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Song-Kul Overnight Horse Trek - 2 Days
Two days, one night. Ride 22 km from Kyzart up to Song-Kul, sleep in a yurt on the high pasture, and ride back over the Tuz-Ashuu pass. It starts and ends in Kyzart village.
Why you'll love this tour
Good to know
- Accommodation: 1 night at yurt
- Activities: Horse riding - 2 days
- Departures from: Kyzart
- Best time to go: May to October
- Local certified English-speaking guide
- Private transport & airport transfers
- Small group or fully private
- 24/7 support team in Bishkek
What to pack
- Long trousers that won't chafe during long hours in the saddle
- Closed shoes or boots with a small heel that sit well in the stirrups
- Riding gloves to protect your hands on the reins
- A waterproof, windproof jacket and a warm layer for cold yurt evenings
- Sun protection: a hat or cap, sunglasses, and high-SPF sunscreen
Full packing list and arrival tips: Easy from abroad: visas, arrival and logistics
Before you go
- Visa: most Western and East-Asian passports enter visa-free for up to 30 days within any 60-day period (the rule changed at the end of 2025), so check your own nationality on evisa.e-gov.kg
- Money: the local currency is the Kyrgyz som; carry cash for villages and camps, as card payments mostly work only in towns
- Connectivity: mobile data is decent in towns, but there is usually no signal at high mountain yurt camps, so let people know you may be offline
- Altitude: camps sit around 2,500 to 3,900 metres, so take it easy on the first day and drink plenty of water
- Drinking water: stick to bottled or boiled water, and bring enough for stretches where none is available
Read before you go: Staying in a yurt: nomad culture & etiquette · Safety first: how we look after you in the mountains
Day-by-day itinerary
Tap any day to expand. Every itinerary can be tailored to your dates, pace and fitness.
The tour starts in Kyzart Village, the nearest settlement to Song-Kul. Once your guide has shown you the basics, you set off along the Chaar-Archa River across smooth, easy ground, a good stretch to find your seat and get comfortable with your horse.
After a picnic lunch by the river, the trail climbs toward the Tuz-Ashuu Pass at 3300 m, where Song-Kul comes into view below. You descend past traditional yurts to camp on the shore, with an evening walk by the water and, weather allowing, a sky full of stars.
After breakfast you set off back toward the Tuz-Ashuu Pass, climbing gradually to 3300 m. From the top you get one last look at Song-Kul before the trail turns downhill.
A scenic descent brings you back to Kyzart, where lunch at the guesthouse and some free time to rest mark the end of the tour.
Sights visited on this tour
Song-Kul Lake
A high alpine lake ringed by summer yurt camps and grazing horses.
Kyzart
A quiet farming village and trailhead for the horse route to Song-Kul.Gallery
Common questions
It runs 2 days, starting and ending in Kyzart.
The season runs May to October. June to September brings the warmest days, and the high-pasture yurt camps are open.
It's moderately paced, with 2 days Horse riding. Good general fitness is enough, and there is no technical climbing.
No. Our guides match each horse to your level and keep the first day gentle, so complete beginners ride this route every season.
A mix over the trip: 1 night at yurt.
Tell us about your trip
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