General information:
You need passport if you one of the citizen of visa free country. (Please check it up here)
You must have copies in case if something will happen with them. Otherwise you will have difficulties with further stay in a foreign country and with returning home. In addition to passport it will be better to have copies of driver’s licenses, tickets, hotel reservations, insurance, but also scan them, save to a virtual disk. Due to such saving the documents will be available from anywhere in the world.
Upon arrival to airport you will be met with an accompanying guide and get his contact information. The guide will be with you whole tour and if you will have problems during the tour first of all you need to contact the guide.
If this happens, you need to contact the local police. They will give you documents that you need to take to the embassy or consulate of your country. They will answer all your questions and provide a temporary certificate, according to which you can return home. There you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire. To verify your identity, you will need to have an “internal passport”, driver’s license or any other document with your photo. Copies are also accepted.
To exchange money you can use exchange points in Kyrgyzstan and banks. Also, keep in mind that banks close at 5. In addition it is possible to change money at the airport, at the bazaar and in the remote villages, but the exchange rate is very low there.
The credit cards that are usually accepted are MasterCard and Visa in restaurants, shops and hotels. It’s better to have cash in the regions. ATMs can be easily found in big cities but not in villages.
It is a drive the passenger (tourist or business traveler) from the airport, railway to a hotel or other previously agreed place.
Manas International Airport is situated in the 30 km from Bishkek. The road takes 40 – 50 min without traffic jam, otherwise it will be longer. It’s better to arrive an hour earlier so you won’t be late.
To not lose in exchanging money it is better to money with a value of 50-100 $ or euros with you. By exchanging 5-10-20 $ or euros, even in the city, you will exchange them at a much lower rate. In addition there is a possibility that they will not be exchanged in the regions.
If the tour is multi-day or you have a rest at a boarding house, hotel or recreation center, the price includes train tickets (railway, air), then you need to contact the manager who confirmed the application, the problems will be solved if possible. Please note: there are also one-day tours that require filling in the full name of all travelers and their passport details. In this case, the replacement is possible only until the lists of travelers are sent to the receiving party. If you have any doubts about replacing a tourist then you should contact the manager.
Before visiting Kyrgyzstan it is important to take several vaccines. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization) advise against the following diseases: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid fever, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough), chicken pox, shingles, pneumonia and flu.
The national currency of Kyrgyzstan is som.
Kyrgyzstan is a secular country but the major religion is Islam (85 %).
Two languages are spoken in Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyz - the national language, Russian - the official language. Most of the population is bilingual, but in remote areas people use more Kyrgyz. Among foreign languages, the most popular is English.
It is a traveler tour that is organized due to preference of the customer.
Homestay means that you will live at the host family’s house. Such accommodation is normally offered in remote areas. They are cheaper than hotels. This is the best way to experience a real life of locals.
Such families are usually members of CBT (Community Based Tourism) or Destinations (USAID project). Therefore, they try to match all the necessary requirements. Their conditions are poorer than in hotels and guesthouses. You can decide which option is more convenient for you.
It is an option given for those who don’t want to share their room with anyone else. Tour packages provide double rooms. That’s why the single supplement is given as option.
ROH (run of the house) – accommodation in a room of any category at the discretion of the hotel.
SGL (single) – single accommodation.
DBL (double) – double accommodation; by default, a room can have either one double bed or two separate single (sometimes half) beds (twin).
TRPL (triple) – triple accommodation; a room can be both one double bed and one single bed, or three separate single beds (rarely).
QDPL (quadruple) – quad accommodation.
Ex. Bed (extra bed) – extra bed: folding bed or, more rarely, stationary.
CHD (child) – a child (usually up to 12 years old).
RO (room only) – accommodation without meals.
RR (room rate) – only accommodation without meals.
BB (Bed and Breakfast) – only breakfast is included.
HB (half board) – the price includes breakfast and dinner (sometimes breakfast and lunch).
FB (full board) – the price includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
ALL, Al (all inclusive) – breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, snacks, drinks, various additional services.
UAL, UAI (ultra all inclusive) – an extended version of “All Inclusive”: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, snacks, drinks, various additional services, an additional assortment of dishes and desserts, additional free food in a la carte restaurants.
Food:
It’s easy to find vegetarian food in Bishkek, but in remote places it will be difficult to do. (You can find the detailed information here).
