-
Kyrgyzstan: What to expect…
-
Tour Schedule
Kyrgyzstan – A Central Asian Wonderland
Gently undulating grasslands under lofty snow-peaks and azure lakes trapped in the valleys define much of Kyrgyzstan’s landscapes. Jailoos—the rolling meadows in the hills—are summer playgrounds of the magnificent Central Asian horses. Semi-nomadic shepherds riding these horses roam the countryside directing their flock of sheep along the mountain slopes. In the months when the grass is plentiful, the herders setup their yurts—mobile circular dwellings—and let their sheep and horses roam the mountains until the first snow of winter signals the time for retreat. The undulating landscapes, meandering streams that find their way into deep-blue lakes and fast-flowing rivers, the grazing animals that often appear like shifting dots in the faraway mountains, and the bright-white yurts that shine in the soft sunlight, come together to create a world that has a magnetic romance. For the traveller and photography-enthusiast, Kyrgyzstan is perhaps the ultimate amalgamation of finest travel experiences combined with every kind of photography opportunities bundled together. There is probably no other place that offers so much of diversity packed into a region of this size.
Horses roaming the mountainous landscapes of Kyrgyzstan.
Much of Kyrgyzstan is mountainous. Rivers flowing in the valleys and magnificent snow-peaks are everywhere to see in Kyrgyzstan.
-
Tour Itinerary in Brief
-
Tour Dates
June 10-21, 2025
Tour Price – US$3,050/ (Twin Occupancy)
Booking fee: $900/ balance payable by 15th April 2025Max group size: 8 only
Led by our renowned travel photographer Manish Lakhani, this eleven-day photography tour to Kyrgyzstan is designed to take you through the finest photography opportunities that Central Asia has to offer. On this tour, you will drive through the countryside going up and down the mountain landscape, visiting and photographing the semi-nomadic people shepherding their flocks in the undulating slopes. You will be enthralled by fabulous sunsets over endless lakes, view of snow-peaks across meandering rivers and even getting on horseback for a few hours. This photography tour will leave you with many experiences that will linger for long, and beautiful images that will help you relive those memories forever.
What participants say…
Horses in the mountains. Photograph by Tanya Raj.
The Kyrgyzstan photo tour with Darter was no less than spectacular. The choice of locations, subjects, and activities were carefully curated and the selections were perfect for learning the finer nuances of photography. I also got a chance to research, practice, and learn aspects that I had earlier not been either familiar or comfortable with. I especially appreciated the briefing sessions at the beginning of each activity which helped us be prepared for what to expect not only in terms of the use of our equipment but also be aware and sensitive to local customs and traditions. The Darter mentor was very helpful and always available for any guidance and help on the questions both on and off-field, which helped a lot in terms of live review of images and correcting any mistakes in the process. – Tanya, Bangalore
Horses by the lake. Photograph by Piotr Zycki.
This was an excellent photography trip, thanks to the combination of natural beauty of Kyrgyzstan, its local attractions and perfect organization of all aspects of the trip. There are obvious opportunities in landscape photography, but we also had a chance to witness and photograph traditional pastime activities of Kyrgyz people: kok boru (horse polo game) and wrestling on horses. The absolute highlight of the trip was photographing the eagle hunters, with the added training on some more advanced aspects of flash photography. And [Darter Photography Mentor] was an excellent mentor on all aspects of photography that we had a chance to try. The local staff was excellent too, helping us with all kinds of local arrangements. – Piotr, Poland
-
Inside a family yurt. Photograph by Yogesh Mokashi.
-
On the edge of the lake. Photograph by Piotr Zycki.
-
An Eagle Hunter. Photograph by Tanya Raj.
I travelled with Darter on their maiden photo tour to Kyrgyzstan. I enjoyed it thoroughly and there was very little to fault with, for every aspect of the tour. The locations were immaculately chosen, the organizing superb, travel and stay very comfortable. Our mentor was available with his feedback and critique while shooting, at day end and other times whenever there was downtime. My co-travellers were fun to be with. The people from the inbound team were extremely friendly and cooperative. That the Kyrgyz people are a friendly and hospitable lot made the trip even more enjoyable. I just hope Darter keeps discovering new gems like this every year. – Yogesh, Bangalore
A game of Kok-Boru in progress in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan.
