Maximum of 8 participants
Airport transfer included:
Manas International Airport
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
14:00
Check-out Time:
12:00
You will stay at various accommodations as outlined in the itinerary (hotels in cities, yurt or family-run accommodations during the horse trek).
Program
Day 1: Osh (15-minute drive from the airport)
Arrive in Osh via Aeroflot and transfer to the hotel Sun Rise. Have a city tour of Osh including the four-peaked sacred Suleiman Mountain in the center of the city, on the southern slope of which there is an ancient Iron Age settlement with stone inscriptions and marking sand caves containing a history museum, and a visit to Osh Bazaar, one of the largest in Central Asia. Stay overnight stay in a hotel.
- Accommodation: Sun Rise Hotel – a 3-star hotel. Shower and toilet in each room.
- Altitudes above sea level during the day; -600 m in Osh
Day 2: Osh - Ak Terek Village (110 kilometers, 2 to 3 hours of driving)
Transfer from Osh to the village of Ak-Terek (110 kilometers distance, 1900 meters above sea level). Visit the town of Uzgen on the way. Rest and get organized for your trek. Accommodation will be in a family-run accommodation.
- Accommodation: Accommodation in a family-run accommodation – twin rooms with shared shower and toilet, 4-5 people will be accommodated in 1 house
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 600 meters in Osh | End of the day: 1900 meters in Ak Terek village
Day 3: Ak Terek Village - Kara Shoro National Park (50 kilometers, 2 hours of driving, 2 to 3 hours of riding)
Transfer to the Kara Shoro National Park (50 kilometers). Upon arrival, have lunch and the horseback riding begins from the national park and takes you up onto the Aga-Tan jailoo (Jailoo - mountain summer pasture) for three to four hours. Visit the Kara Shoro mineral spring on the way. Stay overnight in tents.
Accommodation: Tents. During the trek the accommodation in the twin tents, there will be also a dining tent for meals – for breakfast and dinners, the lunch will be provided as lunchboxes
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 1900 meters in Ak Terek village | End of the day: 2650 meters in the tent camp
Day 4: Horse riding (5-6 hours of riding)
Horseback riding northwards through the Naryn region (five to six hours). From the Aga-Tan jailoo, the road goes over the small Shilbiluu Pass (3800 meters). This region is very rich in wildlife, especially eagles, vultures, falcons, ibex, Marco Polo sheep, and marmots. Stay overnight in tents on the Echki-Tal jailoo (3100 m).
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 2650 meters in Kara Shoro | End of the day: 3100 in Echki-Tal jailoo
Day 5: Horse riding (5-6 hours of riding)
Horseback riding from Echki-Tal to the Kuljauyk jailoo (five to six hours). Rocks that give you a feeling as if you are a real highlander are everywhere around you. Stay overnight in tents (2600 m).
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 3280 meters in Echki-Tal jailoo | End of the day: 2600 meters in Jujaik jailoo
Day 6 to 7: Horse riding (5 to 6 hours of riding each day)
Two days of horseback riding from Kuljauyk along with the River Arpa (55 kilometers). The road goes close to high mountains with glaciers. You can see ibex and Marco Polo sheep on the way. Stay overnight in tents (2700 m).
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 2600 meters in Jujaik jailoo | End of the day: 2700 meters in Arpa Valley
Day 8: Horse riding (4 to 5 hours of riding) - Tash Rabat (about 18 kilometers)
Full-day horseback ride to the historical place Tash Rabat (four to five hours). Visit a historic resting place on the Great Silk Road, the Tash Rabat Caravan - Sarai (12th century). Dinner and overnight in the yurt camp in Tashrabat.
- Accommodation: Accommodation in the yurt camp, 4-5 people accommodation in the yurt. The shared facilities outside.
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 2700 meters Arpa Valley | End of the day: 3500 meters in Tash Rabat
Day 9: Tash Rabat - Naryn (135 kilometers, 2 hours of driving)
After breakfast, have free time in Tash Rabat. After lunch, transfer to Naryn (135 kilometers); the road goes along the At Bashy Valley over the Kyzyl Bel pass. Upon arrival, rest, and have dinner. Stay in a family-run accommodation.
- Accommodation: Accommodation in the family-run accommodation – twin rooms with shared shower and toilet, 4-5 people will be accommodated in one house.
