Yurt camps in Naryn Province

Yurt camps in Naryn Province

Naryn Province is the second largest yurt destination in the country after Issyk-Kul and by far the highest: 56 options, 18 of them at Song-Kul itself. People come for a night in a yurt at 3,000 metres — no electricity, no phone signal, horses outside and food cooked by the family. For many visitors this is the reason they came to Kyrgyzstan at all.

Where the camps are

Song-Kul is the main one: the camps stand right by the water, and the roads over the passes are open from about mid-June to early September. The Ak-Tala district and Ak-Tal hold 18 options, closer to the road and cheaper. In Naryn town and in Kochkor, yurts are pitched in the yards of guest houses — a way to sleep in one without driving up to the pastures. At-Bashy sits on the road to the Tash-Rabat caravanserai.

What it costs and what is included

The median rate is about 6,000 som a night, and it usually covers three meals: there is nowhere else to eat up there. The top of the range is multi-day horse programmes rather than a single night. A bed in a yurt, bedding, a shared toilet and a washstand are standard; a shower or a banya is not always there.

What to check before booking

How you will get there: Song-Kul is not reachable by public transport — you need a high-clearance car or a transfer from the host. Whether meals are included and how many. Whether the yurt has a stove: nights at 3,000 metres are cold even in July. And whether the pass is open on your dates.

Booking and payment

You book directly with the host, with no agency in between. Some camps confirm a booking right away, others once the host has checked the dates. Meiman holds your prepayment until you check in and passes it to the host only afterwards; the rest you pay on arrival. You can pay by card or by QR. For July and August book two to four weeks ahead — there are not many camps at Song-Kul and they fill up.