Spend five days on horseback like a Kyrgyz nomad, exploring the heart of the rugged Alay Mountains in southern Kyrgyzstan. Spend four nights in yurts with Kyrgyz host families spending their summers tending and protecting their herds of sheep, cattle, and horses. Immerse yourself in the shepherd’s culture for the ultimate local experience. On the fourth day, summit Ak Tor Pass and enjoy the sweeping expanse of the Alay Valley unfolded on all sides.
• Scenic mountain views at Airy Bell (2956 m) and Ak Tor (3,500 m) mountain passes where you’ll feel as though you’ve landed on another planet
• Sleeping in a traditional yurt where you’ll have an opportunity to meet Kyrgyz shepherds, learn about traditional nomadic culture, and enjoy home-cooked meals
• Community-Based Tourism. Your tour that works with local families and providers will contribute to local communities.
Destination: Alay Mountains, southern Kyrgyzstan
Tour Type: horse trek
Accommodation: 4 nights in yurts
Duration: 5d / 4n
Riding distance: 71 km
Max elevation: 3557 m
Service Level: Standard
Min elevation:1654 m
Total Ascent / Descent: 4453 m+ / – 4261 m ,
Months Possible: May – October,
Start / End Point: Osh city
Physical Rating: Light to Moderate – No prior horseback riding experience necessary.
Note: The length of the tour can be changed according to your time and desire.
Horse Trek Map
DAY 1: OSH CITY – KARA BULAK VILLAGE – TEPSHI CAMP
Riding time: 4 hours; Riding distance: 12 km; Meals: L,D; Ascent: 1218 m; Descent: 154 m; Accommodation: yurt
Start your ride up a dirt road after driving to Gulcha from Osh along the Pamir Highway. The road follows the Kara Bulak stream towards the Tepshi camp, passing shepherds’ yurts set up among junipers. Near the top of the climb, you will leave the road for a trail ascending the ridge on the left. Here, you will eat lunch and enjoy the rugged mountains of the Alay across the gorge formed by the Gulcha river. At the end of the ridge, you will descend into the Tepshi camp at 2710m to meet with your host for the night. Dinner.
Day 1. Riding to Tepshi yurt camp
DAY 2: TEPSHI CAMP – AIRY BELL PASS – SARY OI YURT CAMP
Riding time: 5 hours; Riding distance: 14 km; Meals: B,L,D; Ascent: 613 m; Descent: 1087 m; Accommodation: yurt
Breakfast. Start the day heading up to Airy Bell Pass 2950m on a small trail starting from your yurt. A steep, hour-long ride will bring you to the summit and an impressive panorama of the Kum Bell Mountains to the west. Descend to the Cholo Kaiyng Gorge and stop for lunch. In the gorge, a dirt road follows a small river to the Sary Oi camp at 2270m. Arrive at your yurts and join your hosts in the daily activities of nomads. Dinner.
Enjoying Kyrgyz hospitality
DAY 3: SARY OI CAMP TO THE FOOT OF AK TOR PASS
Riding time: 5 hours; Riding distance: 13 km; Meals: B,L,D; Ascent: 1020 m; Descent: 223 m; Accommodation: yurt
Breakfast. The third day starts with a demonstration of milking and making dairy products from horse and cow milk. After an easy morning, descend from Sary Oi summer camp to the river and turn upstream, skirting a precipitous gorge. Eat lunch near a shepherd’s tent with a new view of the craggy mountain ridge you descended the previous day. Continue along meandering trails through a pine forest towards the foot of Ak Tor Pass at 3040m. Arrive at a private yurt. Dinner.
Towards Sary-Oi camp alnog the Jyluu-Suu river
DAY 4: AK TOR PASS – MURDASH VALLEY – UCH CHAT CAMP
Riding time: 5-6 hours; Riding distance: 14 km; Meals: B, L,D; Ascent: 757 m; Descent: 1283 m; Accommodation: yurt
Breakfast. Cross the headwaters of the river and ride south towards the entrance of the pass. A short, but steep 500 meters ride up brings you to the summit of Ak Tor Pass at 3500 meters. On the way up, admire the sharp rock walls of the Asan Korgon Range. At the highest point of your horseback ride, rest for lunch with a side of the majestic Alay Mountain Ranges. Descend from the pass along a new stream to a final dirt road. Near the end of the day, ride on to Uch Chat summer camp and your host’s yurt. After welcome teas and before your dinner, take a walk around this scenic valley with scattered yurts of shepherds to experience local life.
Ak-Tor Mountains
DAY 5: TO OSH CITY OVER MURDASH VILLAGE
Driving time/: 2,5 hours ; Riding distance: 18 km; Meals: B,L; Ascent: 846 m; Descent: 1515 m;
Breakfast. We say goodbye to our crew and host family before we leave for Osh city. Our 20 km drive goes along a picturesque gorge with gushing rivers until the main road, then road continues on a nice road all the way to Osh city. Arrival at your hotel around lunch time. End of the tour.
