Kyrgyz Republic (Кыргыз Республикасы) AKA Kyrgyzstan
Why visit Kyrgyzstan…
- Mountains – Glorious sights for a skier or hiker’s delight
- Cheap – On a budget? Live it up without breaking the bank
- Yurts – Cultural glamping
- Tea Time – Hydrate like a Kyrgyz, water can wait
- Lakes – With nearly 2,000 glacial puddles, go ahead and frost yourself
- Nomadic Natives – These trendy herdsmen were far ahead of the current wander craze
Kyrgyzstan is a struggle country for…
- Lactose – With an udderly preposterous selection of milk drinks, tradition isn’t for everyone
- Gluten Intolerant – Bread is basic. Some of the country highlights contain gluten, but there are some alternatives so you’ll live
- Flavor Fanatics – Prepare for a sliding scale of bland to savory
- Shoobies – Leave your shoes at the door
- Animal Allergy – Expect consistent precipitation of cats and dogs, but they typically will not pester you so you’ll live
- Scanty Panties – Courteous coverage is appreciated in this predominantly Muslim country
- Banknotes: Kyrgyz Som (KGS) comes in 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000 & 5000
- Coins: 1, 3, 5 & 10 som
- Card is accepted some places in cities, but it is recommended to carry cash especially for the smaller towns.
- ATMs are limited outside the cities, so be sure to stock up.
- Taxis or Yandex
- Bus
- Marshrutka
- International Airports: Bishkek (FRU), Osh (OSS), Tamchy (IKU)
- Train
- Hitchhiking
- Borders: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China
- Besh Barmak / беш бармак (five fingers) – handmade noodles with minced meat that was originally eaten by hand (hence the name)
- Lagman / лагман – meat, noodles & vegetables; try it standard, fried or soupy
- Plov / плов – rice dish containing meat, carrots & onions
- Shashlyk / Шашлык – grilled meat skewers
- Kuurdak / Куурдак – spiced meat with onions
- Byzhy / Быжы – sausage stuffed with sheep intestines, along with other minced meats, garlic & onions
- Qazy / Казы – sausage stuffed with horse meat & intestines
- Shorpo / шорпо – meat soup with potatoes and onions
- Ashlyan-Fu / Ашлян-Фу – cold, zesty-sour noodle soup in a vegetable broth
- Brizol / Бризоль – meat & egg roll filled with vegetables in a yogurt sauce
- Pelmeni / Пельмени (traditionally Russian) / Chuchpara / Чучвара – tiny meat dumplings in a broth
- Manti / Манты- large dumplings filled with either meat or meat with pumpkin
- Samsa / Самса – oven baked triangular pastry filled with meat & onions
- Mai Tokoch / Май Токоч – circular tandoor baked bread
- Boorsok / Боорсок – small, square pastries similar to sugarless donuts
- Qurut / Курут – salty balls made of drained sour milk
- Kumuz / Кумуз – traditional drink of whipped mare’s milk
- Ayran / Айран – thick, sour milk drink similar to yogurt
- Tan / Тан – sour fermented drink from cow’s milk
- Chalap / Чалап – suzmo (tangy yogurt) & salt diluted with water; Often available in stores from the Shoro / Шоро brand
- Maksim / Максым – sour drink made from barley, wheat, millet & corn; Often available in stores from the Shoro / Шоро brand
- Bozo / Бозо – millet drink with yeast; Often available in stores from the Shoro / Шоро brand
- Jarma / Жарма – ground grain drink; Often available in stores from the Shoro / Шоро brand
- Aralash / Аралаш – a cocktail of chalap / Чалап and maksim / Максым; Often available in stores from the Shoro / Шоро brand
Entry Requirements for Kyrgyzstan
Requirements are dependent on citizenship.
Some countries, excluding the US, require a visa for entry. The visa fee depends on the type and duration. If required, a Tourist (TS) visa can be obtained for up to 60 days whereas a Mountain Tourist (MT) visa, specifically for the intent of mountaineering, snowboarding, trekking, rafting, mountain biking, heli-skiing, rock climbing, ice climbing, freeride or skitour, is valid for up to 90 days.
US citizens are able to travel visa-free for up to 60 days.
Click the links below for visa information.
There are currently no covid-19 related restrictions for entry into Kyrgyzstan.
Remember to check your entry requirements for returning home.
Kyrgyz Language
Learning a new language can be quite the undertaking, especially one that uses a different alphabet. Personally, I always try to make an effort to at least learn a few common words while traveling to a new country as the locals tend to appreciate the effort. See below for a Kyrgyz starter word pack.
Kyrgyz is a Turkic language that is mutually intelligible with the neighboring Kazakh language. Originally the Old Turkic (Göktürk) script was used which was later replaced with the Arabic alphabet. Between 1928 and 1940 the alphabet was returned to Turkic as a Latin script. This change was aligned with the progressive reforms of Atatürk, first president of the Turkish Republic. In 1940 the Soviet regime replaced the Latin script with Cyrillic.
