3-Day Horse Trek to Song Kul Lake Available All Year Round
This four-day horse trek is designed for all riding levels — whether it is your first time in the saddle or you have ridden before. Each day covers two to four hours on horseback at your own pace. Two different passes, two nights at Song Kul in different yurt camps, and a full day beside the lake — this is the most immersive way to experience Song Kul on horseback.
Price from:
250USD
/ per person
Category:
Horse Riding
Season:
All year around
Duration:
/2 night
3 Days
Three Days on Horseback. Endless Memories. Song Kul as the Reward.
Song Kul sits at 3,016 metres in the heart of the Tian Shan, with no towns on its shore and no light to block the sky. At night, the Milky Way stretches across the water from one mountain range to the other. Every summer, Kyrgyz herders migrate here with their families and livestock — and on this trek, you will ride through valleys filled with more sheep, horses, and cattle than most people see in a lifetime.
This three-day loop crosses two different mountain passes, each at 3,400 metres, making it a true circuit with new scenery every day. You will sleep in a shepherd's house on night one and wake up beside the lake in a traditional yurt on night two — eating fresh Kyrgyz food at every stop.
Your English-speaking guide rides with you throughout, looking after your comfort and safety from the first kilometre to the last. By the end of the trek, you will sit in the saddle with confidence — and if you are ready, your guide will teach you to gallop.
This three-day loop crosses two different mountain passes, each at 3,400 metres, making it a true circuit with new scenery every day. You will sleep in a shepherd's house on night one and wake up beside the lake in a traditional yurt on night two — eating fresh Kyrgyz food at every stop.
Your English-speaking guide rides with you throughout, looking after your comfort and safety from the first kilometre to the last. By the end of the trek, you will sit in the saddle with confidence — and if you are ready, your guide will teach you to gallop.
Highlights
Cross the Kara-Kiya Pass at 3,400 metres and take in some of the most beautiful mountain views in Kyrgyzstan
Ride through open valleys filled with horses, sheep, and cattle as far as you can see
Available all year round — lush summer pastures, golden autumn colours, or snow-covered winter trails
Alpine meadows by day, a sky full of stars at night, and horses grazing at sunrise
Sleep in a traditional yurt on the lakeshore and fall asleep to the stillness of the lake
Itinerary
Riding time: approximately 4–5 hours
Day 1
Bishkek — Kyzart — Kilemche Valley — Song Kul Lake
Song Kul Lake — Kyzart — Bishkek
Day 2
Riding time: approximately 3–4 hours
Your driver will pick you up early at your hotel in Bishkek. The four-to-five hour drive heads south into Naryn Region, passing the Orto Tokoy reservoir as the landscape opens into mountain terrain.
Arriving in Kyzart village, a short drive brings you straight up into Kilemche valley where your horses and guides are waiting — no time to waste.
The trail climbs from the first kilometre. Four to five hours in the saddle takes you up through open grassland to the Kara-Kiya Pass at 3,400 metres — wind-exposed, with long views in every direction. The descent brings you to Song Kul as the evening light settles on the water. Dinner is served inside the yurt. Outside, the silence is complete.
Meals: Dinner only
Accommodation: Yurt camp at Song Kul lake
Arriving in Kyzart village, a short drive brings you straight up into Kilemche valley where your horses and guides are waiting — no time to waste.
The trail climbs from the first kilometre. Four to five hours in the saddle takes you up through open grassland to the Kara-Kiya Pass at 3,400 metres — wind-exposed, with long views in every direction. The descent brings you to Song Kul as the evening light settles on the water. Dinner is served inside the yurt. Outside, the silence is complete.
Meals: Dinner only
Accommodation: Yurt camp at Song Kul lake
After breakfast at the shepherd's house, you saddle up for the day's main challenge: the climb to the Jalgyz Karagai Pass at 3,400 metres. The trail rises steadily through open alpine terrain, the views expanding with every hour. As you ride, the valleys below fill with herds of horses, sheep, and cattle — a scene that has not changed in centuries.
At the top of the pass, Song Kul appears below — a vast, still expanse of blue with no towns on its shore and nothing interrupting the horizon. The descent to the lakeshore takes you through active summer herding grounds. You arrive at the yurt camp in the early afternoon, with time to walk beside the water, rest, or simply watch the light change across the lake.
Dinner is served inside the yurt. Outside, as darkness falls, the Milky Way stretches from one mountain range to the other.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Yurt camp at Song Kul lake
At the top of the pass, Song Kul appears below — a vast, still expanse of blue with no towns on its shore and nothing interrupting the horizon. The descent to the lakeshore takes you through active summer herding grounds. You arrive at the yurt camp in the early afternoon, with time to walk beside the water, rest, or simply watch the light change across the lake.
Dinner is served inside the yurt. Outside, as darkness falls, the Milky Way stretches from one mountain range to the other.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Yurt camp at Song Kul lake
Song Kul Lake — Kara-Kiya Pass — Kyzart — Bishkek
Day 3
Riding time: approximately 3–4 hours
Step outside before breakfast. The lake in the early morning — mist on the water, horses grazing the surrounding jailoos, stars just fading — is one of the quiet highlights of this trek.
