Horse Trek to Song Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan: A Complete Guide

Horse riding to Song Kul has become one of the most quintessential experiences in Kyrgyzstan. It’s often described as the highlight of any trip to Central Asia and I’m sure you’ve seen posts on social media of travellers galloping along open fields beside the beautiful, alpine lake. 

It is for good reason. Song Kul is a stunning, remote lake in the Naryn region south of Bishkek. Sitting at just over 3,000m, it is surrounded by mountain ranges and deep valleys where nomads and shepherds have allowed their livestock to graze in the summer months for generations. 

Today, it is one of the epicentres of Kyrgyzstan’s booming tourism industry and a horse trek to Song Kul has become a must do. I’ll admit, I was sceptical about the experience when I booked it with a friend: is it really worth the hype?

However, after spending three days riding horses to Song Kul and sleeping in yurts along the way, I agree it is one of the best things to do in Kyrgyzstan. In this post, I’m going to detail everything you need to know about getting to Song Kul lake, focusing particularly on the horse treks and what you should expect from the experience.

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How to Reach Song Kul Lake

You can reach Song Kul in several different ways: on foot, by horse or by car. While horseback riding to Song Kul has become the main form of transport to reach the lake, there are definitely options to hike there or take a 4×4 too.

However, I’d definitely recommend going on horseback, as it provides a fun experience through the mountains to reach the lake. On foot, it would be a long slog on exposed terrain, and you’d have to find yurt camps yourself or wild camp with your own gear.

That’s why even as a keen hiker, I opted for a horse trek instead and I don’t regret the decision. It was a highlight of my time in Kyrgyzstan. 

Most horse treks or hikes to Song Kul Lake begin in the small village of Kyzart, just 70km west of the major town of Kochkor. It’s relatively easy to reach from either Bishkek or Issyk Kul. More on how to reach Kyzart below.

When to Visit Song Kul Lake

As with many outdoor activities in Kyrgyzstan, it’s best to visit Song Kul in the warmer summer months from May until September. This is when the snow has melted, the trails are clear, and the conditions are much more manageable. 

In winter, Song Kul lake freezes over, the temperatures and conditions are brutal, and the yurt camps are closed and packed away. In fact, the yurt camps begin to close in October, so I definitely recommend planning to do the trek before then. 

Three Day Horse Trek to Song Kul Lake

Most of the horse treks to reach Song Kul are three days all up. Although it’s also possible to book a four day trek, which offers an extra day at the lake. However, this is not really necessary, and it’s only if you want to have an extra day of horse riding and camping in a yurt. 

Otherwise, the standard three day horse treks typically follow a similar itinerary. Although, different guides and tour companies use slightly different routes, so not all the groups are following the exact same trails.

Here’s everything you need to know about horseback riding to Song Kul.

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How to Book a Horse Trek

There are several ways to book a horse trek to Song Kul. You could simply Google and pre-book through any tour operator online. However, it can be very difficult to verify the quality of the tours this way. Unless you know they are reputable, I wouldn’t recommend this option.

Another option is to book through a guesthouse or tour agency after arriving in Kyrgyzstan. This is not difficult to do, as horse treks can be arranged up to the day before departure. Any accommodation or guesthouse in Kochkor will be able to help you organise a horse trek, or you’ll also find a few agencies in town that can arrange for you. The CBT Office (government tourism office) and is a good place to start and they also arrange horse treks at set prices.

The last option is to head directly to Kyzart village, where most of the treks start from and arrange directly with local operators and guides in the village. This is ideal if you want to ensure your horses are in good condition and if you want to explore the possibility of having a more private or intimate trek with less people.

If I did it again, I would probably book this way. We stayed at a lovely guesthouse in Kyzart called Nomad Place. Aga and his family are beautiful people, and he directly arranges horse treks with guides in the village. We met several people who went with them and they had wonderful experiences, mostly having private guides.

