Song Kul Lake: Hike, Bike or Ride a Horse to This Stunning Lake

Song Kul Lake rightfully stands out amongst all of Kyrgyzstan’s beautiful destinations. This high-altitude lake, surrounded by an expansive jailoo (summer pasture) and soft rolling hills, is a sight for sore eyes. 

It’s not just about Kyrgyzstan’s natural beauty though. With dozens of yurt camps scattered around the lake and ample time to interact with their inhabitants, spending time at Song Kul Lake is a great way to dive deeper into Kyrgyzstan’s rich nomadic culture. 

Visit Song Kul and see for yourself just how beautiful Kyrgyzstan is. 

What is Song Kul 

Song Kul is a high alpine lake situated at an altitude of 3016m. Measuring in at 270 square kilometres, it’s the second-largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and easily one of its most famous. 

While Song Kul itself is undoubtedly beautiful, what really makes a trip out special is the surrounding scenery and the remote location of the lake. It takes on average two days to reach the lake and en route, you’ll pass the classic high-altitude scenery Kyrgyzstan is famous for: jailoos, rolling hills and mountains and endless vistas. Ahhhh, beautiful Kyrgyzstan. 

Want to visit another stunning lake in Kyrgyzstan? Read all about remote Kel Suu

Where is Song Kul

Song Kul is located in Naryn Oblast in Central Kyrgyzstan. The lake is surrounded by a large summer pasture fringed by rolling hills. 

The nearest hub, and where most people base themselves to get organised for a trip to Song Kul Lake, is Kochkor, about 40 km away. 

Kyzart, about 72 km from Kochkor, is a small village close to Song Kul and from where most horse treks and treks begin. 

Best time to visit Song Kul

The season for visiting Song Kul Lake is from June to September. The best time to visit Song Kul is in July and August. During this time, the weather will be at its warmest (but by no means hot). 

Due to its high elevation, Song Kul’s weather is unpredictable: it can be sunny in the morning and then turn windy and stormy in the space of a few hours. Even in summer, it can be very cold (and freezing at night), so be sure to pack warm clothes. 

Don’t know what to pack? Don’t sweat, we’ve got you covered. See our packing list below. 

Read next: Ala Kul Lake Essential Guide – Everything You Need to Know

Why you should visit Song Kul

As one of Kyrgyzstan’s most famous and beautiful destinations, visiting Song Kul is one of the most popular things to do in Kyrgyzstan. 

Song Kul is not just about Kyrgyzstan’s natural beauty. Visiting Song Kul is as much a cultural experience as it is a natural one: nowhere in the country affords such a wonderful opportunity to engage with Kyrygyzstan’s rich nomadic culture. With yurt camps (some authentic, some solely set up for tourists) peppered around the massive lake, there are unlimited opportunities to learn more about this cultural heritage. 

You can hang out with families, milk a mare, try kumys (fermented horse milk) and if you’re lucky, catch a bit of kok boru (headless goat polo). The true joys of travel in Central Asia!

Related: Kol-Tor Lake: The Best Hike Near Bishkek

How to get to Song Kul

We’ll be honest with you: there’s no easy way to get to Song Kul. 

Song Kul is surrounded by multiple passes, all of which are over 3000m. To reach the lakeshore, you’ll have to cross at least one of these. This is one beautiful place in Kyrgyzstan where the journey really is as exciting as the destination itself. 

When planning how you’re going to get to Song Kul, the sky’s the limit. You can hike, take a horse, ride a bike, drive or even do a combo. The choice is yours, my friend! 

Horse Trekking

Doing a horse trek to Song Kul is by far the most popular option. There’s something deeply romantic about riding a horse through the rolling hills and across the jailoo to reach remote Song Kul Lake.  

When choosing a horse trek to Song Kul, there are unlimited options. You can go from anywhere to 2 – 10 days, with countless variations. Let’s just say it’s well beyond the scope of this humble travel blog to attempt to lay them all out. 

Read 14 Awesome Things to Do in Kyrgyzstan for more epic adventure

Our two cents? Unless you really love riding, 3 days are enough. You go very slowly on a horse and your body will begin to ache. 3 days felt like the sweet spot in terms of duration. 

We chose an option where we reached the lake in one day, spent a whole day meandering around the lake and then returned in a day. We loved this route. The second day traversing the lake was beautiful, peaceful and allowed us to see the lake from different perspectives. We couldn’t recommend it more. 

