Kyrgyz Nomadic Culture

Kyrgyzstan is one of the last places on earth where a genuine nomadic culture survives as a living way of life rather than mere folklore. Each summer, herding families still move with their animals to the high mountain pastures, living in felt yurts, the portable domed tents that are a national symbol, and travelling on horseback across the vast grasslands. Ancient traditions endure: hunting with golden eagles, the thundering horseback game of kok-boru, the crafting of felt shyrdak carpets, and the singing of the epic Manas, one of the world's longest oral poems.

What you actually see

• The yurt and jailoo life - the felt tents and summer pastures.
• Eagle hunting - the ancient art of hunting with golden eagles.
• Kok-boru - the fierce traditional horseback game.
• The crafts and epics - the felt shyrdak carpets and Manas epic.

When to go

June to September, when the nomads are up in the summer pastures and their way of life is fully in evidence, is the best time to experience yurt stays, horse trekking and herding life; cultural festivals and games, sometimes including the World Nomad Games, showcase the traditions. Community-based tourism networks arrange authentic homestays.

Honest expectations

Some eagle-hunting and game demonstrations arranged for tourists can feel staged, so seeking out genuine community-based homestays and summer-pasture experiences gives a far more authentic encounter; a respectful, curious approach matters. Yurt stays are rustic and simple. To witness and share in a real, surviving nomadic culture amid spectacular mountains, though, is a rare and deeply memorable privilege that defines a visit to Kyrgyzstan.

Nearby

The jailoo pastures around Song-Kol and the mountain villages are the places.