Kyrgyzstan
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Watch Kyrgyz women shoot arrows from horseback, sleep in a yurt beside a lake at 3,000 meters and meet a man who hunts with a golden eagle. This is Central Asia at its wildest and most welcoming. Along the way you’ll help a family raise a yurt, pull noodles by hand in a Uyghur kitchen and taste honey with a cooperative of women beekeepers. You’ll sleep in yurt camps on Song-Kul and the shore of Issyk-Kul, a guesthouse in the Chon-Kemin Valley and small hotels in between.
Inclusions
Handpicked stays
Two yurt camps, one on Song-Kul and one on the shore of Issyk-Kul, plus a guesthouse in the Chon-Kemin Valley and hotels in Bishkek, Kochkor and Karakol.
26 meals
9 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 9 dinners. Lots of them are in local homes: a craftswoman’s kitchen, a family of musicians and a Uyghur family who teach you to pull your own noodles.
All activities, included
- ✓Watch Kyrgyz women compete in horseback archery, then try a bow yourself
- ✓A visit with an eagle hunter
- ✓A yurt raising in Kyzyl-Tuu
- ✓Two nights in yurt camps on Song-Kul and Issyk-Kul
- ✓The Altyn Kol felt cooperative
- ✓A noodle class with a Uyghur family in Karakol
- ✓Honey tasting with women beekeepers
- ✓Burana Tower
- ✓Skazka Canyon
- ✓The Seven Bulls of Jety-Oguz
- ✓A boat ride on Issyk-Kul
A local female guide
An English-speaking local woman leads you from the welcome dinner to the last breakfast. She knows the families you’ll visit, the mountain roads and exactly where to stop for the view.
All transport
Airport pickup when you land and a private air-conditioned minibus for every drive.
A matched roommate
Our compatibility quiz pairs you with someone you’ll actually click with. Hello, yurt buddy. Want your own space? Private rooms are available.
Most tips
Tips for drivers, local guides and hosts are covered, so you’re not fumbling for som. Tipping your main guide is up to you.
Highlights
Watch women archers compete on horseback
Meet the women archers of Chon Kurchak Gorge, then try a bow yourself
Meet an eagle hunter and his golden eagle
An ancient bond between hunter and bird, up close near Bokonbayevo
Sleep in a yurt on the shores of Song-Kul
Summer pastures at 3,016 meters, grazing horses and more stars than you’ve ever seen
Raise a yurt with the family who builds them
Help put up a felt yurt in Kyzyl-Tuu, then share lunch with the makers
Pull noodles by hand with a Uyghur family
Learn to stretch lagman in Karakol, then sit down to the meal you made
Watch women archers compete on horseback
Meet the women archers of Chon Kurchak Gorge, then try a bow yourself
Meet an eagle hunter and his golden eagle
An ancient bond between hunter and bird, up close near Bokonbayevo
Sleep in a yurt on the shores of Song-Kul
Summer pastures at 3,016 meters, grazing horses and more stars than you’ve ever seen
Raise a yurt with the family who builds them
Help put up a felt yurt in Kyzyl-Tuu, then share lunch with the makers
Pull noodles by hand with a Uyghur family
Learn to stretch lagman in Karakol, then sit down to the meal you made
Your Itinerary
AFTERNOONLand at Manas International Airport (FRU) and meet our team, who’ll drive you to your hotel in Bishkek. Land by 3pm to settle in before the group meets.
EVENINGMeet the women you’ll spend the next 10 days with at 6pm, then sit down to your first Kyrgyz dinner together.
Dinner
MORNINGDrive to Chon Kurchak Gorge to meet a group of Kyrgyz women who shoot arrows from galloping horses. Hear how they got into it, watch them ride, then pick up a bow for a friendly team competition.
AFTERNOONClimb the Burana Tower, an 11th-century minaret, then share lunch with a local family and watch traditional horse games.
EVENINGSettle into a guesthouse in the Chon-Kemin Valley. On the August 30 departure, today is Independence Day, so expect celebrations.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
MORNINGHike for two to three hours through the Chon-Kemin Valley, or swap your boots for a horse (optional extra).
AFTERNOONHave lunch at the home of Altyn Eje, a craftswoman who helps local women earn from their traditional work, and watch an Elechek demonstration, the tall white headdress Kyrgyz women have worn for generations.
