If you're looking for the ultimate Kyrgyzstan itinerary, packing tips, safety concerns, or information on where to stay, you've come to the right place! This guide also covers fun hikes and treks in Kyrgyzstan.
Why Travel Kyrgyzstan with Kids?
Kyrgyzstan isn't exactly the first place you think of when you think of a family vacation. But I've never been the Disneyland type, and if you've found your way here, my guess is you aren't either. Kyrgyzstan may be off the beaten track, but if I were a betting woman, I would put all my chips on "not for long".
Kyrgyzstan is a country with incredibly welcoming people. While there are places in Europe and South America (ok, basically all over the globe) that feel inundated with tourists and are kindly (ehhh, and not so kindly) asking you to come, Kyrgyzstan will welcome you with open arms. And I promise you, it won't be one-sided.
The moment you peak out your airplane window as you approach the country, you'll know that you made the right choice.
Kyrgyzstan is what dreams are made of. At one point in our trip, I had this view: grand snow-capped mountains towering in the distance, desert-like red rock formations in the foreground, and a turquoise lake at my feet. If I told you cozy yurts dotted my vista as well, you wouldn't be able to handle it, so I'll keep that to myself.
Beyond its stunning landscape and welcoming people, Kyrgyzstan has some super rad adventures to do. From sleeping in yurts, to multi-day treks, horseback riding, to Falcon-hunting shows, there's enough unique experiences that will keep you occupied to say the least and your mind blown to be realistic.
Okay, so what's the catch?
Oh man, busted. No place is perfect, right? I like to be realistic and set appropriate expectations for people when they're planning a trip. Don't expect a listicle of "Why you shouldn't go to Kyrgyzstan" with points like, "the people are too nice, the food is too good, and the views are too beautiful". No country or destination is perfect, so let's get to it.
Transportation
We didn't take public transportation in Kyrgyzstan, but my understanding is that it's quite the slog to get from Point A to Point B if you go that route. Quite possible though and very affordable.
We took private transport and hired drivers to get to the few places we had to go. This was pretty affordable as well, but the hard part was that so many cars don't have seatbelts. Can I explain why? No. Some looked like they were cut out as if there was some revolution against safety at one point. Inexplicable from my point of view, but something you should know so you can ask about it before you book transportation, or just mentally prepare for.
There are also a lot of rough roads, which makes destinations that look close on a map take an incredibly long time. Coming from experience, traveling with kids is tough, add rough roads and that makes Kyrgyzstan a more difficult place to travel. There were a lot of things that we wanted to do that we didn't get to because we erred on the side of less travel, happier kids. But...that just means we have to go back.
Food
As a chicken-atarian, I was pleasantly surprised by the food . My assumption going into our trip was that I would be served horse and mutton for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (which prompted me to pack a Costco-sized peanut butter in my suitcase), but I was accommodated very well. I will say that we did not veer off the tourist track in Kyrgyzstan, so the places we went were used to annoying people like me, so if you're planning on traveling off the beaten track, you might want to get your mutton belly ready (and side note: horse isn't eaten often in Kyrgyzstan, but it is in many surrounding countries). I will say that it is a meat-heavy country though, so if you're vegetarian, you might have a slightly harder time, but not terrible. My vote is to still go for it!
Language
If only I knew Russian. If you're a Russian speaker, you are so lucky (and smart for being at least bilingual--don't let me diminish your intelligence by calling it luck!) Let's put it this way: if you speak Russian, you're golden! You'll be able to get into deeper conversations, organize transport, order food, and just live easier in Kyrgyzstan. If you don't speak Russian, it's a hurdle to cross, but manageable. Google translate will be your bff.
Prepare for your trip
When to go
Kyrgyzstan is a year-round destination, so there's something for everyone any time of year. It's a solid four season country, so if you go in winter, expect winter weather and activities, and in the summer, summer activities. You're smart, I don't have to go through the rest.
A lot of treks and yurt camps are at high altitudes, so winter comes early and things close down in the fall for wintry weather. We visited Kyrgyzstan in the last 2 weeks of September and we had to cross some things off our list because it was snowing already. On the other hand, we did a multi-day trek last minute and had the mountain range to ourselves because it was just past high season--so pick your poison.
I would say the absolute best time to go (if you're looking. for summer weather) is the end of May or the first 2 weeks of September because you get the best of both worlds.
What to pack
We experienced the coldest cold and the hottest hot while in Kyrgyzstan, so this might not be a "pack light" situation.
Here's my list of things to bring:
Outerwear
Warm Jacket (My recommendation for women, men, or kids) The code BORNABACKPACKER gives you 25% off at Stio
Hiking boots--if you're looking to trek, I would go with waterproof (My recommendation for women, men, or kids)
Warm Hat (My recommendation for women, men, or kids)
Sun Hat (My recommendation for women, men, or kids) The code BORNABACKPACKER gives you 25% off at Stio
Walking shoes (Women, Men, Kids)
Clothing
hiking pants (My recommendation for women (ok, I use yoga pants for everything. People think it's crazy, but it works for me), men, or kids)
Base Layers ( recommendations for kids)
Light pants (for women--I would say people are more conservatively dressed, so they're better than shorts when walking around)
Accessories
Travel games (for hanging out in the yurts)
Kid Carrier or a Trail Magik (use code BORNABACKPACKER for 10% off!)
Visa requirements
For US citizens, you're currently allowed 60 days in the country without obtaining a visa (as of 2025). You can check this website to see what the visa requirements are for your country.
Health
I always look at the CDC website for things to be aware of. Don't let these lists scare you, just allow them to make you aware of the risks and act accordingly. From a personal perspective, we did not get all the vaccines listed to travel to Kyrgyzstan, so make the choice for your family.
Arriving in Kyrgyzstan and Transportation
Flight in and out
Depending on where you want to go and what you want to do, you may want to consider buying a flight into Almaty, Kazakhstan and flying out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to avoid retracing your steps. This is what we did and we don't regret it. We flew in to Almaty and got transport right away to Karakol: the jumping off point for many of the most popular treks in the country. From there, you can loop around and end in Bishkek for your flight out (bonus: Bishkek has great food and affordable spa options--don't worry, I got you).
Getting around
To get around the country, we used private transport which worked fine. You could also fly in and out of Bishkek and rent a car for the whole time. Car rentals did seem a little pricey and if you do treks and things, you won't be using it everyday, so it might not be the best option, but up to you and your preferences.
Ok, now for the fun part...
Fun activities
Stay on Issyk Kul Lake
Issyk Kul Lake (which is redundant since "kul" means "lake", but whatevs) is one of the largest saline lakes in the world and a must-see spot on your trip to Kyrgyzstan. We visited the southern shore and stayed in Feel Nomad Yurt Camp and couldn't have been happier with it. I absolutely recommend if you want a rustic experience in a yurt. Alternatively, there's a fancier place in the same area called Remote. It's beautiful and has some more comforts, but it would be harder for families since the rooms are for 2, maybe 3 if you have a small child.
Watch a Falcon-Hunting show
This is one of my favorite experiences in Kyrgyzstan and an absolute must-see. A nomadic falcon-hunter doesn't just explain how falcons and eagles hunt, they use decoys to actually show it. We had an English-speaking hunter who was able to answer any questions we had.
We booked the day before with the people at Feel Nomad Yurt Camp and they came right there. It was convenient and perfect!
Go on a multi-day trek
This was an absolute bucket list item for me and it did not disappoint! We did a 3 day, 2 night trek through the mountains and the most beautiful scenery. We slept in yurts, walked our butts off, rode horses and were fed delicious home-cooked meals. If this was the only thing we did, it would have been a trip well worth it..
We did our trek through CBT Kyrgyzstan Karakol. When you reach out to them, you can ask them about the trek from Kuzul Suu Valley to Kok Jaiyk in Jeti Oguz. This is a much mellower trek than we originally wanted to do, but with small kids, they said that this would be a better and safer option. Even though it's a mellower option, it's not a mellow trek. The days are long (8-10 miles of hiking everyday) and there is a decent level of steepness. We had horses for support who carried our things (including our kids sometimes), which made it helpful.
The trek that we would have done and have only heard rave reviews from is the 4 day trek to Ala Kul Lake (you know, Ala Lake Lake). It's absurdly beautiful, but the elevation and level of difficulty was not appropriate to do with small kids (even though I'm totally triggered when someone tells me I can't do something with kids, this seemed pretty legit). I'm hoping we get to do this sometime in the future.
To do these treks, you will use Karakol as a jumping off point. The surrounding area is gorgeous, but the city was not the hippest to say the least. Places to stay in Karakol are pretty basic, but the best place to stay is Hillside Karakol B&B.
Relax in Bishkek
Bishkek is the perfect place to end an adventure filled trip. We stayed for two nights, ate our hearts out at some delicious restaurants, got some spa treatments, and also some retail therapy at the market--all for a fraction of the cost that you'd spend in the US. Our favorite restaurants were Booblik and Zaandukki. The beauty salon I went to was called Coco and I thought it was great as well.
In Bishkek, you can stay at a high end hotel to just your basic lodging.
High-end: Sheraton Bishkek
Mid-range and family friendly: Casablanca Apart Hotel (my recommendation for families)
Homestay and horse trek in Song Kul
If you go to Kyrgyzstan in the summer months, you will have the opportunity to visit Song Kul lake. Sitting at close to 10,000 feet, nomadic families travel up to set up their yurts and live out the summer months. This is a great opportunity for you to experience a homestay, drink fermented horse milk (when in Rome, right?), and go on a horse trek around the lake.
To get to Song Kul is quite the schlogg, with bumpy roads, but if you're up for it, here's a tour: Song Kul Lake tour (from Bishkek)
Kel Suu Lake Trek
The jump-off point for Kel Suu and Song Kul is Naryn (though the destinations are still quite far from there, it's the biggest town). If you want to hit up both of these trips, you could combine these.
Kel Suu Lake trek is another "one that got away" for us. This Lake sits close to the border of China (requiring you to get a permit to trek there). The views are astounding: the lake deep turquoise and the surrounding mountains towering. What's more is that you can go on a boat on the lake (an experience that will give Lake Loiuse in Banff a run for it's money). You can do this tour from Bishkek or you can travel to Naryn yourself by public transport, then organize a tour from there as well by reaching out to CBT Naryn.
You could also find private transport from Naryn to Kok Kiya Valley (the end of the road) and navigate the hike yourself by downloading a map app like Caltopo or Maps.me. Personally, I would feel more comfortable going with a guide, because the trail is not marked and I don't speak Russian, but it's an option if you're daring and on a super tight budget.
For Accommodation in Naryn: Grand Khan Tengri
For accommodation in Kok Kiya: Yurt Camp Visit Kol Suu
So, are you traveling to Kyrgyzstan?
Though it's not going to be as relaxing as all-inclusive resort in Mexico, Kyrgyzstan is an incredible place to travel for families if you're up for the adventure.
This Kyrgyzstan travel guide provides valuable insights for an amazing family-friendly adventure. saveplus.ae