Kyrgyzstan is located in the heart of Central Asia between Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and lies on the Silk Road, the famous ancient trade route between Asia and Europe. The country extends over the high mountains of Tienshan, 94% of the country is mountainous. The highest elevation is the Dzhengi Chokusu with 7.439m. Tourism in Kyrgyzstan is still in its infancy and the infrastructure in many parts of the country is still poorly developed. This allows authentic encounters and a horseback riding trip with true adventure character, far away from luxury and mass tourism.
Your riding guide has been living in Switzerland for several years, but leads a group of riders two to four times through his home country. The horses live freely in the steppe and are looked after by family members. As this is a family business, you benefit from many contacts with locals and gain a very good insight into the customs of this unknown country. You will often stay overnight with friends or relatives of herdsmen who will welcome you with great hospitality. In the summer months the shepherd families still live in yurts on the mountain pastures. In the valleys, on the other hand, you ride through some villages where you also stay overnight with locals. The route leads from Tash Rabat in the south of the country near the Chinese border to Kalinovka in the north on the Kazakh border. In between, there are several mountain passes of over 3,000 m in height that have to be crossed. The landscape ranges from flowering alpine meadows to steppe and green valleys that benefit from hundreds of mountain streams. A special highlight is also the steppe lake Son Kul at about 3.000m altitude in front of a picturesque mountain back .

