Feel Like A Nomad Kyrgyzstan Horse riding Tour
On this Kyrgyzstan Horse Riding Tour, you’ll get the chance to feel like a real Kyrgyz nomad! You’ll ride through the beautiful Sary Chelek Nature Reserve and the spectacular Alay Mountains and stay overnight in tent camps and yurt camps of nomadic families.
8If you’re from Belgium or the Netherlands, you can read the description in Dutch.
FEEL LIKE A NOMAD KYRGYZSTAN HORSE RIDING ADVENTURE DATES 2026:
August 5th – August 14th (bookings closed)
September 8th – September 17th (only 1 more booking needed for guaranteed departure – Save 5% when you book before July 31st!)
Price: €1700 per person*
*depending on group size, see tour costs below for more info
REVIEWS: What travelers say about the FEEL LIKE A NOMAD Kyrgyzstan HORSE RIDING Tour
TOUr OVERview: What to expect on the Kyrgyzstan Horse Riding Tour?
- When:
- August 5th – August 14th, 2026
- September 8th – September 17th, 2026
All tours will be guided by an experienced local English-speaking guide from Visit Alay
- Start & Finish: Osh, Kyrgyzstan
- Maximum group size: 10 people
- Housing & lodging: hotel, guesthouse, yurt camps, tents
- Total horse riding distance: 4-day Alay Horse Trek (53km) – 3-day Sary Chelek Horse Trek (48km)
- Who can join: This Kyrgyzstan Horse Riding Adventure is suitable for active adventurous travelers aged 18 and above. The average age of travelers who joined so far is between 20 and 65 years. The participants are usually solo travelers, friends, and couples. Families are also welcome provided that the children are at least 15 years old, are physically very fit and have horse riding experience.
The Feel Like a Nomad Horse Riding Adventure is an active horse riding tour in off-the-beaten-path mountainous locations. This tour is for you if:
- you’re an active person who loves spending time in nature and don’t mind camping in tents, sleeping in shared spaces in yurts, using outdoor toilets, not having a hot shower or internet for a few days
- you have (at least) a good basic level of horse riding
- you have a good physical condition – you’ll sometimes have to walk where it’s too steep to go on horseback
- you are open-minded and comfortable with unexpected events that an adventure trip might bring
Together with a small group, you first go on a 4-day horse riding trip in the remote Alay Mountains (53km in total).
During this trek, you’ll ride through scenic valleys and pastures in the heart of the rugged mountains and summit two mountain passes that offer impressive panoramic views over the surrounding mountain ranges.
You’ll spend 3 nights in the yurt camps of nomadic shepherd families where you can participate in their daily routines. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about the lives and traditions of the local people living in remote areas.
After finishing this trek, you’ll spend a night in the city of Osh where you can relax and refresh before going on the next horse riding adventure, which is a 3-day horse riding trek (48km) through the stunning Sary Chelek Nature Reserve at the foot of the Chatkal Mountain Range.
You’ll see spectacular views while riding through lush valleys and pastures, and between flower-cloaked hills. You’ll go high in the panoramic mountain passes of this remote nature reserve and descend by the shores of alpine lakes. During the trek, you’ll camp for 2 nights in tents near the shores of the lakes.
The 10-day Feel Like a Nomad Kyrgyzstan Horse Riding Adventure is not your typical (group) trek.
I arrived in Kyrgyzstan for the first time in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the beauty of this Central Asian country. I loved it so much, that I decided to travel and live here for nearly an entire year. Over the years, I returned multiple times (like you can read on my blog) to explore everything that the country has to offer.
Horse riding in Kyrgyzstan has been one of my absolute favorite activities! I traveled to remote places that can only be reached by foot or on horseback and spent the nights camping or staying at yurt camps of the semi-nomadic shepherds, which gave me a great insight into their daily life in the mountains.
Horses are very important in the culture and daily life of the Kyrgyz people. You’ll see horses everywhere in the countryside and they’re well-adapted for riding in mountainous landscapes. The only way to travel in the high mountains of Kyrgyzstan used to be by horse and nowadays they’re still used for riding, shepherding and assisting the Kyrgyz people in many ways. There’s an expression that says “Horses are the Kyrgyz wings”.
This tour is based on my experiences and personal highlights of horse riding in Kyrgyzstan.
