Kyrgyzstan: Wild Snow Leopards on Horseback

Absolutely. Kyrgyzstan is located in the heart of Central Asia, bordered by China and Kazakhstan. It is completely insulated from conflicts in the Middle East and remains a peaceful, welcoming destination for trekkers and travellers.

For context, Iran to Kyrgyzstan is the same distance as London to Moscow.

There is no indication whatsoever that the situation in the Middle East could spill over to Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is a very safe and stable destination.

For those concerned about flights. We encourage you to book with reputable airlines such as Turkish who route north of the Middle Eastern territories. Flights route over Europe and the Black Sea/Caucasus, staying well clear of the restricted airspace in Iran, Iraq, and the Gulf. At last check, these are currently running as normal. Other airlines include Air Astana who also fly north of the Middle East and are operating as normal.

We do not anticipate our Kyrgyzstan expeditions being cancelled. It is always important to take out insurance at the time of booking to protect yourself against cancellations, which beyond travel can also include health issues, personal changes, or missed flights.

Your chances of seeing a snow leopard are good, but we do not have a 100% success rate. The wildlife in the Reserve are completely unhabituated and wild - this is very different to other snow leopard destinations where the wildlife has become habituated to vehicles and the presence of humans. This makes our location completely unique and special, and previous guests are always blown away by how remote and wild we actually are.

You will be an integral part of the spotting team, working hard to spot wildlife and track snow leopards wherever we encounter tracks with a small group. The locations you’ll travel to rarely see tourists and the wildlife you'll see are truly wild.

As with any snow leopard trip, you should expect to view a snow leopard predominantly through scopes or high-powered focal lenses as sightings can easily be 1km away. This is also true of snow leopards trips to habituated groups in India, for example. You will be provided with top-end scoping equipment during the expedition and we recommend everyone brings a good pair of binoculars.

Aside from snow leopards, Kyrgyzstan is full of other fascinating wildlife. You’re likely to see wolves, Tian Shan brown bears, golden eagles, ibex, argali, marmots, Himalayan vultures, bearded vultures and mountain hares.

Guests joining us later in the season are less likely to see Tian Shan brown bears as they will have entered into hibernation depending on prevailing weather conditions. Some migratory birds, such as sparrow hawks, are also likely to have moved on.

You don’t need to be super fit to enjoy our expeditions. You will need to be fit enough and able to ride on horseback for up to 3 hours (with breaks), or trek for up to an hour. We’ll be at altitude for much of the expedition - around 3,000m. No experience of altitude is necessary and serious altitude sickness is very rare at this height. If you have any concerns, please talk to us.

As this expedition is extremely remote, we are unable to accommodate people with existing conditions requiring regular medical attention.

Your health and safety are our top priorities. Because we operate in true wilderness environments, we have rigorous, regularly reviewed protocols in place:

• Expert Leadership: You will be guided by a highly trained Expedition Leader who is responsible for your safety and well-being.

• Medical Equipment & Comms: We carry a comprehensive medical kit and an emergency satellite communication device at all times.

• Remote Medical Support: We have dedicated remote access to a British medical doctor throughout the entire expedition.

• Evacuation Plans: For extreme emergencies, we have pre-specified landing sites for helicopter medical evacuation (this is why your required travel insurance must cover air evacuation).

You don’t need any horse riding experience to enjoy our expeditions. Many of our guests have never ridden before, some have horses at home.

No matter your experience riding horses, we do not allow for riding at speed (cantering or galloping). This is for the safety of guests and the welfare of the horses. You will be provided with a British safety standard-riding helmet for the duration of the expedition, which must be worn.

In order for us to meet our obligations under our company insurance, you will also be required to sign a helmet disclaimer form. This is required by all guests and will be sent to you before the expedition begins.

Our campsite is basic, but comfortable. You will sleep privately in winter-grade tents but have access to a shared heated yurt throughout the day and evening. Our site has no running water, but there will be a handwashing station to maintain hand hygiene at our base camp, along with a simple dry toilet. A dunk in an alpine stream towards the end of the expedition is a wonderful way to freshen up.

