As soon as I got back to Tashkent, I headed to the Avtovokzal Station to purchase a bus ticket to Bishkek. Initially I wasn’t planning on heading to Kyrgyzstan. The original plan was to visit Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, that’s why my return flight is from Almaty. But while planning, I learned more about Kyrgyzstan so I decided to visit it as well. For nature lovers, Kyrgyzstan is that one country in Central Asia that you shouldn’t miss.

These days, it’s easy to head to Bishkek from Tashkent because direct buses are running again. Last year, it was still kinda complicated. First you need to take a bus to Shymkent, then take a mini bus to Taraz. Then in Taraz, take a marshrutka or shared taxi to either the Taraz- Talas or the Kordai border. Once you cross the border there’ll be taxis and marshrutkas to Bishkek. Whew— that’s 4 stops total… and I actually considered doing this just so I could see more of Kazakhstan. Shymkent looked pretty interesting, and from there I could check out Turkestan. But then I’ve met a lot of travelers saying don’t bother. There’s not much to see in Shymkent and Taraz. As for Turkestan? Everyone said that if you’ve already been to Samarkand, Bukhara, or Khiva in Uzbekistan, Turkestan would be underwhelming. Videos I’ve seen online seemed to confirm this. Turkestan did look underwhelming. And Karavan Saray, that massive newly built shopping complex that they’ve been hyping up? It looked real tacky. So yeah, I figured I might as well save time and head directly to Bishkek.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous entry, you can head to the Avtovokzal Station from anywhere in Tashkent by taking the Metro. Get off at Olmazor stop, the bus station is right outside. If you’re carrying lots of luggage, it may be a better idea to take a Yandex taxi. It’s real cheap anyway. If you arrive early and you still want to check out some sights nearby, you can leave your luggage at the basement for a small fee. There are 2 direct buses to Bishkek departing daily, the first one leaves at 6 PM, the other leaves at 8PM. A single journey ticket costs 280,000 Som (about USD 22) and this trip takes about 13 hours. I chose to take the 8 PM one so we’d arrive at the second border crossing at around 4-5 AM— I’d be able to sleep longer. They will ask for your passport and visas for both Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan if you need those. Even if you don’t need a visa to both countries, make sure to check the visa policy before your trip. In my experience, this could change at the very last minute– a couple of years back, when I was crossing a border between two African countries, they changed the policy while I was in transit. Good thing I had proof of communication with the embassy (via email) and they let me pass without a visa. For Kyrgyzstan, take note that e-Visas are not accepted in all border crossings so check the bus or train route… you may need an actual visa sticker on your passport. Generally, you can’t cross Kyrgyz borders on a train with an e-Visa. If you’re taking a direct bus to Bishkek from Tashkent, there’s no need to worry. E-Visas are accepted at the border crossing on this specific bus route which passes through the Chon- Kapka/ Taraz- Talas border.

These are the Kyrgyz airports and border crossings where e-Visas are accepted:

• Manas Airport in Bishkek
• Osh Airport in Osh
• The Chon-Kapka border crossing between Talas and Taraz (border with Kazakhstan)
• The Chaldybar border crossing (border with Kazakhstan)
• The Ak-Jol: Kordai border crossing (border with Kazakhstan; this is where you’ll pass if you take a bus from Almaty to Bishkek and vice versa)
• The Ak-Tilek border crossing
• The Dostuk border crossing (border with Uzbekistan)
• The Kyzyl-Bel border crossing (Border with Tajikistan)
• The Kulundu border crossing (Border with Tajikistan)
• The Bor-Dobo border crossing (border with Tajikistan)
• The Irkeshtam crossing (border with China)
• The Torugart crossing (border with China)

Always refer to official channels. As of the time of posting this information is updated, but as I’ve mentioned, policies can change at the very last minute. You won’t get a pass by saying you got your wrong information on social media. For Kyrgyzstan, you can ask questions regarding entry requirements on the official e-Visa website. In my experience, they reply within 3 working days.

https://www.evisa.e-gov.kg/

Bring some snacks if you don’t think you’ll be sleeping much. They won’t be making any stops for any meals until the morning. You might want to pack some breakfast as well if you don’t have any Kazakhstani Tenge since this stop will be in Kazakhstan. I tried to look for a currency exchange at the bus station before we left— there was one but it was closed. Keep in mind that bus schedules may change. You can check schedules and buy bus tickets online for convenience.

https://avtoticket.uz/

So on this bus, you’re going to cross two border crossings: the Zhibek Zholy border crossing between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and the Taraz- Talas border crossing between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It just took a little more than an hour before we reached the first border crossing. You need to grab all your bags because these are going to be checked. Take a picture of your bus so you know which bus to board across the border. There are lots of buses and it’s bound to get confusing. There were still a lot of people crossing the border after 9 PM, and it took us more than an hour to get across. It was chaotic on the Uzbekistan side. Too many people who do not fall in line— you could only imagine. The Kazakh side is kinda far from the Uzbek side, so you have to board the bus again then get off with your bags. There’s still a lot of people here but things were more orderly. At around 11 PM everyone was already accounted for, and we were on our way.