With the help of my partners Aziret and Talant from Visit Alay – a community-based travel agency based in Osh through which they support of the local communities and help with the development of sustainable tourism -, I designed this tour for travelers who love horse riding and like to discover the stunning untouched natural beauty in Kyrgyzstan and experience its nomadic culture.
Are you an outdoor person who loves horse riding and adventure travel? Are you looking for a unique horse trekking adventure in a truly magnificent and off-the-beaten-path region in the world? If yes, then you’ll absolutely love this tour!! It will give you the unique opportunity to see some of the most beautiful places in Kyrgyzstan and experience the beauty and richness of the country’s nature and culture.
10-day Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival in Osh
- Day 2: Transfer from Osh to Gulcha, Horse trek to Tepshi Camp: 12km
- Day 3: Horse trek to Sary Oi Camp: 14km
- Day 4: Horse trek to Ak Tor Base: 13km
- Day 5: Horse trek to Murdash Valley: 14km, transfer to Osh
- Day 6: Transfer from Osh to Arkit Village
- Day 7: Horse trek to northern shore of Sary Chelek Lake: 18km
- Day 8: Horse trek to Kara Kamysh Lake: 22km
- Day 9: Horse trek to Iri Kul Lake: 8km, transfer to Arkit Village
- Day 10: Return to Osh
Day 1: Arrival in OSH
Welcome to Osh! After we pick you up from the airport, we’ll transfer you to your hotel.
The Feel Like a Nomad Horse Riding Adventure officially begins at 6 pm with a welcome meeting at the hotel where you’ll be introduced to your fellow travelers and the team. After a briefing of the tour, we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner together.
Note: The regular check-in time at the hotel is 1pm. If you would like to check in earlier, please let us know. We’ll arrange an early check-in or book an extra night of accommodation (at an additional price), so a room will be available for you.
Meals included: Dinner.
Accommodation: Shared room in hotel.
Facilities: Wi-Fi, hot shower, western-style toilets.
Day 2: Osh – Gulcha – Tepshi Camp
Riding Distance: 12km Riding Time: 4 hours Ascent: 1,212m Descent: 154m
We start the day with a breakfast at the hotel in Osh before we get in the car. After an 1.5-hour drive, we arrive in the village of Gulcha where we begin with the first part of this horse riding adventure.
The trek starts by riding up a dirt road, along the Kara Bulak stream, while also passing the first settlements of local shepherds.
After two hours of riding, we leave the road for a trail that gradually ascends the hill leading us towards a ridge. When we arrive, we have lunch and enjoy the view of the rugged Alay Mountains.
After our lunchbreak, we descend into the nearby valley where Tepshi Camp is located. Tepshi Camp consists of a small community of shepherds spending the summer in this valley with their livestock.
We ride to one of the yurt camps where we meet our hosts for the night. You’ll have some free time to explore the valley and join the shepherds in their daily activities. We have dinner at the camp and spend our first night in the yurt of our host.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Shared yurt.
Facilities: No Wi-Fi, no electricity, no hot shower, outdoor toilet.
Day 3: Tepshi Camp – Airy bell Pass (2956m) – Sary Oi Camp
Riding Distance: 14km Riding Time: 5 hours Ascent: 613m Descent: 1,087m
After having breakfast at the yurt camp, we thank our hosts and get back on our horses. We go on a one-hour ride to the Airy Bell Pass at 2,956m where we’ll see an impressive panorama of the Kum Bell Mountains.
We next descend into the Cholo Kaiyng Gorge to have a picnic in the shade of the trees.
Then we leave the gorge and follow a dirt road along a small river all the way up to Sary Oi Camp. When we arrive at the yurt camp, we can relax or join our hosts in their daily activities. We have dinner and spend the night at the camp.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Shared yurt.
Facilities: No Wi-Fi, no electricity, no hot shower, outdoor toilet.
Day 4: Sary Oi Camp- Ak Tor Base Camp
Riding Distance: 13km Riding Time: 5 hours Ascent: 1,020m Descent: 223m
The third day starts with a demonstration at the yurt camp. Our hosts will show you their daily routine of milking horses and cows and how they use the milk to make dairy products.
After the demonstration, we descend from the Sary Oi Camp towards the Jyly-Suu river and ride upstream along a steep gorge.
We’ll have lunch near a shepherd’s tent with a view of the craggy mountain ridge – the very ridge that we descended the previous day.