How to Organise a Horse Trek to Song Kul

From Kochkor, there are about a million different travel agencies in town that will be able to organise a horse trek to Song Kul for you. Speak to your guesthouse and it’s almost guaranteed they can put together a trip for you too. For a classic 3-day / 2-night horse trek, these should cost approximately 14,000 – 15,000 KGS per person. 

Our recommendation? Jailoo Tourism in Kochkor. 

Why? Their prices are fair and the woman who runs it is an absolute legend. She knows everything about the area and can advise you on a million different options so you can tailor the trip to your liking. 

We also really enjoyed the yurt camps they set us up with. They were local families and had a very authentic vibe. We’ve heard a lot of negative feedback about some of the other camps that feel a bit manufactured. 

They’ll also give you a price breakdown of all the costs and you can pick and choose what you want included (i.e., you can take out meals, or choose to camp, etc.). For an all-inclusive 3-day / 2- night trip, it should cost somewhere around 12,000 KGS per person.

Pro tip: to save some cash, skip an arranged lunch and pack your own. We usually pack some bread, cheese and tomatoes to make easy sandwiches on the way, along with some snacks like chocolate, dried fruit and nuts. 

Of course, you can always pre-arrange a horse trek to Song Kul in advance. Being such a popular destination, there are multiple tours available.

Organising a Horse Trek to Song Kul Independently 

You can also go directly to Kyzart and arrange a horse trek independently. It’s the main departing point for horse treks, so every second house will know someone who can guide you to Song Kul Lake. 

That said, it actually doesn’t come out to much cheaper (we’re talking a few dollars per person), so unless you’re really on a budget, it’s not really worthwhile. 

Want more horse trekking in Kyrgyzstan? Visit Tash Rabat Caravanserai

Hiking

Trekking to Song Kul Lake is another great, and very popular, option for those who want to experience Kyrgyzstan’s natural beauty. 

Another bonus is that trekking to Song Kul is one of the least difficult hikes you can do in Kyrgyzstan. Compared to some of the country’s more arduous treks, the passes are relatively moderate in terms of gradient and technical challenge. 

Read about Ala Archa National Park for more great trekking in Kyrgyzstan

As with horse trekking, there are many different routes you can take, each varying in duration and difficulty. 

The most popular hike route to Song Kul departs from Kyzart Pass. From the Kyzart Pass, it takes 2 days of moderate trekking to reach Song Kul Lake. 

If you want to explore more obscure or long-distance options, stop by the CBT in Kochkor and pick up a copy of the hiking map with all the trails laid out. 

Transportation to the Trailhead 

You will need to arrange transportation to the Kyzart Pass. From Kochkor, the cheapest way to do this is to get a shared taxi in this direction (towards Jumgal) and get out early. 

You can also arrange transport directly to the trailhead via the Kochkor CBT, any travel agency in town or your guesthouse. When arranging this, ask them to drop you off at Km 46 on the Kochkor-Jumgal Road (this is very well-known).  

2-Day Trekking Itinerary to Song Kul

Day 1: Kyzart Pass to Kilemche Valley

• Distance: 15 – 17 km (depending on exactly where you stop)
• Elevation: +900m / -850m

The trail starts at Kyzart Pass, right on the main road between Kochkor and Jumgal.

Once you get out of the car, follow the trail of car tracks that lead toward the southern chain of mountains. 

Over the course of the day, you’ll go over two passes: first up is the Chaar-Archa Pass and then the Kyzyl Bel Pass. Both are just over 3000m. 

The day’s destination is the Kilemche Valley. If camping, you can overnight at the river. If yurting, there are several yurt camps in the area. 

Day 2: Kilemche Valley to Song Kul

• Distance: 15 – 17 km
• Elevation: +800m / -400m

From the valley, you’ll climb the 3325m Jalgis Karagai Pass. From the top, there are excellent views of Song Kul and the mountains to the north. 

From the top of the pass, there’s a clear path straight down to the lake. 

When you get to Song Kul, there are plenty of spaces to wild camp and many yurt camps to arrange a bed for the night. 

Important: fill up on water in the Kilemche Valley, as you won’t have water again for most of the day! Be sure to treat all your drinking water, as there are many animals around. A Steripen is a great way to have access to clean water 24/7.

How to get back to Kyzart or Kochkor from Song Kul

There are a few different options for getting back to either Kyzart or Kochkor. 

