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Bishkek
About Bishkek
Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, is situated in the north part of the country in the Chui-Region. It is a modern city with vast squares, broad open space, crowded bazaars and a typical soviet-style architecture. Though the city itself is relatively young, the region around Bishkek has many sites reminding of its past dating back to the Greco-Buddhist period and later as a caravan rest stop on the routes of the ancient Silk Road. Bishkek is surrounded by the pristine nature of the Kyrgyz Mountains making it a favorite stop for mountaineers.
Local highlights
Explore the city
- Ala-Too square with the Independence monument where you can watch the changing of the guards
- The huge marble White House-the main government building of Kyrgyzstan
- Several statues of Vladimir Lenin remain
Explore its museums and historical sights, such as
- The State Historical Museum
- State Museum of Applied Arts with Kyrgyz traditional handicrafts
- Frunze House Museum
Highlights in the vicinity
- The spectacular Ala-Too mountain range, 40 km away, with the Ala Archa National Park. The Ala-Archa gorge with the beautiful Alamedin river and peaks up to 5,000 m, make this region a favorite destination for many climbers seeking routes of high complexity.
- Yssyk-Ata with its natural mineral baths and its famous Buddhist inscriptions. The trip to Yssyk-Ata gorge brings you through small Kyrgyz villages to the Tien-Shan peaks.
- The Alamedin Gorge with its beautiful scenery and quiet spots on the banks of the Alamedin River
- Kegety Gorge and the Kul Tor Lake-a very quiet place with amazing sights and plenty of routes for hiking
- The Museum of Fine Arts in Oak Park with traditional crafts work
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 900 Thousand
- Timezone: UTC +5
- Weather: the weather in the environments of Bishkek can be ice cold until the beginning of spring and even in early summer
Local transport
- Taxi are readily available and cheap (but don’t forget to agree a fare in advance). You can also order a ‘super-taxi’ by phone that is more reliable and safe but also more expensive.
- Trolley buses-not the best way to get around
- Mini Buses or Marshrutki’s are cheap and go just about anywhere
- Cars can be hired with a driver
- The city grid of wide open streets make it easy to get around
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: “Manas” International Airport. Commercial flights are limited: flights to Osh and during the summer flights to Almaty (Kazakhstan), Cholpon-Ata and Tamchy (Issyk-Kul region)
- Train: connection to Balykchy at the western end of Lake Issyk-Kul
- Helicopter Access to the Central Tien-Shan region and the Inylchek Valley
- Buses are the most reliable form of internal travel in Kyrgyzstan (but can be overcrowded)
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