Tour details
- Period
- mid-May – mid-September
- Trip length
- 7 days
- Tour specialist
- Bakyt – 15 reviews
- From
- 690$
We welcome you to experience horseback riding to the famous Song Kol Lake in the middle of the Tien Shan Mountain Range in the heart of Central Asia. These mountains are largely underexplored and a true playground for all nature loves. The best way to explore these mountains is on horseback where you’re able to get close to the local culture while on horseback. You will fall in love with the high alpine valleys dotted with Yurts and the turquoise lakes in the distance.
Itinerary
Day 1. Arrival in Bishkek – Jumgal
Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport and welcome you to Kyrgyzstan. Once you arrive in Bishkek you will be able to have a rest at a guesthouse. 90% of all the flights arrive at 4 am and it’s a bit hard for most people to start travelling without sleeping first.
After breakfast, your guide will give you an overview of the tour and answer any questions you might have. Once everyone has their bags packed everyone will head into the mountains. The drive will be from Bishkek to Jumgal village. Accommodation in a guesthouse in the Jumgal village.
Day 2. Jumgal – Song Kol (Tulpar Tash): riding on horseback to the Son Kol Lake
After breakfast, your horse guide will meet you and give you a short interdiction on how to ride horses here in Kyrgyzstan.
The first mountain pass for the day will be the Uzbek pass at 3,380 m. It will be a great first day of travelling on horseback.
Once you reach the Uzbek pass you will be able to enjoy a nice picnic and take many pictures from the panoramic view of the Song-Kol lake. After lunch, you will be able to ride your horse to the shores of Song-Kol lake. Accommodation in Yurts near the shore of Song-Kol lake.
Day 3. Song Kol (Tulpar Tash) – Song Kol (Tash Doeboe): Horse ride from the West shore of the lake to the South shore
After breakfast in the yurt, you will be guided to the south shore of the lake. You will be able to ride along the lake and discover different yurts and get to know the nomadic lifestyle of Kyrgyz shepherds. One of the hidden secrets of Song-Kol lake is the ancient petroglyphs carved in the rocks on the top of the rolling hills.
You will have a picnic on the way and be able to feel like travellers on the Great Silk road. In the afternoon, you will arrive at your yurt camp to spend the night where you will share a dinner with a local family. Accommodation in Yurts near the western shores of Song-Kol lake.
Day 4. Song Kol (Tash Doeboe) – Song Kol (Kumdu Suu): Horse ride from the South to the East shore
In the morning, we leave on horseback through the hills and visit the Tamerlan’s stones. These stones are full of legends going way back to the time of Tamerlane and Genghis Khan. A picnic lunch will be had near the Song Kol river which gives a great view of the whole lake. Don’t forget your camera.
Once you reach the Kumdu Suu Jailoo you will be greeted by your hosts with bottomless cups of tea and warm yurts. Accommodation in Yurts near the eastern shores of Song Kol lake.
Day 5. Song Kol (Kumdu Suu) – Kochkor:
After your last tea, you will be able to ride to the Batay Aral lake which gives a great view of one of the hidden lakes near Song Kol. Lunch will be shared with a local family in a Yurt.
After lunch, you will be able to say goodbye to your lovely horses and your driver will take you to the village of Kochkor where you will be able to clean up for the night. Accommodation in a guesthouse in the village of Kochkor.
Day 6. Kochkor – Bishkek:
After breakfast, you will be able to say goodbye to your hosts and start on the road to Bishkek. The first stop of the day will be at the Burana Tower which is a must-see stop on the Great Silk Road. It’s from the 10th century and it’s full of many legends that your guide will tell you about.
The next stop will be in Bishkek at your guesthouses where you will be able to unpack your things and get ready for a walking tour of Bishkek. You will be able to walk through the countless parks and see the highlights of the city. A farewell dinner will be shared at a local Kyrgyz ethnic café in the heart of Bishkek. Accommodation in a guesthouse in Bishkek.
Day 7. Bishkek to Manas Airport:
Everyone will be transferred from the guesthouse to the airport. It takes 40 mins to drive from your guesthouse to the airport and it’s always recommended to arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flight. It’s your responsibility to inform your guide about your flight times.
We hope you will enjoy your horseback riding trip to Song Kol lake and get a good feeling for the nomadic lifestyle of Kyrgyzstan.
Prices
Price per person
- 2 pax – 1086 $/per
- 3 pax – 851 $/per
- 4 pax – 820 $/per
- 5 pax – 752 $/per
- 6 pax – 690 $/per
No problem if your group is bigger. We can arrange a tour for you too!
Sometimes we have open groups for horse riding, you can join the tour with other people. Please request.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Organization of the stay
- All transfers in vehicle incl. from/ to airport
- English speaking tour guide
- Full board incl. drinking water
- Accommodation described in the program
- Carrying luggage during trekking and horse riding
- Rent camping equipment (tents, mats, kitchen utensils)
- All the visits indicated in the program
- Entry fees at national parks or nature reserves
- Entry fees at museums mentioned in the program
- National or regional flights specified in the program
NOT INCLUDED
- Insurance repatriation and CR insurance
- International airfare and taxes
- Alcohol or sweetened mineral water
- Additional services not mentioned in the program
- Rental of personal equipment (ATV, sleeping bag, water bottle, flashlight, etc.)
- Tips
- Additional costs due to personal problems (health, loss of luggage, etc.)
Notes
- This program is designed for experienced riders, 6-7 hours of riding per day, but not difficult. Therefore also open to amateur riders.
- We recommend you to have special clothing to face storm, snow, rain and hail. Nights can be very cold 0-5°C
- No visa is required for citizens of USA, EU, Japan and Canada citizenship. (total of 59 countries, up to 60 days, 6 month passport validity)
- This is a draft program. It can be changed in cases of changes in schedule of flights, weather conditions and other unforeseen conditions.
Preparations before tour:
Kyrgyzstan is a young developing country and Infrastructure of villages is not at a very high level. Refusing hospitality is often becomes annoying. In order to avoid misunderstandings, read some guidebooks and other books about the country before you get prepared to your visit. Hope to see you soon!