You need to inform your tour operator beforehand or your guide upon arrival. If you tell ahead of time we will do our best to make some arrangements, but you also should know that it will be difficult to keep the entire menu.
Before choosing between these two options you need to know that:
Half board – dinners all along your tour
Full board – all lunches and dinners during your trip
Entertainments:
Kyrgyz culture can amaze you. Nowadays you can find particular qualities of Kyrgyz people lifestyle everywhere. You just need to look for the right places, and then you can easily find everything. The best example of it is Kochkor village here you will have opportunity to see how national felt carpets are made. In addition you can also make it with them. The highlighted part of this village is the museum where you can find a lot of example of national decoration like coats made of wolves, horse saddle decorations, carpets and others. Other village is Bokonbaeva where the local eagle hunter lives. He uses traditional way of hunting with the help of the eagle. His preys are hares and foxes. And last example is the village where you can participate at the yurt workshop. Yurts are made of felt coverings.
You can see them at the different places like:near Burana tower, at the Song- Kul lake, in Kyzyl Oi, in Chon Kemin gorge.
You can find souvenirs practically everywhere but there are the best places for it: Kochkor village, Osh bazaar in Bishkek, and ZUM but it more expensive though.
Bazaars are the place where you can experience the atmosphere of the real eastern culture, but you also should be prepared to the unexpected things. You should be very careful with your belonging especially with wallet and documents because it is easy to meet a pickpocket. But bazaars are the best places for taking colorful and funny photos. Take into consideration that it important to ask permission to shoot people there.
In Kyrgyzstan celebrates 14 national holidays:
January 1 – New Year;
January 7 – Christmas (Orthodox Christmas);
February 23 – Defenders of the Fatherland Day;
March 8 – International Women's Day;
March 21 – Nooruz;
April 7 – April Revolution Day;
May 1 – Labor Day;
May 5 – Constitution Day of the Kyrgyz Republic;
May 9 – Victory Day;
August 31 – Independence Day of Kyrgyzstan;
November 7 and 8 – Days of history and memory of ancestors;
Muslim holidays Orozo Ait and Kurman Ait are determined by the lunar calendar.
Transport:
Our priority in the tour is your comfort that’s why our cars will be very pleased to you. All cars that we use have air-conditioned and very comfortable seats. Moreover our driver are professionals who know all the road in Kyrgyzstan.
Transport:
02-03 pax – Mitsubishi Delica
04-11 pax – 1 Mercedes Sprinter
12-22 pax – 2 Mercedes Sprinters
23-33 pax – 3 Mercedes Sprinters or big bus
34-44 pax – 4 Mercedes Sprinters or big bus
Yes, you can travel with them but you must have by a veterinarian health certificate with the seal of the local Board of Health. The certificate must be issued at most ten days before arrival. Rabies vaccinations must be done within 12 months and 30 days prior to arrival.
Other:
Yes, it is possible but you should take airline regulations into account.
You can buy it if you are older than 18 years old.
The rosette in Kyrgyzstan is European type - C. It has two round parallel contacts. It does not have a third ground contact. The voltage here is 220 V.
Yes, it is. But it’s better to ask permission beforehand. You also can ask your guide where you can take them.
It is safe to walk in the evening. But we recommended you to not walk in the solitary and unlit streets.
Yes, you can. But if you have some doubt about it you can boil it. Also you can buy bottled water everywhere in the country.
It is possible besides you can also exchange them.
Reed more about Kyrgyzstan:
Relief
Capital
Fauna
Ethnic groups
Religion
Language
Mountains in Kyrgyzstan
History of Tien Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan
Mountain ranges in Kyrgyzstan
Alpinism
Peak Pobeda
Peak Lenin
Khan Tengri
Lenin Peak
Review
Territory
Altyn Arashan gorge
Cuisine
Kyrgyz traditional drinks
Peak Khan Tengri
Rituals
Holidays
Issyk Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan
Rukh Ordo complex
Jeti Oguz gorge (Seven Bulls)
Uzgen complex
Peaks
Traditional clothes
Manas complex
Glaciers
Lakes
Hiking in Ala Archa gorge
Rivers
Transportation-Air
Transportation-Rail
Seasons and weather
Nature
Kyrgyzstan tours
Uzbekistan tours
Kazakhstan tours
Turkmenistan tours
Azerbaijan tours
Tajikistan tours
Armenia tours
Georgia tours
Russia tours
China tours
Silk Road
Cars without drivers
Cars with drivers