It was around 4 in the morning when we arrived at the Taraz– Talas border. When I got off the bus, it was freezing. Coming from Uzbekistan where it was very hot, I was only wearing a T-shirt and shorts. I had to rush inside the building and immediately dug through my stuff to get my sweater and pants. No wonder everyone on that bus was dressed for cold weather lol. Maybe because it was early in the morning, there weren’t too many people. The Kyrgyz side is nearby, we just had to walk across. The bus was waiting for us on the other side. It’s a bit disorienting once we crossed the border because Kyrgyzstan is an hour ahead. It was another 4 hours to Bishkek.

We arrived at the Western Bus Station in Bishkek at around 9 in the morning. First, the essentials: I needed some Kyrgyz Som. Luckily, there’s a currency exchange shop at the bus station. You’d get better rates in the city center so just exchange enough for a Yandex taxi or public bus. They accept Uzbek Som, Kazakh Tenge, US Dollars, and Euros. Next I needed a SIM card so I could book a Yandex. Luckily, there are shops selling SIM cards at the Western Bus Station. There’s actually a good hostel near the bus station and it’s incredibly social. If you’re heading elsewhere in Kyrgyzstan or crossing the border to another country from Bishkek, chances are you’ll be taking a bus or marshrutka from here. If you prefer staying somewhere close to the bus station, I’d highly recommend Apple Hostel. It’s just 5 minutes away on foot. They have daily activities, and they even have free dinner on some nights (Plov Night). I stayed here before I crossed to border to Kazakhstan and I wish I stayed a little longer.

Now if you want to explore Bishkek, it would make sense to stay in the city center. It’s not a huge city. There are also lots of parks and open spaces, you can easily spend one entire day just exploring the city on foot. And if you get tired of walking, there are many places where you could stop and rest for a bit. Bishkek is one of the greenest capitals in the world— I’m honestly impressed with the urban planning in the central asian cities I’ve seen. Install Yandex Maps or maps.me on your phone. Like in Uzbekistan, Google Maps and Apple Maps are practically useless here. I’ve tried using both several times, and they’ve been leading me to dead ends. If you get tired of walking, you can hop on a marshurtka within the city for only 15 Kyrgyz Som (about 18 US cents). I really liked Bishkek… surprising because I’m generally not fond of capital cities. It’s a small, beautiful city. The architecture is interesting, you’d see a good mix of old Soviet and modern buildings. I was there just before the end of May, and the weather could be quite unpredictable. On the day i arrived it was so cold in the morning, there were even flurries. But late in the afternoon it became warm, I had to remove my jacket because I was sweating too much lol.

For notable attractions, you can start at Ala Too Square. The Kyrgyz State Museum is just behind the monument of Manas, while a statue of Lenin is on the other side of the museum. Manas is the main protagonist of the poem “The Epic of Manas“, and he is a national icon. The country’s tallest flagpole can also be found on this square.

When you’re facing the museum, Stella of Friendship of Nation is to the left. It’s also worth checking out.

From here you could walk to Victory Square, and pass by a number of beautiful parks on the way. Oak Park is a huge and beautiful park that you shouldn’t miss. You could also pass by the Revolution Militant’s Square. The State Circus is now closed, but you can still admire the architecture from the outside– it’s close to Victory Square. For a good view of the city, many locals would recommend riding the Ferris wheel in Panfilov Park. If you want to check out a bazaar, many would recommend the Osh Bazaar. I skipped this one. I’ve already had my fill of bazaars at this point.

If you’re spending more than one night in Bishkek, I would highly recommend doing a day trip to Ala Archa National Park— it’s only about 40-50 minutes away by taxi. It boasts great views and it’s perfect if you want to do a bit of hiking but you don’t have much time. Nature and hiking is what Kyrgyzstan is known for after all. Before heading there, make sure to download offline maps. there’s no cellular service in much of the park. Alltrails and Maps.me work well.

