READ THIS Before You Go Horse-Trekking in Kyrgyzstan
Updated: Oct 12
You've seen it on TikTok. The gorgeous rolling hills and idyllic meadows views all from the top of a horse galloping until you reach a scenic alpine lake. But what is it actually like? I was totally unprepared for my trip but ended up having the time of my life. Read this post so you'll be prepared to have the time of your life!
QUESTIONS ANSWERED:
DAY 2
WHO SHOULD YOU GO WITH?
I did the 3-Day Horse Trekking Tour: Kyz-Art to Son-Kul Lake with Atlas KG. I paid $450 per person in May 2026 for two people. I was not looking to budget on this item, so price wasn't my deciding factor. I shopped around a bit for tours and was initially interested in a tour led by a female guide as I thought I would feel more comfortable. Song-Kul Travel is female-founded and has female guides. However, they weren't available for the dates I needed.
I loved my guide and my experience, but Kyrgyz Riders was definitely the popular choice. Almost everyone else in the camps and on the trails was with them. There are SO many more options - I recommend doing some research into whoever you choose. Find a travel agency that employs local guides. WhatsApp them! Ask them all the questions!
As a nervous tourist, I liked booking ahead of time online. Many blogs online explain how to book once you get to Kyzart Village for much cheaper ($100 to $200) if you are comfortable with the uncertainty.
No matter who you go with, book with them directly. It was $50 extra to book through GetYourGuide and even more on TripAdvisor. Many tours offer discounts the more people there are in your group. When I was going through r/Kyrgyzstan on Reddit (to combat the post-travel depression) I saw many travelers asking for others to join their groups. Be safe and be smart when contacting strangers on the internet, but it's an option.
DAY 1
We were picked up by our driver at 8 AM from our hotel in Bishkek, as trasnport to Kyzart Village was included as part of our tour. The tour is managed by someone sitting in a central office who was easily reachable through WhatsApp. They let us know that the driver will not know English. We had the license plate number of the car to look for and he was almost on time, we waited until about 8:05.
The drive is long, and the driving is intense. For about an hour he was dodging through traffic but after that it's highways. It's windy roads up through mountains so if you are prone to carsickness, I recommend taking something before starting.
He stopped three times and gave us the option of getting out each time. Each stop was to a gas station where we could stock up on snacks, drinks, and use the bathroom. The bathrooms were western style, but did not have toilet paper. The last stop before Kyzart Village was to an outdoor toilet stop, so I would use a bathroom earlier.
Four hours later, our driver had trouble finding the drop off spot which did make us nervous. No one greeted us when we entered the guesthouse where the tour starts. We wandered around the house for a bit until a nice aunty called us to the dining room for lunch. The food is a good introduction to what you will be eating for the next few days; rice, meat, vegetables, and soup.
After we finished our meal, we walked out of the house and started looking for our tour guide. We were expecting more of a welcome with some direction so it was an uneasy start. We saw some men working in the stables and after some back and forth we confirmed we were in the right spot for Atlas KG.
They pulled the horses to the front and lead them into a ditch so they were easier for us to hop on. They sent a video via WhatsApp beforehand explaining how to lead the horse. Choo to start, Drrr to stop, and using the reins to turn left and right. There was no onsite demonstration so I'm glad I watched the video!
The guide grabbed my lead rope and we were off. After ten to fifteen minutes of riding through the village you start riding through the open fields. You follow a trail that cars also use, so we pulled over every now and again for cars to pass us by. We rode for about three hours until we reached the first camp around 3 PM.
NIGHT 1
Once you get to the camp and disembark from your horse (don't worry, they help you get down!) you are shown to your yurt. We stayed in Kelemchi Valley. There were quite a few yurts and most looked empty. Our yurt had three floor beds with plenty of extra blankets and a coal furnace.
The camp was surrounded by animals; horses, cows, goats, and camp dogs. It was raining most of the day, so we settled into the dinner tent and played games until it was time for dinner. I recommend bringing cards or games for entertainment. Dinner was always a mix of meat, veggies, with either rice or pasta served with hot tea and plenty of snacks like cookies and fruits. They also baked bread fresh!
We went to bed almost as soon as dinner was over and slept for a good 12 hours. Or rather, we tried to sleep. I would say we got good sleep, but I did wake up to the noises here and then so I was grateful we got to bed early.
DAY 2
If you aren't awake bright and early, they'll wake you up! Our guide banged on our door yelling "breakfast!" when it was ready. We woke up and spent zero time getting ready - we slept in the same clothes we rode in. It was too cold for us to even think about shedding any layers. We jumped straight off the horses into our beds and right back on the horses the next day. The third day I slipped on my new outfit without taking anything off. After a quick bathroom break and a warm breakfast, we were back on our horses.
