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Kyrgyzstan has grown hugely in popularity in the last two years, at least partly due to viral videos of horse riding at Song Kul Lake. As a result, it’s one of the most popular things to do in the country, if not the whole of Central Asia.
I spent a month in Kyrgyzstan, starting in the south following a Pamir Highway road trip and leaving via Karakol for Almaty, Kazakhstan. In the middle, I spent time in Bishkek before doing this horse ride, then heading along the southern banks of Issyk-Kul Lake.
There were many highlights of my trip. The 4-day Ala Kul Lake hike was well within my comfort zone as an avid hiker. The horse ride at Song Kul Lake wasn’t in my comfort zone in the same way, but I’m still glad I did it.
In this blog, I’ll talk about what the horse trek is actually like. All the viral videos make it look incredible, which it is. But it can also be uncomfortable and a little nerve-wracking at times, so I want to paint an honest picture and review the company I went with, Wow Kyrgz Travel.
What I loved about the horse riding
- Spectacular scenery – on horseback, you feel at one with nature in a way you wouldn’t from a car, while covering much more ground than you could on foot.
- Time spent with the horses – I love these beautiful animals and their calm energy (most of the time!).
- Staying overnight in yurts – a fun, cosy experience with fantastic lake views on night two, abundant stargazing opportunities and home-cooked meals.
- A good way to meet new people – spending three days with the same group gives you the opportunity to get to know each other. The horse riding gives you plenty to bond over, ideal for solo travellers visiting Kyrgyzstan.
What I didn’t love about the horse riding
- Scary on day three – there is an unavoidable decline as you return over the peak to Kyzart village. Even on a clear day with good weather, I felt nervous as the horses slipped on loose terrain on mountain passes. One guy fell off his horse when it slipped. I imagine it would be even scarier in the rain!
- When the horses started cantering, it was VERY difficult to stop them, especially if they saw other horses doing the same. I didn’t feel confident enough to canter and only narrowly avoided having to, because one of the guides deliberately blocked my path as my horse picked up the pace. Some others in the group got into a crazy canter with the guides chasing the horses to stop them!
Do you need horse riding experience?
Ultimately, no. In my group of about 10 people, only one had considerable experience. Others had ridden a horse occasionally but not for long periods like this.
Personally, I had only been on a horse twice before. Once in New Zealand 10 years ago, and once in Malawi 9 years ago, both times for around 1-2 hours. Nothing compared to this 3-day adventure! I may as well have been starting from the very beginning. If I can, I’m sure you can, too!
Would horse riding experience help? Well, yes. Although the terrain is flat on day two, there’s a lot of uphill gain on day one and downhill on day three, so I think you’d feel more secure and confident with a bit of experience.
My review of Wow Kyrgyz Travel
You could spend a lot of time comparing different packages, something I didn’t really do because several people I’d met recommended Wow Kyrgyz Travel.
One downside of travelling solo (especially on a long backpacking trip where you’re moving every three days) is having to do all the research, make all the bookings, and keep track of everything. It’s an admin nightmare!
When several people give me the same recommendation, I often just go for it without investigating further. This was one of those times.
I had a great time with Wow Kyrgyz Travel and paid around $200, including:
- Accommodation in shared yurts (two nights). Although the beds were comfy, one slight complaint is that they packed so many of us into one yurt that we were basically sleeping in one giant bed! There were at least eight of us per yurt.
- All meals – we had lunch and dinner on the first day, all three meals on day two, and breakfast and lunch on day three. Everything was tasty and, for once in Central Asia, it was mostly vegetarian. On the downside, there wasn’t much protein (apart from eggs) so I felt quite hungry.
- All equipment needed for horse riding, like saddles and helmets. Everything seemed to be in good condition.
- Guides – expect 2-3 guides per group of 8 guests. They didn’t speak English, so we couldn’t really raise any potential issues (there also wasn’t mobile signal for much of the trip), but overall I found them friendly, competent and great with the horses. They seemed aware when I was struggling and happy to help.
How long to sign up for
Companies offer horse-riding packages of varying lengths, from 1 day to 2 weeks.
Personally, I think three days is long enough to get deep into the lakeside scenery without feeling too rushed. It’s a long ride from the starting point of Kyzart, so doing it over two days wouldn’t give you the leisurely second day we had, riding in the morning and swimming in the lake after lunch.
Unless you have done comparatively long horse rides before, I wouldn’t suggest signing up for the 4-day option. It’s a long time for a beginner to spend on a horse. Imagine deciding it wasn’t for you by day two and having two days still to go!
Personally, my whole body hurt by day three, and the final couple of hours dragged, especially since the horses were clearly tired and eager to get home, so their behaviour was worse than on other days (not listening to commands, etc).
Although it was an overall positive experience, I wouldn’t have wanted to do it for longer than the three days I did.
Demographics of other guests
Perhaps because Wow Kyrgyz Travel gets a lot of mentions on TikTok, the average demographic is fairly young. I’d say the average age is early 20s.
As a solo female traveller in my mid-30s, I was feeling positively ancient. Later in the trip, I did meet other 30-something travellers who had been with the same company, so perhaps it was just a coincidence that most of my group were quite young.
Anyway, during the horse riding tour I had to suffer hearing comments like ‘I’m glad I’m doing this before I’m 30 while my knees still work!’.
I mean, grrrr. I always feel inspired by travellers in their 70s still living their lives; I’d never think to make derogatory comments about the 40s in front of people in their 40s.
Saying that, I probably did think that 30+ was old when I was 20, so it’s society to blame, not the individuals on my tour.
Sorry for the TED talk! Long story long, if you’re over 30, you may find the demographic a tad young with Wow Kyrgyz Travel. Having not experienced another operator, I don’t know how they compare. It wasn’t a problem; everyone in my group was lovely. Just something to be aware of.
