A few years ago, most people would have struggled to find Kyrgyzstan on a map. Now it’s on every adventurous traveller’s list, and it’s easy to see why. Most of the country is mountains (the Tien Shan, the “Celestial Mountains”), the summer pastures are dotted with the white yurts of herding families, the horses outnumber the cars, and you can fall asleep under more stars than you knew existed, after a dinner of fresh bread, kymyz (fermented mare’s milk, an acquired taste) and a great deal of tea. It’s also visa-free for UK visitors and wonderful value.
This guide compares our Kyrgyzstan tours, from walking holidays and a proper Tien Shan trek to Silk Road journeys that continue into Uzbekistan, with who each suits and its honest drawback.
The quick answer
- For walking and two nights at Son-Kul, pick the Kyrgyzstan Walking Explorer.
- For hot springs and eagle hunters, pick Walking in Kyrgyzstan.
- For a proper trek with camping, pick Trekking the Tien Shan Trails.
- For Kyrgyzstan plus the Silk Road cities, pick Song Kul to Samarkand or the Central Asia Explorer.
- For comfort, pick Luxury Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan.
Every Kyrgyzstan tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walking and trekking | ||||||
| Kyrgyzstan Walking Explorer: Ala-Archa, Issyk-Kul & Son-Kul – 10 Days | 10 | £1,975 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Walking, with Son-Kul |
| Walking in Kyrgyzstan: Ala Archa, Issyk Kul & Karakol – 9 Days | 9 | £1,225 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Walking, hot springs and eagles |
| Kyrgyzstan: Trekking the Tien Shan Trails – 10 Days | 10 | £1,995 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Camping trek in the Tien Shan |
| Kyrgyzstan and the Silk Road | ||||||
| Kyrgyzstan’s Silk Road Journey to Tashkent – 14 Days | 14 | £2,425 pp | Medium | Max 18 | No | Mountains to Tashkent |
| Silk Road of Kyrgyzstan & Uzbekistan: Song Kul to Samarkand – 23 Days | 23 | £4,005 pp | Medium | Max 18 | No | Song Kul to Samarkand |
| Central Asia Explorer: Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan & Tajikistan – 17 Days | 17 | £3,340 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Three countries, with Tajikistan |
| Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan | ||||||
| Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan Adventure – 11 Days | 11 | £2,295 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Astana to Bishkek |
| Luxury Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan: Yurts, Canyons & Issyk-Kul – 9 Days | 9 | £3,195 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | In comfort, from Almaty |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Ask us which Kyrgyzstan tour fits →
Why everyone suddenly wants a yurt
The landscapes. Snow peaks, red-rock canyons, alpine lakes and endless green pastures, often with nobody else in sight.
The nomads. In summer, herding families move up to the high pastures with their flocks and yurts. Staying in a yurt camp beside Son-Kul, a high lake ringed by mountains, is the experience everyone comes for.
Issyk-Kul. One of the largest alpine lakes in the world, so deep it never freezes; its name means “warm lake”.
Living traditions. Felt-makers in Kochkor, eagle hunters near Karakol, and the felt shirdak rugs found in every yurt.
The practical bits. No visa for UK visitors for short stays, low prices, and the Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan right next door.
Walking and trekking
Kyrgyzstan Walking Explorer
Kyrgyzstan Walking Explorer: Ala-Archa, Issyk-Kul & Son-Kul – 10 Days
- 10 days
- From £1,975 per person
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, July, September
Ten days with a tour leader and four to 12: the Ala-Archa gorge to the Ak-Sai waterfall, the 12th-century Burana Tower, Chon-Kemin National Park, the red-rock Konorchek Canyons, the Jergalan Valley near Karakol, colourful gorges on Issyk-Kul’s quiet southern shore with a family homestay, then high passes to two nights in a yurt camp at Son-Kul, walking among the herders’ summer pastures. Most dinners are included.
Suits: walkers who want landscapes and nomad life. The honest drawback: long drives and no private bathrooms in the yurts.
Walking in Kyrgyzstan: Ala Archa, Issyk Kul & Karakol
Walking in Kyrgyzstan: Ala Archa, Issyk Kul & Karakol – 9 Days
- 9 days
- From £1,225 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in June, July, August, September
Nine days with a tour leader and up to 16: Bishkek’s Osh Bazaar, a hike to a waterfall in the Ala Archa Gorge, a homestay in the Chon Kemin Valley, a 4WD up to the Altyn-Arashan valley to hike and soak in thermal springs, the Djety-Oguz Gorge, a golden eagle hunter, a night in a lakeside yurt camp with hot showers, and a shirdak felt-rug workshop in Kochkor.
Suits: first-timers who want variety and a bit of comfort. The honest drawback: bumpy 4WD rides, and only three dinners are included.
