Song-Kul: a high lake of horses, herders and yurts

At a glance

• Where: central Kyrgyzstan, in Naryn region. The usual way in is from Kochkor, 3–4 hours' drive from Bishkek, then 2–3 hours more to the lake.
• How long: one night at the least; two nights let you ride, walk and simply slow down.
• Best time: mid-June to mid-September, when the yurt camps are open.
• Altitude: 3,016 m.

Interesting facts

• Song-Kul is about 29 km long and 18 km wide, and covers some 270 km². It is the second-largest lake in Kyrgyzstan after Issyk-Kul, yet it is no more than 13 m deep.
• It has been a protected wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention since 2011, for its breeding and migrating birds.
• In winter the lake freezes, with ice up to 1.2 m thick that lasts until late May. There is no permanent village on its shores: people live here only in summer.
• The pastures around it are a jailoo, the summer grazing land at the heart of Kyrgyz nomadic life.

Life on the jailoo

The road climbs from Kochkor over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass at 3,446 m; another road winds up the mountainside in 33 hairpin bends. Then the land opens into a wide green bowl with the lake in the middle and the herders' yurts dotted along the shore.

Days here are simple: ride along the shore with a herder, walk up a hill for the view, watch the animals come home at dusk and share tea, bread, butter and kymyz, the slightly sour fermented mare's milk, in the family yurt. At night, with no electric light for kilometres, the Milky Way is spectacular.

Important notes

• Cold nights: even in July and August, night temperatures fall to between 0 and 5 °C. Yurts have stoves and plenty of blankets.
• Basic comfort: there is no mains electricity, only small solar panels for lights and phone charging. Toilets are long-drop outhouses, and showers are rare.
• No signal: expect little or no phone coverage. Tell your family you will be offline.
• Altitude: at 3,000 m some people get headaches. Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol on the first evening and walk slowly.
• Riding: the horses are sturdy and calm, and herders lead beginners. Wear long trousers.

What to bring

• A warm jacket, hat, gloves and thermal layers for the evening.
• A headlamp and a power bank.
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and lip balm: the sun is strong at 3,000 m.
• Wet wipes and a small towel.
• Long trousers and closed shoes for riding.

Song-Kul is on our 6-day Issyk-Kul and Song-Kul tour, the 7-day classic and the 8-day tour with two nights at the lake. Read more in Issyk-Kul and Song-Kul: two lakes, two different trips.