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 3500 meters in Tash Rabat | End of the day: 1800 meters in Naryn
Day 10: Naryn - Song Kul Lake (180 kilometers, 3 to 4 hours of driving)
Have breakfast then transfer to Lake Song-Kul (180 kilometers). The road goes through Moldo-Ashuu Pass (3300 meters). Local people live and graze their livestock on the meadows (jailoo) around the lake from July until September. You will taste the wilderness and freedom of nomadic life here.
Have lunch on the way. Afterward, you will have time to enjoy the amazing scenery of this place: edelweiss carpet, beautiful mountains, and a lake. There are a lot of shepherds with their sheep and horses who come with their families to jailoos for summertime. You will have a chance to visit one of the shepherd’s families where you will be accepted as an honored guest. Accommodation and dinner in the yurt camp.
- Accommodation: Yurt. People sleep by 4-5 in a yurt. In the yurts, there are beds and personal linens. There are sleeping yurts and a separate dining yurt. There are toilets and showers outside (not in the yurt), but they are good.
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 1800 meters in Naryn | Highest point: 3300 meters on pass | End of the day: 3030 meters in Song-Kul
Day 11: Song Kul Lake (free day)
Have breakfast, then enjoy your free day in Song-Kul. Walk around of yurt camp or ride a horse. If you like, you can swim in the lake or visit a fisherman. Accommodation and dinner in the yurt camp.
- Altitudes above sea level during the days; - 3030m in the yurt camp
Day 12: Song Kul Lake - Kochkor (130 kilometers, about 3 to 4 hours of driving on the mountain road)
Have breakfast and transfer to Kochkor village after breakfast (130 kilometers). You will test traditional Kyrgyz food; visit the felt carpet workshop where you cannot only buy souvenirs but also produce them yourself. Dinner and accommodation in the guesthouse in Kochkor.
- Accommodation: Kochkor guesthouse – twin rooms with private shower and toilet
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 3030 meters in the yurt camp | End of the day: 1770 meters in Kochkor
Day 13: Kochkor - Bishkek (250 kilometers, about 4 to 5 hours of driving)
Have breakfast and transfer to Bishkek (250 kilometers). On the way, visit the historical place and ancient town on the Silk Road “Balasagun” (11th century). Have dinner in the restaurant. Accommodation in the Asia Mountains.
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - Start point: 1770 meters in Kochkor | End of the day: 800 meters in Bishkek)
Day 14: Bishkek
Have breakfast then a city tour in Bishkek. Have a visit to Osh Bazaar, Central Ala-Too Square, the Historical Museum, and Oak Park. There will be a farewell dinner in the restaurant. Accommodation in the Asia Mountains.
- Altitudes above sea level during the day - 800 meters in Bishkek
Day 15: Airport (40 kilometers, about 40 to 50 minutes of driving)
Transfer to the airport early in the morning then fly home.
Level of difficulty
This type of horseback riding is of average difficulty. You should be ready to go to an altitude of more than 2500 meters above sea level. An average level of fitness is required.
Location
Kyrgyzstan, a magical place with shades of Shangri-la or The Lost World. Maybe those masters of prose who wrote such masterpieces had visited or heard of this legendary mountain kingdom. Unlike its Himalayan or South American counterparts of literary fame, Kyrgyzstan, or The Kyrgyz Republic to give it its official title, is real but its beauty and untamed wildness are the stuff of oral legends.
It is said that everything in life can be found in Kyrgyzstan, both physically and geographically. There are flat steppes, arid deserts, green, rolling foothills, plunging ravines with turbulent, frothing rivers, waterfalls cascading from the sides of sheer mountain faces, wondrous nut, and fir forests full of some of the most beautiful - and endangered - species in the world, endless grass-covered high mountain pastures, alpine meadows that make Switzerland's meadows look like small well-tended parks, and staggeringly beautiful snow-covered mountain peaks sitting atop some of the most difficult - and rewarding - climbs in the mountaineering world.
This is a land where vultures and eagles soar. Seeing is believing and the only way you can ever experience the true delights of this small, secluded mountainous country - by Asian standards - is to visit it. Words alone cannot do justice to the variety of sights and sounds - and truly awesome silences - that await you.
Location
Kyrgyzstan lies at the very heart of Central Asia, surrounded by the mighty expanses of China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. It covers an area of 198,500 square kilometers and its longest borders run 925 kilometers from west to east and 454 kilometers from north to south. The topography and geography of the country lend itself to a North-South divide, with the main concentrations of population/business in the north and south with an almost uninhabited interior.