Typical Central Asian landscapes – horses, yurts and rolling hills..
A lady of a shepherd family inside he beautifully decorated yurt.
Horses striding in the landscapes of Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan – About the Country in Brief
Kyrgyzstan, or Kyrgyz Republic, is a land-locked Central Asian country that was part of Soviet Union and formed an independent nation when USSR collapsed in 1991. Russian influence is still evident in the country’s liberal culture, language and the way of life. Russian is widely spoken and is one of the official languages, as is the local Kyrgyz language.
Kyrgyzstan is one of the first of the former Soviet nations to embrace tourism as a key economic activity and welcomed visitors with liberal visa policies. The country’s spectacular mountain landscapes, sparse population that has allowed most of the land to remain pristine, the nomadic lifestyle of the highlands, the friendliness and peaceful nature of its people make Kyrgyzstan the ideal country to visit for an experience of Central Asian culture, heritage and landscapes. While visitors’ numbers are gradually increasing, it’s still a rarely visited region in comparison with other parts of the world that have matching offerings. In several parts of the country, you can still drive around for an entire day and encounter only a handful of travellers (or locals for that matter) along the way. Yet, the infrastructure, a lot of it established during the Soviet days, is conducive for travelling in reasonable comfort. The famed ancient silk-route passed through Kyrgyzstan, and the history is replete with references to Chengiz Khan, Timur Lang and of traders at caravanserai, although not much has remained as treasures of the past.
A rider-herder watches over his flock of sheep in the grasslands surrounding Song-Kul Lake.
Beautiful mountain landscapes of Kyrgyzstan.
Beautiful mountain landscapes of Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan Photography Tour – Highlights.
An Eagle Hunter with his eagle.
Kyrgyzstan Photography Tour – Detailed Itinerary.
Day 01. Arrive in Bishkek
Arrive in Bishkek; introductions and briefing.
Day 02. Explore the Beautiful Central Asian city of Bishkek
Day 03. Drive to Song Kul Lake (About five hours)
We are quickly dashing out of Bishkek and into the countryside. In fact, any place outside Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan is one large countryside. Our destination today is Song Kul Lake, a giant blue freshwater body surrounded by mountains in all directions. As we get closer to the lake, we are getting into the higher regions and yurts start appearing on the horizon. Soon we are in shepherd land and start encountering small flocks escorted by shepherds on horsebacks. Horses roam on the slopes and so do cows and sheep. This seems to be a region straight out of fairy tale – rolling meadows, gurgling streams, small habitations dotting the slopes and suddenly we have our first view of the huge, deep-blue Song Kul Lake.
This evening, we will spend time photographing the sunset by the lake, perhaps along with beautiful Central Asian horses striding along the landscape. And to end the day, we line up on the lakeshore to witness what could be a colourful sun setting behind the mountains across the lake.
We will be staying in yurts managed by shepherd families tonight and tomorrow!
Day 04. Photographing the nomadic shepherd life around Song Kul Lake
The day will be spent driving along the meadows surrounding Song Kul Lake, visiting shepherds out in the slopes with their sheep and horses, and perhaps also visiting their yurts. The shepherds are usually welcoming and happy to spend a bit of time with the visitors, while our translator/guide will ensure that you can communicate with them. Look for a very well-spent day understanding the life of the shepherds and making a variety of images along the way.
Day 05. Drive to Naryn (About 3.5 hours)
After two days in the mountains, we are now back in a town. Naryn is a small town in the middle of the mountains and is our gateway to higher regions tomorrow. As we would have now got accustomed to, we will be driving through scenic mountainous landscapes through several beautiful meadows, stopping along the way for photography opportunities.
We will have time to explore the town this evening, walking along the only main road and admiring the well-kept lanes with several soviet-era housing and commercial buildings mixed with more modern structures. Some of you might find delight in finding good coffee in town that might just make your day more enjoyable.
