5 Days Kyrgyzstan Horse Riding Tour: Song Kul Horse Trek

Welcome to Bishkek — we’ll meet you at Manas Airport and drive you straight to your city-centre hotel so you can rest and freshen up. In the afternoon we’ll show you the city’s highlights: Ala-Too Square, the civic heart where the national flag and monuments set the scale of modern Kyrgyzstan; the Central Mosque, a graceful place of worship and quiet reflection; and Oak Park, a shady green space dotted with sculptures and memorials to national heroes. Finish your walk with a visit to Osh Bazaar, Bishkek’s bustling open-air market, where you can sample local snacks, buy handmade crafts and watch daily life unfold. Overnight in Bishkek.

Early breakfast in Bishkek, then set off on a scenic drive of about 4–5 hours to Kyzart Village in the Kochkor region, passing open valleys, grazing fields, and small mountain settlements along the way. On arrival, enjoy a home-cooked lunch with a local family, a warm introduction to Kyrgyz hospitality and rural life.

After lunch, meet your experienced horse guide and your horses for the trek. There is time to adjust the saddle, receive basic riding instructions, and get comfortable. Pack only your essentials for the next three days on horseback; any extra luggage can be safely stored in Kyzart.

Begin your Song-Kul horse trek by riding steadily up to Kyzart Pass (2,664 m), where wide mountain views open across rolling hills and distant ridgelines. Descend onto the vast Kyzyl-Kiya grasslands, an endless summer pasture dotted with grazing herds. Continue across gentle valleys and climb to Chaar-Archa Pass (3,061 m) before entering a broad alpine valley. The trail winds over soft hills and open meadows, leading you to the peaceful Kilemche Pasture, one of the region’s most scenic jailoos (summer pastures).

In the late afternoon, arrive at a shepherds’ yurt camp and settle into your traditional felt yurt. Share a hearty home-style dinner with the herder family, learn about nomadic life, and enjoy the quiet of the high mountains as night falls. Overnight at the local shepherds' yurt inn.

Breakfast with hot tea and warm, homemade pastries sets the tone for the day. After a short saddle-up routine and a safety check with your horse guide, you’ll ride out toward Jalgyz Karagai Pass (≈3,400 m) — the climb is steady but rewarding, with the air growing noticeably cooler and the views opening to sweeping green bowls below. From the pass you’ll look down across Kilemche’s patchwork pastures before descending toward the lakeshore.

Midday we stop at Jaman Echki for a picnic lunch of fresh bread, cheese, fruit and tea — a simple, filling meal served on a blanket with time to stretch your legs and photograph the wide horizon. After lunch you ride east along Song-Kul’s shoreline where the water’s deep blue meets distant snow peaks; horses pick their way across grassy ridges and shallow streams while marmots and herds dot the slopes.

On arrival at the lakeside, meet local shepherd families who still tend flocks here each summer. Try a small cup of kumis (fermented mare’s milk) if you wish — an acquired taste but an authentic part of nomad life — and enjoy a relaxed afternoon: lounge in the pasture, wander to the water’s edge, or (if available) watch or join a friendly kok-boru demonstration, the thrilling local horse game. As dusk falls, settle into your yurt camp for a hearty dinner cooked over a wood fire and a comfortable overnight under a clear high-altitude sky.

Wake up to crisp mountain air and a peaceful lakeside sunrise. After breakfast in the yurt camp - fresh bread, porridge, eggs, and hot tea—you saddle up for a relaxed 3-hour ride around Song Kul Lake. The pace is easy, allowing time to explore quiet coves, shallow streams, and rolling pastures that most visitors never reach. Watch eagles and water birds glide above the lake while herds of horses and yaks graze freely along the shore.

Return to the yurt camp for a warm, home-style lunch and time to change clothes. In the early afternoon, meet your driver and leave the high pastures behind, descending through wide valleys on the drive to Kochkor Village. Here, visit a local felt carpet workshop to see how Kyrgyz women handcraft traditional shyrdaks using centuries-old techniques - an intimate look at nomadic heritage passed down through generations.

Continue west toward Bishkek with a stop at Burana Tower, a 10th-11th century minaret marking the ruins of the ancient Silk Road city of Balasagun. Walk among stone balbals (grave markers) carved with symbolic faces and patterns, offering a quiet moment of history before returning to the modern capital. Arrive in Bishkek by evening and check into your hotel for a comfortable overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Manas Airport for your flight home. Your 5 days in Kyrgyzstan song kul horse trek ends with memories of mountains, horses, and nomadic warmth.

Trip Extension: You can easily enrich your journey with other cultural and nature-based experiences — alpine hiking, lake exploration, village homestays, felt-making workshops, eagle hunting demonstrations, and Silk Road heritage sites. These activities can be seamlessly combined with your horse riding route or arranged as a separate extension. Contact us to design a balanced itinerary that blends riding, culture, and nature in one unforgettable journey.

Thank you for choosing Asia Odyssey Travel for your tour of Asia. We are dedicated to enhancing your travel experiences and look forward to welcoming you on your next adventure in Asia. Have a safe journey home!