EVENINGClimb to Song-Kul, a lake at 3,016 meters, for dinner and a night in a yurt under a sky full of stars.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
MORNINGSpend the morning at Song-Kul. Hike, ride (optional extra) or just sit with the quiet and the grazing horses.
AFTERNOONDrive down to Kochkor after lunch and check in to a small hotel.
EVENINGListen over dinner as the hotel’s manager shares her own story of life as a woman in Kyrgyzstan, including her experience of bride kidnapping.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
MORNINGVisit Altyn Kol, a women’s cooperative where more than 200 women make shyrdaks, felt carpets in patterns passed down for generations.
AFTERNOONHelp a yurt-maker family in Kyzyl-Tuu raise a yurt from steam-bent wood and felt, then share lunch with them. Later, meet an eagle hunter near Bokonbayevo and his golden eagle.
EVENINGCheck in to your yurt camp on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
MORNINGWalk among the red sandstone towers of Skazka Canyon. Skazka means fairytale, and you’ll see why.
AFTERNOONJoin a family of musicians at their home in Kaji Say for lunch and a private concert. Soak in the hot springs (optional) or head back to camp to swim in Issyk-Kul, the world’s second-largest alpine lake.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
MORNINGDrive into the Barskoon Valley, past a bust of Yuri Gagarin, and hike to the waterfalls.
AFTERNOONWalk through the red cliffs of Jety-Oguz, known as the Seven Bulls.
EVENINGPull lagman noodles by hand with a Uyghur family in Karakol, then eat what you made.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
MORNINGExplore Karakol’s Dungan Mosque, built from wood in 1904 without a single nail, plus the wooden Orthodox church and the local market.
AFTERNOONMeet the women of Issyk-Kul Bal, 17 beekeepers in a field long run by men. Taste their honey and make beeswax candles to take home.
EVENINGTake an optional soak in the hot springs before dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
MORNINGDrive the north shore of Issyk-Kul back toward Bishkek, with a 30-minute boat ride on the lake along the way.
EVENINGRaise a glass to the women you shared it all with at a farewell dinner in Bishkek.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
MORNINGShare one last breakfast, hug it out and head to the airport whenever your flight calls, or carry on to our Uzbekistan trip.
Breakfast
From $3,975 · 10 days · Max 14 women · $550 holds your spot
Where you’ll stay
SONG-KUL · 1 NIGHT
Nomad Lodge Yurt Camp
Out on the summer pastures at 3,016 meters, where nomad families graze their herds. Your yurt has a wood stove for chilly nights, and there’s no wifi or signal, which our travelers say ends up being the best part.
ISSYK-KUL · 2 NIGHTS
Oimo Tash Yurt Camp
The yurt experience without roughing it. Your felt yurt sits right on the shore of Issyk-Kul with a real bed and your own bathroom with a hot shower. The lake is a few steps away, and the sunrises are worth setting an alarm for.
BISHKEK · 2 NIGHTS
Hotel Ambassador
Your first and last nights are in central Bishkek, a comfy base for the welcome and farewell dinners with the Tian Shan mountains on the horizon.
Roommates, matched
Our compatibility quiz, built with a matchmaker and psychologist, pairs you with someone you’ll actually click with. Or upgrade to a private room.
Who you’ll travel with
Up to 13 other women, most of whom booked on their own. They range from 28 to 88, and it’s the yurt nights, the archery competition and the noodle-pulling that bond you. 92% of our travelers say they keep in touch after the trip ends.
✓Meet your group on WhatsApp before you fly
✓A welcome dinner on night one, with your guide making the introductions
✓Solo time built in, so you’re never forced to be “on”
“I was confident this trip to Kyrgyzstan would be incredible. I was right!”
Chi L. · Kyrgyzstan
The people behind your trip
Your guide
Tatiana
Tatiana has been guiding travelers through Kyrgyzstan since 2016. Between seasons she’s worked in hotels, managed a paragliding company, taught skiing and trained new guides for the Association of Tour Operators in Kyrgyzstan.
Off the clock you’ll find her hiking in the mountains or trying a new recipe. Expect plenty of laughs and a real look at Kyrgyzstan through the eyes of someone who loves it.
