wild kyrgyzstan
June & july | From £1970pp | kyrgyzstan
RIDE WILD like a kyrgyz nomad
Overview
Over the course of 8 days, you’ll traverse the Kyrgyz landscape as if you were a nomad yourself. This is a tour that fosters an authentic connection with your horse and a real local experience.
Throughout the journey, you will spend nights in both yurts and tented camps with Kyrgyz host families, under the stars on Son-Kul Lake, building camp in a hidden valley. You’ll explore a mountain range home to wolves, wild boars, farm animals, and nomads. The Kyrgyz are a mountain people, and this is where the ride will take you.
Horses and horsemanship are so deeply tied to the Kyrgyz culture and this is something you will come to feel deeply immersed in. Kyrgyzstan’s mountain horses have carried nomads across the landscapes for centuries and they are perfectly adapted to high altitude trekking.
This truly is a wild experience for the most adventurous riders. Riders who want to experience what true nomadic living is like, being deeply in touch with the landscape around you and the horse beneath you.
What you need to know
Horse riding in Kyrgyzstan
From £1970pp
All meals, drinks, yurt accommodation and riding included
31 May - 07 June, 11 - 18 June, 23 - 30 June, 07 - 14 July, 18 - 25 July
8 days (7 days riding)
Average of 4 hours riding everyday | max 25km
Riding across mountains and lush valleys
Tented and yurt accommodation
Community based, local suppliers
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OVERVIEW
Need to know
Dates: 31 May - 07 June, 11 - 18 June, 23 - 30 June, 07 - 14 July, 18 - 25 July
Price: From £1970pp
Location: Kyrgyzstan
Operator: Nick Sherlock
Riding level: Advanced and experienced. Able to control horse in a group up to a canter / gallop within open spaces
Max group size: 4
Time in the saddle: 4 hours a day
Horses: A variety of Kyrgyz bred horses which include a Don Horse, Chaar Horses & Kyrgyz saddle horses
Weight limit: 90kg
Currency: Kyrgyz som
Saddle type: Kyrgyz saddles
Airport: Bishkek Manas Airport
Adventure level:
What’s included in £1970pp:
Accommodation during the trip
All riding and english speaking guide
All meals & beverages once on the tour
A support vehicle at points to transfer luggage
List of things to do and places to eat in Bishkek
Hotel accommodation in Bishkek for £30 a night
Airport taxi pick up (with a driver who greets you in arrivals with your name on a board) and/or drop off for £15 one way
Shared taxi with other Wild Mane guests from Bishkek to village where the tour starts (£50 total - to and from)
Optional add ons:
Flights into and out of Kyrgyzstan
Tips / gratuities
Travel & medical insurance (this is mandatory)
Riding hats
Items listed under optional add ons
What’s excluded:
Food:
Food is simple, home cooked, and made with love. Meals will be provided by the host families you stay with and will be full of classic Kyrgyz meals, of which includes lagmaan, kuurdak, manti, borscht, shashlik, plov, breads and fruits. Good coffee will be readily available throughout the trip. Select dietary requirements can be accommodated but please check this with us before booking.
Accommodation:
This trip is a real adventure and best for riders who enjoy camping and living/travelling off grid. You will experience a traditional Kyrgyz ‘homestay’ and stay in Yurts. These dome shaped homes are made of wool and wood. A yurt (kyrgyz - bozu) is a sacred space - it is a privilege to be able to sleep in one. Some yurts are communal and may be shared by guests of an opposite sex. There will not always be an opportunity to shower everyday. Toilet stops may sometimes be bush style although most camps have their own long drop. Some camps have Russian banyas which are a traditional steam bath house and there may be an opportunity to shower there!
Accommodation and food
Kyrgyzstan’s mountain horses have carried nomads across the landscapes for centuries. Stocky and resilient, they are perfectly adapted to high-altitude trekking. Among the herd, you’ll also find a few Soviet-era remnants - the Don horse, a breed cultivated by the Cossacks, renowned for its strength and stamina. And perhaps most sacred of all, the Chaar horse - a striking, spotted breed, argued by some equestrian historians to be the original Appaloosa. A sacred animal, indigenous to Kyrgyzstan.
