Year-Round Adventure: 3 Days Horse Trek to Song Kul Lake

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1Bishkek - Kyzart - Kilemche valley⌄

   Make your own way to Kyzart village and meet your guide at the local guesthouse. A Kyrgyz family welcomes you for lunch before the adventure begins. After the meal, you receive a short riding introduction — including how to sit, stop, and guide the horse. No previous horse riding experience is required.

   The ride then begins, following open valleys and mountain pastures as the trail gradually climbs into the jailoo — the highland summer pastures used by Kyrgyz shepherds for centuries. After around 3–4 hours in the saddle, you arrive in Kilemche for the night. Accommodation is in a traditional shepherd’s house — simple, authentic, and far from city life. Dinner is served here.

   Meals: Lunch · Dinner

   Overnight: Overnight in the shepherd's house

2. 2Kilemche - Jalgyz Karagoi Pass - Song Kul Lake⌄

   After breakfast, the ride continues toward Song Kul Lake. Today is the longest day of the trek. The trail climbs steadily to the Jalgyz Karagai Pass at 3,400 metres above sea level. Parts of the ascent can feel demanding, but the views across the alpine landscape open wider with every hour.

   From the top of the pass, Song Kul appears for the first time — a vast alpine lake surrounded by open grasslands where local nomadic families spend the summer with their livestock. The descent leads to the yurt camp by early afternoon, leaving the rest of the day free to walk by the lake, rest, or simply enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Facilities at the camp are basic but comfortable for the remote location. Dinner is served in the yurt, and on clear nights the stars above Song Kul are unforgettable.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

   Overnight: Overnight in the yurt camp

3. 3Song Kul Lake - Kara Kiya Pass - Kyzart - Bishkek⌄

   Early mornings at Song Kul are calm and quiet, with mist over the water and horses grazing the surrounding pastures. After breakfast, you saddle up for the final ride. The return route follows a different trail, crossing the Kara-Kiya Pass at approximately 3,400 metres before descending back toward Kyzart village. This loop route offers new scenery and different views rather than retracing the same path.

   After around 4 hours on horseback, the trek finishes back at the family guesthouse in Kyzart, where a final lunch is served before departure.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch