On horsebackSong-Kul Horse Trek — Kyzart Route
Prefer to arrive in the saddle? Ride from Kyzart village to the same lake.
from $420
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Song-Kul Lake 3-Day Jeep Tour
Two nights in a yurt at 3,016 metres, a day on horseback with real shepherds, and the biggest sky you've ever slept under.
Song-Kul from above
Photo: HaSe · CC BY-SA 4.0Inside a Kyrgyz yurt
Photo: Ninara from Helsinki, Finland · CC BY 2.0Horses on the Song-Kul plateau
Photo: ThomasG · CC BY-SA 3.0Road to Kalmak-Ashuu pass
Guest House Mira, KochkorWhy this trip
Song-Kul is the postcard of Kyrgyzstan: a vast alpine lake ringed by summer pastures where shepherd families still live in yurts from June to September. It is the trip we suggest first — comfortable enough for first-timers, remote enough to feel like a real expedition. You travel by 4x4 with an English-speaking guide, sleep two nights in a family-run yurt camp with half board, and spend a full day living at shepherd pace: horses, kymyz, and a horizon with nothing man-made in it.
Transparent pricing
Per person, in USD. The price includes everything listed under "What's included" — no fuel surcharges, no "extras" at the yurt camp.
| Group size | What it's like | Price / person |
|---|---|---|
| Solo traveller | Private trip, your own pace | $690 |
| 2 people | Private trip for two | $540 |
| 4 people | Best value — one full jeep | $475 |
| 6+ people | Two vehicles, same guide ratio | $430 |
Day by day
-
Day 1
Bishkek → Kochkor → over the pass to Song-Kul
Morning pickup at your Bishkek hotel. We drive through the Boom gorge to Kochkor — Ilgiz's home town — for lunch and a felt-carpet workshop stop. Then the road climbs through switchbacks to a 3,400 m pass and drops onto the Song-Kul plateau. Evening at the yurt camp: dinner with the host family and, on clear nights, a Milky Way you can read by.
≈ 300 km driveYurt camp, half board -
Day 2
Horseback riding & shepherd life
A full day on the plateau. After breakfast, a guided horseback ride along the shoreline — calm horses, helmets provided, zero experience needed (walking instead is always fine). Afternoon with the shepherd family: milking, taste of fresh kymyz, and how a yurt goes up in 40 minutes. Sunset over the lake, dinner, second night in the yurts.
2–3 h ridingYurt camp, half board -
Day 3
Song-Kul → Bishkek
Slow breakfast by the water, then the return drive with photo stops at the pass and lunch in Kochkor. Back in Bishkek by early evening — we drop you at your hotel or straight at the airport if you're flying out.
≈ 300 km driveHotel/airport drop-off
What's included
Included in $475
- 4x4 vehicle with professional driver, fuel, all transfers
- English-speaking guide — we tell you who before you commit
- 2 nights in a yurt camp, half board (breakfast + dinner)
- Day-2 horseback ride with helmet
- Lunch stops arranged (local guesthouses)
- Bottled water in the vehicle
Not included
- Travel and evacuation insurance — required, and we tell you what cover you need
- Lunches (≈ $5–8 per meal, paid locally)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Sleeping bag liner (rentable, $5/trip)
- Tips for guide and driver (optional)
- International flights & Bishkek hotels
Route and altitude
Meet your guide
Ilgiz — founder & lead guide
From Kochkor, guiding travellers for 15+ years, and the reason this company exists. He knows the families who run the yurt camps on the plateau personally. When you enquire, we tell you which guide is assigned to your dates before you commit to anything. More about Ilgiz
The Asia Peaks safety standard
Kyrgyzstan has no state mountain rescue service. We will not pretend that away — instead we tell you plainly what the risks on this route are and what we each do about them.
📵 We plan for no signal
Song-Kul has no phone coverage. We agree a communication and check-in plan with you before departure, so someone always knows where the group is.
🏥 Insurance, spelled out
Kyrgyzstan has no state mountain rescue and a helicopter is expensive. We tell you exactly what medical and evacuation cover to buy for this route, and we check you have it.
⛑️ First aid on every trip
Your guide carries an expedition first-aid kit and knows the fastest road out of the plateau in each direction.
🚙 Checked vehicles
4x4s are serviced before every departure and carry recovery gear, a spare wheel and extra fuel for the plateau.
Questions about this tour
I've never ridden a horse. Is Day 2 for me?
Yes. The horses are calm working animals used to first-timers, the ride is at walking pace with a horseman alongside, and helmets are provided. If you'd rather not ride, a guided lakeshore walk runs instead — same views, no saddle.
How cold does it get at night?
Song-Kul sits at 3,016 m — even in July, nights drop to 2–5 °C. Yurts have thick felt walls, wood stoves and heavy blankets, so you'll sleep warm. Bring a fleece and a warm hat for stargazing.
What about toilets and washing at the camp?
The camp has clean outdoor toilets and a simple washstand; some camps offer a basic shower. It's comfortable, honest nomad living — we're upfront that it's not a hotel, and that's the point.
Can I book for just myself or two people?
Yes. Solo ($690) and pair ($540) prices are fixed and published above — you are not waiting for a group to fill. Write to us with your dates and we confirm what is possible.
What are the payment and cancellation terms?
We send you the full terms in writing together with your itinerary, before anything is charged — including what happens if you cancel and what happens if we have to (extreme weather or a closed pass do occur here). If anything in them is unclear, ask us before you agree.
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