Another popular local guide who has become well-known through Instagram is Timur. His family are from Kyzart and he guides horse treks to Song Kul. Many adventure travel influencers have used him in the past, which means he is often very busy during high season. Still, everyone who booked with him that we met also had a great experience. You can find his Instagram here.

How We Booked Our Horse Trek

We organised through Tatosh, a local female tour operator. You can contact her via email here: tatoshguide@gmail.com. She came highly recommended by other bloggers.

Basically, Tatosh arranges horse treks through Stalbek Guesthouse in Kyzart, but you can contact her to book for you. This is what we did, and we had a good experience. We never actually met Tatosh and almost no one we know did either; everything was done via email.

A word of warning though, you don’t have control over your group size booking through Tatosh, and I have heard that they sometimes put together big tour groups in high season. We were lucky with just five of us, but it’s not always the case.

Prefer to book online before you arrive? Check out these options:

How Much Does a Horse Trek to Song Kul Cost?

This varies depending on who you book with, but the average cost of a horse trek is 20,000 KGS per person, all inclusive. The more people you book with, the cheaper it will be. For me and my friend Elodie, we paid 30,000 KGS for two, so it was 15,000 per person.

This included:

• Horse for three days
• Helmet
• Guide for the two of us
• Two nights in a yurt camp
• Meals while on the tour

It excludes transport to Kyzart start point. Generally, you have to get there yourself.

How to Get to Kyzart

Bishkek to Kyzart: 270 km or 4 hour drive

Kochkor to Kyzart: 70 km or 1 hour drive

Almost all the horse treks to Song Kul start in Kyzart, a small village about an hour away from Kochkor. Most of the time you need to meet your guide in Kyzart and you must find your own way to the village. Kyzart is spread out into two distinct sections, with one being on the main road and another being just off the road. Find out exactly where your start point is ahead of time.

From Bishkek: There is a daily marshrutka #541 going from Bishkek to Minkush. Be at the Bishkek Bus Station before 7am, as it leaves whenever full. Tell the driver you want to get out in Kyzart. Read my Bishkek guide for more information on the city.

From Kochkor: We travelled to Kochkor to spend a couple of days before going on a horse trek. This allowed us to also do a three day trip to Kul Ukok lake from Kochkor, and then head to Kyzart for the horse trek. To get to Kochkor, you can take a marshrutka from Bishkek Avtovokzal (Bus Station), leaving in the morning when full. Then, from Kochkor to Kyzart, you’ll find shared taxis throughout the day. Otherwise, you can also book a private taxi too. Another option is hitchhiking. This is how we got to Kyzart from Kochkor and it was pretty quick with minimal wait time.

Where to Stay in Kyzart

Most of the horse treks start later in the day, so it gives you enough time to reach Kyzart from Kochkor or further afield. However, if you prefer to stay in the village the night before or after your trek, then you’ll have the choice of several guesthouses.

There are plenty of local guesthouses in the village, which is a nice way to discover local life. I can highly recommend Nomad Place. Aga and his family were wonderful hosts and he has plans to make the guesthouse even better in years to come.

Other options include:

• Jusup Guesthouse (budget)
• KyzArt Hotel (mid-range)

What to Pack for a Horse Trek

You can take a small-medium sized backpack (I’d recommend just a daypack is fine) with you on the horse trek, which will go inside saddle bags that your guide will carry. Try not to overpack because it only adds unnecessary weight to the horse.

It’s also important to note that you won’t get showers along the way, so it’s best just to stay in the same clothes for the whole trek. Your clothes will smell like horse and they will be very dirty by the end anyway!

You won’t have access to most of your belongings while riding the horse, until you stop for a break. So, I found even carrying a big camera was a bit annoying and I only used it around the yurt camps. Just pack your essentials and warm layers, and it’ll be enough.

A helmet will be provided by your guide, and I recommend you use it. Many people choose not to, but honestly horses can be unpredictable and if you’re not experienced, it’s even more important to ensure your safety (plus, travel insurance will likely not cover you if you aren’t wearing a helmet!).

