Alpine lakes, yurt camps and horse trails through the Tian Shan.
Kyrgyzstan is almost entirely mountains, and that is the reason to go. The Tian Shan range surrounds Issyk-Kul, a huge lake that never freezes, and high pastures such as Song-Kul fill with herders' yurts each summer. Trekking valleys around Karakol, the red rocks of Jeti-Oguz and the stone Silk Road caravanserai of Tash Rabat reward travellers who like big, empty landscapes.
Travel is informal and outdoorsy: marshrutkas, shared taxis and hired drivers, with nights in guesthouses or yurt camps. Food is hearty, with plov, lagman noodles, beshbarmak and bowls of kymyz, fermented mare's milk. June to September is the season for the high country; outside it, many yurt camps close and mountain passes can be snowbound.
Best time to visit Kyrgyzstan
June, July, August, September.
Places to visit in Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek: Kyrgyzstan's relaxed capital, a city of parks and Soviet monuments with the mountains of Ala-Archa on its doorstep.
Issyk-Kul: A huge mountain lake ringed by the Tian Shan, with summer beaches on the north shore and trekking from Karakol in the east.
Song-Kul: A remote alpine lake at about 3,000 metres where herders bring their horses and flocks to graze and stay in yurts each summer.
Essentials
Currency: Kyrgyz Som (KGS)
Language: Kyrgyz and Russian
Plugs: Type C / F, 220 V
Driving: Right side
Time zone: UTC+6
Tipping: Round up; 10% in city restaurants
Getting around: Marshrutkas and shared taxis; a hired driver makes the mountains much easier
Entry: Check the official rules for your passport before booking