While all of us want to spend longer in many places that we visit, sometimes that's just not possible. Here, we explore the options for a 1 week itinerary in Kyrgyzstan, based on our own experiences.

We really feel that you need at least 2 weeks to make the most of your visit to Kyrgyzstan and truly immerse yourself in the mountains and nature (see our free guide for our exact itinerary) - 1 week would be a bit tight to get a taste of everything, especially with the limited times for public transport (marshutkras, public mini-buses, often seem to only run in the mornings). But, if you only have 7 days, you can still make it work with a bit of planning.

Disclaimer - this article contains affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you decide to book/purchase via the link, at no extra cost to you. We will only ever recommend services, tours and operators that we have personally used and consider good value. 

You’ve got 3 options: 

1. Self guided 7 days using public transport - but stay in and around Bishkek, Song Kul and the south shore of Issyk Kul. This will allow you to spend longer on one horseriding excursion, but you won’t see the eastern side of Issyk Kul (Karakol, Altyn Arashan, Ala Kul). 

2. Self guided with car hire - the car hire gives you more flexibility (so you might be able to squeeze a bit more out of your time) but at a much higher cost - car hire prices are similar to those in Western Europe.

3. Take a 7 day tour - the included private transport will allow you to maximise your time and pack in a lot more sights/activities without having to plan anything yourself. This will likely be the most expensive option if you’re travelling solo, but if you’re in or joining a group, you may find it comes out cheaper than car hire anyway - read below for an example of this tour with our recommended operator. 

7 day self guided itinerary - public transport

Day 1 - Bishkek 

Accommodation - stay in Bishkek for 2 nights

Mid-range

We stayed at Bugu Hotel

• £92 - en suite double room including breakfast which had a modern 

• 20 minute walk from central area and Ala-Too square

• Very clean, stylish hotel. Scandinavian vibe (not exactly traditional Kyrgyz but we were going to get lots more authentic Kyrgyz stays later in the trip).

Budget

Tunduk Hostel

• The best rated hostel in Bishkek on Tripadvisor.

• At the time of writing, private twin rooms are around £24 per night. 

• Although we didn’t stay here, we organised some of our trips through them and found the owners extremely helpful. 

• We did visit the hostel to pay a deposit for a trip and it had a great backpacker vibe, and we would have stayed here ourselves. 

• The only con is that it’s a bit further from the centre but still easy to reach by Yandex for £2-£3 for a journey across the city. 

Transport: 

The city centre is quite walkable, but use Yandex, the ride-hailing app, for longer journeys within the city. 

Activities / things to do 

Visit Osh Bazaar, Central Mosque, Ala Too square and the surrounding parks. You could combine these into a food tour or a street mural tour (we did both of these and they were great - if you’ve only got one day in Bishkek, do one or the other). Check out our “2 days in Bishkek” blog for more details. 

Day 2 - Ala Archa. 

Stay in accommodation in Bishkek and visit as a day trip. 

This is a popular spot for day hikes or horse-riding. Previously, it was quite difficult to get to without an organised tour or your own transport. However, as of 2025, there is a public bus (number 1), that goes directly to the park entrance. From there, you can use the free shuttle buses to get to the popular trails. There is also a cable car that has partially opened (February 2026) but work is ongoing to extend the distance covered, offering a new perspective of the national park. 

There are a number of different hiking trails and horseriding can either be organised in advance via a tour that will include your transport, or through an operator who will meet you at the park entrance. Hiking and horseriding tours from Bishkek to Ala Archa can be found here.

Day 3-5 - Song Kul horseriding

Transport: Hop on the early morning marshutkra from Bishkek (the bus station is north of the city - so you might need a Yandex to get there) to Kyzart.

Arrive in time for lunch at the base for the horseriding then set off on your 2 night, 3 day horseriding trip. We booked this through Kyrgyz Wow Travel - they offer a number of trips/tours, including the full 7 day tour later on in this post. We loved our trip and found them very helpful for organising other parts of our trip too. Contact Azema via their instagram page or Whatsapp and use promo code #Spendlesstravelmore for the best price.