Naryn has a very positive vibe. It’s been a relatively easy day, and we will spend the evening discussing on previous days’ photography and mulling over what we will be doing in the next two days.
Day 06. Drive to yurt camps at Kol Suu (About 4.5 hours)
We are heading to the higher regions today. Within half-an-hour of leaving Naryn, the snow-peaks make it apparent that we are moving to higher grounds. The landscapes along the way, sometimes wide open meadows, sometimes alpine-tree landscapes, all flanked by snow peaks that dominate the views.
We may have opportunities to photograph more shepherds against dramatic landscapes along the way.
We reach our camps for a late lunch. The campsite is breathtakingly beautiful, you will probably forget lunch and scramble for your cameras as soon as you are out of the car. Tonight and tomorrow, we stay in yurt camps that are located close to a wide river bed and has great views of snow-peaks.
Day 07. Photography in the surroundings and visit to Kol Suu Lake
We will spend some time early in the morning before breakfast photographing the landscapes in the surroundings. After breakfast, we will spend a few hours photographing the few shepherds who live in the area, against the magnificent snow-peaks in the background.
After lunch, we will visit Kol Suu Lake, a 1.5 hour horse ride away. The way to lake is magnificent, and involves riding along (and subsequently crossing) a river that originates from the lake. We will spend leisurely time in the lake. On our way back, we break the journey half-way to photograph the landscapes..
The mountains in this region are astoundingly beautiful. A colourful sunset over the snow-peaks of Kol Suu area.
The emerald blue Kol-Suu lake surrounded by steep slopes in all directions.
Horses in the landscape.Day 08. Drive back to Naryn
We return to Naryn today, and reach the town for a late lunch. You think there wouldn’t be much to do on a return journey, but you never know what to expect. We may encounter a different set of people, or sometime a change in weather can dramatically alter the landscapes. Our observation is that part of this journey can continue to excite us even though we are retracing the same path.
Day 09. Drive to Issyk Kul Lake (About 4.5 hours)
Issyk Kul is known to be the tenth largest lake in the world by volume of water held, and the second largest lake by area at such high altitude. Except on perfectly clear days, you can’t see the opposite shore unless you carefully try to identify the barely visible pattern of faraway snow-capped mountains. Issyk Kul is surrounded by high mountains all around, several of them studded with huge reserves of snow. The water of the lake is transparent enough that at some places you can clearly see stones as deep as two meters.
We will reach Issyk Kul late in the afternoon and check-in to our hotel not far from the lake. In the evening, we visit the beautiful Skazka Valley with its Martian-like landscapes.
Mountains around Issyk Kul Lake.Day 10. Photographing the Eagle Hunters
We have time available this morning to wander around the lake. Swimming in the lake is possible and recommended.
Central Asia’s falconry and eagle-hunting practices are legendary. Today, we will have an opportunity to meet an eagle hunter and watch the eagles fly up and land on the hand of the master. We will spend the morning hour interacting with and photographing the eagle-hunters. The birds—Golden Eagles—are so large and so graceful that you will instantly fall in love. They have a wingspan of about as much as five feet! And then they have such powerful and capable talons that you will want to keep as far from them as possible!
Day 11. Drive to Bishkek (About 4.5 hours)
We drive to Bishkek this morning and enjoy a relaxed afternoon. This will also be an evening to exchange notes, look at each other’s images from the tour and discuss about the experiences and talk about photography through the evening. We will follow up with a farewell dinner.
Day 12. Departure
Check-out after breakfast at your convenience and drive to airport. Tour ends
Kyrgyzstan Photography Tour – Travel Information.
Accommodation
Travelling to Bishkek, Visa and Arrival Information.
Flights: Here is a quick look at options to fly in to Bishkek. These are not comprehensive, but provide a good idea on some ways to get in.
Visa: For citizens of most countries where visa is required, a visa can be obtained online at http://www.evisa.e-gov.kg/ There is a long list of countries for which Kyrgyz visa is not required or can be obtained on arrival. Please see your entry/visa requirement at http://evisa.e-gov.kg/get_information.php?lng=en
Weather.