Kyrgyzstan: Trekking the Tien Shan Trails
Kyrgyzstan: Trekking the Tien Shan Trails – 10 Days
- 10 days
- From £1,995 per person
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, July, August, September, October
Ten days with a local leader, a trekking crew and up to 12: a yurt camp near Issyk-Kul, then days of trekking from Jety Oguz past the Kyzyl Dzher canyon, across green pastures dotted with herders’ yurts into the Irdyk Valley, up to the Irdyk Lakes and over to the Mokroe Valley, camping under the peaks, before walking out to Karakol.
Suits: fit walkers who want a real mountain adventure. The honest drawback: several nights in tents, and you’ll need your own sleeping bag.
Kyrgyzstan and the Silk Road
Silk Road of Kyrgyzstan & Uzbekistan: Song Kul to Samarkand
Silk Road of Kyrgyzstan & Uzbekistan: Song Kul to Samarkand – 23 Days
- 23 days
- From £4,005 per person
- Max 18 people
- Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, August, September
Twenty-three days with a tour leader and four to 18: the Burana Tower and Cholpon-Ata petroglyphs, Karakol’s wooden Dungan mosque, the Djety-Oguz and Barskaun gorges, shirdak felt-makers and a folk ensemble in Kochkor, a yurt night at Song Kul, then over the Kamchik Pass into Uzbekistan for the Fergana Valley, a village guesthouse in the Nuratau mountains, Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.
Suits: travellers with time who want mountains and the Silk Road cities. The honest drawback: long drives on mountain roads and basic facilities at the yurt camp.
Kyrgyzstan's Silk Road Journey to Tashkent
Kyrgyzstan’s Silk Road Journey to Tashkent – 14 Days
- 14 days
- From £2,425 per person
- Max 18 people
- Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, August, September
Fourteen days with a tour leader and four to 18: the Burana Tower, Issyk Kul and Karakol, the red-rock Djety-Oguz Gorge, the felt-makers of Kochkor, a yurt night at Song Kul, the Suusamyr Valley, Chichkan Gorge and the Toktogul Reservoir, Arslanbob’s vast walnut forest, then Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley, the Rishtan ceramics workshops and Tashkent.
Suits: travellers who want most of Kyrgyzstan in two weeks. The honest drawback: long road days and simple guesthouses.
The Central Asia Explorer (17 days) adds northern Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, with yurt camps at Issyk-Kul and Son-Köl and family lunches along the way. For the full sweep, the Bishkek to Ashgabat overland (27 days) and the Five Stans of the Silk Road (23 days) cross the whole region. Our Uzbekistan tours guide covers the Silk Road cities in depth.
Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan Adventure (11 days) runs from futuristic Astana via Turkistan’s UNESCO-listed mausoleum and an overnight train to Almaty, Charyn Canyon and the Kolsay and Kaindy lakes, then into Kyrgyzstan to Karakol and Bishkek. Luxury Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan (9 days) loops from Almaty in comfortable hotels, with a winery lunch, the Tamgaly Tas petroglyphs, a yurt-making workshop, Fairytale Canyon and a night at a yurt camp beside Issyk-Kul.
How to choose
By activity. Walking: the Walking Explorer or Walking in Kyrgyzstan. Trekking and camping: the Tien Shan trek. Touring with short walks: the Silk Road journeys and the Kazakhstan combinations.
By time. Nine or ten days for Kyrgyzstan alone; two to three weeks to add Uzbekistan; three to five weeks for the full Silk Road.
By comfort. Expect yurt camps with shared facilities and simple guesthouses. For hotels throughout (bar one yurt night), choose Luxury Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan.
By budget. Walking in Kyrgyzstan and the Walking Explorer are the best value. Live prices are in the table above.
When to go
June to September is the season, when the high pastures are green, the herders are up with their yurts and the passes are open. July and August are the warmest months. Outside summer, the mountains are cold and many yurt camps close. The months for each tour are in its fact panel above.
UK visitors don’t currently need a visa for short stays in Kyrgyzstan, but check the FCDO travel advice for Kyrgyzstan, and for every other country on your route, before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Kyrgyzstan so popular?
Spectacular mountains and lakes, nomadic culture and yurt stays, good value and easy entry for UK visitors.
Can I stay in a yurt in Kyrgyzstan?
Yes, most of these tours include at least one yurt night. The Walking Explorer spends two nights in a yurt camp at Son-Kul.
Is there a trekking tour in Kyrgyzstan?
Yes, Trekking the Tien Shan Trails includes several days of trekking with nights in tents.
Can I combine Kyrgyzstan with Uzbekistan?
Yes: Kyrgyzstan’s Silk Road Journey to Tashkent, Song Kul to Samarkand and the Central Asia Explorer.
When is the best time to visit Kyrgyzstan?
June to September, when the pastures are green and the yurt camps are open.
Are flights included?
No, these tours are land-only, and we can arrange flights.
Ready for Kyrgyzstan?
Tell us how much walking you'd like and whether the Silk Road tempts you too, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the Kyrgyzstan tours with you.
Keep planning
- All escorted tours in Kyrgyzstan
- Escorted tours in Kazakhstan
- Uzbekistan tours compared
- Mongolia tours
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