Accommodation - Yurt stays including in your trip 

On the last day of the trip (day 5), you will arrive back at the stables for lunchtime.

Day 5 Kyzart/Bokonbayevo

Onward transport options - either get a private taxi to Bokonbayevo in the afternoon on day 5, or stay 1 night in Kyzart and get the marshutkra the next morning (they don’t run in the afternoon).   

Accommodation - Kyzart hotel

• 1 night - £60 - en suite triple room -  incl. breakfast and dinner for 2 people

• The family were very helpful - they helped organise our onward travel when we returned from the horse riding excursion and we were able to leave laundry with them, so it was ready on our return

Kyzart is a tiny village - there’s not much to do here other than relax after your horseriding trip. There’s no restaurants, and 2 very small shops (run from the owners’ front rooms). 

Day 6 - Bokonbayevo

Accommodation - Kairyma Eco Resort Bokonbayevo

• 3 nights - £110 private heated yurt with 3 beds, shared bathroom, breakfast and dinner for 2 people included.

• Located just outside of the town, up a hill with a lovely view of the surrounding mountains. Rated the best place to stay in the area.

• We stayed in a private yurt (with a heater and actual beds), but they also have ensuite cabins which looked really cosy. There’s a large communal yurt where meals are served.

• The staff were great, and helped us organise our plans as well as taxis (Yandex is not currently present in this area), and also offered a laundry service.

Activities/things to do 

Take part in an eagle hunting demonstration, visit Skazka canyon, or spend some time on the beach on the shore of Issyk Kul. 

Transport

We arranged local taxis through the accommodation to get to Skazka canyon and Tong beach at Issyk Kul. The eagle hunting included pick up from our accommodation as it’s close to the mountains where the demonstrations take place. 

Day 7 - Bokonbayevo → Bishkek.

Transport

Marshutkras run in the morning so you’ll need to head back early, and you can spend some more time in Bishkek, picking up any last minute souvenirs (or filling your suitcase with delicious macadamia nuts from the market!) 

You can do this itinerary too with car hire, which will give you more flexibility and more time in each place, rather than having to depend on public transport times. 

7 day tour itinerary - The Nomad Loop

This tour will incorporate some of the locations mentioned in the self-guided itinerary but does give a much wider overview with more destinations covered - the advantage of a pre-arranged tour and private transport! Note that day 1 and 7 are pretty full, so factor in your flight times/arrival into Bishkek accordingly. 

The Nomad Loop tour is operated by Kyrgyz Wow Travel - while we didn't do this exact tour, we did book our Song Kul and Altyn Arashan horseriding trips through them and can highly recommend. To book, contact Azema via Whatsapp  +996 772 195 094 and ask for the Nomad Loop. All accommodation, activities and most meals are included.

Day 1 - Bishkek → Kyzart → Song Kul

Option to horseride or take a car transfer to Song Kul from the local village. Overnight stay in Yurt camp. 

Day 2 - Song Kul → Kyzart → Issyk Kul

Optional morning horsehide before car transfer or ride back to Kyzart, then travel to the south shore of Issyk Kul for your next yurt stay. 

Day 3 - Ak-Say Canyon → Bokonbayevo

After a canyon visit, witness tradition shydak-making and enjoy an eagle hunting demonstration. 

Day 4 - Bokonbayevo → Skazka (fairytale) canyon → Karakol

Visit Jeti-Oguz viewpoint or Kok-Jayik Valley en route to Karakol, and then take a tour of the city. 

Day 5 - Karakol → Altyn Arashan

Option to hike or take 4x4 Buhanka (soviet era truck) transfer. Bathe in the hot springs at Altyn Arashan and stay overnight in a guesthouse there. 

Day 6 - Altyn Arashan → Karakol → Issyk Kul

Return by hike or Buhanka then depart Karakol for the northern shore of Issyk Kul.

Day 7 - Issyk Kul → Bishkek

Visit Grigoryevka and Semenovka gorges, as well as Kok-Moynok Canyon en route to Bishkek. 

For a full 2-3 week itinerary for Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan with flexible options, travel tips and full details on how we booked our horseriding trips, tap below.

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