Travel Tips for Kyrgyzstan: 10 Useful Things to Know

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The land of yurts, mountains, and fermented horse milk.

Did you know that over 90% of Kyrgyz territory is mountainous?!

Yeah, that stat blew my mind too, but now you know you’re in for an adventure already!

Famous for its traditional yurts, nomadic culture, and wild mountains, Kyrgyzstan is the ultimate off the beaten path destination.

Kyrgyzstan is a country where you very quickly feel welcomed and at ease; people are friendly and relaxed.

The food is definitely an ‘acquired’ taste, and the public transport isn’t the easiest to manoeuvre, but that’s all part of the experience.

Don’t go expecting to have an easy holiday, go to have a fulfilling, wholesome and exciting adventure!

So, what are the absolute must-know travel tips for Kyrgyzstan?

We spent six weeks travelling around Kyrgyzstan, and these are all our top tips to make your trip go a little more smoothly.

a view over a valley in Arslanbob in western Kyrgyzstan shows tall green trees with houses and a backdrop of huge grey mountains

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1. Public Transport Isn’t Straight Forward

Out of the three Stans that we have visited (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan), Kyrgyzstan definitely has the most challenging public transport.

Like I said in the intro, over 90% of the country is mountainous which means that a rail network is difficult and travelling by road takes forever.

Transport in Kyrgyzstan is all about shared taxis and the classic Soviet marshrutka. You’ll find both of these available in most cities, but prepare yourself for some long, bumpy rides.

Some of Kyrgyzstan’s most famous tourist sites aren’t accessible whatsoever by public transport, so a prearranged tour of driver is required.

Kyrgyzstan marshrutka with a sign in the window for the route from Osh to Arslanbob via Bazar Korgon

2. Top Taxi App

The best taxi app for Kyrgyzstan is YandexGo.

It’ll work in the largest cities, but make sure you download and set up the app before you arrive into Kyrgyzstan.

It requires a code to be sent to an active phone number, which is an absolute pain if you haven’t got a local SIM, and no one wants to turn their home number on to receive a text with extra fees!

This just means that when you arrive, you can request a ride straight away.

3. Cash or Card?

It’s probably a 50/50 split. A lot of places in the big cities like Bishkek, Karakol, Osh etc. accept card, but you will always need cash too. Markets, smaller shops, some accommodation, marshrutkas etc. will need cash payment.

a photo of the history museum in Bishkek which is housed in a large white marble rectangular building in Soviet modernist style. There is a large Kyrgyz flag pole and a statue.

4. Local Currency

The local currency is Kyrgyz Som or KGS.

5. Fee-Free ATMs

Please don’t pay to withdraw your own money! Almost everywhere we have travelled, we have been able to find at least one ATM that does not charge.

In Kyrgyzstan, the magic ATM is Optima!

a traditional white Kyrgyz yurt sits on the plains around Son Kul Lake with a mountain backdrop and blue skies - travel tips for kyrgyzstan

6. Local Vegetarian Food is Almost Non-Existent Outside of Karakol

One of the toughest countries we have ever visited in terms of finding vegetarian food!

In Osh and Bishkek, you’ll find some great cafes, and modern restaurants with vegetarian options.

In Karakol in the very east of the country near the border with China, there are some tasty veg options thanks to the Uyghur, Dungan, Chinese influence in the cuisine.

We gave Kyrgyzstan a 2/10 on the vegetarian-friendliness scale.

  • Must-try food: Ashlan Fu – you’ll only find this in Karakol and it’s known as a hangover cure!
  • A cold, vinegary soup of thick starchy noodles with some scrambled egg on top.
  • Ok, I’m not selling it well! Make sure you ask for it without meat.
  • I can’t say I was a big fan, BUT it was vegetarian so beggars can’t be choosers, eh?

There are several other traditional veg options that are less of the cold, sour soup variety. Check out our blog post for all the most unique Kyrgyz veg dishes.

  • Must-try drinks: Arpa, Red Sun, Zhivoye are all local beers.
  • But also try kumis, a fermented horse milk that is sour and fizzy, and a quintessential experience when visiting Kyrgyzstan. Again, was I a fan? No.
  • Coffee Country or Tea Town: Tea Town
Ashlan fu - a Kyrgyz Dungan dish of a cold vinegary soup with starchy noodles and topped with scrambled egg
a green glass beer bottle of local Kyrgyz beer named Arpa is photographed in front of traditional Kyrgyz yurts

7. Language

Kyrgyz is the local language, but Russian is more commonly spoken. You’ll find some people in the larger cities who understand English.

Brush up on your cyrillic so that you can understand signs and menus!

8. Hello and Thank you in the Local Language

The language barrier in Kyrgyzstan is pretty tough, and while you can’t be expected to learn the language for every country you travel to, learning a little will always be received with a smile.

  • Hello: Salam
  • Thanks: Rahmat
tall green trees surround a still lake in Jyrgalan, Kyrgyzstan

9. Tourist SIM

Beeline is a big company providing prepaid tourist SIM cards throughout the Stans, and you can even get SIMs that allow for roaming between several neighbouring countries.

10. Highlights of a Kyrgyzstan Trip

  • Bob around in Issy Kul Lake.
  • Wander the world’s largest walnut forest in Arslanbob.
  • Hike in the forest around Jyrgalan.
  • Stay in a traditional yurt.
  • Eat Kyrgyzstan’s tastiest vegetarian food in Karakol!
  • Explore Kyrgyzstan’s only UNESCO site: Suleiman-Too.
  • Search for Soviet mosaics in Bishkek.
  • Explore the bustling market in Osh.
  • Drink a glass of the local kumis – a fermented horse milk that’s sour and fizzy!
a man is swimming in Issy Kul lake in Kyrgyzstan. There are small waves and a pebbly shore
the inside of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt has red wooden poles and patterned material

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Sam Dawson

Sam Dawson is a travel & food blogger and co-founder of Relentless Roaming. Having travelled full-time for three years to countries that aren’t on the conventional tourist trail, Sam writes about practical travel tips and local vegetarian food recommendations from personal experience. She is on a mission to showcase all the very best traditionally vegetarian local dishes from around the world and to help other curious travellers mix up their holiday game to explore more offbeat destinations.