When to visit - Kyrgyzstan

The best time to visit Kyrgyzstan is between June 1st and September 30th. During this period, the yurt camps at Son-Kul Lake and Tash Rabat will be open, and most hiking trails around the country will be accessible. This is the only time of year where it is possible to do an extended tour around the country. Some of the higher passes and hiking trails will not fully thaw until June or July, so bear this in mind if you are planning an extensive tour to cover higher altitude or more remote areas.

April, May and October can still be a good months to visit Kyrgyzstan, either just after or just before the cold winter months. The yurt camps at Son Kul and Tash Rabat will be closed, and some of the more remote areas and hiking trails will not yet be accessible, but it is perfectly possible to do a classic highlights tour around Bishkek, Karakol, and Lake Issyk-Kul. This is also a good time to combine a visit to Kyrgyzstan with its neighbour Uzbekistan, which gets swelteringly hot during the summer months.

Mid-November to March are extremely cold, and many mountain passes will be inaccessible at this time of year. This can be a good time of year for winter sports enthusiasts, as there is some excellent skiing to be found near Karakol, but in general we would not recommend travelling to Kyrgyzstan as a tourist during the winter months.