Destination: Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan tours for seniors

A rugged Central Asian country dominated by the Tian Shan mountain range, Kyrgyzstan captures the intrepid traveller’s imagination with its breathtaking natural beauty and fascinating culture. Kyrgyzstan is landlocked and 90% of it is covered in mountain ranges. The dramatic landscape of formidable mountain peaks and deep, fertile valleys is impossible to avoid but it is the perfect place for exploring spectacular scenery and immersing one’s self in nature. Stay in a traditional yurt, experience the nomadic lifestyle, try horseback riding and learn the history of the great Silk Road.

Kyrgyzstan Tours

Tours for Mature Aged and Senior World Travellers

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Silk Road specialist small group history tours for mature travellers

31 days

May, Aug

Travel on the Silk Road of Central Asia | Small Group Tour for Seniors

Visiting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan

The Silk Road is an ancient trade route linking China and Imperial Rome through Central Asia. Few areas in the world remain as unexplored or offer such richness in terms of ancient and modern history, culture, and scenic diversity as Central Asia. Our Small group Silk road tours itinerary explores the Road through remote deserts and mountainous environments as we visit key sites between Almaty and through to Samarkand over 31 days.

From A$20,995 AUD

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Mizdakhan Cemetery, Nukus, Uzbekistan

27 days

May, Aug

The Stans Small Group Tour: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan

Visiting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan

This Odyssey is designed for the adventurous traveller, a couple or solo traveller on a small group tour who is prepared for a range of accommodation styles, for walking excursions and some long travel days in 3 Central Asian countries. The program combines experiences with great scenery, ancient and modern histories, family visits and lifestyles that differ dramatically.

From A$16,750 AUD

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Silk Road specialist small group history tours for mature travellers

29 days

Aug, May, Sep

Travel on the Silk Road with Odyssey Traveller | Small Group Tour for Seniors

Visiting China, Kyrgyzstan

The Silk Road is an ancient trade route linking China and Imperial Rome through Central Asia. Few areas in the world remain as unexplored or offer such richness in terms of ancient and modern history, culture, and scenic diversity as Central Asia. Our Small group Silk road tours itinerary explores the Road through remote deserts and mountainous environments as we visit key sites between Xi'an and Bukhara.

From A$18,750 AUD

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Bishkek, the capital, is an increasingly vibrant vibrant city framed by snow-capped mountains. You will find tree-lined boulevards, buzzing markets and Soviet murals to explore. In Osh, the second-largest city, you can visit the country’s most famous and sprawling bazaar and discover over 3000 years of history.

Unless you’re a skier or snowboarder, summer and spring are the perfect months for visiting in Kyrgyzstan so you can fully appreciate the splendour of the country’s natural assets and the wonder of its alpine landscapes without the intense cold!

Articles about Kyrgyzstan

A Map of the Ancient Silk Road

Books to read about the Silk Road | Guide for Senior Travellers

Best books to read about the Silk Road – a list for senior travellers The linking of Asia to Europe via Eurasia for conquest and trade since at least 120BC is a unique part of…

30 May 18 · 2 mins read
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Transmongolian Transiberian

Trans-Siberian Railway: Travel advice

The Trans Siberian rail journey, often a must do for many travellers. Join a small group package tour travelling on the Trans Siberian for mature and senior travellers, couples and solo travellers. Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk, St Petersburg, Irkutsk all feature on this unique rail journey.

4 Jul 20 · 9 mins read
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A yurt in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan

Questions about Kyrgyzstan for Senior Travellers

Explore and learn about on a senior travellers small group tour of Kyrgyzstan and its pastoral, cultural and historic settlement.

26 Jul 19 · 2 mins read
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Persian carpet

History of Persian Carpets

History of Persian Carpets: From the Nomadic Tribes of Iran to Europe’s Richest | Small group tours Iran In addition to its gardens and mosaic tiles, Iran (formerly Persia) is famous the world over for…

10 Oct 19 · 10 mins read
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Touring Kyrgyzstan

The need to know

Getting around

Odyssey travels by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary. Coach services operate between Bishkek and several major towns in Kyrgyzstan. Train services are fairly limited, so might not constitute the best option for transportation while in Kyrgyzstan. Taxis are generally inexpensive and can be found in all major towns, though fares should be agreed upon in advance.