Packing List for Horse Trekking

• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Long pants for riding (leggings, jeans or hiking pants are best)
• Buff to cover your mouth from the dust
• Long sleeve shirt for sun protection
• Warmer layers (fleece and/or down jacket)
• Beanie
• Clothes for camp (comfortable pants and top)
• Trail runners or hiking boots
• Rain gear
• Swimsuit (if you want to swim in the lake)
• Power bank
• Water filter and water bottle
• Underwear and socks
• Basic toiletries and medication
• Snacks

Is it Safe to Ride a Horse in Kyrgyzstan? Do You Need to Have Riding Experience?

Most people who join horse treks to Song Kul lake have never ridden a horse before and are complete beginners. So, you don’t need to have riding experience to do this. Guides typically provide a very brief lesson at the start of the trek on the basics of riding, but don’t expect to learn any detailed horse-riding skills. 

Still, it is relatively safe as you’ll have a guide with you the entire time. However, it’s obviously still a risky activity, because horses can be unpredictable and you won’t know how obedient your horse is until you start the trek. We got really lucky and had great horses for our trek, but this is not guaranteed depending on who you book with.

There are also opportunities to gallop on the flat sections of trail. If you’re a beginner you may not feel comfortable doing this, so just let your guide know. In our group, half of us had ridden horses before and felt confident enough to gallop, but there were a couple of others who’d never done it before and felt pressured into doing it as the horses tend to want to run together. This can be a problem, but it really will depend on the group you’re with and the level that everyone is at.

I highly recommend having travel insurance that covers horse riding (check your policy before booking) and ensure you’re wearing a helmet.

Horse Treatment and Ethical Animal Tourism

One of our major concerns before doing the horse trek was the treatment of the horses. Horses are a major part of the culture in Kyrgyzstan and many locals have a deep respect for their horses. However, due to the demand of tourism, there are cases where the horses in Kyzart are overworked during high season.

We kept a close eye on the guesthouse where we started our horse trek, and our horses were fresh from the paddock, while the horses we saw returning from another tour were left to rest. I have heard that this is not always the case, and some of the horses are used on every tour rotation. 

We still felt like some of the horses were a little skinny, but overall not too bad. However, this is a major concern, especially as Song Kul becomes even more popular.

It does raise ethical questions about doing a horse trek in Kyrgyzstan. However, I would say that it really matters who you book with. Try to book directly with a local operator or guide and someone who is reputable from other travellers. Raise concerns with the tour operator if you think the horses are not being treated well, and share your experience with others. 

Overall, we had a good time and our guide really loved riding horses and shared with us many stories of his life. But just be aware that this might not always be the case, unfortunately.

Staying in Yurt Camps

During a horse trek to Song Kul, you’ll stay in yurt camps. These can be a combination of family run jailoos (summer camps) or specific camps set up for tourists. Yurt camps at Song Kul are for the most part a bit more commercial than some other parts of the country, and most of them are not necessarily used by nomadic families for grazing their livestock anymore.

Still, it’s a nice experience to camp out and be able to enjoy switching off from technology. Most camps offer several yurts with beds, an outdoor drop toilet (sometimes even flush toilets), and a dining room or tent. 

As part of the treks, you’ll be fed meals at the yurt camps. Don’t expect anything elaborate though, as often the meals are a little small and not overly exciting. This is why I recommend packing some snacks with you, just in case!

There are many different yurt camps set up in the valleys around the lake as well as at the lake’s shoreline. Most tours tend to use different yurt camps, so not everyone is at the same camp. Still, be prepared to share your yurt with others, especially if you’re a solo traveller. Although you might get lucky if the yurt camp is quiet.

There’s no phone reception for most of the horse trek to Song Kul. Some of the yurt camps now offer Starlink or other Wi-Fi options, but you have to pay separately for this, directly to the owner if you want to use it.

Three Day Horse Trek Itinerary to Song Kul

Most horse treks follow the same sort of itinerary. You’ll likely see other groups out on the trails, but some guides use different trails so we didn’t always see others. This was our daily experience riding to Song Kul:

Day One: Kyzart to Yurt Camp

• Time in the saddle: 4 hours
• Distance approx.: 18 km

We met our guide and the other people in our group at Stalbek Guesthouse in Kyzart. We had lunch there, so the riding didn’t start until mid-afternoon.

