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Song-Kul Two-Pass Loop on Horseback - 3 Days
A true loop to Song-Kul from Kyzart: in over the Jalgyz-Karagai Pass, out over the Kara-Kiya Pass, both at 3,400 meters. The first night is in a working shepherd's house in Kilemche, the second in a yurt on the lake. Beginners are welcome, our guide rides with you all three days, and the trek runs all year round.
Why you'll love this tour
Good to know
- Accommodation: 1 night at shepherd's house, 1 night at yurt
- Activities: horse riding - 3 days
- Departures from: Bishkek
- Best time to go: All year round
- 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.
We pick you up early in Bishkek for the 4 to 5 hour drive into Naryn Province. The road passes the Orto-Tokoy reservoir as the ridges close in.
In Kyzart you meet your guides and have lunch with a local family. Then the horses are saddled and the afternoon ride begins.
The trail rises slowly up an open valley into the mountains. After 3 to 4 hours you reach Kilemche and a shepherd's house. This is a real herders' home, not a guesthouse for visitors. Dinner is served there, and the altitude sends you to sleep early.
After breakfast with the shepherd's family, today's big climb starts. The trail heads up through open alpine ground to the Jalgyz-Karagai Pass at 3,400 meters. Below you, the valleys fill with horses, sheep and cattle.
From the top, Song-Kul lies wide and blue, with no towns on its banks. You ride down through summer herding grounds and reach the yurt camp in the early afternoon.
There is time to walk by the water or rest. Dinner is in the yurt, and after dark the Milky Way crosses the whole sky above the lake.
Step out before breakfast to see mist on the lake and horses grazing as the stars fade.
The last ride takes a new line. You climb to the Kara-Kiya Pass at 3,400 meters and drop back toward Kyzart, so the scenery is fresh all day. By now you will feel at home in the saddle, and if you are ready, your guide will show you how to gallop.
Lunch is at a guesthouse in Kyzart. Our driver then takes you the 4 to 5 hours back to your Bishkek hotel.
Sights visited on this tour
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan's leafy, Soviet-planned capital and the gateway to the mountains.
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 3 days, starting and ending in Bishkek.
The season runs All year round. June to September brings the warmest days, and the high-pasture yurt camps are open.
It's moderately paced, with 3 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 shepherd's house, 1 night at yurt.
From $650 per person. The exact price depends on group size and season, and we confirm it for your group within 24 hours.
Tell us about your trip
Tell us your dates and we'll confirm availability and a tailored price within 24 hours. Free to enquire, no prepayment.
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