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Two Lakes & West Shore Horse Trek - 6 Days
Three days riding from Kyzart to Song-Kul and along to its western shore, a guesthouse night by Issyk-Kul, then two more days in the saddle through the Boz-Salkyn pasture to Bokonbaev. Four nights in yurts.
Why you'll love this tour
Good to know
- Accommodation: 1 night at guesthouse, 4 nights at yurt
- Activities: Horse riding - 6 days
- Departures from: Bishkek
- 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.
We leave Bishkek for Kyzart Village, in the hills below Song-Kul. A homemade lunch is waiting at the family homestay, and afterwards your guide runs through the basics in the saddle so you feel at ease before setting off.
The afternoon ride follows the Chaar-Archa River through quiet valleys to Kilemche, gentle going, and a good chance to get used to your horse. You spend the night at a yurt camp run by local herders, with pasture life unfolding all around you.
A more demanding day in the saddle. After breakfast you climb toward the Jalgyz-Karagai Pass at 3300 m, the work rewarded at the top by wide mountain views in every direction.
From the pass you descend to the lake and ride west along the shore, passing traditional yurts and grazing animals. The day ends at the Tuz-Ashuu pasture, right by the water.
An easier, relaxing day riding the open shore of Song-Kul. The lakeside ground is smooth and flat, so your guide may pick up the pace to a canter where it suits the horses.
Around midday you reach the Ozbek-Ashuu pasture on the western shore, where a nomad family serves lunch in their yurt. The rest of the day is yours, a walk along the shore or a short ride into the nearby hills.
You return to Kyzart over the scenic Ozbek-Ashuu Pass at 3300 m, with one last view of Song-Kul before the descent. Lunch and a rest follow when you reach the village.
In the afternoon we drive to the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, timing a visit to the Fairy-Tale Canyons for the low evening light on the rock. You finish the day at a guesthouse in Bokonbaev Village.
We set out in the morning toward the Boz-Salkyn Valley, a nomad summer pasture reached through open fields and grazing meadows. A riverside picnic breaks up the ride at midday.
From there the trail climbs to the Karaly-Archa Pass at 2800 m, with broad views back over Issyk-Kul. You descend through fragrant pine forest to a traditional yurt camp for the night.
You wake in the mountains and ride downhill through a scenic gorge back toward Bokonbaev Village. Along the way you meet Kyrgyz eagle hunters, who show how they work with their birds, a craft passed down through families.
Lunch wraps up the riding, and in the afternoon we drive back to Bishkek, arriving around 7-8 PM at the end of the trip.
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.Bokonbayevo
A lakeside town on Issyk-Kul's south shore known for eagle hunters.
Kyzart
A quiet farming village and trailhead for the horse route to Song-Kul.Gallery
Common questions
It runs 6 days, starting and ending in Bishkek.
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 6 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 guesthouse, 4 nights at yurt.
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