View of Alay Mountains from Ak-Tor Pass
Price of the Truly Nomadic Land Horse Trek
| Number of people | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4-5 | 6 |
| Price per person in USD | 1050 | 820 | 670 | 610 | 580 |
Included:
– Shared accommodation in a yurt camp
– All meals indicated in itinerary*
– Personal meals and accommodation
– Transport from/to Osh
– Horses
– Horseman
– English-speaking guide
Not included:
– Hotel and meals in Osh city
– Helmet – Tips – Bottled water
– Travel and Health Insurance
– Flights or other domestic/international transport
– Sleeping bags (available at 6 USD per day)
*Please let us know in advance if you are vegetarian/vegan or if you have food allergies.
Join the following group tours for summer 2025
If the following dates do not suit your travel plans, please contact us and we will post a new tour with your dates and try to collect more people to join you for a group trip.
| Tour Name | Dates | Spots Available | Price | Reserve your Spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Truly Nomadic Lands Horse Trek (5 days) | 20 - 24 July 2025 | 6 booked, 4 spots available | from 580 USD | Email inquiry |
Truly Nomadic Lands Horse Trek (5 days) | 19 - 23 August 2025 | 9 booked, 1 spot available | from 580 USD | Email Inquiry |
Truly Nomadic Lands Horse Trek (5 days) | 7 - 11 September 2025 | 4 booked, 2 spots available | from 580 USD | Email Inquiry |
Truly Nomadic Lands Horse Trek (5 days) | 13 - 17 September 2025 | 0 booked, 6+ spots available | from 580 USD | Email Inquiry |
Truly Nomadic Lands Horse Trek (5 days) | 20 - 24 September 2025 | 8 booked, 2 spots available | from 580 USD | Email Inquiry |
What to Expect:
Yurts Sleeping in a traditional Kyrgyz yurt is a highlight for many travelers. One yurt usually sleeps 5-6 people and you will sleep on mats on the ground with blankets piled on top. Toilets are outside, so be sure to have a headlamp with you to navigate there at night.
Food Most of the meals on this tour are home-cooked and provided by a yurt camp, homestay, or guesthouse. These traditional Kyrgyz meals usually include some sort of meat (often beef) served with potatoes, rice, or homemade noodles. Fresh bread rounds are also a must at every meal and you’ll often find homemade jams and traditional sour cream to go with this.
Vegetarian food Yurt stays is able to cook vegetarian food. You should inform the company and guide in advance. In general, let us know if you have any specific preferences about food.
Drinking Water There are clean mountain springs along the trail where we can refill water bottles. You can take cleaning powders as well to clean river/spring waters. Yurt stays will provide boiled water if needed. Drink as much water as possible to avoid dehydration
Difficulty The trail terrain has ups and downs, not flat. You will cross two passes during the trek. At few places the trail has scree and steep slopes. There you should get off the horse and walk those parts. Your guide will remind you. Some skilled riders can go over these difficult parts without getting off.
Guide You always have a guide and horsemen at this trek. Guides will provide you with all the necessary information and be with you to make sure everything is OK and safe. All the guides speak a good English and little bit of Russian. They have at least three year’s guiding experience.
Weather and season The best season for this trek is from July to mid September. It gets + 10 to 20 at night during the best season. We also run this trek even in early June and late September with some snow on the high passes. The weather changes frequently on the high passes and gets windy so make sure to keep your bellies and stomach warm while crossing the high passes not get cold to your stomach. If you do get a cold, then you will have digestion issues.
Luggage We ask all to leave all the unnecessary luggage in Osh city at our office and take the items needed for trek. You can take two bags: small day backpack carried by you where you put your bottled water, wallet and other personals items and a bigger backpack carried by luggage horses where you can put your clothes, pants, sleeping bag and other items. The bigger backpacks carried by horse should weigh 10 to 15 kilos. Horses have special bags designed for the trek. Each horse carries about 60 to 70 kilos.
High Altitude Sickness Some of the clients come from a low land countries. Sleeping at 2600 meters high might cause some headache issues. You should judge your health. Otherwise, the first and second nights are at 2500 meters. High altitude sickness usually happen above 3000 meter elevations. Third night is at 3000 meters, so your nights at 2000 meters on day 1 and 2 will get you used to this elevation.
Sleeping bag Yurtstays have blankets to cover up at night. However, having your own sleeping bag is handy. You can rent from us if you don’t have one.