Accommodation

In major cities, Odyssey stays in centrally located 3-4 star hotels, with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses.

Tour Guides

Odyssey always engages local guides with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit.

Geography, Environment, & Weather

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country, with a total area of 199,951 square kilometres. Mountains dominate the country, with the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain systems together making up about 65% of the national territory. Almost 90% of the country lies at an elevation of more than 1,500 metres above sea level, with an average elevation of 2,750 metres. There is considerable glaciation in Kyrgyzstan, with glaciers covering 8,048 square kilometres of Kyrgyzstan’s surface area, while a further 7,000 square kilometres are covered by lakes.

The climate in Kyrgyzstan varies from region to region, including temperate, dry continental, and polar climates. Temperatures can drop well below freezing in winter, especially in the mountain valleys, so depending on when and where you intend to travel, check the weather reports and dress accordingly.

World Heritage sites

Kyrgyzstan has 3 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List. You can view the official list of the sites here (https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/kg). The World Heritage Sites in Kyrgyzstan include:

Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor, the historic former trade route linking China and Central Asia
Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain, which features 17 places of worship and over 100 archaelogical sites decorated with ancient petroglyphs
Western Tien-Shan, the towering mountains that dominate the Kyrgyzstan landscape

Festivals & Events

Kyrgyzstan’s numerous festivals and events celebrate the unique culture and traditions of the nation. As a Muslim majority country, Ramadan is observed across the nation with fasting and prayer, the end of which is celebrated with the Eid al-Fitr holiday, featuring family parties and feasting. The nomadic traditions of Kyrgyzstan are celebrated in events such as the Bird of Prey Festival, where falconers and their birds take part in falconry contests, and the Kyrgyz Kochu Festival, which marks the traditional annual migration of nomadic herders and their flocks with national games, horse races, music, dancing, and celebrating.

Reading List

Roaming Kyrgyzstan: Beyond the Tourist Track by Jessica Jacobson
The Silk Road in World History by Xinru Liu
Inside Central Asia by Dilip Hiro
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

Eating & Drinking

The nomadic and pastoral traditions of Kyrgyzstan has heavily shaped the country’s cuisine, with meat a central part of Kyrgyzstani diet. Noodles often supplement meat in Kygyzstani dishes, including besh barmak (shaved lamb served with noodles and onions), laghman (meat, vegetables and noodles served with a spicy vinegary sauce) and ashlyam fu (a cold, spicy soup made of meat, vegetables and noodles). Like elsewhere in Central Asia, paloo (plov, or pilaf) is a popular dish, which features rice, carrots, onions and shredded meat. Breads and pastries also play an important part in Kygyzstan’s cuisine, with popular dishes including samsa (pastries filled with meat and onions) and borsok (small pieces of dough fried in oil).

Although Kyrgyzstan is a Muslim majority country, alcohol is consumed and is available in Kyrgyzstan, with popular alcoholic beverages including arak (vodka) and kymyz (fermented mare’s milk). Tea is widely consumed, with tea often offered to guests at meals.

Health & Safety

As of writing, smartraveller.gov.au advises a degree of caution when travelling through Kyrgyzstan. There is a potential for civil unrest in certain areas, so avoid demonstrations and street rallies. It is advised to reconsider travelling to the Kyrgyz-Uzbek and Kyrgyz-Tajik border areas and the Ferghana Valley due to a potentially volatile security situation.

Electrical Supply

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adaptor. Kyrgyzstan’s electricity supply runs at 220V and 50Hz. Kyrgyzstan uses Type C and Type F electric plugs, so make sure you have the right travel adaptor with you.

Tour Reviews

We did this tour in 2011. Wonderful, extraordinary experience. Loved every minute.

Rex and Maree

Journey through Mongolia and Russia small group tour

The tour was fantastic and well organised and well managed. · I have travelled expensively but have not with a travel organisation that comes anywhere near Odyssey's attention to detail and the comfort of its travellers. · The tour was fantastic and well organised and well managed. The transport provided was always very good and where the seats were a little narrow, the bus was big enough for us to 'spread out' for more comfort. · Our accommodation was excellent as was our local guide.I would highly recommend a trip to this beautiful country with many treasures to explore and learn about. Discover Myanmar Nov ‘15

info@odysseytravel.com.au

Discovering Myanmar | Small Group Tour for Seniors

The trip to the Tang valley and the Ogyencholing museum were a highlight. Beautiful scenery, wonderful people and one of the best museums I've seen. That night and all next day it snowed - what a buzz. Made everything look magical and improved the scenery for the next few days

Participant March 2017

Bhutan | Small Group Cultural Tour

Your chat-operator was informative and helpful. We have covered quite a few countries and seasons to travel. Full marks for that!