Food, and choice of vegetarian food
Traditional food bases in Kyrgyzstan includes a circular flat-bread, noodles, dumplings and rice. Perhaps one of the most popular Central Asian dishes that has travelled across the world is pilaf/plov/paloo/pulao, a preparation of rice and spices (This is the best we photographers can do to describe food!).
Vegetarians can sail through comfortably in Kyrgyzstan, but this may require that you speak Russian or have someone who can explain your food preference. For vegetarians travelling in our group, our guides will ensure that they are fed properly, but do not expect a lot of variety. Thanks to a steady stream of European travellers who are asking vegetarian food, restaurants and yurts in many parts of Kyrgyzstan including remote yurt camps understand what vegetarian food is, and are happy to provide. We once found ourselves without a translator in a faraway mountain yurt, and when we said ‘vegetarian,’ the lady nodded and made a preparation of rice and a vegetable stew that would go down as one of our best meals in the country.
In the yurts, you are normally served a set meal that includes a salad, soup and a main course. As always, our tour guides will ensure that requests for vegetarian food is addressed. In most yurt-camps, there will be a selection of bread, dry fruits, chocolates and fresh fruits that are always available on the table to supplement the meal.
Menus in restaurants usually have little vegetarian foods on the menu, but are always willing to listen to a vegetarian’s requirement and prepare something suitable.
Safety & Security
While we recommend that you make a note of standard and recommended safety precautions and travel advisories from your government, our own experiences in travelling Kyrgyzstan is that the country feels very safe, secure and easy to travel in without any concerns. Our impressions of Kyrgyzstan is that it is perhaps as safe and worry-less that travelling anywhere can be, although we recommend that you always heed to any safety and security related advisories.
Your Photography Mentor on This Tour – Manish Lakhani
The mentor on board this is our renowned travel photographer Manish Lakhani.
Few people can boast of having travelled the high Himalayas like Manish has. For almost two decades, he has explored these mountains extensively on foot, on bicycles and on two and four wheels, often making his own path. He is a versatile photographer with a history of creating brilliant images of culture, heritage and landscapes.
He is renowned for his unique portrayal of remote cultures and traditions. He has photographed the cultural heritage across all the four corners of India, including the Changpa shepherds of the Himalayan Highlands, the native tribes of Nagaland, the nomads of Kutch and the rich traditions of Kerala.
He is Sony Artisan (Ambassador) in India for mirrorless camera system and Skylum Global Brand Ambassador for Asia. His works have been regularly featured in magazines across the world. He contributes to Adobe, BBC, WWF, CNN, Lonely Planet and many others regularly.
An avid cyclist, he has done an incredible solo bicycling trip of 15,000 kilometers across India. He visited many states of India, meeting different people, experiencing the diverse cultures and making some incredible photographs along the journey. He has since led many expeditions in the high altitude regions of Ladakh.
He has been mentoring photography enthusiasts for several years now and is known for his exuberant personality, in-depth knowledge of the terrain, expedition organization skills and, of course, his keen eye for photography.
You can follow him on Instagram,Facebook and on his website.
Tour Price & Inclusions.
Tour price: US$ 3,050
Booking fee: $900 balance payable by 15th April 2025
Inclusions
Exclusions
Cancellation Policy
– 25% of the tour fee is charged as a cancellation fee for cancellations earlier than 120 days before the start of a tour.
– 50% of the tour fee is charged as a cancellation fee for cancellations between 119 days and 60 before the start of a tour.
– 80% of the tour fee is charged as a cancellation fee for cancellations between 59 days and 46 days before the start of a tour.
– No refund for cancellation within 45 days of the tour start date or for a no-show.
Note: This tour requires a quorum of four persons.
Sign Up for this tour today.
Contact us at the email/numbers below to book the tour.
email: photography@darter.in
Tel: +91 99988 66669 (Manish) / +91 97400 83260 (Shreeram)
Alternatively, fill in the following form to get in touch with us regarding the tour.