• Obviously, you can re-trace your steps and return along the same route. 
• You can go hike over the Tuz Ashu Pass and get to Kyazart in one day. This is along an old Jeep road.  
• You can also return via the Ozbek Ashuu Pass. This is more difficult, more remote and will take a couple of days. 
• You can go back by car. Even though Song Kul is one of the country’s most popular destinations, it’s best to arrange in advance. You can do so via the Kochkor CBT, one of the travel agencies in town, or your guesthouse. Just note that it’s not cheap – around 3000 KGS.

Navigation

The route is not signposted, so it’s a good idea to get your hands on a map. There are multiple online maps, on either maps.me, AllTrails and Wikiloc. 

Paper maps of the hiking routes in the region can be sold at the CBT office in Kochkor. 

Driving to Song Kul

If you have your own car, you can drive to Song Kul. It’s both easy and common to rent a car in Kyrgyzstan and it’s a great way to explore the country’s natural beauty. In our experience, it’s cheaper and easier to rent a car online. Our recommendation? Hop over to Discover Cars for the best deals – it’s what we personally use and recommend.

If you don’t have a car (nor want to rent one), then you can arrange a car and driver to take you there. This can be arranged from Kochkor or Naryn (although Naryn will cost significantly more). 

To arrange a driver, simply speak to the CBT of whichever town you’re in, or your guesthouse. We’ve always had better results arranging anything through guesthouses than through the CBTs. 

Mountain Biking 

Another fun option is to ride a bike to Song Kul Lake! 

If you’re fit and an experienced rider, you can take any of the horse trekking or hiking trails to Song Kul via bicycle. 

Accommodation at Song Kul Lake

Song Kul is THE place in Kyrgyzstan to get a taste of nomad culture, so it’s only fitting that you should stay in a yurt whilst there. 

There are plenty (and we mean plenty) of yurt camps at the lake and en route. Although they’re now set up for tourists, they still give you insight into the culture. It’s a great experience. 

We camp a lot, and normally always elect to camp when given the choice, but in this instance, we really enjoyed the experience of staying in the yurts. It’s part and parcel of the entire Song Kul experience. 

How to organise a yurt stay at Song Kul 

If you’re going with a pre-organised tour, then all of your accommodation will be arranged for you and included in the price of your trip. 

If you’re visiting Song Kul independently, then just rock up and see what’s free! It’s that simple. There are heaps of yurt camps at the lake and en route, so there’s no need to pre-book. 

It should cost around 1000 – 1200 KGS per person, including dinner and breakfast. 

Camping at Song Kul

Of course, of course, you can always camp at Song Kul. It’s a massive, flat jailoo, so space is definitely not an issue. Find a nice spot and make your home for the night. 

Just be sure to follow Leave No Trace principles and clean up after yourself. 

Heading to Kazakhstan? Read our complete guide to Almaty

What to Expect at Song Kul

Safety

Song Kul is a super safe place. For a remote destination, it’s relatively busy with tourists and shepherds and there’s not a lot to worry about. 

That said, if hiking, be sure to always take adequate precautions. Check the weather, inform people of your plans and have a backup plan if things go south. 

As with all hikes, accidents do happen, so good travel insurance is essential.

We use and recommend SafetyWing. It covers up to 4000m and is specifically designed for long-term travellers and nomads. 

Mobile Reception and Electronics

There is no reception at Song Kul Lake, so make sure to download any offline maps you may need. 

We also recommend bringing a power bank to keep your devices fully juiced.

Weather

Song Kul is not a place to work on your tan. Even in the height of summer, temperatures are mild and can be downright cold. 

In summer, expect mild days (around 10 – 20C) and cold nights (anywhere from 5C to 0C). It can also get super windy at the lake. We always use this website for weather in more obscure locations such as Song Kul. 

Be sure to pack warm clothing, and if camping, appropriate gear (see below). 

Water

Be sure to treat your water before drinking it, as it is most likely contaminated by animal droppings. We use a Steripen to clean all of our water.

Tips and Tricks

• Bring a windbreaker. It gets bloody windy at the lake. 
• If horse trekking, bring paracetamol / ibuprofen. Your body will ache!
• Bring warm clothes. It’s cold!
• If offered, try the kumyz. It’s not delicious, but it is a great cultural experience!

Packing List

Where to Stay in Kochkor Before or After Your Trip

Budget

MALIKA Guesthouse

Mid-range

Guesthouse Mira

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