There are several companies offering day tours to Ala Archa, and many locals would recommend booking one with Kettik. Tour companies charge USD 80-100 for this tour. If you can spare that much and if you prefer a guided tour, it’s certainly more convenient. You don’t really need a guide though, it’s easy to head to Ala Archa and do some hikes on your own. The trails are well marked. The easiest way to get there is to hire a private taxi and ask the driver to wait for you. The staff at your hotel or hostel can link you up with a reliable driver. The standard rate seems to be 2500- 3000 Som (about USD 29-36) for 3 hours. This already includes the 80 Som (about USD 1) park entrance fee. They’d ask for an extra 500 Som (USD 6) for each additional hour. If you’ll just walk around the river, 3 hours is enough. But if you plan on hiking up to the waterfall, it’s gonna take 5-6 hours on the average– maybe more if you’ll do a lot of stops. Even if you take 6 hours, that’s still way cheaper than booking a guided tour. Even cheaper if you can split the cost with 3 other people. If you’re staying in a hostel, it’s easy to find people who’d split the cost with you. Almost every visitor in Bishkek is planning to check out Ala Archa.

A cheaper option is to take a Yandex— yeah, you can take a Yandex all the way to the entrance by the trailheads (the second park entrance), and it’s gonna cost about 900- 1200 Som for the ride (add 80 Som for the park entrance fee, which is paid at the first park entrance). Now your problem would be getting back. Yandex drivers do not stay near the park. Sure you can press your luck and wait for a Yandex to drop off someone at the Ala Archa Hotel by the second gate — I know two travelers who got lucky and they were able to get a Yandex just outside the hotel once it dropped off tourists who would be staying there. But how often does this happen? Two other travelers I’ve met didn’t have much luck. One was able to hitchhike to Kasha Suu, and the other had to walk all the way there to catch a ride on a marshrutka back to Bishkek. That town isn’t close— it’s about 12 1/2 miles (about 20 km) from the trailheads by the second park entrance. Imagine walking more than 12 miles after doing a hike.

Hitchhiking is a controversial topic among travelers because there’s this impression that most travelers who do this come from rich countries… and they’re doing this in developing countries. It depends on where you are really. Hitchhiking is a legitimate option in Kyrgyzstan— it’s part of their culture. No one is going to judge you. However, budget travelers should take note that many drivers in Kyrgyzstan expect some compensation— i.e. it won’t be totally free. If you’re going to hitchhike, make sure to clear things up before getting in. Ask if they expect you to pay, and agree on a certain amount if they do to prevent any conflict.

You should also take note that it’s not easy to hitchhike everywhere in the country. This depends on where you are and where you’re going. As for Ala Archa National Park, when we went it seems to be mostly families who were visiting. So every car passing by were full— there’s just no room for anyone who’d try to hitch a ride. You may read on several other blogs that it’s easy to hitchhike to Ala Archa. They’d say just take Marshrutka #265 which leaves from Osh Bazaar. Once you’re at Kashka Suu Village, you can ask the driver to take you to the main gate (first entrance) of the park for an extra 50-ish Som once everyone gets off, or you can hitchhike from there if he says no. it’s that easy.

HOGWASH.

I’ve met many budget travelers who’ve tried doing this based on the recommendation of many blogs, and I’m telling you, IT’S NOT THAT EASY. Majority of locals who visit the park are families and they won’t have room for you. Sure, you could get lucky. Maybe there’d be couples who’d be visiting so they’d have room. Or more likely, it’s gonna be fellow travelers taking a taxi who’d be willing to give you a ride, and chances are they’d ask you to split the cost with them so it won’t be for free. We were one of those who picked up a hitchhiking backpacker who was walking all the way back to Kashka Suu because he couldn’t hitch a ride. Of course we asked him to split the cost of the ride back to Bishkek… and it was annoying how he didn’t want to pay at first, even when he obviously could. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, bro. Pay up or get out lol. The bottomline: if you’re on a really tight budget and you plan on doing the marshrutka + hitchhiking route, you’re gonna need some luck. There’s a huge chance you may not be able to get a ride all the way to Ala Archa, as well as a ride back to Bishkek. You better have a plan B. If you don’t want to risk it, just book a private taxi and find people who’d split the cost with you. Even a private taxi won’t be expensive if you’re able to split the cost with 3 other people.

At the park, there are 2 main trails. As I’ve mentioned earlier, you can just walk by the river. Keep walking straight after you’ve passed the hotel, you won’t miss the trail. The river will be to the right. If you decide to check out the waterfall, the start of the trail is on the left, just across the hotel. Ak-Sai Waterfall is nothing to write home about, but you’d get sick views on the way there. It’s not the destination that matters on this hike, it’s the journey. 😉

For a more challenging hike, you could go all the way to Ratsek Hut where you could see Ak Sai Glacier. We didn’t do this though. When we went the trail was closed due to weather. It was in fact snowing the day prior. There were still some snow on several parts of the trails. If you plan on hiking, the best time to visit is from mid June to mid September so all trails are open.

Bishkek is a beautiful city that’s definitely worth visiting. Natural attractions are also very accessible. It’s located right by the mountains, nature is in every direction. If you’re planning on doing more hikes though, it would be best to head to Karakol, which is frequently referred to as the gateway to travel adventure in Kyrgyzstan.