Travel To & Around Kyrgyzstan

Where is Kyrgyzstan?

Kyrgyzstan is in the heart of Central Asia with Kazakhstan to the north, China to the east and southeast, Uzbekistan to the west, and Tajikistan to the south. The capital city of Bishkek is in the northern part of the country near the border with Kazakhstan, and it’s not too far from the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan. Needless to say, Kyrgyzstan shouldn’t be confused with Kurdistan.

Travel to Kyrgyzstan

Flights

The easiest way to travel to Kyrgyzstan is to fly. Flights to the Manas International Airport (BSZ) in Bishkek originate from Dubai, Istanbul, Beijing, Moscow and Seoul. From other Central Asian countries there are flights to Bishkek from Almaty and Tashkent. Until 2025, the Bishkek Airport code was FRU, because the former Soviet name for the city was Frunze.

You can look at flight options on a flight aggregator or google flights.

Driving to Kyrgyzstan

If you’ve got a very adventurous spirit and plenty of time you can drive to Kyrgyzstan, depending on whether borders are closed and/or there is unrest near the borders. If coming from western Europe one route in peaceful times is via Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Russia. Or a southern route is via Turkey, Georgia, with a ferry from Baku in Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan, and then into Kyrgyzstan.

Train to Kyrgyzstan

Using trains to get to Kyrgyzstan isn’t really a thing. You can get a train from Almaty in Kazakhstan to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, but the journey is slow and the train only runs occasionally.

Travel Around Kyrgyzstan

Independent travel around the country is somewhat challenging. There are several airports so you can get short flights around Kyrgyzstan, yet public transport isn’t well established. Trains are negligible and outside of the major cities you can’t get a timetabled bus. Overland travel is possible via marshrutka (shared) minivans and taxis if you can negotiate the informality of it all. Or of course, you can self-drive if you’re really keen.

Tours

Considering independent travel is difficult, many visitors to Kyrgyzstan travel around on tours to see the sights and to get to the ski resorts. Various multi-day Kyrgyzstan ski and snowboard tours also include backcountry guiding, cat skiing or other mechanised skiing/snowboarding.

Driving

Driving provides a lot of spontaneity and flexibility if you’re very courageous.

Roads in Kyrgyzstan are typically full of pot holes or generally uneven, and combined with winding mountain roads, what seems like a short distance can turn into a really long journey. Snow clearing may be non-existent and even getting up ski area roads in a rugged 4WD can be challenging. This is why you need a horse! Or a snowmobile would be even better!

Driver competence is not necessarily what you’d be used to back home, and passing on blind corners seems to be acceptable practice. Then there’s the potential for livestock meandering across the road. Street lights are rare and you also have to tackle the challenges associated with getting fuel. Google maps aren’t the best, yet Maps.me and 2GIS may be better.

To drive in Kyrgyzstan, you need to have an international drivers license as well as your usual license. Also, it’s illegal to drive after vodka shots and a blood alcohol reading of zero is required.

Taxis

Taxis are good for short trips and you’ll want to agree on the price beforehand. In large cities you can use ride apps such as Maxim or Yandex Go, that’s of course if your bank will allow credit card charges to the app, although you could probably use cash.

If getting a taxi from the Manas International Airport, book one at the taxi desk or it might be a bit overwhelming if you walk outside and get accosted by hundreds of dodgy taxi drivers vying for your business.

The Marshrutkas shared minibuses are the way the locals inexpensively get around, although you may find the “ish” time that they work on a bit frustrating.