Kyrgyzstan Complete Travel Guide
Overview
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan in the north, Uzbekistan in the west, Tajikistan in the south, and China in the east. Kyrgyzstan has a super cold winters and hot summers, the country is famous for its amazing mountains, vast rivers, beautiful lakes and the breathtaking nature hikes all over the county.
I can personally say that Kyrgyzstan is one of my favorite countries in the world that I did not even expect to like so much before coming there, it is such an underrated country that you are not expecting to see all of that beauty.
Quick Facts
- Capital: Bishkek
- Official Languages: Kyrgyz and Russian
- Population: 6.6 million people
- Location: Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia
- Famous Places: Issyk-Kul Lake, Ala-Archa National Park, Ala-Kol Lake, Song-Kul Lake, Burana Tower, and the city of Osh
- Currency: Kyrgyzstani Som (KGS)(Exchange Rate)
- Climate: Kyrgyzstan has cold snowy winters and very hot summers.
- Religion: Muslim
- Visa: Visa Free entry for more than 95 countries
- Time Zone: Kyrgyzstan Time (KGT) / UTC+6
Flights
Kyrgyzstan unfortunatly is not a very well connected when it comes to flights and airlines (like most of this region) but that what makes this country so special and keeping it as a real hidden gem as it is.
The main airport in the country is the Manas International Airport (FRU) which is located in Bishkek (the capital) and most of the flights to the country are concentrated in this airport, there are not many airlines that are flying to Kyrgyzstan and you should defiantly check flights to Almaty in Kazakhstan or to Uzbekistan as well.
Additional Airports in Kyrgyzstan:
- Osh International Airport (OSS) in Osh city
- Issyk-Kul International Airport (IKU) located in the north-eastern part of the Issyk-Kul lake.
Climate
Kyrgyzstan has cold snowy winters and very hot summers. In the mountains the weather could be more extreme with storms in the high altitudes.
Budget
Kyrgyzstan is a very affordable destination to travel at (like most of this beautiful region) and it is one of those countries i will recommend for everyone that want to do some beautiful hikes and see some amazing nature and even ski on a budget.
Accommodation
Hostels in Kyrgyzstan are very affordable and ranging from as low as 4 USD per night and up to 10 USD per night depends on the location and the season.
Hotels in in Kyrgyzstan are pretty affordable too and starting around 18 USD per night for a simple room and up to 80 USD for a more expensive hotel options.
Food
Food options in Kyrgyzstan are a great mix of the Uzbek cuisine, the Chinese food and some Russian food influence as well. Food in Kyrgyzstan is not expensive either and ranging around 1-3$ for street food options and around 5 USD to 20 USD for a meal in a restaurant.
Transportation
The transportation in Kyrgyzstan is mainly based on “soviet style” trains (not fast) like in Kazakhstan with sleeping coaches. other main transportation methods are mini buses with around 10-15 people (called marshrutka in Russian by the locals) they will will take you almost anywhere around Kyrgyzstan even up to 8-10 hours trip. other than that people are depending on cars and taxis as well by using apps like Yandex (the local Uber).
Safety
Kyrgyzstan is a safe country to travel at in general without any major danger terror or war zones in the country. the crime rate in the country considered as moderate and the main risk is of petty crimes such as pickpocketing in the main touristy areas (like many other places in the world) just stay cautions in those crowded places.
Useful Apps
There are a few apps that are must have when traveling in Kyrgyzstan like Yandex Go for taxies (the local Uber) and Glovo and Yandex Go for food deliveries in case you want to order something to eat to your hotel/ apartment.
Check this post for more apps you should have: 18 APPs You Must Have For Your Next Trip In 2024
Posts
My latest blog posts about Kyrgyzstan
Beautiful!!!!! Of you could, i will be happy if you will help me to organise a trip!