After breakfast, you saddle up for the final ride. Today's route takes a different path from the way in, climbing to the Kara-Kiya Pass at 3,400 metres before descending back toward Kyzart. New terrain, new views — the two passes make this a true loop rather than an out-and-back.
The trail levels into Kyzart village, where a final lunch waits at a local guesthouse. Your driver will meet you here and take you on the four-to-five hour drive back to Bishkek, dropping you at your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: not included
After breakfast, you saddle up for the final ride. Today's route takes a different path from the way in, climbing to the Kara-Kiya Pass at 3,400 metres before descending back toward Kyzart. New terrain, new views — the two passes make this a true loop rather than an out-and-back.
The trail levels into Kyzart village, where a final lunch waits at a local guesthouse. Your driver will meet you here and take you on the four-to-five hour drive back to Bishkek, dropping you at your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: not included
3-4 people
250 USD
2 people
300 USD
1 person
500 USD
Tour Booking
Price per person
English-speaking horse trekking guide
Private transfers between Bishkek and Kyzart village
Horses and riding equipment (helmets available upon request)
Meals as per itinerary
(2 breakfast, 3 lunch, 2 dinner)
(2 breakfast, 3 lunch, 2 dinner)
Accommodation: Shepards house and traditional yurt camp
Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Bishkek
Inclusions
Not Included
Customise your tour
Flexible departures / customisable itineraries
Personal expenses
Travel and health insurance
(including horse riding coverage)
(including horse riding coverage)
Extra food, snacks, and drinking water during the tour
Tips for guides, horsemen, and yurt camp staff
English-speaking horse trekking guide
Private transfers between Bishkek and Kyzart village
Horses and riding equipment (helmets available upon request)
Meals as per itinerary
(2 breakfast, 3 lunch, 2 dinner)
(2 breakfast, 3 lunch, 2 dinner)
Accommodation: Shepards house and traditional yurt camp
Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Bishkek
Itinerary
3-4 people
250 USD
2 people
300 USD
1 person
500 USD
Tour Booking
Price per person
Inclusions
Not included
Customise your tour
Flexible departures / customisable itineraries
Day 1
Bishkek — Kyzart — Kilemche Valley — Song Kul Lake
Riding time: approximately 3–4 hours
Kilemche — Jalgyz Karagai Pass — Song Kul Lake
Day 2
Riding time: approximately 3–4 hours
Your driver will pick you up early at your hotel in Bishkek. The four-to-five hour drive heads south into Naryn Province, passing the Orto Tokoy reservoir as the mountains begin to close in on either side.
In Kyzart village you meet your guides and sit down to lunch with a local Kyrgyz family — your first taste of the hospitality that defines this region. After eating, your horses are ready and the afternoon ride begins.
The trail climbs gently through open grassland, following the valley deeper into the mountains. Three to four hours in the saddle brings you to Kilemche, where you spend the night in a working shepherd's house. This is not a guesthouse built for tourists — it is where the herders who manage these mountain pastures actually live. Dinner is served here. Sleep comes easily at altitude.
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Shepherds house at Kilemche
In Kyzart village you meet your guides and sit down to lunch with a local Kyrgyz family — your first taste of the hospitality that defines this region. After eating, your horses are ready and the afternoon ride begins.
The trail climbs gently through open grassland, following the valley deeper into the mountains. Three to four hours in the saddle brings you to Kilemche, where you spend the night in a working shepherd's house. This is not a guesthouse built for tourists — it is where the herders who manage these mountain pastures actually live. Dinner is served here. Sleep comes easily at altitude.
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Shepherds house at Kilemche
After breakfast at the shepherd's house, you saddle up for the day's main challenge: the climb to the Jalgyz Karagai Pass at 3,400 metres. The trail rises steadily through open alpine terrain, the views expanding with every hour. As you ride, the valleys below fill with herds of horses, sheep, and cattle — a scene that has not changed in centuries.
At the top of the pass, Song Kul appears below — a vast, still expanse of blue with no towns on its shore and nothing interrupting the horizon. The descent to the lakeshore takes you through active summer herding grounds. You arrive at the yurt camp in the early afternoon, with time to walk beside the water, rest, or simply watch the light change across the lake.
Dinner is served inside the yurt. Outside, as darkness falls, the Milky Way stretches from one mountain range to the other.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Yurt camp at Song Kul lake
At the top of the pass, Song Kul appears below — a vast, still expanse of blue with no towns on its shore and nothing interrupting the horizon. The descent to the lakeshore takes you through active summer herding grounds. You arrive at the yurt camp in the early afternoon, with time to walk beside the water, rest, or simply watch the light change across the lake.
Dinner is served inside the yurt. Outside, as darkness falls, the Milky Way stretches from one mountain range to the other.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Yurt camp at Song Kul lake
Song Kul Lake — Kara-Kiya Pass — Kyzart — Bishkek
Day 3
Riding time: approximately 3–4 hours
Step outside before breakfast. The lake in the early morning — mist on the water, horses grazing the surrounding jailoos, stars just fading — is one of the quiet highlights of this trek.
