Ashu Guesthouse Yurt Hotel 5 days / 4 nights 6 days / 5 nights 7 days / 6 nights No riding experience Beginner riders Novice riders (try cantering!) Intermediate riders Advanced riders Bazaar Bishkek Chon-Kemin Valley Song-Kul Lake Silk Road World Heritage Nomadic culture First time in Central Asia Stunning scenery Horse riding Cantering

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Song-Kul Lake Scenery & Nomadic Culture Tour | From Almaty: Kyrgyzstan Horse Riding, 5+ Days / 4+ Nights [No Experience Needed]

Departure: Almaty Airport

Season: 6/1〜9/15

Destinations: Almaty, Chon-Kemin Valley, Kochkor, Song-Kul Lake, Burana Tower & Ak-Beshim ruins, Bishkek

Accommodation: Ashu Guesthouse, yurt, hotel

Riding level: No experience

Riding distance: 10-20km* Per riding day

Tour Highlights

Travel by horse to Song-Kul, the lake in the sky
Song-Kul Lake sits at approx. 3,000 m, and on clear days the sky is reflected on its surface like a shining mirror. On this trip you ride across this lake in the sky, stay in yurts and fully experience nomadic life. Suitable for all levels, from beginner to advanced.
Choose from 3 plans to match your arrival time
We offer three plans to match your arrival time in Almaty: 5 days / 4 nights, 6 days / 5 nights and 7 days / 6 nights. Choose the best plan for your flight schedule. *If you would like to start and end at Manas Airport instead, please ask us.
Cross the border into Kyrgyzstan on foot and by car
Starting from Almaty in Kazakhstan, you cross the border into Kyrgyzstan on foot and by car. It is an experience unique to departures from Almaty, different from our tours starting and ending in Manas.
Accommodation, meals, transfers, activities & guide included
Leave everything to us, from pick-up at Almaty Airport to drop-off at Almaty Airport.

Selected itinerary 5 days / 4 nights

Tour price (per adult)

$1,600–$3,850

Check prices & request a booking (free)

Check prices

1 pax$3,850+ pp
2 pax$2,200+ pp
3 pax$1,800+ pp
4 pax$1,600+ pp
5 pax$1,600+ pp

The final price is fixed 3 weeks before the tour.
Until then, the price changes as travelers join or cancel. We will email you whenever it changes.

Included in the price

Accommodation in hotels, guesthouses and yurts throughout
All meals throughout
Horse riding (horses and instructors)
Felt-making experience
Burana Tower admission
English-speaking guide throughout
Vehicle, driver and fuel throughout

Not included

Round-trip airfare
Insurance
Alcoholic drinks

Tour updates

Great-Value Shared Tours Now Open for Booking

These are upcoming shared tour dates. Travel together with others and join at a better price.

Departing August 8, 2026 (Obon holiday) Open for booking
Song-Kul Lake horse riding tour from Almaty
▶ Details & booking

ScheduleSchedule Reviews Tour Experiences OptionsOptions

Schedule

Tour Price

1 pax $3,850+ pp
2 pax $2,200+ pp
3 pax $1,800+ pp
4 pax $1,600+ pp
5 pax $1,600+ pp

* ASHU TRAVEL tours are “shared tours” by default, so they are easy to join even if you travel solo. A shared tour means several travelers share the same itinerary. You can book new dates and let others join you, or join a tour that is already confirmed. The more people join, the lower the price per person, so you save money and meet fellow travelers to explore Central Asia with. The final price is fixed 3 weeks before departure.Learn more

Destinations

Almaty, Chon-Kemin Valley, Kochkor, Song-Kul Lake, Burana Tower & Ak-Beshim ruins, Bishkek

Riding distance

10–20 km/day * Per riding day

20–30 km in total

Day 1

Meals: Dinner

Horse Riding: None

Elevation: 1200

Charging: ○

wifi: ○

Toilet: Flush toilet

Hot shower: Hot shower

Pool: ○

On arrival

A driver holding an ASHU TRAVEL sign will meet you at the arrivals gate of Almaty Airport (the sign may show your name instead)

[Important information for the 5 days / 4 nights plan]
This plan heads to Song-Kul Lake the next day, so please be sure to book a flight arriving in Almaty between 10:30 and 12:00