Kyrgyzstan’s winters are what’s known as a ‘dry cold,’ with very low humidity. This means that even when temperatures drop to –10°C or below, it often feels less harsh than a damp 2°C winter day in places like London. The air is crisp and clear rather than heavy and penetrating, making the cold more comfortable and easier to manage with the right clothing. Take a look at our kit list here for more specifics.

All water that we consume will be purified by one of three means: boiling, chlorine tablets or water purifying pumps and is therefore safe to consume.

Food will be provided by local chefs for the duration of the expedition. They will cook a mixture of delicious Kyrgyz, Central Asian, and Western dishes. Veggies and vegans catered for, however, meat is an essential part of Central Asian cuisine. If you are a flexible veggie or vegan, we recommend you take this approach to make the most of the food on offer. Vegans in particular can expect a lack of variety on the expedition itself, but also in major cities and towns.

Nonetheless, whatever your preferences, you’ll be well fed!

Absolutely. Many of our guests join us as individuals.

Individual bookers will have their own room in hotels. In the Reserve everyone will have individual tents. These tents are large enough for two people to share if you wish to do this.

You will be offline for the majority of the expedition. You will have wifi in your hotel in Bishkek, but it may be slow. SIM cards can be easily purchased at the airport. This will provide some connection on the way to the Reserve, but in the Reserve you will not be able to get signal.

We will hold an emergency communication device for the duration of the expedition. This is strictly for emergency use only.

You should arrive in Bishkek on Day 01. You are free to arrive anytime and an airport transfer will be arranged for you. You will be able to check into your hotel by around 2pm. Early check-ins and additional nights will be at the expense of the guest and arranged directly with the hotel.

You can depart anytime after 11pm on the last day of the expedition (Day 10). However, a single night in a hotel is provided for you in Bishkek, so most people will fly the following morning in case of delays. An airport transfer will be provided for you to the airport.

Kyrgyzstan is visa-free for most passports. However, you must check the requirements yourself before departure for your specific nationality.

Please ensure you also check vaccination information carefully before departure as these can be subject to change.

You are required to have travel insurance covering you for the duration of the expedition and for all the activities you will be undertaking. This includes horse trekking and trekking/hiking up to 4,000m, as well as helicopter medical evacuation. You will be asked to provide your insurance information closer to departure.

We strongly recommend that you take out cancellation and curtailment insurance as part of your cover as soon as you have booked one of our expeditions to protect against cancellations.

Previous guests have noted World Nomad, BMC and Endsleigh as providing sufficient cover.

While same-sex relationships are technically legal in Kyrgyzstan, the country remains highly socially conservative, and LGBTQ+ identities are heavily stigmatised. Public displays of affection are generally frowned upon for all couples, but we strongly advise LGBTQ+ travellers to exercise a high degree of discretion regarding their sexual orientation and gender identity while in the country.

Because our expeditions take you deep into isolated regions to live and work alongside traditional nomadic communities and local park rangers, the cultural environment you will experience is more traditional. Wild Expeditions is a welcoming, fully inclusive company, and our Expedition Leaders will always prioritise your safety, comfort, and well-being above all else.

We are always happy to have a confidential chat if you'd like to discuss this further before booking.

You can take a look at the full expedition kit list here.

We’re always happy to provide further advice and recommendations.

We have included some guidance on what photography equipment you might want to bring on our kit list. You can find that here.

You're free to bring a drone on our expedition, however, we do have strict controls on flying drones near wildlife.

We do not permit guests to fly drones near wildlife, including both predators and prey. You are free to fly drones for landscape photography purposes but note take off must be approved by the Expedition Leader.

Tips for local staff are completely at your discretion. All our staff are paid fairly for their work. Tips are welcomed in either Kyrgyz SOM or USD, with a preference for SOM.

Giving tips at the end of your trip is a wonderful way of showing your gratitude for their hard work. If you plan to give tips, we can provide guidance on this, just get in touch.