Recommended packing list for the trek:
• Warm clothes and layers as it gets warm during the day, but can go below freezing at night and when it rains • Good trekking shoes • Day pack to carry camera, water, sunscreen, etc. • Sun protection as the sun is very strong at altitude: Sunglasses, sunscreen (SPF 30 or above), and a sun hat /cap • Water and windproof jacket and pants. It gets especially windy on the mountain passes • Walking sticks are recommended (we can provide them if you don’t have them) • Medical kit for treating blisters, traveler’s diarrhea and other minor illnesses. • Water purification tablets or drops if you want to clean the spring water • Refillable water bottle • Lip balm: your lips get chapped very easily in the mountains • Wet wipes and/or anti-bacterial gel to clean hands • Hat and gloves to wear at night for warmth • Head lamp to navigate campsite and yurt camps at night • Warm sleeping bag (we provide you with this if you don’t have one). Yurts and homestays provide blankets.
Truly Nomadic Land Horse Trek Photo Gallery
Traveler Reviews
Read more “Absolutely perfect organisation, guide, horses, landscape, yurts”
It was a mind blowing experience and one of the best times of my life. Timur as my guide was fantastic and outstanding. He took us through some amazing landscapes with breathtaking views. Thanks to him, I took back some cherished memories for a life time
I will highly recommend this trek and Timur to any one who wants to do something different in their travels.
Trust me, you are missing something if you don’t do this
FAQ: Horseback Riding in Kyrgyzstan
Yes, most of our horse treks are beginner-friendly. Our local horse guides will match you with a calm, gentle horse and making sure you feel comfortable with it. Before heading out, you’ll get basic instructions on how to manage, guide and control the horse. We’ll adjust your saddle and stirrups so you feel comfortable and secure.
The pace of our horse treks is generally walk-only or light trot so there is no crazy galloping. In addition, our horse guides will assist you with any challenging assents or descents. That way you can focus on enjoying the scenery and the ride.
You’ll want to dress similarly for a horse trek as to how you would for a hike or trek on foot, with a few considerations for riding comfort. It actually feels a bit colder riding a horse than hiking because you’re not generating as much body heat, so bring warm layers even if the day is mild.
Wear long pants (jeans or durable trekking pants) to protect your legs from friction against the saddle. On your upper body, dress in layers – a t-shirt or light long-sleeve, plus a fleece or light jacket you can put on when it’s cooler. A rain jacket or poncho is important too as weather can change quickly in the mountains. Sturdy shoes or lightweight boots with a small heel are ideal. Hiking boots are good. Just avoid completely flat sandals or open-toed shoes for safety in the stirrups. We provide basic riding gear, but we recommend bringing some light gloves to help prevent blisters from holding the reins.
In summary, the best way to prepare for a horse trek is to dress warm, cover up from sun and chafing, and be ready for mountain weather. Our team will brief you on what to bring specific to your route as well.
Western riders often ask about helmets. In Kyrgyzstan, locals typically don’t use riding helmets, and we do not automatically provide them. If a helmet is important to you, please bring a lightweight equestrian helmet or we can try to source one with advance notice.
Our priority is safety and the well-being of the horses and riders, so fast galloping is generally not part of our horse treks. Many of the areas where we ride are narrow mountain trails, steep slopes, and rocky terrain. It’s simply not safe or feasible to go faster than a walking pace or gentle trot on these mountain terrains. The horses need to navigate carefully to avoid injury.
Toward the end of a day or on certain flat stretches where the terrain is open and safe, our guides may allow an experienced rider to do a short canter or gallop for fun. This is always at the guide’s discretion. Keep in mind these horses are working at high altitude and on tough paths, so we don’t want to exhaust them with a lot of fast riding or galloping. We ask guests to be understanding and gentle with the animals.
Expect a leisurely pace on our horse treks so that you can take in the scenery and experience. The joy of horse trekking here is less about speed and more about reaching beautiful remote places on horseback, like alpine lakes or jailoo (high altitude) pastures, which would be arduous or take a long time to reach on foot.
Yes, we can arrange short horseback riding excursions as well. We understand that everyone might now have time for a multi-day trek or that they just want a taste of horseback riding in Kyrgyzstan for a couple of hours.These are often included as side activities on one of our cultural tours. For example, we could add a horseback riding trip outside of Karakol or at Song-Kul Lake for the day.
For any custom short horseback riding trip, just contact us and we’ll see if we can add it to your itinerary.
We recommend the following packing list for a horse trek.
- Warm clothes and layers as it gets warm during the day, but can go below freezing at night and when it rains
- Good trekking shoes • Day pack to carry camera, water, sunscreen, etc.
- Sun protection as the sun is very strong at altitude: Sunglasses, sunscreen (SPF 30 or above), and a sun hat /cap
- Water and windproof jacket and pants. It gets especially windy on the mountain passes
- Medical kit for treating blisters, traveler’s diarrhea and other minor illnesses.
- Water purification tablets or drops if you want to clean the spring water
- Refillable water bottle • Lip balm: your lips get chapped very easily in the mountains
- Wet wipes and/or anti-bacterial gel to clean hands
- Hat and gloves to wear at night for warmth
- Head lamp to navigate campsite and yurt camps at night
- Warm sleeping bag (we provide you with this if you don’t have one). Yurts and homestays provide blankets.