Home / Tours / Song-Kul Yurt Night by Car & Horse - 2 Days
Song-Kul Yurt Night by Car & Horse - 2 Days
We drive you from Bishkek to Song-Kul at 3,016 meters over the Kalmak-Ashuu Pass, with stops at Burana Tower and Kochkor. You sleep in a yurt on the shore, ride across the jailoo in the morning, then return over 33 Parrots Pass with a hidden waterfall and an Issyk-Kul beach on the way. A private trip that suits riders of any level.
Why you'll love this tour
Good to know
- Accommodation: 1 night at yurt
- Activities: sightseeing - 2 days, horse riding - 1 day
- Departures from: Bishkek
- Best time to go: May to September
- 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.
Your guide picks you up at your hotel in the morning. We stop first at Burana Tower, a Silk Road minaret from the 9th to 10th century with old balbal stones around it. You hear its story and climb up for a view of the Tien Shan.
In Boom Gorge we break for kattama, a flaky layered bread, with tea from an old samovar. A short stop in Kochkor follows, and then the road starts to climb.
The Kalmak-Ashuu Pass is one of our favourite drives. Rock turns into green hills and yaks graze in the distance. We stop at the top so you can get out and take photos.
You reach the yurt camp on the Song-Kul shore around 5 pm. Dinner is home-cooked. Afterwards, step outside: at this height, with almost no light around, the Milky Way is plain to see.
After breakfast in the yurt you ride out across the open pastures around the lake. A local horseman rides beside you, so beginners are welcome.
Around 11 am we start back over 33 Parrots Pass, a road of tight bends and wide views. We stop at the best viewpoints, then take a short walk to a quiet waterfall near Song-Kul that few people know.
On the way down we stop at an Issyk-Kul beach so you can rest by the water. Lunch is at a local cafe on the road. We drop you at your Bishkek hotel in the evening, around 7 to 8 pm.
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.
Issyk-Kul Lake
A vast, warm mountain lake that never freezes, framed by snowy peaks.
Kochkor
A central crossroads town famous for its felt-craft and handicrafts.Burana Tower
Gallery
Common questions
It runs 2 days, starting and ending in Bishkek.
The season runs May to September. June to September brings the warmest days, and the high-pasture yurt camps are open.
It's moderately paced, with 2 days sightseeing and 1 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.
From $500 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.
Enquiry received!
A local expert will email you within 24 hours about “Song-Kul Yurt Night by Car & Horse - 2 Days”.
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