Time
- GMT +6: It does not operate Daylight Saving Time
- Almaty Kazakhstan Kyrgyz time: Same time
- Tashkent Uzbekistan Kyrgyz time: -1 hour
- Beijing China Kyrgyz time: +2 hours
- Moscow Russia Kyrgyz time: +3 hours
Climate
The mountainous terrain and distance from the sea and desert outskirts give Kyrgyzstan what can only be described as a harsh continental climate, with big changes in temperature occurring over short periods of time. The wettest place is the west slope of the Ferghana Range with 1,000 millimeters, whilst the driest is Balykchy on the western tip of Issyk-Kul Lake with 100 millimeters of precipitation.
The average temperature throughout the country in January varies between -4 degrees Celsius to -14 degrees Celsius and in July between 12 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius and there is an average of 247 days of sunshine a year.
Landscapes
The fact that 94% of Kyrgyzstan is covered by mountains produces great variations in the geographical and topographical appearance of the country. The lowest valley floor is itself 500 meters above sea level and the highest peaks soar to more than 7,000 meters above sea level in the mighty Tien Shan Range.
These mighty peaks are world-renowned and are part of the exclusive list of 7,000-meter plus peaks of the world; Pobeda Peak (Victory Peak) - 7,439 meters, Lenin Peak - 7,134 meters, and the legendary Khan-Tengry - 7010 meters, the white/pink marble pyramid held sacred by Kyrgyz through the ages.
Mountain lakes abound and arguably one of the most beautiful series of lakes anywhere in the world can be found at Sary Chelek in a national park, to see this is to behold the true beauty of nature. The "Pearl of the Heavenly Mountains" - or Issyk-Kul Lake - is the second-largest high mountain lake in the world, second only to Lake Titicaca in size and is so big it has its own unique biosphere. Although forests cover only a small area of Kyrgyzstan, the truly unique indigenous walnut tree forests of Arslan-bob are warranted for a visit on their own.
Flora and fauna
The flora and fauna here are both unique and plentiful, ranging from exquisite semi-tropical tulips to stunningly beautiful alpine edelweiss - yes, Kyrgyzstan isn't known as the "Switzerland of Asia" for nothing, and the vitamin content of herbs here isn't bettered by a single country in the world, not even Georgia, whose herbs are much loved by Western medical and perfume companies. There is even a uniquely fir tree - the Tien Shan Spruce.
The number and range of birds of prey have to be seen to be believed and travelers to the more remote parts of the country will be amazed at how close they can get to these animals if they are careful. Although they should probably be counted as domestic animals, it should be noted that camels and yaks are also to be found in the higher areas and plans are afoot to dramatically increase the breeding of yaks.
To do full justice to the wonderful range of flora and fauna would take far more space than is available here - so, again, please come and see for yourself - you will not be disappointed!
Food
Three daily meals are included in the package.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
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
Things to do (optional)
Shopping
The retail market, especially in Bishkek, continues to develop apace and there are now several modern shopping complexes and supermarkets and lots of individual specialist boutiques selling mainly imported food, clothes, footwear, electronic goods, etc. For lovers of the exotic, the bazaars are open seven days a week.
There are also several bazaars selling literally everything and the Dordoi Bazaar on the northern outskirts of the city is in fact the largest market in Central Asia. Buyers come from all over, including Russia, arrive here to purchase goods for wholesale in their own countries. If you have money, it is possible to buy virtually anything you could wish for here.
Aside from ordinary shops, there are a host of specialist stores in Bishkek where you can buy anything you may need, including specialized trekking equipment and clothes.
There are lots of pharmacies in the towns and western drugs and medicines are quite freely available but if you need special prescriptions you would be well advised to bring an adequate supply with you. Opticians are everywhere and offer very good services at very good prices compared to Europe/USA.
In specialized food shops in large cities, you can buy virtually all your favorite food and drinks. The majority of shops are open from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. and some are open 24 hours a day. Supermarkets work from 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. You are advised to go shopping and to the markets with Kyrgyz som (KGS) only and no other currencies.
What's included
- Transport for transfers and excursions
- 14 nights accommodation (double room accommodation in hotels and guesthouses, family-run accommodation in other places)
- Three-time meals during the tour
- English-speaking tour guide
- Double tents, mats, and kitchen equipment for the trek
- Staff for trek (local guide, stableman, cook)
- Horses for riding
- Horses for luggage
- Permission to the border zone
- Entry fees to museums
What's not included
- Alcohol and soft drinks
- International airfare
- Tipping for the porter service at the airport and hotels
How to get there
Recommended Airports
FRU
Manas International Airport
312 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 20% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
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