Travel to Kyrgyzstan

Flying to Kyrgyzstan

The national carrier is Air Kyrgyzstan (www.air.kg), which has international flights to China, Russia and Uzbekistan. Aeroflot (www.aeroflot.com) operates a direct flight from Moscow, with connections available from the UK and the USA. Pegasus Airlines (www.flypgs.com) and Turkish Airlines (www.turkishairlines.com) fly from Istanbul to Bishkek. Both also offer connecting flights from the UK.

Airport Guides

Flight times

From London - 10 hours (including stopover); New York - 15 hours (including stopover).

Departure tax

Included in the air fare.

Travelling to Kyrgyzstan by Rail

A twice-weekly service connects Moscow and Bishkek (journey time - 3 days). The Russian Railways website (pass.rzd.ru/main-pass/public/en) has details.

Driving to Kyrgyzstan

The main international road links are with Kazakhstan. There are several crossings with Uzbekistan but these can close without notice from time to time. Although there are several road links with Tajikistan, not all are open to foreign nationals. Of the two road links with China, only the one via Irkeshtam is technically open to foreigners. The other route over the Torugart Pass requires special permission that is only granted if pre-arranged transport is organised to meet travellers on the other side of the border.

Getting to Kyrgyzstan by boat