The 6 days / 5 nights plan also travels to Kyrgyzstan on the same day, so it likewise requires a flight arriving in Almaty between 10:30 and 12:00. If you arrive in the afternoon, please choose the 7 days / 6 nights plan, which stays in Almaty on Day 1 (Almaty to Chon-Kemin takes approx. 6–7 hours, and traffic has been making the journey longer recently). Please feel free to ask us.
Night

Enter Kyrgyzstan by private vehicle and on foot

Transfer to Ashu Guesthouse in the Chon-Kemin Valley

We'll stop for dinner on the way

Almaty to Chon-Kemin: 6–7 hours
Night

Check in at Ashu Guesthouse

Relax in a comfortable room with a warm wooden feel and rest up for the next day
* Shower water may be lukewarm at busy times (body wipes are handy to have)

Optional add-ons
(extra charge)

Change to a single room at Ashu Guesthouse

$20 /night

Day 2

Open

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Horse Riding: 10+

Elevation: 3000

Charging: ×

wifi: ×

Toilet: Flush toilet

Hot shower: Hot shower

Pool: ×

Morning

Recharge with a hearty breakfast of freshly baked bread, honey and other delicious food
After breakfast

Depart for Song-Kul Lake

Felt-making experience in Kochkor on the way

Shyrdak, traditional Kyrgyz felt carpets, feature colorful and charming patterns

Watch the villagers happily making them, then give it a try yourself

* It is a long way from Ashu Guesthouse to Song-Kul, so the felt-making experience also serves as a break
Midday

Arrive at Song-Kul Lake

Time for lunch
Afternoon

After a lesson on how to ride Kyrgyz-style, ride along the lakeshore for approx. 1–2 hours

A beautiful time of day when the evening light reflects on the lake and the sky and water become one

* A vehicle runs alongside on some routes
If you get tired along the way, you can rest in the vehicle, so please feel free to tell your guide.

* The riding route may change depending on the season and weather

* Safety comes first, so the guide or instructor may stop the ride partway if they judge it unsafe based on the horse's condition or your match with the horse
Thank you for your understanding

* If your flight is delayed and you arrive late at night on Day 1, you will have a relaxed morning, watch a felt show in the early afternoon and arrive at Song-Kul Lake in the evening, so there will be no horse riding
Evening

Overnight stay and dinner at a yurt camp

Feel like a nomad!

* There is a simple hot shower, but in busy tourist seasons the water pressure may be weak or hot water may be hard to get

* Toilets are portable flush toilets or toilets with a roofed enclosure over a dug pit

* There is generally no Wi-Fi or charging, though some yurt camps offer it in the restaurant only

Optional add-ons
(extra charge)

Change to a single room at Ashu Guesthouse

$20 /night

Day 3

Open

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Horse Riding: 10–20

Elevation: 3000

Charging: ×

wifi: ×

Toilet: Flush toilet

Hot shower: Hot shower

After breakfast

Breakfast in the yurt, then set off

Ride along the shore of Song-Kul Lake for approx. 2 hours, with some cantering

Depending on conditions, we'll try some cantering where possible (no pushing yourself)

With luck, you can enjoy edelweiss and other flowers
Midday

Picnic lunch at a spot with a great view
Afternoon

Another approx. 2 hours of riding

Enjoy the changing scenery of Song-Kul Lake from midday into the evening
Evening

Arrive at the yurt camp

Have dinner and rest up
* There is a simple hot shower, but in busy tourist seasons the water pressure may be weak or hot water may be hard to get

Day 4

Open

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Horse Riding: None

Elevation: 1200

Charging: ○

wifi: ○

Toilet: Flush toilet

Hot shower: Hot shower

Morning

After breakfast, head down the mountains toward Bishkek
Morning

Visit the ruins of Balasagun, the Karakhanid capital and home of Burana Tower, a Silk Road UNESCO World Heritage Site
Midday

Lunch of traditional Kyrgyz home cooking at a local home

Enjoy the warm home-cooked flavors our guests praise every time
Evening

After dinner, check in at a hotel in Bishkek

Relax and unwind before your final day

Optional add-ons
(extra charge)

Hot springs

$10 /person

Day 5

Open

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Horse Riding: None

Elevation: 800

Charging: ×

wifi: ×

Toilet: None

Hot shower: None

Morning

After breakfast, shop for souvenirs at a Bishkek bazaar, a honey shop and more

We'll do a city tour as far as time allows, considering your flight time and traffic
Evening

Transfer to the airport in time for your evening flight

We'll assist you until check-in

* Flights departing at 20:00 or later are recommended