Eliminate guesswork and easily ramble on with Russian in this post-Soviet country. Otherwise, expect to play some charades as English is limited.
| English | Kyrgyz | Converted | Pronunciation |
| Hi | салам | salam | sa-lahm |
| Bye | кош бол | koş bol | kosh bowl |
| Yes | ооба | ooba | oo-ba |
| No | жок | jok | jock |
| Thanks | рахмат | rahmat | rakh-mot |
| You’re welcome | Эчтеке эмес | eçteke emes | ech-tekeh em-es |
| Please | сураныч | suranıç | sue-ran-ich |
| Excuse me | кечириңиз | keçiriŋiz | keh-cheh-ring-iz |
| One | бир | bir | bir |
| Two | эки | eki | ick-keh |
| Water | суу | suu | sue |
| Beer | пиво | pivo | pee-vo |
| Wine | шарап | şarap | sha-rap |
| Cheers | Ден соолугубуз үчүн | Den soolugubuz uçun | den so-o-loo-goo-booz ooch-oon |
SIM Cards & WiFi in Kyrgyzstan
Choose from MegaCom (most popular), Beeline or O! Purchase your communication connection around town from the mall, convenience stores, kiosks, or the providers themselves. Fair warning, coverage tends to degrade when entering the countryside.
Note: Passport required for purchase.
Free wifi is available within the Manas international airport outside Bishkek. Otherwise just about everywhere has wifi as long as you do not mind asking for the password.
Currency in Kyrgyzstan
Transportation in Kyrgyzstan
Quick Facts
Yandex
The common app of Eastern Europe and Western Asia provides a far cheaper option compared to a taxi. Locked in prices prevent the typical tourist taxi scam. My USA visa credit card would not work in the app so cash was required. Fair warning when paying with cash as most drivers do not carry change.
Recommended for Bishkek airport travel.
Buses in Kyrgyzstan
Whether your excuse is the slippery steps and numbing chill of winter or a preference for practicality that excludes leisurely strolls, opt for an affordable ride around any city with the bus (12-20s).
Marshrutkas (minibuses) in Kyrgyzstan
If you are looking for an affordable option to travel from town to town, and you play nicely with others, this is the way to go.
The route destination will be displayed on a dashboard sign, although if you did not pack your cyrillic shades this may present (an easily resolved) problem. Translate your destination to Kyrgyz or Russian to assist with the sign decipher. Additionally, the people in this country are always happy to help, so if you find yourself lost in translation just ask the nearest person (perhaps with a translator app’s assistance), and they will point you in the right direction.
Content to stop anywhere along the road, marshrutkas make for an easy failsafe whenever there is a hitchhiking slump. Flag down one of these chariots to whisk you off to the nearest town (or if you’re lucky your desired destination).
Cash is a necessity, but there is no need to have exact change. This is an excellent opportunity for you to break those large bills. Generally you will pay the driver prior to departure. Keep your patience as marshrutkas will not leave until full, so they are not held to a strict time schedule. Trunk space is available but otherwise you’re limited to your own lap or foot space.
There are no bathrooms on board but no need for a potty panic. The driver will generally stop after every few hours allowing for a bathroom break and snack stock up.
Trains in Kyrgyzstan
Trains are undoubtedly more spacious than either bus or plane. Stretch out and consider hopping aboard for a summer ride from Bishkek to Balykchy on the Western shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. A hibernating locomotive, this option is not available during winter.
Swap speed for price cuts as the train is significantly cheaper than either marshrutka or bus. Currently it is not possible to purchase tickets online. Head to the station or one of the kassas (ticket stands) in Bishkek to obtain your right of passage.
Hitchhiking in Kyrgyzstan
Hitchhiking is possible in Kyrgyzstan. Due to the cold winter weather, I only tried around Lake Issyk-Kul. I was able to easily flag down a few locals for rides under 30 km as well as a long haul 250 km ride with an expat from the lake back to Bishkek.
Food in Kyrgyzstan
Soup
Dumplings
Bread
Milky Ways
Liquid Cereal
Breakfast Combo
Alcohol in Kyrgyzstan
Vodka
The undisputed favorite amongst Kyrgyz drinkers. The price of cheap vodka / арак may not leave your piggy bank rattled, but the hangover to follow will surely leave your brain addled.
Beer
Look no further than Our Beer/ наше пиво, Arpa/ Арпа and Alive/ Живое when thirsting for a Kyrgyz classic. For those obstinate towards the mainstream palette, opt instead for the microbrew Venskoye. Finally, Chuiskoye welcomes anyone with darker urges.
Once you have decided on your choice craft, go ahead and stock up with 1 to 2 liters of draft from a local beer shop, пивной магазин. No need to bring your own growler as plastic bottles will be provided.
Wine
The Kyrgyz grapes of wrath are on a slow burn of revitalization following fun sponge Gorbachev’s anti-alcohol campaign in 1985 and the USSR’s collapse in 1991. Discovery of an overlap of climatic conditions between Florence, Italy and the Northern shores of Lake Issyk Kul, convinced the Italian Antinori dynasty of wine to allow a future of Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir to take root in 1999.
Sadly in sober news, a vast majority of vines are still solely dedicated to the cultivation of table grapes and sultanas (raisin relatives), but change is in the air.