We rode for about 3 to 4 hours on Day 2 through almost constant rain. Day 2 takes you up through the mountain pass, so you are going uphill most of the time. IT WAS SCARY! Also, it gets colder the higher you go. I was in disbelief when it started snowing on us but snow it did, and it didn't stop. If your horse is going uphill, lean back in the saddle. It will help you feel more balanced. That's something that I figured out myself as I was actively freaking out. I was not remaining calm on that horse and let a couple of yelps out, but our guides did not turn around once. This was before we were friendly, but it did raise my confidence that they were totally calm. Our guide's horse went all the way to the edge of the cliff in the snow, and I think he led it there on purpose to get better signal since he was scrolling on his phone.
Finally, we saw the lake and the yurts in the distance. The last stretch was the hardest as the field was the muddiest and the horse slipped the most. My only advice is to remain calm and trust the horse. I think the only way we made it was by the grace of God, honestly.
Once we got to the lake, the rain went away, the sun came out, and it was the BEST DAY EVER. The giddiness from being happy I was alive mixed with the joy of making it to our destination made for the best mood. Our yurt camp was not right next to the lake, others were closer. We took the 20-minute walk / hike to get there.
This is your reminder that you are at a high elevation. I had no idea I had altitude sickness until I got back and looked up the symptoms of altitude sickness. I was huffing and puffing on my walk over to the lake which probably should've been a sign. But the lake views quickly blocked any other thoughts from my mind. We did not bring swimsuits; as hijabis we thought it was too much to handle logistically. Our group members who did bring swimsuits were never tempted by the freezing water.
We spent our day marveling at the lake, sitting on the camp swing, arm wrestling with our guides, and chatting with other travelers. We walked over to a campsite that was closer to the lake and there were so many other travelers around. The guides started up a game of kok boru, which is a traditional game of Kyrgyzstan. The game is played on horseback and players compete over grabbing a goat carcass to throw into a 'goal'. Fortunately or unfortunately, our guides played with sandbags instead of a goat carcass.
The vibes were just pure fun. The sun was shining, we had survived the mountain pass, and there were so many people to meet and talk to. We hung out until the sun went down and had dinner back at our camp. The night got cold again, so we layered back up and snuggled under our multiple layers of blankets.
DAY 3
Some of my friends got up early to see the sun rise over the lake. I stayed in the warm yurt as the idea of layering up to be warm enough to be outside at 6:00 AM was not enticing. The sky was overcast and the sunrise was lackluster so I did not miss much staying in my warm bed. I got up just in time for breakfast and got up on my horse for the last day.
It was the longest day of riding. We spent a good 4 hours on our horses with a short break halfway through. The sun was out and it was warm, finally! We took in all the views from the mountains to the fields and steppes. It took until day 3 for me to feel relaxed on my horse, trust him to do his thing, and just look at the views, at least when the trek was flat. I felt peace, which I never thought I'd feel sitting on a horse!
Day 3 was downhill. A steep, severe downhill. I held on to the saddle with both hands, to the point my hand was cramping. The terrain was more severe than the previous two days, so I was glad to have relaxed a little bit.
The short break was to a field that did have a bathroom, but the bathroom was a fenced in hole in the ground surrounded by grass. I stayed on my horse through the break as I didn't want to try to get back on without a stepping stool to help me up. Our guide was adamant that we should not try to take off any layers while holding the reins. Some of us were getting hot, so if we needed to take a jacket off he came over and held the reins while we shifted on the horse. The break was the best time for us to shed layers.
We were getting tanned and sunburnt the entire trek, we just didn't realize until day 3. Even if you don't see the sun, the rays were still penetrating through the clouds made even worse by the high elevation. I had brought sunscreen, I was too lazy to put it on.
The trek ends through Kyart Village back at the house where you started. We had our final dismount and goodbye with our guide. We wanted to tip our guide well, we didn't know what that would be but gave him $100 each ($200 total) and later heard from the tour company it was a good tip. Our goodbye was a bit emotional, we somehow really bonded without speaking the same language. We took a lot of final pictures with our guide and headed into the house for lunch. The guides don't join you for lunch, but the house was full of other tourists starting the trek.
The full house helped keep our spirits high. We had multiple conversations with people starting the trek to let them know what to expect, without spoiling it too much. Basically, we were telling them how cold it was and to bring as many layers as possible.
A driver was waiting for us to take us back to Bishkek. We were waiting for him inside; he was waiting for us outside. We wandered outside by chance and ran into him. There is no one directing you or guiding you, so pay attention! The drive back dragged on a bit, we were ready to take a shower and sleep in our warm bed. Our driver stopped once for lunch and we picked up some samsas as well. The restaurant had a bathroom, but it was a squat toilet. We ran into some other people we had met on the trek, so it seemed like a popular stop.