Treatment of the horses
Animal ethics are something I take seriously when travelling by asking tour companies questions and reading reviews.
I felt positively about how the horses were treated with Wow Kyrgz Travel. They were tethered overnight with two legs tied loosely together, which was necessary to stop them from leaving entirely and us not having horses the next day!
They can still walk about slowly and graze while tethered; it’s not comparable to being tied up in one place.
Generally, the horses seemed healthy with bright eyes and glossy fur. I didn’t see anything that to cause concern.
Next, here’s what to expect on a Song Kul horse ride, day by day…
Day 1
After travelling from Bishkek to Kyzart village in the morning, we arrived at a local home for lunch before setting out. After a tasty meal of stuffed peppers and a briefing from the guides, we were assigned our horses for the next three days.
We were able to leave our big bags at the local home, just packing a small backpack with things we’d need for the trip. Luggage is stored in the living room so I suggest not leaving any valuables (however, I highly doubt anyone will take anything).
How to get to Kyzart – you can either take a marshrutka (local minibus) or ask the company to organise a shared taxi if there’s enough demand. For more details, see my guide to getting around Kyrgyzstan without a car.
In the early afternoon, we set out on our expedition. The first day involved getting used to our horses and trying to master the commands we’d been given for stopping and speeding them up.
As we got further from the village and gained elevation, the scenery became absolutely stunning!
In the late afternoon, we reached our camp for the night. We had time before dinner to explore our surroundings, so several of us climbed the steep hill next to camp. The views were gorgeous! We headed to camp in time for dinner and spent the evening chatting and stargazing before bed.
Day 2
After breakfast, we mounted our horses again and set off along the banks of Song Kul Lake. This was my favourite day of the trip. We experienced gorgeous weather, and I started to feel more confident and in tune with my horse (compared to the day before, when I was still getting used to everything).
It was toward the end of the day when a group of our horses spontaneously cantered that I got a bit freaked out. The guests involved were clinging on for dear life, unable to stop them!
We arrived at our second camp in time for lunch. The itinerary between lunch and dinner? Nada! Some of the group played football, some chatted, some read, some went for a dip in the lake.
I can confirm the lake is icy cold but very refreshing. After my dip, I sat on the banks and soaked up the views of mountains, horses and yurts. It could only be Kyrgyzstan!
After dinner, the guides put on some music (a random mix of 2010s clubbing tunes and local music) for a mini dance party before bed.
Day 3
We departed from camp after breakfast, arriving back in Kyzart in time for lunch. As mentioned, I didn’t love this day because it was slippery going downhill over the pass, and I felt nervous as the horses kept slipping.
One guy in the group even fell off while on this nerve-racking pass, but luckily he slid off the side not facing a virtual drop, and the horse righted itself.
Also, the horses were clearly tired and almost galloping as we approached the village. They were naughty and difficult to control all day, I think because they were tired and desperate to get home. The feeling was mutual!
It was a shame because I got my confidence up on day two but felt I lost it again on day three.
What is the accommodation like?
As I briefly mentioned above, the accommodation is yurt-style. If you’re new to Central Asia, this is an exciting opportunity to stay in a cosy yurt like nomadic people have for centuries.
If you’ve been in Central Asia a while, however, you might be thinking, ‘not another yurt!’ as I was by the end of my trip.
The downside to these particular yurts during the Son Kul horse riding trip was simply how many people are stuffed into each one. We had a row of single mattresses spread from wall to wall, squeezing the whole group into what felt like one giant bed!
On the plus side, at least it doesn’t get too cold thanks to all the body heat! Still, I recommend packing thermal layers and a puffer jacket because, even in the summer, it gets chilly at the lake.
Other than the tight squeeze, the camps are pleasant with gorgeous views. There are big, communal rooms for shared meals where guests sit on the floor at low tables to eat. Since it’s Central Asia, copious amounts of tea and snacks are provided!
Note about drinking water – none is provided or available for purchase during the 3-day trip. I had a filtering Lifestraw bottle that I could refill anywhere, even at the lake. If you don’t have one, I suggest bringing a couple of plastic bottles from Bishkek. After running out, some members of the group were only drinking tea!
Checking the weather
Obviously, there’s very little you can do about the weather, especially if you’re on a short holiday and don’t have time to wait around.
However, I think the weather can make or break a Song Kul horse riding trip. I spoke to people who’d done it in pouring rain and freezing temperatures and found the experience miserable.
If possible, I highly recommend checking the weather forecast in the days before your trip and aiming for the best weather possible. I noticed rain was forecast for when I originally wanted to go, so I decided to spend a couple of extra days in Bishkek and the surrounding area.
I find the Norwegian website yr.no offers the most reliable forecasts.
Ultimately, the best season to visit Kyrgyzstan for horse trekking is mid-June to mid-September, but you can still experience cold temperatures and rain during this period.
Is there mobile signal?
Not really. I would prepare to be offline for the 3-day trip. Out of everyone in the group, I got the most signal, which came in waves, mainly when we climbed a hill near camp.
I had a local SIM card with MEGA, which I definitely recommend ($5 for unlimited data for a month). Others in the group with Beeline didn’t get any signal until we got back to Kyzart.
Final thoughts – is horse riding at Song Kul worth it?
Ultimately, I had a memorable time on this trip, and I think it was worth it for the gorgeous scenery alone.
Yes, I did find it a little scary at times, so I’m glad I didn’t over-research and psych myself out. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to you, as you HAVE researched by reading this!
Still, I think the nerves were worth it for seeing the spectacular Song Kul, bonding with the group, and making memories.
I don’t think I’ll be signing up for a multi-day horse ride again, or a job as a professional jockey, but I’m glad I did it!