Founder
Amanda Black
After getting robbed as a backpacker, Amanda vowed no woman traveling alone should ever feel that stranded. Since 2018 and hundreds of group trips, she’s still keeping that promise.
Behind the scenes
Our operations team
You’ll see Tatiana and our local partners. Behind them, our team follows every day of your trip to keep you safe and on track.
In their words
★★★★★ 4.7 on Trustpilot · Read all reviews
★★★★★
“Meeting an eagle hunter was one of my favorite experiences on the trip. I would not have had the opportunity to experience these moments if I had not joined SoFe.”
Chi L.
Kyrgyzstan
★★★★★
“Kyrgyzstan was my second SoFe trip, and it exceeded my wildest expectations. SoFe put together a truly gold-star itinerary and range of experiences.”
Alyssa
Kyrgyzstan
Your Safety on tour
Never on your own, unless you want to be
A local female guide, every day
We meet you at the airport
Private transport, vetted routes
Pre-trip guides, so you land prepared
Local guides who know every family we visit
One guide in front, a whole team behind her
Choose your departure
$550 holds your spot
It comes off your total.
Pay at your pace
As much and as often as you like. Balance due 90 days out.
Plans change? Transfer for free
Move your spot to another date or trip with 90+ days’ notice.
Per person, USD · Other currencies at checkout · 🔒 Secure checkout with Stripe
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Kyrgyzstan July 19 - 28, 2027
Kyrgyzstan Aug 30 - Sept 8, 2027
Questions women ask before booking
Is this trip right for me?
Bring layers. Song-Kul sits at 3,016 meters, so nights get chilly even in July. Down by Issyk-Kul it’s warm enough to swim.
Song-Kul is off the grid. No wifi, no signal and shared bathrooms, and travelers say it’s their favorite night. At Issyk-Kul your yurt has its own bathroom and hot shower.
Road trip mode. Some days have 4 to 7 hours of driving, broken up with stops for canyons, waterfalls and lake views.
How active is this trip?
Moderate. You’ll do a two to three hour hike in the Chon-Kemin Valley, walks around Song-Kul, a waterfall hike in the Barskoon Valley and an easy walk through Jety-Oguz. Horse riding is optional. The altitude at Song-Kul can make walking feel harder, so take it slow.
The longest drive is 6 to 7 hours, from Issyk-Kul back to Bishkek on day 9.
Where do I arrive and leave from?
Arrive: Manas International Airport (FRU) in Bishkek on day one, and we’ll pick you up. Land by 3pm so you’re settled in time for the welcome meeting at 6pm.
Leave: Manas International Airport (FRU) any time on the last day. Your airport drop-off isn’t included, but your guide can help you arrange a ride.
Do I have to share a room?
Only if you want to. Twin-share rooms are included in the price, or you can upgrade to a private room. If you share, you’ll take our roommate compatibility quiz, built with a professional matchmaker and psychologist, and we pair you with someone who fits how you travel: early riser or night owl, social butterfly or quiet recharger.
Will we stay in the places shown on this page?
Usually, yes. These are the places we book. Now and then one is unavailable, and we swap it for a stay of the same standard or better.
Do I need a visa?
Most travelers don’t. US, Canadian, UK, Australian and most EU passport holders can visit Kyrgyzstan visa-free for up to 60 days.
Requirements depend on your passport, so once you book, we’ll walk you through exactly what you need, step by step, until you land in Bishkek.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes, travel insurance is required for every traveler. When you book your spot, you can add a plan from our preferred insurance partner in a couple of clicks, or choose your own provider and add your policy details any time before departure.
What’s not included?
International flights.
Travel insurance, which is required.
Visa fees, if your passport needs one.
Tips for your guide.
Your airport drop-off on the last day.
Optional extras, like horse riding at Chon-Kemin and Song-Kul and the hot springs.
What if I need to cancel?
90 or more days before departure: we’ll transfer your deposit to another SoFe trip, any date or any destination. Or we’ll hold it for up to a year until you’re ready to choose.
Fewer than 90 days before departure: payments are non-refundable, so you’d claim through your travel insurance. That’s exactly what it’s there for.
Everything you need before you go
The dress code, a printable packing list, and books and films to get you in the mood.
Your spot is waiting.
From $3,975 · 10 days · Max 14 women · $550 holds your spot
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