On the first day we left the village and headed for the mountains on dirt roads that are seldom used by cars. We had a short break after about 1.5 hours near a little river, before continuing through the valley to our yurt camp for the night.

There were a couple of opportunities for galloping on this first day, but most of the time the trail wasn’t overly flat so we were just at walking pace.

We arrived just at sunset time. It was a very small yurt camp with only a couple of other people there. Elodie and I shared a tent, which was cosy enough with several blankets each. We had dinner and then retreated to our yurts for the night.

Day Two: Yurt Camp to Song Kul Lake

• Time in the saddle: 3.5 hours
• Distance approx.: 14 km

The next day we started riding at around 9:30 and headed straight upwards through a valley. We kept climbing for most of the morning, and it did get much steeper and rockier closer to the top. But the horses are very used to the path, so just hold on!

After an hour, we made it to Jalgiz Kara Pass at 3,300m. From there, we could see down towards Song Kul. It was a slow descent through another valley, passing other horses and camps along the way. 

Once we got to the lake’s edge, we were able to gallop along the flat areas towards camp. We made it to our yurt camp at about 1pm. There was also another small group staying at our yurt camp.

We had lunch and then it was just free time the rest of the afternoon to enjoy the lake. There were outdoor lounges, some went for a swim, and I walked up some of the nearby hills for a view at sunset time. Our guide also loved playing music, and we danced a lot until dinner time!

Day Three: Song Kul to Kyzart

• Time in the saddle: 3.5 hours
• Distance approx.: 23 km

We had breakfast at around 8:30am, and left at 9:30am to head back to Kyzart. We rode up through a valley not far from camp, as it climbed gently to Tuz-Ashuu Pass at 3,200m. The horses were able to have a short break there and a group photo before the long descent.

The descent was a long, steep slog and we could feel that the horses were keen to get back home. As the trail flattened out a bit more, we galloped a lot as the horses started to get overly excited. 

We had another break at a flat grassy area by a river, similar to where we’d stopped on the first day. Then, we galloped even more as a group, getting back to Kyzart in a very quick time. This is usually the longest day of any 3 day horse trek, but we covered the distance pretty quickly.

Absolutely caked in dust, we had lunch at the guesthouse and then were free to leave our lovely horses behind. Elodie and I hitchhiked back to Kochkor for the night.

Is it Worth Doing a Horse Trek in Kyrgyzstan?

I would say it’s definitely worth doing a horse trek to Song Kul in Kyrgyzstan. While it’s become one of the most popular activities in the country, it’s for good reason. The trek is a fun experience, where you can take in the mountains and admire the stunning lake known as Song Kul.

With yurt camps dotting the lake’s shore, it’s a very picturesque scene as you ride horses along the summer pastures. However, don’t expect it to feel incredibly remote, authentic or off the beaten track. This is definitely a popular thing to do, and you’ll see other travellers out there with you.

If you prefer something more secluded, then there are other places to go horse trekking in Kyrgyzstan, including Arslanbob, Kol Ukok near Kochkor, and the Alay Mountains near Sary Mogul.

Still, I think horse trekking is the best way to explore Song Kul!

Exploring More of Kyrgyzstan?

• Bishkek: 10 Best Things to Do in Bishkek
• Issyk Kul: How to Get From Bishkek to Karakol and Exploring Issyk Kul
• Karakol: 15 Best Things to Do in Karakol
• Train Travel: How to Take the Train From Bishkek to Issyk Kul
• Ala Kul Trek: Complete Guide to the Ala Kul Trek
• Jyrgalan: Essential Guide to Visiting Jyrgalan Valley
• Kol Ukok: An Essential Guide to Kol Ukok Lake Near Kochkor
• eSIM: Which SIM Card Should You Buy for Kyrgyzstan?

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