You'll be matched with your horse based on energy and riding style. There will be time to adjust to your horse to make sure you're a good fit. You'll bond very closely with your horse over the course of the trip and they will be your responsibility (with supervision). As a group, we will be catching our animals every morning, taking them to water, tacking and untacking - this is a tour for those who wish to form a partnership with their horse and would like to learn from Kyrgyz horsemanship.
Find out more about the horses are cared for here.
Horses
Apply to join this ride:
Upon booking, you’ll be sent a full packing list.
Itinerary
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Upon arrival guests are welcomed into their homestay and you’ll sit down for lunch and soon after meet the horses. After learning about Kyrgyz tack and matching horses to riders, you’ll test ride your new partner around the village for a 2 hour outride.
That night you’ll sort through your packing list, and guests are given dry bags to sort their belongings into. Nick will organise the saddle bags.
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This is a gentle ride featuring village views and your very first yurt stay next to a freshwater stream in a beautiful valley.
Lunch is usually snacky and everyone gets involved preparing. There are only 2 yurts in this camp, one is used as a kitchen and the other for hosting guests overnight.
From here on out, it is your responsibility to feed, water and groom your horse (with support if needed).
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Today is an easy-going ride of around 3–4 hours through an idyllic valley, ending right at the base of the pass we attempt the following day.
Our hosts cover all of our meals today and typically serve delicious traditional Kyrgyz dishes which often include manti and plov.
A small waterfall can be used as a shower at this camp.
Flushing toilet available at this camp.
There are caves, abandoned shepherd cottages as well as smaller mountains to explore around this camp.
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Today is spent traversing the many valleys and peaks surrounding our yurt camp whilst climbing a 3400m pass onto the lake. Depending on weather and fitness levels, guests will either ride or walk up the 3,400m pass. From the summit, we catch our first glimpse of the lake. Tonight is spent in a beautifully decorated yurt camp on the lake, home to a full time shepherd family.
Today’s ride is long, not in mileage but in the effort and time it takes to cover the technical sections of the ride. The warm tea and hot food waiting for us makes the long ride all the more worth it.
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A fast ride of around 12 km along the banks of the lake. Along the way, we will pass other animals, including herds of cows, sheep, yak, and feral horses.
We meet our next hosts around lunch time, this particular camp occupies a magical corner of the lake. The family who run the camp are also formidable chaar/kyrgyz appaloosa breeders whose horses were involved in a DNA comparison between the American Appaloosa and the Kyrgyz Chaar. Nick, your tour leader, elaborates on the story and often encourages guests to take a spin on any of the available chaar horses at this camp.
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Today we lie in, take our animals to water, and soak in the magic of the lake. This is more of a rest day for the horses, and we make sure not to work them as much in order to rest before pushing back the following day. We follow an easy going and scenic route right along the water's edge. Once we’ve found a secluded spot along the shore, we untack our horses and take them for a swim.
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Today is a big day for riders and their horses. The culmination of the past days lead to the ultimate test of trust, as we ride our horses down a steep descent, following a secret shepherd trail all the way back to the edge of our village. The sure footedness of our Kyrgyz horses inspire trust and companionship between rider and their animal. The ride itself is beautiful and remote, only the hardiest of shepherds and their horses use this trail. It's unusual for us to see anyone else riding down the mountain.
We usually say goodbye to our horses here, where we turn them out in a field 6kms outside of the village and leave them to rest until their next ride.
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After breakfast guests say goodbye to their hosts and prepare for onward travel.
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Optional add-ons are available to help you make the most of your trip, including airport pick-up/drop-off, accommodation in Bishkek and taxi transfers to and from Kyzyl Too. You can also extend your stay to explore Bishkek before or after the ride and we’ll provide a list of exciting things to do and delicious places to eat.
Apply to join this ride:
this ride is right for you if:
You like a real adventure, where everyday brings something new and nothing can be predicted ✔
You like immersing yourself in the culture of countries you visit ✔
You’re happy to camp and live off grid (this includes toilet stops behind bushes and some days without showering) ✔
You like riding through breath taking landscapes ✔
You’re happy to go with the flow. We find the most successful tours are with people who are happy to do new things and take changes in their stride! ✔
About kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is a rugged, breathtaking country in Central Asia, known for its dramatic mountain landscapes, alpine lakes, and wide-open valleys that feel almost untouched. Much of the country is dominated by the Tian Shan mountains, making it a paradise for hikers, trekkers, and anyone craving fresh air and vast horizons.