We continue meandering along the trails through a pine forest towards the foot of Ak Tor Pass. We then have dinner and spend the night in a yurt at Ak Tor Base.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Shared yurt.
Facilities: No Wi-Fi, no electricity, outdoor toilet and no hot shower (you can refresh yourself in the river).
Day 5: Ak Tor Base Camp – Ak Tor Pass (3557m) – MURDASH VALLEY, transfer TO Osh
Riding Distance: 14km Riding Time: 5-6 hours Ascent: 757m Descent: 1,283m
Today is the final day of the horse trek through the Alay Mountains. After having breakfast at the yurt, we cross the river and ride south towards the start of the pass. It’s a short but steep 500-meters ride up to the summit of Ak Tor Pass at 3,557 meters.
We rest and have lunch on the pass while soaking in the views of the majestic Alay Mountain Ranges. The panoramic views over the layers of mountains and granite peaks are truly spectacular!
The views remain majestic and unfold in all directions while we follow the trail along the ridge before descending the pass. The descent isn’t very steep and we ride down through the hills until we reach Murdash Valley.
We say goodbye to our horses and horsemen in the Alay Mountains and get in the car for a 2-hour drive back to Osh. After checking-in into our hotel, you have time to take a much-deserved shower and relax before we meet up again in the evening for dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Shared room in hotel.
Facilities: Wi-Fi, electricity, hot shower, western-style toilet.
Day 6: Osh – Arkit Village (Sary chelek Nature Reserve)
After having breakfast at the hotel, it’s time to hit the road again. Today will be a long day of driving (around 6 hours) from Osh to Arkit Village. We get to relax in the car while enjoying the scenic views along the way.
We’ll have a lunch stop and make a few photo stops along the way before arriving in Arkit Village in the late afternoon. There will be free time to stretch our legs and explore the village before having dinner and spending the night at a guesthouse in the village.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Shared room in guesthouse.
Facilities: Wi-fi, electricity, hot shower, western-style toilets.
Day 7: Arkit Village – Ashuu Pass (2552M)- northern shore of Sary Chelek Lake
Riding Distance: 18km Riding Time: 6-7 hours Ascent: 1,493m Descent: 890m
After having breakfast at the guesthouse, we mount our horses to start the second part of this horse riding adventure: a 3-day horse riding trek in the Sary Chelek Nature Reserve.
We start the by riding through a valley filled with raspberry bushes, leading us to a walnut forest. Along the way, we can see various type of flowers decorating the surrounding hills.
Then we start the 3-hour ascent to the Ashuu Pass at 2,552 meters. Once we reach the pass, we have lunch while soaking in a breath-taking panoramic view of the surrounding Tian Shan Mountains and the nature reserve’s lush valleys.
After the picnic, we descend the pass via a steep trail surrounded by fir forests. To keep maintain not only our own safety and that of our horses, we may have to walk some parts of this trail.
After an hour of descending, we arrive at our campsite at the northern shore of Sary Chelek Lake (1,942m). You can go for a small walk or have a swim in the lake before enjoying dinner at the camp and getting ready for our first night in the tents.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Tent.
Facilities: None (you can refresh yourself in the lake).
Day 8: Northern shore Sary Chelek Lake – Makmal Pass (2651m)- Kara Kamysh Lake
Riding Distance: 22km Riding Time: 9 hours Ascent: 1,050m Descent: 1,106m
We start the day with a hearty breakfast on the shore of Sary Chelek Lake. Then we pack up and mount our horses to continue our trek through Sary Chelek Nature Reserve.
We cross the river and ride through the Kojo-Ata Valley towards the Makmal Pass at 2,651m altitude. When we reach the mountain pass, we are rewarded with scenic views of the Muztor Mountain Peaks.
After descending the Makmal Pass, we ride through the jailoos (Kyrgyz for mountain pastures) where we’ll see grazing cows, sheep and horses and several summer camps of local shepherds.
We continue on by following the stony road along the crystal-clear river until we arrive at Kara Kamysh Lake.
Next, we set up camp at the shore, have dinner at one of the nearby yurt camps. We’ll spend the rest of the evening enjoying the stunning views of the lake, until we crawl in our tent for a good night of sleep.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Tent.
Facilities: None (you can refresh yourself in the lake).
