Motorcycle trip

Kyrgyzstan

We run one tour in Kyrgyzstan: The Nomad Odyssey, 11 days including 9 riding days, on a loop from Osh. It crosses the country through its gorges, over passes above 9,800 ft and across high summer pastures, with nights in yurts beside mountain lakes. You ride a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. If nomadic life and wide open steppe are what draw you, also take a look at our Mongolia motorcycle tours, or at all our motorcycle tours in Asia.

The Nomad Odyssey costs $4,490 per rider and $3,290 per passenger, for 11 days. Your flight to Osh is extra, as is a $41 registration fee on your first tour with us. The motorcycle, gas, lodging, all meals on the riding days and the whole support team are included: the tour page spells out everything in detail.

Summer, from June to September, when the passes are clear of snow and the high mountain dirt roads can be ridden. Expect 77 to 95°F in the valleys, 50 to 64°F on the high plateaus and nights close to freezing by the lakes. September is cooler, but quieter. Winter is far too harsh for a motorcycle trip. Open dates are on the tour page, and our Kyrgyzstan weather guide has the details.

Our tour is rated Sustained and is meant for experienced riders who feel at ease on dirt. The stages are long, a good share of the route follows mountain dirt roads, and you spend several nights above 9,800 ft. Good physical fitness and regular riding are a must. Riding two-up is possible but demanding on this terrain: talk it through with your travel advisor before you book.

Bring your motorcycle license together with an International Driving Permit, which you can get from AAA. U.S. citizens currently need no visa for a short tourist stay like this tour; check the rule in force before you travel. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you arrive. Details are in Preparing your trip to Kyrgyzstan, in our help center.

The tour starts and ends in Osh, the main city in the south of the country. You book your international flight to Osh airport, usually with a connection, for example via Istanbul or with a domestic flight from Bishkek, the capital. Our team meets you at the airport on the first day, takes you to the hotel and drives you back on the last day, according to your flight times.

On the road, the main risks are isolation and altitude: stages run far from hospitals, cell coverage comes and goes in the valleys and rapid rescue is rare. That is why every group rides with a motorcycle tour leader, a mechanic and a support vehicle, which can take an injured rider to the nearest medical center. Before you book, read the travel advisory and country information for Kyrgyzstan on the State Department website.

Not with us: in Kyrgyzstan we only run guided tours, never motorcycle rentals on their own. An English-speaking tour leader rides ahead, a mechanic looks after the bikes and a support vehicle follows with the luggage and spare parts, and we arrange the border-area permits and the yurt camps. Self-guided riding is something we offer only in the United States, from our base in South Dakota.