After breakfast, you saddle up for the final ride. Today's route takes a different path from the way in, climbing to the Kara-Kiya Pass at 3,400 metres before descending back toward Kyzart. New terrain, new views — the two passes make this a true loop rather than an out-and-back.
The trail levels into Kyzart village, where a final lunch waits at a local guesthouse. Your driver will meet you here and take you on the four-to-five hour drive back to Bishkek, dropping you at your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: not included
After breakfast, you saddle up for the final ride. Today's route takes a different path from the way in, climbing to the Kara-Kiya Pass at 3,400 metres before descending back toward Kyzart. New terrain, new views — the two passes make this a true loop rather than an out-and-back.
The trail levels into Kyzart village, where a final lunch waits at a local guesthouse. Your driver will meet you here and take you on the four-to-five hour drive back to Bishkek, dropping you at your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: not included
Personal expenses
Travel and health insurance
(including horse riding coverage)
(including horse riding coverage)
Extra food, snacks, and drinking water during the tour
Tips for guides, horsemen, and yurt camp staff
MONEY&COSTS
The national currency is the Kyrgyz Som (KGS). In Bishkek and major towns, ATMs are widely available in shopping centers and on main streets, and you can pay by card in most restaurants and shops. Visa is the most widely accepted card, while MasterCard is less common and accepted only by specific banks. However, when traveling to the mountains or small villages, you must carry enough cash as ATMs are non-existent. We strongly recommend bringing new USD banknotes, as old or marked bills are often refused by exchange offices.
SAFETY
Kyrgyzstan is widely considered the safest and most open country in Central Asia, known for its stable political situation and hospitable locals. While the country is very safe, we recommend taking standard travel precautions just like anywhere else in the world: keep an eye on your belongings, avoid unlit streets at night, and always use official taxi services. Your safety is our top priority, and we work closely with trusted local partners to ensure a smooth and worry-free journey.
ENTRY&EXIT
Citizens of many developed countries can enter Kyrgyzstan visa-free for up to 60 days. If you are unsure about your specific visa requirements, simply contact us for assistance. We also arrange all special border permits required for your specific itinerary free of charge.
BEST TIME TO GO
Kyrgyzstan features a dry continental climate with a striking contrast between the valleys and the mountains. In major cities like Bishkek and the Ferghana Valley, summers can be intense, with daytime temperatures soaring between 30°C and 40°C (86°–104°F). However, since most of the country sits above 1,500 meters, the mountain air is much fresher and more comfortable, typically hovering around a pleasant 20°C–25°C (68°–77°F) during the day.
For outdoor enthusiasts, summer is the ideal season for trekking and jeep tours, granting full access to high-altitude pastures and breathtaking passes. Winter, on the other hand, transforms the landscape into a premier destination for skiing and snowboarding. Regardless of the season, mountain weather is unpredictable—at elevations over 3,000 meters, temperatures can drop below freezing even in July, so packing warm layers is essential for a comfortable journey.
For outdoor enthusiasts, summer is the ideal season for trekking and jeep tours, granting full access to high-altitude pastures and breathtaking passes. Winter, on the other hand, transforms the landscape into a premier destination for skiing and snowboarding. Regardless of the season, mountain weather is unpredictable—at elevations over 3,000 meters, temperatures can drop below freezing even in July, so packing warm layers is essential for a comfortable journey.
HEALTH
To ensure a healthy trip, avoid drinking tap water or using it for brushing teeth; rely on bottled or filtered water instead. When it comes to food, it is safer to stick to freshly cooked, hot meals and fruits that you can peel yourself. These simple habits are your best defense against common stomach issues and will help you stay energized.
Before you travel, we recommend checking that your routine vaccinations—specifically Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, and Tetanus—are up to date. Since medical infrastructure in remote mountain areas can be limited, having comprehensive travel insurance that covers emergency evacuation is essential for your safety and peace of mind.
Before you travel, we recommend checking that your routine vaccinations—specifically Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, and Tetanus—are up to date. Since medical infrastructure in remote mountain areas can be limited, having comprehensive travel insurance that covers emergency evacuation is essential for your safety and peace of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
The tour starts at 7:40 AM from the meeting place and lasts around 9-11 hours.
The best way to pay is cash (USD or local currency) directly to the guide on the day of the tour. We also accept card payments and can provide a payment link if needed.
The tour operates in all weather conditions. If it rains, we recommend bringing an umbrella or raincoat. If the weather is extreme, the boat ride may not be possible, but the rest of the activities will continue as planned.
Yes! You’ll have time to explore, take photos, and enjoy the scenery at Issyk Kul Lake, Burana Tower, and cultural sites.
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Comfortable sedan/minibus during the day
- Small-group tour (min 3 and max 15 passengers)
- Admission tickets to Burana Tower, Boat Tour, and Petroglyphs
- Small bottled water
- Comfortable shoes for walking and exploring
- Weather-appropriate clothing (hat/sunscreen in summer, warm layers in winter)
- Packed lunch (optional) if you’d like to have a meal during the boat ride
- Towel and swimsuit for the hot springs
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