Its culture is deeply rooted in nomadic traditions, where yurts, felt crafts, eagle hunting, and epic oral storytelling are still part of everyday life, especially in rural areas. The people are famously warm and hospitable, often welcoming guests with tea, fresh bread, and homemade dishes like beshbarmak, and they take real pride in sharing their way of life.
Travellers can expect simple but soulful experiences, nights under star-filled skies and a slower rhythm that encourages connection over convenience. Horses are at the heart of it all, symbolizing freedom, strength, and heritage, and you’ll see them everywhere, from high mountain pastures to traditional games, festivals, and daily travel, reminding you just how closely life here is tied to the land.
Weather: what to expect
Kyrgyzstan has a continental, mountainous climate with large variations depending on altitude. Summers are generally warm in the valleys, with daytime temperatures ranging from 20°C to 30°C (68°F to 86°F), while higher elevations remain cooler. Winters are cold, especially in mountainous areas, with daytime temperatures often between –5°C and 5°C (23°F to 41°F) and much colder nights. Spring and autumn are typically short and mild, with occasional rainfall and snow in higher areas. Overall, the climate combines warm lowlands in summer with harsh, snowy winters in the mountains, making the weather highly seasonal and regionally varied.
commonly asked questions
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How is my luggage transported?
Your luggage will be transported in a dry bag which will go into a saddle bag, carried by your horse. On your back, you’ll have your day bag which will carry your water bottle, waterproofs and any snacks you’ve brought / purchased. You’re welcome to bring your luggage in a bag that suits you, whether that’s a suitcase or large rucsac, and you can then downsize your luggage at the first homestay, before heading out on the tour. Anything you don’t want to bring with you can be left at the homestay.
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What's the pace like?
This Wild Kyrgyzstan trip offers a mix of paces, largely dependent on the terrain. There will be days where we’re mostly walking as we cross mountain passes and canyons but once the ground flattens out and opens up, there will be opportunities for nice canters.
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What's the accommodation like?
Accommodation on this ride is a mix of homestays and Yurts. These are dome shaped homes made of wool and wood. A yurt (kyrgyz - bozu) is a sacred space - it is a privilege to be able to sleep in one.
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Why are there optional add ons?
After running this tour last year, our operator has decided that for the benefit of his horses, he’ll stay in the village where the tour starts and meet you there. We’ve added some optional add ons to make your journey to the starting village as easy and seamless as possible. You can of course organise your own transport and we’ll give you appropriate instructions to do so, but if you want to skip the organisation and logistics, we can handle that for you.
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How remote is this ride?
It’s pretty remote! There will be times where cell signal isn’t available and you may not see anyone else for a day or two. You’ll be staying at Yurt camps for a few nights where you’ll bump into some other people. The Yurt camps may have batteries for charging devices however it’s best to bring a power pack. Your guide will always have a satelite phone should anything happen.
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Can I come on this ride solo?
Absolutely! Most of our riders come solo so you won’t be the odd one out. Trips like these are a great way to make new friends and everyone will likely be of a similar age with similar interests.
your guide & host
Nick is a filmmaker, explorer and horseman working in Kyrgyzstan, where he designs and leads adventurous horseback journeys through remote parts of the country. His work connects experienced riders to horses, landscapes and local communities, with a focus on sustainability and Kyrgyz horsemanship.
@truelifenick / @nick_sherlock
How to book
Choose your ride
Submit the application form under ‘request to book’
Wait for us to confirm space with the operator (we aim to get back to you within 24hrs)
Pay your deposit (20%)
Full balance is due 65 days before departure
cancellation policy
Cancellation terms vary by operator and are specific to this ride.
If cancelled more than 90 days before departure, deposit is refundable less a £150 cancellation fee
After paying the full balance, if cancelled more than 30 days in advance, you’ll receive a full refund minus the deposit
If cancelled less than 30 days in advance, a refund of 10% of the total trip price is provided
why wild mane?
Curated, unforgettable & welfare focused riding holidays
Personal advice and human support from booking to your return home
Clear and transparent booking process with no hidden fees
We work directly with established operators, many who are family run