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at the airport and drive to Bishkek to your hotel by taxi.
Day 2: After breakfast you will be picked up at your hotel at about 9.00 a.m. and driven to the hosts farm in Kalinovka. On the way you will visit the traditional cattle market in the neighbouring village. In the afternoon you will drive to the historical towers and stone sculptures of Burana. Afterwards dinner and tour briefing at the farm.
Day 3: Car transfer to Tash Rabat near the Chinese border, the starting point of your riding tour (approx. 5 hours). Tash Rabat is a former caravanserai of the Silk Road, consisting of a walled hostel, which also served as a warehouse and trading post. You will visit the mystical site. First contact with the horses, overnight stay in the yurt camp of Omurbek and his family, members of the CBT (Community Based Tourism, concept for the development of tourism among locals).
Day 4: Big departure on horseback into your adventure! Through a green gorge your way leads you along the stream and further and further up into the mountains. You will be accompanied by the whistling of the marmots, which quickly disappear into their holes when the riders arrive. Arriving at the Pass Kulak at 3,390 m, a magnificent view of a gigantic rock face that rises from the lush green awaits you. You ride through the gorge on the other side of the pass and reach a beautiful alpine pasture where you pitch your tents today. You are sure to meet some herds of horses and cattle on the way and at the camp.
Day 5: Todays riding day takes you across green lush meadows with many fantastic views of ochre and red mountains, which are bathed in a magical light by the sun. You will cross the Bay-Bitché Pass at 3,102 metres above sea level. The many wild flowers that grow all over the alpine meadows are also beautiful. The descent into the valley leads along a narrow shepherds path. Again the view opens up onto red mountain slopes until you finally reach your camp in the river valley. The oasis Mazar offers a lot of water and lush grass for the horses.
Day 6: You continue to follow the river valley, which is however only green near the bank. Otherwise, the picturesque but dry landscape with the barren mountains all around strongly reminds of the Moroccan Atlas. After a long ride in the hot valley you finally reach the village of Tian-Shan, surrounded by green fields. You are sure to meet some farmers working in the fields. Not far from the village you cross the river Naryn, one of the biggest rivers in the country, over a bridge. Your destination is the home village of your host, where you stay overnight in his brother´s house. In the evening you have the opportunity to visit the local banya (a kind of sweat and washing hut).
Day 7: From the village you will walk through a wide agricultural landscape to an idyllic river valley. On the way you will see several grave monuments and temples, which show the proximity to the Orient. After the long ride the day before, you will reach your camp for the night in the early afternoon. In the afternoon you can swim in the river and in the sun and explore the beautiful area.
Day 8: Today you will have another long riding day. In the morning you will set off towards the lake Son Kul. This lake is more than 1.000 m higher on a wide plateau. First you follow the river valley through a rocky spruce forest. After the picnic you will make a steep ascent on a narrow shepherds path. After a strenuous ascent you reach a beautiful alpine pasture with a view of the mountains. From here it is only a stone´s throw to the high steppes of Son Kul. Soon you will see the turquoise blue lake in the distance. Up to the shore you pass some yurts and meet many animals roaming freely through the steppe. A last gallop across the vast steppe finally brings you to your destination, a yurt not far from the lakeshore belonging to a family of friends. In warm weather you can enjoy a swim in the Son-Kul at 3,013 m above sea level.
Day 9: In the morning the shepherds will show you their traditional rites in which the horses play an important role: Ulak-Tartysh (Bozkachi), Kyz-Kumay (fiancée race) and Udarysh (fight on horseback). Afterwards, you will take a shorter but quick ride through the steppe, along the lake. This is covered with numerous Edelweiss flowers. Large herds of horses, goats, cattle, sheep and yaks roam the steppe and seagulls circle in the air. When the sun shines, the snow-covered mountains on the opposite shore are reflected in the water, a magical sight! Overnight stay in a yurt camp again near the lake.
Day 10: In the morning you leave the steppe and follow the cliffs on the north-western shore. Over narrow paths and through small bays you will enjoy a wonderful ride with lake view. After the picnic you leave Son-Kul over the pass Tuz-Ashu at 3.300 meters above sea level, from where you have a fantastic view on the lake on one side and on the red-brown mountains on the other side. Descent through flowering meadows to a lush green riverbank where you pitch your tents.
Day 11: You follow a path through an idyllic green river valley. You will cross the water several times, which the horses will master with ease. Afterwards, the trail climbs steeply up into the mountains and you can enjoy a wide view again. A narrow trail leads you through endless green mountain slopes, which the shepherds and animals use in steep terrain. Finally you descend into a barren valley, which invites you to gallop. Only small bushes cross the plain. Overnight stay in the village Ak-Utchuk (Kochkor region) near Djenish and Bekin. Their riverside accommodation has its own banya and the menu includes a Kyrgyz specialty: manthis, dumplings filled with meat or potatoes and steamed.
Day 12: You follow the plain, which is characterized by villages and fields. Some creeks run through the agricultural land. Most villagers, if you are not a shepherd, still have a cow, one or two horses, a dog and a few chickens. Every now and then you will meet free running calves or even donkeys. Magnificent are the small mosques and the oriental looking gravesites. Soon the landscape becomes rockier and more barren, before it goes at the end of the day over the wide steppe again into the mountains. Overnight stay in a yurt camp or in a tent with a shepherd family.
Day 13: Not far from the yurt camp a spectacular mountain world begins. A narrow trail leads you above a deep river valley along the green mountain ridge. Numerous alpine flowers grow again along the way. You ascend slowly but surely and finally reach the famous Pass Chamshi at 3,573 m above sea level, in the middle of a lunar landscape, from where you can enjoy a breathtaking view. The pass forms the border between two regions: Chuy and Kochkor. After the steep descent on foot, you enjoy a picnic on the banks of the stream. Afterwards you continue downhill over lush alpine pastures, crossed by many mountain streams. Again and again the path leads through the water until you finally descend deep into the gorge and follow the thundering river into the valley. The path is now lined by light fir forest. Overnight stay on the river bank with a beautiful view of the green mountains.
Day 14: Over a last mountain ridge your ride takes you over lushly blooming alpine meadows to the farm of your hosts in Kalinovka, where you will stay overnight.
Day 15: After breakfast you will say goodbye to the family and the horses. You drive to the capital Bishkek, where there is time for shopping at the market and in shops. Handicrafts made of felt are particularly common. Also the most important places of interest are visited. After a farewell dinner in the restaurant you will be taken to your accommodation.
Day 16: Transfer to the airport and departure.

The second and fourth appointments will be ridden in the opposite direction, from Kalinovka to Tash Rabat.

A vehicle will accompany the tour. It will transport your luggage and meet the riders for lunch on most days.

Accomodation
You will spend the first and the last night in a guesthouse/hotel in Bishkek. 3-4 times you will stay with families who provide 1-2 rooms. The sanitary facilities are very spartan. Toilets at families and in yurt camps consist of outhouse toilets. Instead of a shower there is occasionally a banya in the villages. These are private or public bath houses where you can shower with cold and icy water. 2-3 nights are spent in yurt camps, where you will be accommodated with about 4 people in a yurt. The remaining nights are spent in simple tents (for two people). You need to bring a sleeping bag.

Saddle & Tack: Local russian saddles with sheepskin or blanket covering.

Experience: Comfortable in all gaits with plenty of off-road experience. The pace is rather slow in the mountains, but in the plains the gallop is also fast. Some stretches are very demanding (rocky, steep, river crossings, etc.) As you are riding at up to 3,500 m above sea level, you should be physically fit and free from vertigo!

Horses: Kyrgyz horses (stallions), reliable, enduring and sure-footed. Most of them are of smaller size (approx. 140 cm).