As soon as we got to our hotel, we got out of what we were calling our "horse shit clothes", took hot showers, ordered room service, and slept 12 hours.
IS IT REALLY BEGINNER FRIENDLY?
The horses are trained, but they aren't well trained. I heard somewhere that a horse knows who is in charge, and I fully believe that. You have to be confident on your horse. There is very little leading you have to do; the horses follow the guides pretty easily. If you have a stubborn horse, you may have to work a little harder. (The guides sound so manly when they say "choo!" I, on the other hand, sounded like I was sneezing every time.) One of the horses in our group would stop to eat every chance it could and needed more encouragement.
If you really need it, the guide can keep your lead rope with him. Unashamed to admit that was me the entire trip! In the beginning, I was so nervous about leading my horse down the right path, especially as you go uphill and downhill, and I was grateful someone else was making those decisions for me. By day 3, I was confident the horse knew where to go, but I was still enjoying being able to relax and not having to think.
For me, the hardest part was getting on the horse. I had a taller horse and needed a platform to get on, which I had the first and third day. The second day I did not, and two of the guides pushed me up. Not as graceful, but hey, I got on that horse! They help you get off as well.
IS THE PATH EASY?
The transition from a flat path to uphill is quick. You don't have much time to get used to it. Uphill isn't as scary as going downhill. Going downhill, you feel like you are tipping forward, so you have to lean back to keep your balance.
It rained the entire night before, so we walked through muddy fields most of the second day. I felt the horse slip multiple times. It was also snowy on the mountaintop, which made it so much worse. I was genuinely scared. But, as I was told, horses don't slip. They have four legs compared to our two, so it's much harder for a horse to lose its balance on all four legs. You can fact-check me on that - it's just what one of the girls in my group told me to calm me down. Still, you can feel the horse lose its footing sometimes. Stay calm, it'll regain it!
So no, it's not easy. You have to trust your horse. You will be going up a mountain, then down a mountain. Multiple times. I was nauseatingly nervous in the beginning. It gets better!
WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE?
A LOT colder than you probably think. The forecast is not accurate. First of all, I wasn't sure what city to plug into the weather app, and plugging in Bishkek was the wrong move. Bishkek is a good four hours away and is not at the same elevation.
I went in May and was expecting a light chill. It was below freezing through the mountains and colder at night. It also rained on us and we had no way of getting dry, which was probably the most concerning factor. I wore a tank top thermal, a full sleeve thermal, a full sleeve shirt, a light raincoat, a scarf around my face, my hijab, tights under full-length pants, gloves, two pairs of socks, and sneakers. I was still worried I would lose my toes to frostbite. It also gets muddy, rainy, and snowy, so sneakers aren't the best choice. Wear good boots!
Contrastingly, on day 3, the sun came out, and we got so hot we had to stop to take a break and shed some layers.
HOW ARE THE YURTS?
The inside of the yurts consists of as many beds as they could shove in there. We slept 12 hours the first night easily. The coal furnace may not make the entire yurt warm. I recommend loading up on blankets. I used two, and they were so thick I had to wake up to lift them off me every time I needed to turn. WORTH IT - I felt truly warm!
Try to avoid bringing wet shoes inside the yurt; once the floor gets wet, it's hard to avoid stepping in it.
You can hear all the animals outside, so you might have trouble if you are a light sleeper and can't sleep through cows mooing, horses neighing, and the camp dog fighting off a wolf at midnight.
The bathrooms are western toilets with plumbing, so all you need is toilet paper. There were showers at the second camp but it was so cold, I could not imagine wanting to shower.
HOW IS THE FOOD?
The food hits! It's warm, hearty, and exactly what you need to warm up. I barely drank any water, but I did drink lots of hot tea. I was wary about the water situation, but I did see that all the water they used at the campsite was boiled.
HOW DID YOU TALK TO YOUR GUIDE?
Don't expect your guide to know English. They'll know enough to guide you, but not enough to converse. Unless you are stubborn like we were and use sign language to ask your guide how old he is and how many kids he has (35 and 7!).
I am a firm believer that you don't need to speak the same language to communicate, and I would say a major part of why we ended up having so much fun was the way we constantly tried having conversations with our guide and interacting with him.
WHAT DO YOU DO AT CAMP?
You will meet kids at each yurt camp. Bring some snacks or candy to share and make friends! You have a lot of downtime when you get to the camp. There are some activities listed on the brochure, but there's no one leading them at the camps. You have to take initiative and find something to do. On the second day, the guides played games like volleyball and arm wrestled, and we joined in. It's what you make of it!
IS IT WORTH IT?
Yes! There was a point when I was sitting on the camp swing at Song-Kul Lake and the sun came out when I was truly so content. We also laughed so much with our guide and made friends with everyone we met. The scenes are unbeatable. If you can take some aches and pains, it's worth it!
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