Philip Lee

Discovering Myanmar | Small Group Tour for Seniors

I wish to sincerely thank Len for his amazing care, good cheer and flexibility ! Len has that great combination of simultaneous organisation and flexibility, which is so very necessary on a small trip such as this. In his stride, he was able to re-design the program at short notice due to weather conditions (working closely with Drakpa) and the end result was better than the original plan in my opinion!!! It was clear from day one, that Len cared and payed attention to each and every one of us at every step of the way – going out of his way to assist those who needed it. The trust and camaraderie we developed with Len made the trip that much more special! I miss our laughs.

Participant March 2017

Bhutan | Small Group Cultural Tour

The local guide, Drukpa, was exceptional value. When I was ill for a couple of days his care for me, assisted by Len, was way beyond my expectation.

Participant March 2017

Bhutan | Small Group Cultural Tour

Loved: National Institute of traditional medicine hike to Wanyditse Goemba Punakha festival – definitely a highlight Hanging the prayer flags at the pass! The outdoor picnics! Archery competition! Dumtse Lhakhang – went to heaven!!! Dzong Drak Kha (mini tigers nest) amazing views and climb Sanga Choekor Shedra (Bhuddist College) Drakpa and his team (Nima and Karma) were just amazing. Drakpa was very knowledgeable, friendly, caring and cheerful. He went out of his way to provide us with information and experiences to help our understanding of the culture and religion, he was funny and entertaining and very professional under pressure.Nima was a very competent driver, and I have never felt in safer hands in the difficult driving conditions we were in.

Participant March 2017

Bhutan | Small Group Cultural Tour

FAQs

What is the time zone?

Kyrgyzstan has a single time zone, Kyrgyzstan Time (UTC+6). Daylight savings are not observed in Kyrgyzstan.

Is tipping customary in Kyrgyzstan?

If you’re on an Odyssey tour, we take care of tipping so you don’t need to give it a second thought. However, in your free time, or if travelling independently, it’s essential that you tip an appropriate amount for services. Generally speaking, tipping is not mandatory, though can be expected amongst drivers, guides and hotel staff.

What is the internet access like in Kyrgyzstan?

Wifi should be available in many hotels, cafes and restaurants when travelling in Kyrgyzstan, though speeds can vary.

Can I use my mobile/cell phone while in Kyrgyzstan?

Check with your cell phone provider to see whether you’re able to make calls and use data while in Kyrgyzstan. Many providers will allow you to pay a daily fee that allows you to make calls and check the internet while only being charged your regular rates. However, be certain to inform your provider that you’re heading overseas, because just like a bank they can turn off your service as a result of unusual activity.

Articles relating to Kyrgyzstan published by Odyssey Traveller

For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature aged and senior travellers, click through on this link.

External articles to assist you on your visit to Kyrgyzstan

Responsible travel tips for Kyrgyzstan

  • Learn at least the local greetings to break the ice. Although some locals speak English, the more you know of the native language, the greater your experience of the country will be.
  • Carry a business card in your wallet or purse from your local hotel, to assist you with the return journey if you do become lost.
  • Always ensure that you are covered by travel insurance. If you need advice on this feel free to contact Odyssey and we’ll be able to help.
  • When travelling independently, make sure you check the opening hours of shops and museums so that you don’t miss out! Also be certain to check whether your trip coincides with any public holidays, so you can plan accordingly.
  • Before departing on your trip, contact your bank to inform them that you may be making purchases overseas. Otherwise, they may flag any activity on your account as suspicious. Also, check which ATMs and banks are compatible with your cards, to ensure you can withdraw cash with minimal fees.
  • Before departing, make sure you have a number of som in a range of denominations. You don’t want to be carrying around enormous amounts of cash, but take enough to make it easy to pay in locations that might not accept credit card. It will also help you avoid card transaction fees, and it makes tipping a breeze.

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