Day 9: Kara Kamysh – Kotormo Pass (2446m) – Iri Kul Lake – Panoramic Viewpoint – Sary Chelek, transfer to Arkit Village
Riding Distance: 8km Riding Time: 4-5 hours Ascent: 728m Descent: 607m
After having breakfast, we take a final look at the beautiful Kara Kamysh Lake before we get on our horses and follow the winding trail up to the Kotormo Pass (2,446m).
The views on top of the Kotormo Pass are stunning (as usual)! On one side you’ll be greeted with views of the Sary Chelek Valley and on the other the towering peaks of the Chatkal Mountains.
We descend the pass partly on foot and then mount our horses again to continue our way down to Iri Kul lake. We have a picnic on the shores of this beautiful lake.
After enjoying lunch, we go on a small hike to the panoramic viewpoint (2 hours hiking in total). The last part requires a bit of climb but the scenery that unfolds at the top is just incredible! You’ll be rewarded with a spectacular panoramic view over the nature reserve and its lakes!
After taking plenty of photos, we hike back to Iri Kul, where we left our horses, and go on a last short ride to the entrance of the nature reserve. This is where this 3-day horse trek finishes. We get transferred to Arkit Village where we have a hot shower, dinner and spend the night at the guesthouse.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Shared room in guesthouse
Facilities: wi-fi, electricity, hot shower, western-style toilets.
Day 10: Return to Osh
After having breakfast in the guesthouse, we return on the 6-hour drive from Arkit Village to Osh. The last 3 days of horse riding were pretty intense so you can relax while enjoying the scenic views along the way.
We arrive in Osh in the afternoon. After checking-in into our hotel, you have the rest of the afternoon free to relax or visit Osh. We meet up again in the evening for our last dinner together to say goodbye to our amazing group of friends!
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Shared room in hotel.
Facilities: Wi-Fi, hot shower, western-style toilets.
Note: This itinerary can be modified in case of weather conditions and other unplanned and unforeseen circumstances.
FAQ: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW about THe Kyrgyzstan Horse Riding Tour
In case you have more questions about this tour, don’t hesitate to contact me.
TOur Costs
Price for the Feel Like A Nomad Horse Riding Adventure (depending on group size):
- from 3 to 6 people: €2000 per person
- from 7 people on: €1700 per person
What’s included in this price?
- Airport transfer from and to the airport in Osh (on day 1 and day 10 of the tour, or 1 day before or after the tour dates).
- Private transportation with experienced driver
- Professional English-speaking tour guide
- All accommodation mentioned in the itinerary (shared sleeping spaces)
- All meals mentioned in the itinerary
- All activities mentioned in the itinerary
- Entrance fees for all sites listed in the itinerary
- 1 horse per person during both horse riding treks
- Experienced horsemen to accompany the group on the horse treks
- Cooking and camping gear (tent and sleeping pad)
What’s not included in this price?
- International airfares to and from Kyrgyzstan
- Transport to and from Osh (we can arrange Bishkek – Osh airfare tickets for an additional price of €55, see FAQ above)
- Accommodation in Osh on day 10: we can book a room at the hotel at an additional price
- Visa application fee (Kyrgyzstan is visa-free for most EU and other countries. Check this link to see if you can visit the country without having to obtain a visa)
- Medical or travel insurance (mandatory to join our trip). I recommend SafetyWing, HeyMondo or IATI backpacker if you want a good insurance provider (in case you don’t have one yet).
- Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Single supplement in hotels and guesthouses (€70)
- Equestrian helmet: can be rented for an additional price of €50 for the total duration of the tour
- Sleeping bag: can be rented for an additional price of €60 for the total duration of the tour
Booking & Cancellation
Confirm your participation with a deposit of €350 per person.
Deposits can be made via a standard bank transfer in EUR or via online transfer (Wise) in EUR or USD.
As soon as I receive your booking, I’ll send out the payment details. You have 48 hours to pay the deposit. If not, I have to cancel your participation and reserve the place for the next person who books.
The remaining tour costs can be paid either in cash or by credit card on the first day of the tour or via online transfer (additional fees might apply) at the latest three weeks before the start of the trip.
If you have any more questions or want more info, please contact me here!
Cancellation policy
If for any reason you can’t join this tour, we’ll refund your deposit – minus €100 administrative costs – if you cancel at the latest 3 months before the start date of the tour.
In case we have to cancel this tour due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control (pandemic, political reasons, natural disasters,…), you’ll receive a full refund of the tour costs (minus transaction costs). We’re not responsible for and therefore don’t refund any flight cancellations and/or flight expenses.
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